How to get T1 Essence in Nightingale

If you want to buy new blueprints and upgrade your gear in Nightingale, you'll need plenty of T1 Essence. Here are all the best ways to obtain T1 Essence in Nightingale.

Where to find T1 Essence in Nightingale

The best place to get T1 Essence is in an Antiquarian Realm, which can only be accessed by using an Antiquarian Card at a Portal. Antiquarian Realms are home to more powerful enemies compared to Abeyance Realms; enemies will also spawn more frequently. For this reason, I suggest reaching at least Gear Level 20 before entering an Antiquarian Realm.

In an Antiquarian Realm, T1 Essence spawns the same way Essence Dust does. I highly recommend completing Occupations and Bastilles, which are more likely to drop T1 Essence compared to other encounters. You can also get T1 Essence by killing Bound, skinning animals, and looting chests, but these will not reliably drop T1 Essence. Hope Echoes in Antiquarian Realms will consistently drop T1 Essence, but outside of Bastilles, they are procedurally generated and are difficult to find.

Essence Traders in Antiquarian Realms will only accept T1 Essence as currency for most of their items. These traders sell crafting recipes and items that you cannot purchase from their Abeyance Realm counterparts, including Charms, Infusions, and Augmentations. You'll also need T1 Essence to add Uncommon-tier upgrades to your gear, increasing its stats. Simple items cost 40 T1 Essence each to upgrade.

Related: How to move and destroy structures in Nightingale

How to go to an Antiquarian Realm in Nightingale

To go to an Antiquarian Realm, you'll need to craft an Antiquarian Card and a Biome Card. I suggest crafting a Forest Card, as Nightingale's main questline will require you to make one anyway. The crafting recipes for both cards are as follows:

• Antiquarian Card:
  • 1 Paper
  • 1 Ink
  • 25 Essence Dust
• Forest Card:
  • 1 Paper
  • 1 Ink

Once you've crafted both Cards, head to the Portal in your Abeyance Realm (pictured above). While each Realm is procedurally generated, Portals are marked on your map (M on keyboard), making them easy to find. To open the Portal, interact with the Realm Card Machine in front of it and deposit both Cards. The Portal will start to open, but you'll have to wait a few minutes before you can enter it. The first time you open the Portal, Bound enemies will spawn, so bring your best weapons. Once the Bound are defeated, you can enter the Portal and travel to the Antiquarian Realm.

For more Nightingale guides, check out How to repair structures in Nightingale and How to fix Nightingale not launching on PC here at Pro Game Guides!