Graven Deep Dungeon Guide
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“Yes, yes. This one has heard your besotted whispers about the mysterious Graven Deep. Samaril believes none of them. He has a shipment of Alik’r spice to deliver and a pack of cowardly sailors won’t slow him down.”—The final recorded words of Samaril, captain of the Azure Spirit.
All About Mechanics Graven Deep Guide
Graven Deep is a four-person dungeon in the game The Elder Scrolls Online. The dungeon consists of various rooms and corridors, each with its own challenges and enemies. Graven Deep can be accessed at Level 45. In this guide, I shall explain the mechanics as well as what you should and shouldn’t do while facing the dungeon’s bosses.
Table of Contents
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Graven Deep Location
The Graven Deep is located in the southern region of Amenos. Travel southeast from the Amenos Station Wayshrine to reach Graven Deep. You can also access Graven Deep specifically by using the Dungeon Finder.
Inside Graven Deep
Graven Deep is a three-level dungeon with three bosses, three secret bosses, and one quest. The enemies in this dungeon include risen dead, Skeletal Berserkers, zombies, and Drowned Assassins.
Haunted Depths
Dhulef and I crashed onto an uncharted island. The storm that wrecked us rose up from the island without warning. We have no way off without another ship.
Completing Haunted Depths
You will need to defeat the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing. Speak to Dhulef to complete this quest. Completing this quest will reward you with gold, a skill point, and an Unidentified Graven Deep Armaments coffer.
Graven Deep Boss Mechanics
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Mzugru – The Security Zone (Secret Boss #1) | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide
Mzugru is the first secret boss in the Graven Deep dungeon, and yes — you need to kill him if you want that juicy secret group buff later. The boss itself isn’t all that complicated, but finding him? That’s the real trick. This is one of those fights that acts more like a warm-up than a real threat... but don’t get too comfortable.
Where to Find Mzugru
Just before the first main boss, look for a path off to the right. Head down it, clear out any enemies in the way, and at the very end you’ll find a Dwemer-style hatch or elevator. Take it down and you’ll arrive in a room with four buttons. Hit them in the correct sequence and Mzugru will spawn. Mess it up? No big deal — just reset and try again. No penalties, just persistence.
How to Fight Mzugru
As soon as the fight begins, the tank needs to grab the boss and plant him right in the middle of the room. Keep him turned away from the group and don’t drag him all over the place. You’re the anchor here — hold the line and let your team work around you.
Lightning Strikes
Every so often, Mzugru will shoot lightning into the air, which then rains down in AOE fields. These are big, bright, and easy to dodge. If you’re standing in them, that’s on you. Just move — it’s not rocket science.
Immunity Shield
Mzugru will occasionally enter an immune phase, slap on a shield, and start healing. During this time, Pylons spawn around the room. Kill them — fast. Once they’re down, the shield drops and you can go back to smacking the boss. Take too long and he’ll heal more. It’s a rinse-and-repeat mechanic, nothing fancy, but clean execution makes it quick.
Spin Attack
Now and then, Mzugru will bust out a spinning AOE attack. If you’re the tank, block it. If you’re not the tank, back up a couple of steps and wait it out. It’s short, it’s simple, and it’s easy to avoid — unless you’re asleep at the wheel.
Why Bother?
Taking down Mzugru is mandatory if you want the secret buff — no skipping this guy. He’s not hard, but that’s the point. This fight is here to get your team warmed up and synced before the more chaotic encounters ahead. Treat it like a quick systems check: positioning, awareness, interrupt coordination — the basics. Nail them here and you’ll be in much better shape for what’s coming.
The Euphotic Gatekeeper | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide
This boss is extremely mobile — not wild, but enough to be annoying if you’re not paying attention. The good news? His movement is totally manageable. The boss darts around based on specific mechanics, but as the tank, all you need to do is keep a taunt up and don’t chase him. Seriously. If he’s taunted, he’ll always come back. Let him do his thing and reset — don’t panic, don’t overcommit.
