Genshin Impact 'Altar of Mirages' Domain Unlock Guide

Altar of Mirages is a new one-time completion Domain added with Genshin Impact’s 3.1 update, which brought with it the expansive new desert region in the west of Sumeru, the continuation of the Archon storyline, new characters and weapons to collect, and several new Domains to conquer, such as the Garden of Endless Pillars.

Domains are a great way to test your strength and earn precious rewards in Genshin Impact, including Primogems required to make Wishes. However, many Domains demand you solve a puzzle in order to enter. Altar of Mirages is only slightly different in this regard, with players having to complete a series of World Quests before being granted access to this underground challenge.

If you’re wandering around the desert struggling to find the Altar of Mirages Domain then fret no longer! Here’s how to find the Altar of Mirages Domain, how to complete the Behind the Illusory Curtain challenge, and the bountiful rewards for doing so.

Where is the Altar of Mirages Domain?

Altar of Mirages can be found in the centre of the new desert region of Sumeru, under The Mausoleum of King Deshret in a hidden area known as the Khemenu Temple. The map marker for this Domain is certainly misleading to say the least, as many players would rightly assume the Domain is hidden on the surface of Sumeru’s sandy dunes. However, the Altar of Mirages is actually hidden even deeper. While the marker is visible to anyone, the location of the Domain itself within the Khemenu Temple will be inaccessible unless prerequisite quests have been completed that grant access to this area beneath the dunes.

Nevertheless, the Altar of Mirages Domain is accessible from a hidden Teleport Waypoint in the Khemenu Temple. This Teleport Waypoint is only accessible via progression through the Golden Slumber World Quest, and you’ll need to have finished The Secret of Al-Ahmar quest step to be able to complete the puzzle to unlock the Domain. You’ll know you’ve found the right location when you find yourself in the ruins of an ancient temple.

How to complete the puzzle to unlock the ‘Altar of Mirages’ Domain

Unlike the Garden of Endless Pillars Domain, Altar of Mirages does not require players to solve a traditional puzzle to gain access. Rather, the Khemenu Temple features many locked doors that can only be opened through a new security clearance mechanic unique to this location. Players must have completed several prerequisite quests to acquire and upgrade the Scarlet Sand Slate that can be used to access the area and enable interaction with the sealed door.

Prerequisite quest:

• Reach and complete ‘The Secret of Al-Ahmar’ quest in the Golden Slumber World Quest-chain

Begin by travelling to the Teleport Waypoint in the Khemenu Temple. Head west until you reach a large room with four flaming braziers atop a short flight of stairs. Proceed up the stairs and head to the right side of the room where you will find a doorway leading to another room. Press forward into this room, going past the fallen pillar to find the sealed door blocking access to the Altar of Mirages Domain. This is the same room in which An Introduction to Indoor Archaeology takes place, the second quest in the Golden Slumber World Quest-chain.

Next to the door should be a small, blue, interactable panel known as a Plinth of the Secret Rites. Interact with this mechanism using your upgraded Scarlet Sand Slate to open the locked door leading to the Altar of Mirages Domain.

Once the door is open, finding the Domain is easy! Glide down the hole in the door and the entrance to the Domain should be behind you up a flight of stairs. Interact with the Domain to unlock the Altar of Mirages Domain and the Behind the Illusory Curtain challenge.

Behind the Illusory Curtain Challenge

The Behind the Illusory Curtain Challenge trial itself, accessed within the Domain, is on the harder end of the Domain difficulty scale, tasking players with defeating 18 Eremites. These enemies come in small waves, and the later waves are surprisingly tough! Be ready for a fight!

Beware of certain enemies that spawn with effects, identifiable by the elemental ring around their feet. These foes are significantly more dangerous and should be dealt with accordingly. In the final wave will also be a new enemy, an Eremite Galehunter. Galehunters will enter an Infused Form after taking a certain amount of damage, summoning an Anemo bird called a Wind Glede to aid them. Prioritise defeating the Glede as this will cause the Galehunter to enter a weakened state for a short time after, giving you an opportunity to deal heavy damage.

What are the rewards for the ‘Altar of Mirages - Behind the Illusory Curtain’ Domain?

The Altar of Mirages is a worthwhile challenge for the time spent completing the prerequisite quests to gain access and emerging victorious from the trial of the Domain. 

Completing the Domain itself for the first time offers significant rewards:

• 500x Adventure XP
• 30,000x Mora
• 40x Primogem
• 4x Mystic Enhancement Ore
• 2x Hero’s Wit
• 1x Gilded Dreams (Artifact)
• 2x Guide to Praxis (Talent level-up material)
• 5x Dendro Sigil

It should be noted, however, that the rewards granted by the Altar of Mirages Domain are only awarded upon first completion. While the Domain can be challenged again at any time, you will not receive any further rewards.