The Descendia is an activity that may be accessed in the Dark Refractory, where players descend through 21 Infernums, each with unique objectives and increasingly difficult enemies.
This activity tests your combat skills, Warframe abilities, and resource management while offering valuable rewards for progression and crafting.
Players can farm Maphica, Ignia, and other essential materials while also obtaining specific rewards that rotate each week.
How To Unlock The Descendia?
The Descendia can be accessed from the Dark Refractory once the area has been unlocked, giving players access to its activity menu.
The Dark Refractory itself becomes available after completing The Old War quest, which unlocks the two new activities, including this game mode.
How To Start The Descendia?
Once the Dark Refractory has been unlocked, access it from the Navigation console aboard your Orbiter by selecting it instead of Navigation.
Two options will appear in the menu; choose The Descendia to open the game mode’s interface and begin your run.
The Descendia Mechanics
Once The Descendia starts, you will need to travel through each Infernum by completing the objective that is provided, and the difficulty of your enemies will continue to increase.
After completing the objective for a certain Infernum, you may progress by descending into the next one by jumping on top of the marked platform or down the gap after it is destroyed.
Infernum 7, 14, and 21 act as starting points, and these are saved for you to continue from until the week has been reset.
Upon reaching Infernum 21, you will face Roathe, the Protoframe of Uriel, and defeating him rewards a Component Blueprint for Uriel.
Once Infernum 21 is completed, you can challenge Roathe repeatedly from this point in The Descendia, making it easier to farm Uriel’s Component Blueprints.
The fight begins with a confrontation against Roathe, and as he nears defeat, you must target and destroy his throne to obtain the Component Blueprint.
Infernum Penance
Each Infernum may be impacted by a Penance, which changes the way the floor behaves and adds new challenges that test your skills and adaptability.
Penances rotate weekly, forcing players to adjust their strategies, gear, and tactics to overcome the changing threats and maintain control throughout their descent.
The following Penances may appear in any Infernum:
- Arbitration Drones – Enemy spawns are protected by Arbitration Drones.
- Sneaky Retreats – Upon reaching half health, enemies become invulnerable for a short duration and teleport away.
- Bomb Defusal – Players glow with heat, exploding after 15 seconds for massive damage. Delay the explosion by killing enemies.
- Bubble Blasters – Enemy projectiles are replaced with large, slow-moving spheres.
- Chains of Fire – Chains of fire connect enemies and burn players who come into contact with them.
- Chemical Warfare – Poison gas is dispersed around the arena, dealing Toxin damage to Tenno and allies. Enemies drop safety zones to avoid damage.
- Eximus Cabal – Increased chance of enemies spawning as an Eximus unit. Nine types exist, each spawning three Eximus variants:
- Falling Debris – Debris constantly falls from the ceiling, damaging anyone underneath.
- Fire Trails – Enemies leave behind a trail of fire that burns Tenno and allies.
- Fireball Rollers – All enemies are Rollers that leave behind fire trails, damaging players.
- Foes Vulnerable to Archguns – Players use only their Archgun with Gravimag equipped. Upgrade your Archgun.
- Foes Vulnerable to Amphors – Enemies are heavily resistant to all damage except from Amphors, which spawn regularly.
- Foes Vulnerable to Rockets – Enemies are heavily resistant to all damage except from Rockets, like Thermian RPGs.
- Frictionless – Friction is greatly reduced for Tenno.
- Gigantism – Enemies are larger and slower than normal.
- Glassmaker Cephalites – Void tears turn enemies to glass, making them immortal until shards are destroyed.
- Head Stompers – Enemies are smaller and take massively increased damage from jumps.
- Hidden Threats – Enemies are invisible until they first attack.
- Laser Limbo – A rotating laser grid spawns periodically, damaging players caught in it.
- Manic Mania – All enemies are Manics.
- Narmer Deacons – Narmer Deacons slow down players who cross their gaze.
- Only Weak Points Are Vulnerable – Enemies take damage only to weak points.
- Sol Banished – Darkness obscures the arena in this Infernum.
- Sol’s Fury – Enemies emit a damaging light aura affecting nearby Tenno and allies.
- Tau’s Revenge – All enemies are Sentients.
- Weakpoint Horde – Enemies resist damage outside weak points and swarm more aggressively with melee attacks.
Blessings
On Infernums 7 and 14, players will encounter Marie on Floor 7 and Lyon on Floor 14, providing a brief reprieve from the constant challenges of Descendia.
Each of them offers a choice between two Blessings, which persist for that difficulty throughout the week and reset every Monday at 0:00 UTC alongside the Descendia rotation.
Marie Blessings
- Vol Sacré – Aim Glides last longer and have reduced gravity.
- Angelic Balm – Regenerate 10 Energy and 50 Health per second.
- Shroud of Invisibility – While airborne, become invisible.
- Renewed Faith – Upon death, restore Health to full with 5 seconds of invulnerability; usable once per floor.
- Sol’s Shield – While Shields are active, gain Armor that stacks over time; lose 25% of accumulated Armor when taking Health damage.
- Surging Vulnerability – Hitting Weak Points causes enemies to release Surge Sparks.
- Motes of Prayer – Gain a permanent set of Motes from Wisp’s Reservoirs ability.
- Holy Roller – Rolling restores 200 Shields.
- Avian Grace – Gain +3 jumps; while airborne, incoming damage is reduced by 50%.
- Righteous Celerity – Gain +50% Parkour Velocity and Ability Casting Speed.