Instead of trying to hold him in the middle of the room like most fights would have you do, stay near the edges. This gives you control over which direction he comes from, and lets you limit chaos when he gets mobile. Ideally, put your back to the wall and hold your ground. This way, you get to decide where “away from the group” is — and that’s everything in this fight. A calm tank means a clean fight. Panic and you’ll be chasing him while everything falls apart.
TOTAL FLIP OUT!
Yes, that’s what we’re calling it — because that’s exactly what happens. The Gatekeeper will suddenly enter meltdown mode and start darting around the room like a lunatic. He’ll knock you down, scatter AOEs across the room, and basically try to trip everyone up while he ping-pongs from wall to wall. Don’t try to chase him. Just hold your taunt and wait. He’ll eventually settle back down and return to the tank.
If you’ve got your back to the wall and a good taunt running, you’ll be fine. Let the boss do his dance — just be ready when he comes back. His movement tends to follow a bit of a triangle path, so once you’ve seen it a few times, you can start to anticipate where he’ll land next and avoid it before he crashes down.
Adds and Burrows
Throughout the fight, up to three Burrows will appear in the room. Adds will spawn from them and need to be killed fast. But more importantly, you’ll get a poison synergy mechanic here. One player will be marked with a poison AOE — they need to find a Burrow and drop the poison inside using a synergy. If they don’t, things get messy.
Be warned: This synergy will override others. You can accidentally use it on something else or drop it in the wrong spot. If you mess it up, get out of the poison ASAP — it hits hard and can easily one-shot players. This will take practice. The more comfortable your group gets with this mechanic, the smoother the fight becomes. It’ll click — just give it time.
The Burrow mechanic will keep coming back. When the boss teleports and no Burrows are active, he’ll usually drop new ones. Be ready to taunt him again the second he ports and new adds spawn. If you ignore them, they’ll hit hard.
Teleport
Separate from the "flip out" mechanic, the boss will also occasionally teleport to the opposite side of the room. When he lands, he drops an AOE burst. Don’t stand in it. As the tank, just reposition, re-taunt, and lock him back in place. Again, avoid the middle of the room — you want to be in control of where he’s facing and where he’s heading.
TWINS!
Occasionally, the Gatekeeper will summon a mirror image of himself with low health. You can kill it quickly, but be careful — it often spawns just before the real boss fires a heavy attack. Handle both, and you’re fine. Ignore it, and you’re in trouble. Oh — and after a few seconds, the add will explode. Watch your feet.
HARDMODE
Hardmode doesn’t change much in terms of mechanics — but it amplifies everything. Expect more health, heavier damage, and faster-paced burrow/add phases. Teleports are more frequent, and the boss is just more aggressive overall. You’ll see more AOEs, faster charges, and less room for error. If you’re doing this on hardmode, the same rules apply — just executed tighter. Stay calm, stay clean, and this one’s very doable.
Xzyviian, Defense Crawler (Secret Boss #2) | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide
OMG, it’s a spider! Yup — a massive Dwemer spider, complete with fire, explosions, AOE madness, and general group-wide panic. This thing is nasty. The number one rule here? Keep it turned away from the group at all times. The boss can get a little mobile, sure, but as the tank, your job is to manage that positioning no matter what. If you’re a DPS or healer, expect to move a little too, but the focus is always on keeping that fire away from the team.
Heavy Attack
Xzyviian loves to throw out a heavy attack aimed at whoever has aggro — hopefully that’s the tank. This must be blocked. If it lands unblocked, it can hit like a truck, knock you flat, or just outright delete you. DPS and healers should dodge this if they get caught, or rely on high resistances and shielding. But really, this is one for the tank to soak — so be ready for it.
FIRE CONE!
This is the big one. Xzyviian occasionally fires a flaming cone at the aggro target. If the boss is facing the group when this happens, things go bad fast. This is why the tank must always keep the boss turned away. The damage can be blocked, but it’s not meant for the group to deal with. Positioning here is key — and it will make or break the fight if ignored.
Mortar
At times, Xzyviian will stand perfectly still, spin up, and fire a barrage of mortar blasts into the room. Each one creates a large fire AOE where it lands. These zones can cover a surprising amount of space if you’re not watching your positioning. Stay sharp, stay mobile, and for the love of the Eight — don’t stand still.
