Shell roster
| Shell | Unlock | Playstyle note |
|---|---|---|
| Tiel the Acolyte | Automatic map marker | Mobile, evasive fighter |
| Proxima the Broodseeker | Automatic map marker | The other free early-game option |
| Eredrim the Venerable | Zhirelle (Gloom) | A sturdier body favored for mid-to-late game by many player reports — the tank of the roster |
| Gragu the Insatiable | Zhirelle (Gloom) | One of the mid-game reveals |
| Smert the Apostate | Zhirelle (Gloom) | A mid-game Shell whose reveal competes with Harbinger levels and weapon upgrades for the same Gloom currency |
| Lazlo the Justiciar | Zhirelle (Gloom) | Treat his reveal as a deliberate Gloom decision — compare the marker cost against your next level or weapon action |
| Sariel the Endless | Zhirelle (Gloom) | A late-roster Shell worth revealing once your current build has a clear limitation he solves |
| Sester Genessa the Wayward | Zhirelle (Gloom) | The exception in the roster: a separate unlock chain makes her a discovery rather than a purchase |
How Shell reveals work
After the prologue, Tiel and Proxima are marked automatically. For most of the remaining roster, speak with Zhirelle, the Shellkeeper. Balance Patch 1 changed paid Shell location reveals from Glimpses to Gloom and refunded Glimpses previously spent. The refund pickup is in the Shellkeeper's alcove in Blackmarrow.
Changing Shell never erases progress: each Shell levels separately alongside your Harbinger. A boss that walls one body often falls to another.
Which Shell first?
Commit to Tiel or Proxima long enough to learn its kit before spending Gloom on more reveals. Player consensus favors Tiel for early exploration (movement + cloaking) and Eredrim as the sturdier late-game body. There is no universal best Shell.