Forging a Covenant with one of the enigmatic entities in the Shroud can lead to prosperity in Stellaris, but upsetting them could spell disaster.
A significant expansion introduced in both the Utopia and Overlord DLCs is access to the Shroud, a mystical dimension of psychic energy from which psionic species draw their abilities. Empires gifted with psychic powers can venture into the Shroud for bonuses and events, even forming a Covenant with one of the five unimaginably potent entities residing within.
How to Enter the Shroud in Stellaris: Before entering the Shroud, players must complete the Breach the Shroud Tradition in the Psionic Ascension Path. This achievement requires having previously obtained the Mind Over Matter Ascension Perk or Psionic Theory Technology. Once the Breach the Shroud Tradition is accomplished, a Special Project called Breaching the Shroud becomes available, requiring Society Research to execute. After completion, the Shroud becomes accessible as a Contact on the player’s menu, requiring 1,000 Energy Credits to enter. The entrance can only be made every five years, unless the empire possesses the Psionic Archive Relic.
How to Form a Shroud Covenant in Stellaris: Upon gaining access to the Shroud through the Psionic Ascension Path, there are three methods to form a Covenant with its entities:
- Commune with the Ineffable: Completing the Special Project Commune with the Ineffable, available during the first entry into the Shroud. This project costs Society Research and results in a patron offering a Covenant based on its preferences.
- Direct Approach: By paying 2,000 Energy Credits and 500 Zro, players can enter the Shroud and approach a specific patron of their choice.
- Vision Events: Players might be offered a Covenant during a random Vision event in the Shroud, particularly if a patron aligns with their Ethics or Traditions.
Each patron offers distinct bonuses, but their choices are influenced by their preferences:
- Composer of Strands: Prefers Xenophilic Empires living harmoniously with nature, granting bonuses to Pop Growth and Leader Lifespan.
- Eater of Worlds: Prefers Militaristic Empires, offering bonuses to Army and Fleet damage, encouraging permanent war.
- Instrument of Desire: Favors Authoritarian Empires with hedonistic or feudal Civics, providing bonuses to productivity and Amenities but at a cost to Pop Upkeep.
- Whisperers in the Void: Prefers Materialist Empires with science-driven Civics, offering bonuses to Research, Codebreaking, and Influence at the expense of Unity and Stability.
There is a fifth patron in the Shroud, the End of the Cycle, offering significantly potent bonuses, including a +100% increase in resources from Jobs. However, it has a mere 2% chance of appearing when searching for a Patron. Yet, after 50 years of joining the Covenant, the Reckoning ensues, systematically eradicating all planets and species in the galaxy. The player’s Empire survives as an Exiled colony, witnessing the End of the Cycle’s destructive path until its inevitable demise.