Ninja Flip
Because spiders weren’t terrifying enough, this one occasionally launches itself into the air and slams down with a direct AOE hit. If you see it wind up, get ready to move or block. It’s fast, it’s flashy, and if it catches you off guard, it hurts. This is one of those mechanics that looks cooler than it feels — just stay alert and it won’t be a problem.
Varzunon | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide (Secret Boss)
Varzunon starts big — but don’t get too comfortable, because this towering Bone Colossus only gets bigger. Yes, literally. This fight ramps up hard if you ignore the mechanics, so don’t. The good news? There’s a counter to everything. As long as your group stays focused and does what they’re supposed to, this fight is chaos you can control.
This isn’t a DPS race — this is an encounter. Take your time, work the mechanics, and deal with the adds. You can go slow if needed, but if you get sloppy, the fight will spiral quickly. And don’t forget: the boss has no enrage, but he does scale with how well — or poorly — you handle things.
Heavy Attack
Standard stuff. Varzunon throws out a hard-hitting heavy aimed at the tank. Block it or die. DPS and healers should never be eating this, but if you somehow pull aggro — dodge and pray. This isn’t the time to be lazy with mechanics.
Blast Bones!
This is the core of the fight. Early on, Varzunon will start spawning glowing skeletons that slowly march toward him. If they reach him, he grows. And yes — he gets stronger, hits harder, and becomes more of a nightmare. The skeletons aren’t super tanky — even light damage can kill them — but your group must stay on top of them. If you let them stack up, he’ll scale fast. Do not ignore them.
If you clean up the skeletons properly, the boss won’t grow much and the fight stays manageable. If not, he gets huge. And while there is a cap to how big he can get, trust me, you don’t want to find out where that cap is the hard way.
That said, if you’ve got a tanky setup with lots of healing, you can survive a grown-up Varzunon. It’s not ideal, but it’s doable — so long as your tank doesn’t panic and your healer stays on point.
Stomp!
When the boss stomps, the floor glows from the center outward, and then BOOM — big damage AOE. The good news is that the damage only applies once the full circle fills, so you’ve got time to move out. Bigger boss? Bigger stomp radius. You’ve been warned.
Channel and Pound
At certain points, Varzunon raises both hands and channels a massive ground slam. During this time, random AOE circles will also rain from the sky. Don’t stand still, and don’t get caught flat-footed. Dodge the incoming damage while keeping an eye on where he’s about to drop the hammer. It’s a visual mess — but predictable once you’ve seen it a couple of times.
Skeleton Adds
This fight throws a mix of ranged and melee adds at you — archers, mages, and everything in between. These adds need to be controlled, or they’ll overwhelm your group. Your tank should try to pull them near the boss so AOE damage can hit everything at once. The mages are particularly dangerous thanks to their wind AOEs and lightning channels, which can wreck unprepared players. Interrupt when needed, and don’t let them stack up.
Melee skeletons will also chase players around. They won’t give up just because you’re panicking. If they’re on you, run them toward the tank — don’t make things harder by kiting them into the corners while shouting for help. Help yourself. Bring the adds in and let the tank do their job. Panic is the real killer here.
HARDMODE
Hardmode doesn’t introduce wild new mechanics, but everything hits harder, faster, and more often. He summons more adds, and the pace picks up drastically. Skeletons spawn more frequently, and Varzunon slams the ground with bigger, badder attacks. What you’ve already learned still applies — just expect less room for error and more things going wrong, more often.
POUND!
This is a separate mechanic from the usual stomp. On hardmode, Varzunon channels and slams a line of AOEs directly across the room — they don’t expand like the stomp, they drop in a straight path and do continuous damage until he resets the pattern. Dodge, reposition, and stay light on your feet — these things hurt.
NOTE:
If you activate the secret laser beam on one of the skeletons, it deals minor damage — but more importantly, it reduces the boss’s size by one growth stage. He can still grow again, but this gives you a tool to help manage the scale if things start to get out of control. Use it when you need to regain control of the fight.
