This ESO Night Market Progression Guide walks you from your first boss kill to the Opulent Ordeal trial in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). The Night Market has a progression system that has never been seen in ESO and will most likely confuse you when you first jump in. We’ll explain how Brazen bosses, Argent bosses, Splinters, Relics, Gilded Keys and Opulent Keys all connect with eachother.
If you’re wondering how to get into the Night Market zone, have a look at our How to Get to the Night Market Guide.
Table of Contents
- Tips Before You Start
- Quick Reference Guide
- How Relics and Splinters Work
- Boss Kill Order
- How to Unlock the Egg of Arac Relic
- How to Unlock the Gleaming Lamp Relic
- How to Unlock the Windglass Relic
- How to Unlock the Opulent Ordeal Trial
Tips Before You Start
ESO Night Market Boss Kill Order
- Press F5 (on PC) to see the Boss Kill order, which keys you have acquired, faction favor and when the next skirmish starts.
- Follow groups of players. You do not need to group up unless you want to go to the dungeon or trial. Think of it like joining a world boss fight with other random people.
- Join in on activities to get district boons. Boons are passive combat buffs you earn from defeating bosses, completing oddities (puzzles), winning daring races and killing Faceted (glowing) enemies.
- Use the Tonic of Portent Favor. This potion grants a 100% Favor bonus from enemies and district events for 30 minutes (50 minutes with maxed Connoisseur passive). Each faction drops a different crafting ingredient. (See Which Faction to Choose Guide)
- Your faction choice is account-wide and locked for the duration of the Night Market. You cannot switch factions until the Night Market returns in a future season. Choose carefully.
ESO Night Market Quick Reference Guide
This is as short of an explanation as possible for a “Quick Reference Guide” that you can follow to get all the relics, keys and access the trial.
For more detailed explanations of Relics, Bosses and each of the Districts, check their own sections: Relics , Boss Kill Order, Egg of Arac Relic (Skittering Precinct), Gleaming Lamp Relic (Sorrow’s Friend), Windglass Relic (The Parch) and Opulent Ordeal Trial.
Skittering Precinct: Brazen Kraohl the Defiler (Defiler’s Egg Splinter), Brazen Khephidaen (Khephidaen’s Egg Splinter), Brazen Votary of Velidreth (Votary’s Egg Splinter), Brazen Dranos Velador (Dranos’s Egg Splinter)
Sorrow’s Friend: Brazen Kynmarcher Strix (Kynmarcher’s Lamp Splinter), Brazen Plague of Crows (Plague’s Lamp Splinter), Brazen Murklight (Murklight’s Lamp Splinter), Brazen Scavenging Maw (Maw’s Lamp Splinter)
The Parch: Brazen Taupezu Azzida (Taupezu’s Glass Splinter), Brazen Sellistrix (Sellistrix’s Glass Splinter), Brazen Doylemish Ironheart (Ironheart’s Glass Splinter), Brazen Incineration Beetle (Incinerator’s Glass Splinter)How ESO Night Market Relics and Splinters Work
Relics are the gate that controls everything in the ESO Night Market. Each of the three districts has a relic you build by collecting 10 named Relic Splinters. The three relics are:
Without the district relic, you can’t enter the Gilded dungeon for that district. You also can’t go through certain areas without them.
Relics are a one-time, account-wide unlock. Splinters drop per character, but once you consume all 10 and assemble the relic, it becomes a permanent memento. You never collect those splinters again on any character.
Each completed relic also has a replica version that you can place in the Night’s Den house to unlock a new area.
Relic Splinters
Every relic in the ESO Night Market uses the same 10-source pattern for the Relic Splinters. Splinters drop from Bosses, Skirmish, random enemies, Faction Vendor and from Daily Reward Coffers. You have to consume them by pressing E on them.
- Splinters 1-4: Brazen boss drops. Kill each of the 4 Brazen bosses in the district (one splinter each).
- Splinters 5-6: Argent boss drops. Kill each of the 2 Argent bosses in the district (one splinter each).
- Splinter 7: District skirmish. Complete the district’s timed group event.
- Splinter 8: Roaming enemies. Random drop from weak non-boss enemies in the district.
- Splinter 9: Faction Vendor. Purchase for 500 Favor (not consumed on purchase).
- Splinter 10: Daily reward coffers. Open Night Market daily reward coffers.
| Source Type | How to Get It | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Brazen boss drops | Kill each of the 4 Brazen bosses in the district (one splinter each) |
| 5-6 | Argent boss drops | Kill each of the 2 Argent bosses in the district (one splinter each) |
| 7 | District skirmish | Complete the district’s timed group event |
| 8 | Roaming enemies | Random drop from weak non-boss enemies in the district |
| 9 | Faction Vendor | Purchase for 500 Favor (not consumed on purchase) |
| 10 | Daily reward coffers | Open Night Market daily reward coffers |
The fastest path through a district: kill all 6 bosses (4 Brazen + 2 Argent) for 6 splinters, run the skirmish for 1 more and farm trash mobs for 1 more. That gets you to 8 out of 10 in a single session. The vendor splinter requires 500 Favor, which you earn passively from killing enemies and completing quests. The coffer splinter depends on daily reward boxes, so it may take a couple of days.
