Online:Vykosa the Ascendant

This article is about the creature. For the item set, see Vykosa.

Vykosa the Ascendant (lore page)
Location	Moon Hunter Keep, Moon Hunter Overlook
Race	Khajiit	Gender	Female
Health	1,515,5874,703,728 6,114,846 (Hard Mode)	Difficulty
Reaction	Hostile
Other Information
Faction(s)	Moon Hunter Pack
Condition	Werewolf Lord
Drops
Argent Pelt Vykosa helm (Veteran only) Silver Dawn Style pages (Veteran only) Praxis: Ritual Stone, Hircine Fragment of the Ascendant

Vykosa the Ascendant

Vykosa the Ascendant is a Khajiit Werewolf Lord and the leader of Moon Hunter Pack, a group of werewolves who have infiltrated Moon Hunter Keep. She serves as the dungeon's final boss. During the fight Vykosa is assisted by her powerful Dire Wolf companions Ary and Zel.

Related Quests

• Moonlight Ascent: Explore an old Silver Dawn stronghold and deal with the werewolves controlling it.
•  Pledge: Moon Hunter Keep: Prove you are truly Undaunted by clearing the Moon Hunter Keep.

Skills and Abilities

As a boss type enemy, Vykosa is immune to all forms of crowd control effects. Vykosa enters the add phase at 90, 70, 50 and 30% health, and swaps back to the pet phase at 80, 60, 40% health. 20% is the execute phase.

Pet Phase

Zel cowering

While Ary and Zel are engaging the group, Vykosa equips her inferno staff and stays in one position in the back of the arena.

Ary and Zel must be burned down first if you want a smooth fight, as if left alone for too long, they will Pounce, causing massive physical damage to a random player. When fighting either in melee range, be sure to dodge or block their Lunge attack, which is indicated by a red cone and block telegraph. The strategy for this is for the tank to taunt one wolf and drag it to Vykosa. The other will be forced near the wall due to their shared chain. For example, if the tank takes Ary to Vykosa, Zel will be forced to stay near the wall.

Flare

A basic ranged attack that deals minor flame damage.

Totem of Terror

Vykosa summons a totem with that incites fear in all players standing near it as indicated by a red circle. Break free to counter this.

Surging Gale

The boss swings her staff, sending out a gust of wind that deals high physical damage and staggers all targets as indicated by a red cone. This can be dodged or blocked. The tank can also face her towards the wall so that the cone does not hit players in the middle of the arena.

Fire Rune

The boss summons a fire rune that deals moderate flame damage over time as indicated by a red circle.

Add Phase

When werewolf adds spawn, Vykosa will engage in unarmed combat and move from her position.

At 90%, 70%, 50% and 30% health, two werewolves will spawn to attack the party. They deal ???^{[verification needed — upcoming rebalance to their amount of damage dealt pending]} damage and should be killed quickly to simplify the fight.

Slash

A basic melee attack that deals minor physical damage.

Rending Slash

A charged heavy attack that deals high physical damage. This must be blocked.

Brutal Pounce

The boss leaps on far away targets, dealing moderate physical damage and snaring them.

Claws of Torment

Getting hit by Slash deals moderate disease damage over time.

Deafening Howl

The boss howls, dealing moderate physical damage over time around herself as indicated by a red circle. This aura also buffs nearby werewolves causing them to deal more damage.

Primeval Roar

The boss shouts stunning all targets in front of her.

Devour

If one of the players in your group is killed during the fight, Vykosa can Devour the dead player's corpse and slowly regain health. This ability can be interrupted.

Execute Phase

At 20% health, Ary and Zel will break free from their chains. The group should save their ultimates towards the end of the fight to burn the boss down once this happens.

Hard Mode

On hard mode, additional mechanics will appear.

Summon Accursed Werewolf

At 85, 65, 45 and 25% health, three more werewolves will be summoned.

Summon Stranglers

At 70% health, stranglers will spawn at the edge of the arena, dealing minor poison damage to any players near them with a weak projectile.

Summon Shock Wardens

At 50% health and below, Shock Wardens will spawn with the werewolves at the corresponding health percentages. They will enrage the boss just as in the earlier encounter and must be killed quickly.

Summon Archivist

At 30% health, the ghost of Archivist Ernarde will appear in the middle of the arena. He cannot be damaged. Instead, he will occasionally use Shock/Shock Blast/Shock Pulse on random targets. The Symbols of Xarxes mechanic from his encounter will also appear, stand in the gold circle to avoid lethal damage from it. Do note that when Symbols is cast, all other enemies will be stunned. Vykosa, Ary and Zel will be immune to damage, but the rest of the enemies can be killed.

