Tequatl the Sunless
This article is about the world boss. For the event schedule, see Defeat Tequatl the Sunless. For the achievement category, see Tequatl. 
Tequatl the Sunless
- Race
- Risen
- Level
- 65
- Rank
- Epic
- Location
- Splintered Coast
(Sparkfly Fen)
| Image(s) |
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Click to enlarge. 
Portrait. Interactive map |
“There's something in the water. Help!
Tequatl the Sunless is one of Zhaitan's champions and a World boss. Tequatl, whose name means "the one in darkness" in the language of the hylek (thus, with hylek calling Risen "the Sunless", its name roughly translates into "risen one in the darkness"), has long plagued the Splintered Coast of Sparkfly Fen, and is opposed by most uncorrupted creatures within the region.
Location[edit]
- Sparkfly Fen
- Splintered Coast (During related events only)
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
At some point in time, Tequatl the Sunless likely died and was corrupted by the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, though it is possible, though unlikely, that Tequatl was still living when corrupted. It was imbued with much more of Zhaitan's energy than a typical dragon minion would, resulting in its status as a champion of Zhaitan.
Sometime in recent years, it began to menace the Splintered Coast, an inlet of the Sea of Sorrows, where it drove out local hylek tribes,[1] scattering them and causing some to join orders such as the Vigil and others to move to the Zintl Holy Grounds, a village where many hylek of different tribes gathered together. It also polluted local waters, with elders fondly telling tales of the clean water to younger hylek.
Local Vigil and hylek banded together to drive off the beast, successfully causing it to retreat it off but not killing it and it would return shortly after being driven away.
Living World Season 1[edit]
In 1326 AE, Vigil tacticians reported that Tequatl seemed to have "evolved" and its attacks had become more elaborate as it learned from each encounter with the order. As such, it had become more difficult to fight. Warmaster Narru was dispatched by General Almorra Soulkeeper to investigate the reports, theorizing that it may have been a response to the Pact offensive in Orr. After Zhaitan's death, Tequatl became Unchained and grew in power, seemingly attempting to replace Zhaitan as an Elder Dragon.
Around this time, Tequatl's evolution was noticed by the Blood Legion tribune Rytlock Brimstone, who sent the gladium Rox to attack Tequatl and bring back its tail as proof. Rox, with the aid of the asura of the United Arcanist Lab, the quaggans of Brooloonu, the sylvari of Caer Brier and the Vigil stationed in the area, began to attack Tequatl. After a fierce battle, Tequatl was eventually defeated, a shard of its tail falling to the ground alongside a fang, fragments of its bones and an eye. Although uncertain, it is likely that Tequatl was canonically dead by this point, with at least Rox and Rytlock believing Tequatl to be dead.
Event involvement[edit]
[Group Event] Defeat Tequatl the Sunless (65)
[Group Event] Defend the Megalaser and the batteries in the east, west, and north (65)
Combat abilities[edit]
- See also: Defeat Tequatl the Sunless#Walkthrough
- Behavior
- Each time the event Defend the Megalaser and the batteries in the east, west, and north ends, Tequatl lands and is able to be damaged. Each time Tequatl lands it can lose up to 25% of its maximum health. If the event completes successfully, Tequatl will crash instead, causing it to take increased damage for a period of time.
- Effects
Hardened Scales - Tequatl's scales harden over time. At 20 stacks he becomes invulnerable.
- At 20 stacks Bone Walls are summoned. Tequatl is invulnerable until the walls are destroyed.
- Players controlling the Hylek Turrets can use the skill #2 Scale Penetration to remove one stack of Hardened Scales per shot. Stacks are only removed if Tequatl's head is targetted.
- Skills
- Poison Pool - Tequatl lifts its front-right foot and summons multiple area of effect fields that pulse every 1 second over 6 seconds, dealing damage and inflicting
Crippled for 10 seconds with each pulse. Despite having poison in the name, they do not apply the poisoned condition. These circles are similar in appearance to the AoE created by Tequatl's Fingers with clouds of poison, but have a blacker coloring and are larger. These fields are not cleansable by Hylek Turrets and will damage the turrets. - Undead Breath - Frontal area effect that lasts for 5 seconds, dealing damage while causing
Poisoned and 
Fear for 5 seconds every 1 second. - Shockwave - Tequatl stomps with each front foot, creating a wave that travels outward from the foot it used. Each wave deals damage 3 times and
Launches on collision but players can dodge through to evade or time jumps to avoid them completely. This skill is used very frequently. Players standing too close to where Tequatl stomps will be hit by the wave 3 times from multiple directions, taking massive amounts of damage. - Dragon Barrage - Frontal area effect that fires slow moving projectiles toward randomly selected enemies,
knocking back on collision. - Watery Grave - Creates multiple whirlpool area of effect fields that last for 3 seconds, pulling players beneath the ground into a special underwater area. While underwater, players are afflicted with
Watery Grave, taking damage over time until they swim up to patches of light that lead to the surface. - Dragon's Step - High-damage point-blank area effect that occurs where Tequatl places its feet while walking or adjusting its position. This skill deals lethal damage when it occurs during the transition between phase 1 and phase 2 and as the dragon is escaping after the event has failed. During the encounter, players that are too close to Tequatl's feet after the dragon uses other skills can also be hit by this attack, but it deals significantly less damage this way. The exact amount of damage this skill deals during the encounter appears to vary and it can also occasionally Launch.
