The Somber Halls

The Somber Halls is a hidden place, located in the nation of Bastion, on the planet Coda, as of the year 468 LV.

History

The Somber Halls have existed for a long time. They are anzu ruins, architecturally speaking, which somehow became corrupted from an ominous storm. The Somber Halls and Fire Shrine Caves are synonymous.

In the Legion Victorious era, after the Freelancers faction—the last of the three to that split from the original Legion of Dawn—this cave was adopted as a part of their faction, and it would be protected at all cost. Something always showed up here during the autumn, where an unexpected fog creeps into Bastion, and Freelancers would always stop it, making it a Freelancer Pilgrimage.

In 468 LV, during the Season of Skulls Festival, the Freelancer took part in clearing the Somber Halls along with other Freelancers. By lighting three shrines, they were able to fully cleanse the ominous storm within the cave and defeat eleven corrupt beasts.

Geography and Layout

Location Hidden Place The Somber Halls Geography Image 1 — The Somber Halls Entrance

Like all major hidden places, the Somber Halls also has eight chambers. However, it is difficult to pinpoint their exact boundary because the cave can only be entered for a short duration, and after cleansing it, Faye will gate the Freelancer out of it—not real exploration is possible. But a rough estimate can be deduced.

The entrance to the Fire Shrine Cave is reached by swimming under the Abyssal Loch. This location remains on the border of the Abyssal Loch and Serpent's View. The entrance clearly shows the anzu design and is lit by glowing stalactites. Some plants are found here along with skorpions. Upon entering, a skull-shaped burning brazier is encountered, around which there is no effect of any ominous storm.

There are several horned brazier along the way to each ornamented shrine, and lighting them will keep the storm away within a set radius. While carrying the brazier, there is a small safe zone, but the fire won’t last long. If the brazier’s fire diminishes, any of the lit or unlit, horned or ornamental shrines must be reached and interacted with. This will reignite the brazier. If the skull shaped brazier on the back of the javelin is not kept lit, the ominous storm will make the javelin unstable and start causing its breakdown.

Along the way to each shrine, skorpion eggs are encountered and they will hatch when nearby. It is best to destroy them before they hatch. After lighting the three ornamental shrines, there is a brief period of protecting it against Mistborn Skorpion.

Location Hidden Place The Somber Halls Geography Image 2 — The Somber Halls Exit

When the final chamber is encountered, there are ornaments missing from the ornamental shrine. These must be located and attached to the shrine to light it completely. After protecting it for a set duration, Brutes will appear and put a fight. Finally, the corrupted being, a Corrupted Ursix will show up. This is the beast that has been causing the eerie storm. Defeating it will clear out the storm and fully cleanse the cave. Then without having to actually use any mechanism, Faye will pull the Freelancer out of the cave's final chamber and towards the entrance.

Flora

The following are the revealed varieties of plantlife that are guaranteed to be found in The Somber Halls. Even a single instance of the flora found in this location is listed here. There may still be more plants that aren't accurately charted:

Grass (Outside)
Monstera Plant (Outside)
Moss (Outside)
Trefoil (Outside)
Woody Vine

Creatures

The creatures marked with and are found only through World Encounters and World Events respectively. Those unmarked may also be found in such events, but are usually found on their own. The following types of fauna, Chimera, and Elementals are revealed to be found in The Somber Halls. There may also be small Insects which are tough to identify. Weaponized and Shaper Corrupt creatures are not listed here

Enemy Encounters

There may not be any specific enemies that belong to any known factions here. Hostile flora and fauna, if found here, aren't considered as enemy encounters.

Cortex

Cortex entry below is either unlocked in The Somber Halls or collected during exploration in other locations.

Check Cortex Entry: The Fire Shrine Pilgrimage for More Information

For centuries, Freelancers have ventured to the Abyssal Loch, where they descend into the Fire Shrine Caves to ritually honor the dead. They claimed the site as their own long ago, and risk their lives to keep the ancient fires burning even today
The tunnel network is famed for its corruption of local wildlife and the unnatural storm that rages constantly within its cut-stone halls. The inner workings of this unique geological area may never be unraveled to the Arcanists' satisfaction, but the seasonal lighting of the shrines continues to serve as an important reminder that no Freelancer is alone, and no sacrifice is forgotten.

For a Collection of similar Cortex Entries, See: Freelancers (Library)

Expedition List

The following expeditions take place in The Somber Halls or this location is mentioned during conversations. The expedition types are marked with their appropriate icons:

Freelancer Pilgrimage

Trivia

This hidden place or its surroundings will look different during various seasonal times, which includes the presence or absence of various cataclysmic storms.
The Somber Halls is only available during the time of Season of Skulls Festival (October). All other times, its entrance will either be hidden behind a fog-wall or outright inexistent!
The path to reach this hidden place was completely hidden and the underwater tunnel did not exist until Update 1.5.0 of Anthem.
The Somber Halls, like other hidden places, uses a unique instanced map which is not a part of Northern Bastion map.
There are no specific Cortex Entries in the Library or the loading screen when entering the Somber Hall due to its seasonal nature.