Splinters drop into your inventory as trophy items. Consume each one individually.
ESO Night Market Boss Kill Order
ESO Night Market Boss Kill Order
The ESO Night Market uses a four-tier boss system. Argent Bosses won’t spawn until you kill their Brazen Bosses. You are blocked from entering the Dungeons until you’ve acquired the District Relic.
Brazen > Argent > Gilded > Opulent
- Brazen (12 total, 4 per district) – Open world. Drop Relic Splinters and loot.
- Argent (6 total, 2 per district) – Open world. Kill 2 paired Brazen bosses to spawn. Drop Relic Splinters + Gilded Key Fragments.
- Gilded (3 total, 1 per district) – 4-player dungeon instance. Requires Gilded Key + district relic. Drops Opulent Key Fragment.
- Opulent (3 bosses fought together) – 12-player trial. Requires all 3 Opulent Key Fragments. Drops trial loot, titles and achievements.
| Tier | How Many | Where | How to Access | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazen | 12 (4 per district) | Open world | Always available | Relic Splinters, loot |
| Argent | 6 (2 per district) | Open world | Kill 2 paired Brazen bosses | Relic Splinters + Gilded Key Fragments |
| Gilded | 3 (1 per district) | 4-player dungeon | Gilded Key + district relic | Opulent Key Fragment |
| Opulent | 3 (fought together) | 12-player trial | All 3 Opulent Key Fragments | Trial loot, titles, achievements |
The Night Market also has Calamitous bosses that roam each district independently. They aren’t part of the progression chain and don’t drop splinters or fragments, but they drop gear and are worth joining if a group is already fighting one.
What You Grind Once vs. Every Run
What You Grind Once vs. Every Run
You only need to do the big relic grind once ever (even when the Night Market returns). You need to kill the argent bosses for keys each time you want to enter the dungeons and the dungeon bosses for keys to get into the trial. Keys are consumed when you kill the boss, meaning you can wipe as many times as you want and come back later to finish the dungeon/trial.
The first time through, you are grinding for everything: splinters, Gilded Keys and Opulent Fragments. On subsequent runs the relic grind is done. You only need to re-earn the keys.
How to Unlock the Egg of Arac Relic in ESO
Egg of Arac Memento and Replica
The Skittering Precinct is the ESO Night Market’s spider-themed district. Webs block elevated paths and the Egg of Arac relic lets you use grapple points to reach them.
Track your splinter progress: Relic Gauntlet-Bearer achievement
Skittering Precinct Boss Map
All Skittering Precinct Boss Spawn locations on the district map
How to Unlock the Gleaming Lamp Relic in ESO
Gleaming Lamp Memento and Replica
Sorrow’s Friend is the ESO Night Market’s eclipse and undead-themed district. The Baleful Darkness blocks certain paths and kills you in seconds if you walk into it. The Gleaming Lamp relic pushes it back.
Track your splinter progress: Relic Gloom-Warder achievement
How to Unlock the Windglass Relic in ESO
Windglass Memento and Replica
The Parch is the ESO Night Market’s desert-themed district. Sandstorms block certain paths. The Windglass relic lets you pass through them safely.
Track your splinter progress: Relic Wind-Slicer achievement
How to Unlock the Opulent Ordeal Trial in ESO
Opulent Ordeal entrance in the Starlit Plaza
The Opulent Ordeal is a 12-player trial and the final step of the ESO Night Market progression chain. The portal is in the Starlit Plaza.
Trial Bosses
You fight waves of enemies and in the end all three bosses at the end
Three bosses fought together, each tied to a district theme:
- Opulent Web Eater – Skittering Precinct
- Opulent Knightshade – Sorrow’s Friend
- Opulent Arid Varlet – The Parch
The Relay Mechanic
You pickup a essence and take it to the next team
The fight uses a relay system where teams carry orbs between district-themed areas. Opulent Key Fragments are consumed when the encounter is completed, not on entry. Wipes do not cost you your keys.
Opulent Ordeal is a mini-trial:
- Just one mode. No normal or veteran toggle
- No scoring or leaderboards
- It has a no-death achievement and awards the Pathwalker title on completion.
All Opulent Ordeal Achievements:
- Opulent Eradicator: Defeat all 3 Opulent bosses.
- Essence of War: Complete with no deaths. Rewards the Pathwalker title.
- Affinity for Everything: Complete with each affinity active (Cobweb, Drylands, Eclipse).
Running the Trial Again
Because Opulent Key Fragments are consumed on completion, running the trial a second time means:
- Kill all 6 Argent bosses again (2 per district) to earn new Gilded Keys.
- Clear all 3 Gilded dungeons again to earn new Opulent Key Fragments.
- Re-enter the trial.
You don’t need to re-earn your relics. Those are permanent.
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