With the launch of Act 1 in Episode Heresy, Destiny 2 has introduced an exciting new Exotic weapon: the Barrow-Dyad, a unique Strand SMG that not only resembles a frisbee but also fires Taken blights.
To acquire the Barrow-Dyad, players must first complete the Exotic quest titled The Taken Path. Successfully finishing this quest will grant access to the Derealize mission.
This Exotic mission involves complex puzzles and intense boss battles characterized by challenging mechanics. This guide aims to offer you a step-by-step overview to successfully navigate the mission, while steering clear of the maddening eldritch creatures that lurk within the Dreadnaught.
As the mission and quest are currently time-gated, our focus will be on the essential steps involved in completing the Derealize mission.
Accessing the Derealize Exotic Mission
To begin, locate the node for the Exotic Mission in The Last City section on your director map. Entering will transport you to the pit in the Mausoleum, where the Taken Ogre boss typically resides.
To mitigate damage from the menacing eyeballs, avoid looking directly at them. Keep them off your screen to gradually reduce the Suffocating Terror stacks.
After defeating several minor foes, you’ll encounter a Subjugator boss named Vrhiisk, Seeker of Power. If you manage to deal sufficient damage, she will retreat, leading to the appearance of another Strand Subjugator referred to as the Follower of Power.
Following these encounters, a portal will open. Be sure to jump through it.
Boss Fight: Vrhiisk, Seeker of Power
Upon crossing the portal, you will find yourself in the Trenchway, where Vrhiisk awaits, previously home to the Tormentor boss.
Engage Vrhiisk in battle, and once her health drops by a third, she will gain an immunity shield. This moment heralds the spawning of two Taken Ogres. Defeating them will yield a Taken Relic.
Collect the Taken Relic and commence your assault. Accumulating enough kills will trigger the Torn Between Dimensions status, reminiscent of the King’s Fall raid, allowing access to hidden platforms for navigation.
When prompted, dunk the Taken Relic onto the highlighted Taken Blight, which will appear alongside another in the physical space.
Destroying two Taken Blights will render Vrhiisk vulnerable again. Continue this cycle until her health reaches a critical one-third threshold.
As the fight progresses, the dreadful eyeballs return, and you’ll find yourself teleported to a pocket dimension for a final confrontation with Vrhiisk.
To exit this pocket dimension, you must solve a puzzle.
Puzzle and Navigation
The initial steps of the puzzle are similar to those in the The Taken Path quest. You will need to stand on a designated plate to uncover a symbol displayed on a nearby panel.
Four specific symbols will be present, which we can refer to as Hamburger, Letter A, Vex head, and Turret. Only one symbol will be revealed on the panel after standing on the plate.
Contrary to advice from some guides, you do not need to shoot the panel as the symbol will appear in due time; just maintain your position for a few seconds.
Your objective screen will display “NO ESCAPE”along with a timer marked as “Reality Tears.”
To break free, you must match the symbols on the panel in left-to-right order. If the symbols align, step off the plate in the indicated direction.
If not, remain on the plate to be sent to another room and start over.
Completing this sequence of four correct symbols will transport you to the inner segment of the Trenchway, where platforming sequences await. Keep leaping until you reach a hole in the wall, then jump down into the dark pit.
Be cautious not to fall into the next pit, as that’s a pitfall. Instead, ascend by climbing the walls.
While climbing, you’ll discover a hole in the wall where beware of spears shooting out that can eliminate you in one swift move.
You’ll also encounter Taken geysers that can knock you off your path, so timing your jumps is essential.
To navigate skillfully, bait the spears and move only when they retract.
You will arrive at a vast chasm filled with floating Hive architecture resembling a gigantic Shrieker, home to several Knights.
Crossing this chasm means navigating through a Taken forcefield, achievable by moving through the dark gaps between the walls.
Once you find the second Shrieker, your objective is to locate and destroy Hive crystals lurking in the dark areas. Approximately three crystals will need to be eliminated.
Take your time in this area to effectively shoot the crystals.
Upon destroying the last crystal, the message “The seal is broken!”will signal your ability to proceed upwards. Follow the pathway along the right wall of the second Shrieker.
Exit the wall to encounter the final Shrieker. From this point, jump off to the right and land on a tentacle.
There are various routes to ascend; some players opt to jump on the wall bulbs while others choose openings.
You’ll eventually find an entrance featuring a rally point. It’s advisable to place your banner and prep your strongest loadout for an intense boss encounter.
Boss Fight: Close-Up
To trigger the fight, approach the desk where the Barrow-Dyad is located. Claiming it will grant you the SMG along with two items known as Coalescence of the [Knife] and Coalescence of Sorrow.
Expect to face numerous Taken Blights shortly after. You will also encounter a Hive Knight boss, Xir-Kuur, Not-Taken, accompanied by Void-shielded Taken Acolytes.
Once you’ve depleted a third of his health, the Torn Between Dimensions status will trigger again, leading to a new boss variant: Xir-Kuur, Taken, who possesses distinct abilities.
This boss battle is significantly easier than in The Nether. Equip Void weapons to swiftly dismantle the Acolytes’ shields alongside any high DPS options you can access.
Continue this strategy until you eliminate the Not-Taken version of Xir-Kuur, which will result in a massive Blight formation, combining the two bosses into a colossal being.
Note that combat against this newly formed boss is not possible; your focus should instead be on escaping the room and congregating on the plate in front of the exit to seal it.
Post-Exotic Mission Rewards
Successfully completing the Derealize Exotic Mission for the first time rewards you not only with the Barrow-Dyad but also initiates the Dyadic Ascension quest. This quest guides you in unlocking essential Intrinsic perks and Catalysts.
As of February 17, 2025, this quest remains time-gated at Step 5.
The first task involves unlocking Steel Your Nerves, an upgrade obtainable by achieving Rank 5 on the Shaping Slab.
Next, return to The Nether and gather six Osseous Fragments for each progression step. Monitoring your mini-map will guide you to the nearest fragment—ensure you explore the Dreadnaught thoroughly for an efficient collection.
Finding all six fragments will unlock an Intrinsic Perk upgrade, which currently goes up to Panic Response III. In due course, you will be able to enhance your Barrow-Dyad up to Panic Response V.
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