Chralzak, Sphere 9402-A | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide (Secret Boss #3)
Chralzak is the final secret boss in Graven Deep and — surprise — it’s a giant Dwemer Sphere! If you’ve fought Spheres before in ESO, a lot of the toolkit will feel familiar. That said, this one’s got a few tricks layered on top. The basics still apply though: tanks, keep this thing turned away from the group. It loves front-facing attacks and you do not want the team standing in the line of fire. Maintain control, position well, and the rest of the fight falls into place.
Heavy/Light Attacks
These are the standard issue tank checks. Block them, eat the damage, and move on. If you’re not the tank and you somehow catch one of these, that’s a positioning problem — fix it fast.
Spin
This is the classic Dwemer Sphere special. Chralzak will spin in place for a few seconds, dealing repeated AOE damage around him. If you’re in melee and you don’t move, you’re going to feel it. Tanks can stand their ground and block it, but everyone else should back up until it ends. It’s simple, it’s obvious, and yes — it still deletes people who are asleep at the wheel.
Bombs!
Chralzak will occasionally target a random player and launch a bomb their way. When it lands, it creates a large shock AOE on the ground. Don’t try to be clever — just move. The AOE fades fairly quickly, and you can go right back to the fight. It’s easy to dodge if you’re paying attention, but it can be punishing if you’re tunnel-visioning the boss.
All in all, this boss is mostly a stack-and-burn fight, but don’t underestimate the damage from the spin and the bombs. They’re fast, they’re frequent, and they hit harder than you think. Keep the positioning tight, avoid the splash zones, and you’ll wrap up the final secret with no problem.
Zelvraak the Unbreathing | Graven Deep Dungeon Guide (Final Boss)
Zelvraak is the final boss of Graven Deep, and in its first week alone, this skeletal nightmare racked up over 67,000 wipes. Not because it's the hardest boss in the game, but because of one brutally simple mechanic that punishes the lazy and the unaware. If your group isn't paying attention, it’s game over. But once you understand the fight? It’s one of the most fun and controllable encounters in the dungeon.
Positioning Is Everything
Start by placing your group in a square formation around the center of the room. The tank should stay in their designated spot — don’t wander. DPS and healers should hold their own corners as much as possible. When mechanics force the group to move, always reset to this formation when it’s safe. Why? Because this is a fight about awareness. If each player is spaced and facing outwards, you cover more of the room’s angles, meaning someone will always see what’s coming. Communication is key here — voice, chat, emotes, whatever — use it.
BUBBLES!!! (Yes, seriously)
This is the most important mechanic in the entire fight. Four key points in the room have holes in the ceiling (excluding the center). Randomly, one will release a slow-moving bubble. It floats down for around 10 seconds, then slowly rises again — unless it’s hit. From 40% health onward, the bubbles drop faster and even come two at a time. Here’s the catch: if a bubble hits the floor, the entire group wipes instantly. No save. No second chances.
All you need to do is hit it. Light attack, heavy attack, whatever — just tag it. But people miss them all the time because they’re not looking. Don’t be that group. This one mechanic is the biggest wipe reason in the entire community. Spot the orb, call it out, and shoot it. That’s it. Miss one? You’re all dead.
Heavy Attack Cone
Zelvraak’s standard heavy attack is bad enough, but he also has a massive frontal cone slam that wrecks anyone in its path. This is why the tank must stick to their formation spot — to control where that cone lands. Keep the boss facing away from the group at all times, and do not let him wander.
SPLIT!
During the fight, the boss will split, leaving behind a ghost version of himself. These ghosts copy his cone attack every time he performs it. If the tank has moved too much, these ghosts will be scattered all over the room, making the cone phase a complete nightmare. But if you’ve kept the boss still and controlled, the ghosts will align — making it much easier to avoid. Stay focused, hold formation, and DO NOT run around.
FEAR!!!
This is not your usual fear mechanic. When the boss channels a skull surrounded by black smoke, you must turn your character away from him. Not your camera — your actual character. If you do, you’ll avoid the fear entirely. If not, you’ll be feared for three seconds and can’t break it. If you're the tank, that usually means a cone attack is coming right after — and you’re about to get flattened. Turn around or prepare to die.