- Congregation’s Protection – Kills and assists by Companions and Summons grant 5 seconds of invulnerability; gain 2 additional seconds per extra kill while active.
- Triumphant Bounty – Killed Eximus units grant your companions their aura for 30 seconds.
- Fervent Gunner – Gain +25% damage for a weapon upon picking up its ammo type; can stack up to 10 times.
- Hidden Benevolence – Upon entering a new Infernum, gain +1000 Overguard and invisibility until you attack or are damaged.
Lyon Blessings
- Ascendant Penance – Abilities cost no Energy but consume 200% of their Energy cost in Health.
- Restrained Fury – Sacrifice 100% Movement Speed while firing to double Fire Rate and Magazine Capacity.
- Faithful’s Wager – Melee Damage is reduced by half, but you gain a 25% chance to strike 4 times.
- Mutual Suffering – Apply Cold Status to nearby enemies; standing still has a 10% chance to apply Cold Status to yourself.
- Leaded Discipline – Increase Magazine Capacity by 400% but reduce damage by 90%; the last bullet deals +100% damage multiplied by magazine capacity.
- Sacred Annihilation – Ranged hits have a 5% chance to instantly kill the target, expending all remaining ammo in the magazine.
- Measured Force – Deal 3x more damage for 5 seconds after a reload; reloading takes twice as long.
- Ferocious Condemnation – Heavy Attacks trigger Harrow’s Condemn ability, consuming 50 Shields per enemy hit.
- Lua’s Blessing – Deal +200% damage as the Drifter and gain 50% Damage Resistance; Warframes take +100% damage.
- Nullified Nullifiers – Use Abilities within Nullifier bubbles, but receive Heat Status inside their range.
- Ascetic Munitions – Archguns gain unlimited ammo, draining Energy instead of ammo upon reloading.
- Sharpshooter’s Benediction – Sacrifice 50% damage to gain +25% damage for every consecutive hit to a Weak Point; resets on miss.
- Hollow Decimation – Eximus units no longer drop orbs, but take +100% damage
- Sinner’s Tithe – Deal -50% less damage to Overguard, but steal enemy Overguard when damaging them.
- Flowing Slayer – Gain +90% Ammo Efficiency while Sliding or Crouching; receive -30% Ammo Efficiency otherwise.
- Agony’s Enlightenment – Gain +75% Heat Damage resistance; all damage taken has a 10% chance to inflict Heat Status.
- Rejuvenating Temperance – Gain +200% Energy Orb Effectiveness; orb pickups have a 10-second cooldown.
- Haunted Strength – Increase Status Damage over time by 200%; gain 50% Status Vulnerability.
- Steadfast Adherence – Gain 99% Damage Reduction while Wall Latching, but lose 2% Health per second.
Rewards
The Descendia is a main source of the Maphica and Ignia resources, which are requirements for crafting some of the items that were added in The Old Piece update.
Aside from being able to loot these resources from chests that you find in each Infernum, you will obtain rewards for each one that you have completed.
With Infernum 21 unlocked, you will have the option to farm Uriel’s Component Blueprints as much as you like until the weekly reset.
Normal Path Rewards
Common Rewards (Infernums 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18)
- 3 × 10,000 Credits Cache
- 2,500 Endo
- 50 Vosfor
- 25 Ignia
- 5 Maphica
Arcane Rewards (Infernums 6, 13, Triple Drop on 20)
Completing Infernums 6, 13, and 20 rewards players with Arcanes, including many of the rarest available from Eidolons.
These drops provide a significant boost to your collection and make progressing to Rank 5 with powerful Arcanes much easier.
Rare Rewards (Infernum 21)
- Forma Blueprint
- Primary Arcane Adapter
- Secondary Arcane Adapter
- Melee Arcane Adapter
- Amp Arcane Adapter
Steel Path Rewards
Common Rewards (Infernums 2, 9, 16)
- 75 Ignia
- 15 Maphica
Uncommon Rewards (Infernums 4, 11)
Forma Blueprint
- Riven Mods (Melee, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Zaw, Kitgun)
- Arcane Adapters (Primary, Secondary, Melee, Amp)
- 3-Day Boosters (Affinity, Resource, Mod Drop Chance)
Descendia Exclusive Arcane Rewards (Infernums 6, 13, Triple Drop on 20)
- Arcane Concentration
- Arcane Circumvent
- Arcane Expertise
- Arcane Persistence
- Primary Bulwark
- Primary Debilitate
- Primary Overcharge
- Secondary Irradiate
- Melee Careen
Steel Essence Reward (Infernum 18)
- 25 Steel Essence
Rare Rewards (Infernum 21)
- Orokin Catalyst Blueprint
- Orokin Reactor Blueprint
- Omni Forma Blueprint
- Eidolon Lens Blueprints (Madurai, Vazarin, Zenurik, Naramon, Unairu)
- Archon Shards (Crimson, Azure, Amber)
New Descendia Somachord Tones
New Somachord Tones can be found while doing The Descendia; there are three that you can find in this new activity.
- Decrypted
- Roses from the Abyss
- The Cardinal Calls
Verdict
Infernum 21 provides a focused challenge that tests both your combat skills and ability management against Roathe.
Defeating him rewards Uriel’s Component Blueprints while also giving an efficient way to farm them repeatedly.
With a mix of direct combat and the throne mechanic, this encounter is both engaging and rewarding for players progressing toward building Uriel.