- Tail Swipe - Cone area effect behind Tequatl that hits up to 1-6 times and Launches. This only occurs when the dragon stomps, uses Undead Breath, or summons Fingers.
- Tequatl buries its two front feet into the ground, summoning multiple Tequatl's Fingers all across the Splintered Coast.
- The Fingers always appear in the same fixed locations.
- When they spawn, Fingers cause a point-blank area effect Launch.
- Fingers throw reflectible projectiles which create AoE poison fields upon landing that pulse direct damage every second. (Despite appearing to be poison clouds, the poisoned condition is not actually applied.) These AoE fields have light green poison clouds in appearance and are smaller than the Poison Pool fields. Hylek Turrets can use their skill #3 Poison Cleanse to remove the fields. If the Fingers are not destroyed, they will continue to periodically throw poison and can put a considerable amount of pressure on players over time. These fields will only damage players/NPCs and will not damage Hylek Turrets.
- This summoning skill is always used after the first stomp at the beginning of each primary phase (about 10 seconds in), and will be used regularly every 90 seconds.
- Passively summons multiple Bloated Creepers during the encounter.
Gallery[edit]
- Screenshots
Tequatl's Bone Wall
Tequatl's stomp attack
Tequatl diving
Tequatl leaves a piece of tail after defeat
- Renders/Concept art
Tequatl Rising concept art
Old concept art
Size comparison of all Elder Dragon and dragon champion models as of War Eternal.
Size comparison of Zhaitan to dragon lieutenants, The Glory of Tyria, and Zhaitan's original incomplete model.
Related achievements[edit]
-
Tequatl: achievement category (116 
, 1 
) 
Bosses: That Had to Burn — Fire the megalaser at Tequatl the Sunless. (10
)
The Tyrian Service Medal: 
Sunless Medallion — Defeat Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen.
Mad Armory: Carapace of Chaos: 
Ghostly Abyss Essence — While under the ghostly aura of certain Halloween foods, vanquish Tequatl the Sunless and loot its chest.
Frenzy III: Rage: 
Brooloonu Friendship Bracelet- Quip III: Chaos Gun:
Prank Tequatl — Throw a trickster's pie at Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen. - The Juggernaut III: The Colossus:
Gravewater Ooze — Coat yourself with your Mystic Chromatic Ooze and take damage in Tequatl's watery grave. - Twilight III: Dusk:
Tequatl's Gloom — Use the Gloominator to capture the gloom while in Tequatl's watery grave. - Frostfang I: The Experimental Axe:
Essence of Zhaitan — Use a Vile Jar after defeating Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen to fill it with essence. - Nevermore I: Ravenswood Branch:
Protector of the Fen — Found within the Dragon Chest after defeating Tequatl the Sunless. - Rodgort I: The Experimental Torch:
Burn Tequatl's Eye — Burn Tequatl's Eye in the cauldron at Division Shrine in Fireheart Rise. - Sunrise I: The Experimental Daysword:
Sunbringer — Loot from the chest after defeating Tequatl the Sunless. - HOPE III: Prototype:
Proximity Test: Tequatl — Take the Synergetic Generator to Sparkfly Fen and test the energy reactions near the chest after defeating Tequatl the Sunless. - Incinerator III: Spark:
Putrid Ichor — Acquire putrid ichor from the chest after defeating Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen. - Kudzu III: Leaf of Kudzu:
Fertilized with Tequatl's Bone Meal — Gather bone meal from Tequatl the Sunless, and use it to fertilize your hidden garden in Mount Maelstrom. - The Flameseeker Prophecies III: The Chosen:
Tequatl's Demise — Bring an Anthology of Heroes to the defeat of Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen. - Astralaria IV: The Cosmos:
Zhaitan's Magic — Obtained from the chest after defeating Tequatl the Sunless in Sparkfly Fen. - Aurene's Facet of Shadows:
Lingering Risen Aether — Defeat Tequatl the Sunless while wielding an Aurene-based legendary weapon.
Notes[edit]
- Players can also access the Watery Grave after the fight, if the fight was successful. The underwater portal entrance is located to the southwest of the fight, against the drop-off, beside an NPC. Multiple collection-related items can be acquired from the portal, even if they do not mention this entrance.
- Tequatl is immune to unique skill effects such as Binding Blade, Impale, and Tainted Shackles.
- Tequatl is not affected by potions or sigils with the "Undead Slaying" suffix, this includes Undead Battle Potions.
- Tequatl has a chance to drop an ascended chest upon its defeat.
- Tequatl rewards a Dragon Chest upon defeat, once a day per character.
- If the event isn't successful, a minefield of unnamed objects will spawn across the event area. These are Risen rotmouths that explode on close proximity.
Trivia[edit]
- ArenaNet has confirmed that "Tequatl's evolution is an aftereffect of the death of Zhaitan. The magic used to create Tequatl is no longer being controlled by Zhaitan, but it still exists within Tequatl. Therefore, like many uncontrolled magics, it is experiencing an evolution and it is shaping itself."[2]
- The Nahuatl word "tecuani" means "biter", "wild beast", or "poisonous" according to how it is used; "coatl" means snake.
- Tequatl had its boss fight mechanics overhauled with the September 17th, 2013 update, as part of the Tequatl Rising release.
- This creature has a miniature version.
See also[edit]
- Associated NPCs
- Associated objects
- Associated items
References[edit]
- ^ Fort Cadence ambient dialogue
- ^ Interview of Ree Soesbee - Question 5