Reflections
At around 75%, 25%, and occasionally afterward, the boss will spawn four reflections. They shoot projectiles that can be dodged or interrupted. Ideally, place one player at each corner to keep interrupts up. Otherwise, focus them down quickly — if they all fire off at once, your group will melt. Don’t let them sit there unchecked.
Ice Phase
In the second phase, Zelvraak starts casting large ice AOEs on the ground. These are designed to break up your formation and force movement. Watch your feet, avoid the patches, and get back to your positions as soon as possible.
OH NO, MY SOUL!
Yes, that’s what we’re calling it. The boss will forcibly eject your soul from your body. You’ll be hit with constant damage-over-time, cannot be healed, and your soul will run off in a random direction. You must chase it down and reclaim it or you’ll die quickly. No one can save you but you.
The Realm Phase (No One Knows Its Name)
At 50%, every player is teleported to a solo instance. You’ll face this part alone, with no healing support. Walk around and collect slow-moving white ghosts to gain healing over time. Meanwhile, black ghosts will fly in from the sides — hit as many as you can. They die to a single hit. Just survive until the phase ends. Kill ghosts, stay alive, and you’re good.
Atronach Spawn
After the realm phase, a massive Flesh Abomination spawns. It hits hard, cleaves, and is extremely aggressive. Focus it down ASAP. If your team did well in the realm, this enemy may instead appear as a smaller Flesh Atronach with less health and reduced threat. Either way, help your tank out and clear it fast — it’s not a DPS race, but you’ll want the pressure gone.
HARDMODE
On Hardmode, the soul-stealing mechanic targets two players instead of one. Even worse, the boss mimics the class of the affected players. Dragonknights trigger fire mechanics, Sorcerers trigger lightning, Wardens bring ice, etc. Healers need to stay sharp and react accordingly. If reflections spawn during this time, they’ll also inherit mimic behavior.
Resurrection or Horde?
If someone dies, they leave behind a tombstone. While they remain dead, skeletons spawn from that tombstone — fast. They don’t have a ton of health, but they’re a distraction your group doesn’t need. Rez smart, or suffer the horde.
Inferno
At times, the boss will ignite the fires above his head with real flames — not the usual bluish glow. When this happens, he begins spamming fire damage to the entire group. Healers, this is your moment. Hots and shields need to be flowing non-stop until it ends.
Final Notes
The boss has no DPS check. From 40% and below, it’s all about survival and repetition. If your group can stay on top of the mechanics — especially the bubbles — the rest is manageable. Keep the boss controlled, maintain formation, turn away from fears, and don’t let adds overwhelm you. Miss one bubble and it’s a wipe. Get everything else wrong and you still might survive. But get that wrong? You’re done.
This boss has a reputation for being one of the hardest, but in truth, it’s the simplest mechanic that gets ignored the most. Pay attention, stay disciplined, and you’ll beat him. Good luck!
Graven Deep Dungeon Loot
Graven Deep offers a solid variety of loot drops, and whether you're here for sets, weapons, or that elusive monster helm, there’s plenty to pick up — if you know what to expect.
On Normal difficulty, loot comes in blue quality and the final boss does not drop a monster helm. But step it up to Veteran, and now loot shifts to purple — plus, the final boss drops a special monster helmet unique to this dungeon.
Some individual bosses drop unique items here and there, but most of the named loot — weapons and jewelry — comes from the final boss. Still, the full loot table can drop from anything: bosses, trash mobs, even chests. So don’t skip content. Loot everything. You never know what you’ll snag.
Got gear in the wrong trait? No worries. You can transmute or reconstruct your equipment to fit your needs. If you're new to that process, check out our Introduction to Transmuting and Reconstructing guide for all the details.
Want a matching shoulder monster piece? Visit Undaunted Pledge Master Urgarlag Chief-Bane at your nearest Undaunted enclave. She offers a 50/50 shot at shoulder gear in her Lost Depths Coffer or mystery coffer. Want the full rundown on how it works? Check out the Undaunted Guide.