Dialogue

She can first be seen standing on the balcony overlooking the Keep Bailey.

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Was Vykosa not told the intruders would be dealt with? Must she handle everything herself?"

Mylenne Moon-Caller: "They shall not intrude much longer, my mistress. I swear it."

When she finally reached in person she will launch into a tirade about how Hircine ruined her life.

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Vykosa never wanted this curse. Hircine forced it upon her. Forced this never ending life of anger. Of pain."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "But make no mistake. She will not become the hunted."

She has a few words for you if you idle without fighting her for a while.

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Do you think you're the first to hunt Vykosa? Her whole life she has been running."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "The moons sing within Vykosa's veins. Always thrumming. Always hungry."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "The Silver Dawn thought to lure her. Trap her. But Vykosa was prepared."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Always the hunted, always the hated. Until this one chose to fight back."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "You could join us. Freedom, power. Strength. It could be yours."

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Do you truly crave death? Join us. Know what it is to hunt with a pack by your side."

Combat Dialogue

When engaged

Vykosa the Ascendant: "No longer shall you invade Vykosa's keep!"

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Vykosa shall defend what is hers, by blood and claw!"

Vykosa the Ascendant: "Vykosa will put an end to your intrusion!"

Vykosa the Ascendant: "You'll threaten Vykosa's pack no longer!"

Swap to Add Phase

"It seems Vykosa must handle you personally."

"You think this one needs her pets to attack?"

"My claws alone are enough to defeat you!"

"This one does not mind getting her claws bloody."

Swap to Pet Phase

"You are feeling tired, no? Why not give in to Vykosa's might?"

"You're more resilient than Vykosa thought. Well, no matter."

"Still alive? Well, Vykosa simply must do something about that."

"Still you have not fallen? How surprising."

Fear Totem summon

"Feeling a little … frightened?"

"You cannot fathom Vykosa's power!"

"You shall fear Vykosa's might!"

"Run! Run like the prey you are!"

Entering Execute Phase

"Zel! Ary! Let us hunt together."

"Ary! Zel! To me!"

"Let us strike against these fools!"

"Let us finally feast!"

If every group member dies in combat

"How unfortunate. You would have made wonderful additions to my pack."

"Vykosa would have happily let you join her pack. If only you had asked."

"Such fighting spirit, wasted. What a pity."

"If only you had seen reason. This one would have let you join us."

Notes

• Vykosa has authored a lore book and two letters.
• Vykosa wields a Daedric-style inferno staff and uses the Werewolf Lord polymorph. Any female Khajiit can look like Vykosa with this collectible.

Achievements

There are several achievements associated with this NPC:

Achievement		Points	Description
​	Wolfhunter Delver	50	Complete Veteran Moon Hunter Keep and Veteran March of Sacrifices.
	Moon Hunter Keep Challenger	50	Complete the listed achievements for Veteran Moon Hunter Keep.
	Moon Hunter Keep Conqueror	10	Defeat Jailer Melitus, Hedge Maze Guardian, Mylenne Moon-Caller, Archivist Ernarde, and Vykosa the Ascendant in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep.
	The Alpha Predator	50	Defeat Vykosa the Ascendant after reading the Scroll of Glorious Battle in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep.
​	Head of the Pack	50	Defeat all encounters in addition to Jailer Melitus, Hedge Maze Guardian, Mylenne Moon-Caller, Archivist Ernarde, and Vykosa the Ascendant in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep without suffering a group member death.
​	Running with the Pack	50	Defeat all encounters in addition to Jailer Melitus, Hedge Maze Guardian, Mylenne Moon-Caller, Archivist Ernarde, and Vykosa the Ascendant in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep in under 30 minutes. Timer starts when players engage the first group of Moon Hunter enemies.
	Moon Hunter Keep Vanquisher	10	Defeat Jailer Melitus, Hedge Maze Guardian, Mylenne Moon-Caller, Archivist Ernarde, and Vykosa the Ascendant in Moon Hunter Keep.
​	Pure Lunacy	50	Defeat all encounters in addition to Jailer Melitus, Hedge Maze Guardian, Mylenne Moon-Caller, Archivist Ernarde, and Vykosa the Ascendant after activating Hard Mode in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep in under 30 minutes without suffering a group member death.
​	On a Short Leash	5	Defeat Vykosa the Ascendant without any party member taking damage from her restrained wolf pet in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep.
​	Strangling Cowardice	5	Defeat Vykosa the Ascendant after reading the Scroll of Glorious Battle, defeating 7 Stranglers, and never causing her pet wolves to cower in Veteran Moon Hunter Keep.