- Grave Inevitability
- Pangrit Denmother
- Phylactery’s Grasp
- Euphotic Gatekeeper (monster helm from vet only)
Builds That Use Graven Deep Gear
Graven Deep Achievements
A Bone to Pick
Witness the final evolution of the Bone Colossus while fighting Varzunon in Graven Deep.
Back to Sleep
Kill 300 Fractured Souls while fighting Zelvraak the Unbreathing in Graven Deep on any difficulty.
Breathless
Defeat Zelvraak the Unbreathing after placing the Challenge Banner in Veteran Graven Deep.
Drowned Mariner Style Master
Learn every chapter in the Drowned Mariner style book, found by defeating the final boss in Graven Deep.
Drowned Sailor Slayer
Defeat 200 Drowned Sailors in Veteran Graven Deep. This includes Drowned Frost Mages, Drowned Assassins, and Drowned Ravagers.
Fist of Tava
Defeat all encounters in addition to the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing after raising the Challenge Banner in Veteran Graven Deep within 25 minutes without suffering a group member death. Your timer starts upon engaging the first group of enemies.
Gatecrasher
Defeat the Euphotic Gatekeeper after placing the Challenge Banner in Veteran Graven Deep.
Giant Undead Slayer
Defeat 50 Giant Undead in Veteran Graven Deep. This includes Bone Colossi, Wraiths, Flesh Abominations, and Varzunon.
Grave Deep Challenger
Complete the listed achievements for Veteran Graven Deep.
Graven Deep Champion
Complete the listed achievements for Graven Deep.
Graven Deep Conqueror
Defeat the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing in Veteran Graven Deep.
Graven Deep Vanquisher
Defeat the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing in Graven Deep.
Greedy for Ghosts
Defeat Zelvraak the Unbreathing after collecting all the golden ghosts during a single encounter in Veteran Graven Deep.
Life Among the Undying
Defeat all encounters in addition to the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing in Veteran Graven Deep without suffering a group member death.
Light of the Lost Depths
Complete side content in Earthen Root Enclave and Graven Deep.
Lost Depths Delver
Complete both Earthen Root Enclave and Graven Deep in Veteran.
Lost Depths Explorer
Enter either Earthen Root Enclave or Graven Deep for the first time.
Lost Depths Scout
Complete both Earthen Root Enclave and Graven Deep in Normal.
Mechanical Archeology
Complete side content in Graven Deep by finding and defeating all three side bosses.
Pressure in the Deep
Defeat Zelvraak the Unbreathing after raising the Challenge Banner without completing any side content and having the aid of the buffs in Veteran Graven Deep.
Respect for the Dead
Defeat Varzunon without killing a single skeletal sacrifice in Veteran Graven Deep.
Share and Share Alike
Defeat Zelvraak the Unbreathing without a player hitting the same Sea Orb twice in a row in Veteran Graven Deep.
Snap, Crack, and Crunch
Defeat Varzunon after placing the Challenge Banner in Veteran Graven Deep.
Storming the Beach
Defeat all encounters in addition to the Euphotic Gatekeeper, Varzunon, and Zelvraak the Unbreathing within 25 minutes of entering Veteran Graven Deep. Your timer starts when you engage the first group of enemies.
Wildlife Preservation
Defeat the Euphotic Gatekeeper without destroying any pangrit pits in Veteran Graven Deep. Only the pangrit pits destroyed after the Euphotic Gatekeeper leaps from the rocks count for this achievement.
Graven Deep Leads
There are currently no leads located in Graven Deep.
Final Note
If you made it this far — well done! You now know every trick, trap, wipe-worthy mechanic, and rage-quit moment Graven Deep has to offer. The secret bosses? Handled. Zelvraak’s bubbles? You’ll never miss one again (right?).
Whether you're running it for the first time or going full hardmode with a coordinated group, this dungeon isn't about raw damage or flashy builds — it's about knowing what’s coming, reacting fast, and keeping your cool when it all goes sideways.
Because in the end — no matter the patch, no matter the gear, and no matter what boss is staring you down...
As always, it’s...
“ALL ABOUT MECHANICS”
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