Mariana's Awakening expands Fisch's existing Mariana's Veil route with a five-layer progression gate, a dangerous new layer, a special fishing encounter, and a boss loop that leads to the Chasm-Stalker Rod.
If you're returning to Fisch, start by finding Vaelor in Roslit Bay. This explainer covers the order of the new route, what Trench Suppression changes, how Veiled Charybdis leads to Skolopendra, and where the 22 new Bestiary entries fit. It is an update overview, not a full solution for every descendant quest or catch condition.
What Is Fisch's Mariana's Awakening Update?
Mariana's Awakening, also titled The Obsidian Trench, is the Fisch update released on September 19, 2026. The Fisch event listing places the listed window from September 19 at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) through September 21 at 7 a.m. ET (4 a.m. PT). That schedule describes the event listing, not whether the new content disappears afterward.
| Part of the update | What it adds |
|---|---|
| New area | The Obsidian Trench, a new layer within Mariana's Veil |
| Progression | Vaelor, five layer descendants, Crevice Wall riddles, and five layer gems |
| Encounter loop | Veiled Charybdis catches that awaken the Skolopendra boss state |
| Main reward | Purchase access to the Chasm-Stalker Rod after the trench and boss content |
| Collection content | 12 Obsidian Trench species and 10 species across existing layers |
The important distinction is that the Obsidian Trench is a new layer in Mariana's Veil, not a separate island you can immediately visit. You have to clear the descendant route before the Abyss Gate opens, then manage a new environmental debuff while fishing inside the trench.
How to Unlock the Obsidian Trench in Fisch
The update's progression follows this order:
Speak with Vaelor in Roslit Bay. He starts the investigation into glowing mineral veins across all five layers of Mariana's Veil.
Complete the five descendant quests. Each layer has a named descendant and a specialized mutation quest. The related progression awards Gauntlets.
Descendant Layer Ignis Volcanic Vents Glacius Challenger's Deep Tenebris Abyssal Zenith Luminis Calm Zone Resonus Veil of the Forsaken The five rows are the full gate at the update-summary level. The individual tasks are different parts of the wider quest route, so use each descendant's current objectives rather than treating one quest as a shortcut for all five.
Reach the Crevice Wall. After the descendant progression, decipher the active wall riddle and ignite all five layer gems.
Open the Abyss Gate. Lighting the gems unlocks the route into the Obsidian Trench.
This order is the key preparation check. If the trench is not accessible, check the route before the Abyss Gate rather than looking for a fishing requirement inside the new layer. The riddle answer and gem locations are separate walkthrough details, but the gate sequence is Vaelor, five descendants, Crevice Wall, five gems, then the Abyss Gate.
What Is Trench Suppression in Fisch?
Trench Suppression applies automatically when you enter the Obsidian Trench. It is the update's environmental pressure: reaching the new layer does not mean you can fish there indefinitely without managing the effect.
Glowing white crystals around the trench temporarily purge suppression levels. Before you commit to a longer fishing attempt, learn where a nearby white crystal is so you have a reset point when the debuff builds. Because the purge is temporary, plan around using those crystals again rather than assuming the trench has been permanently cleansed.
How Veiled Charybdis and Skolopendra Work in Fisch
The trench's main encounter loop turns ordinary fishing into a sequence of special states. You first catch Veiled Charybdis in the trench rivers, then use those catches to trigger the Skolopendra hunt.
Veiled Charybdis's Special Reeling Encounter
Hooking Charybdis in a trench river starts a dedicated reeling minigame instead of a normal catch. Whirlpools can strip away rod control and drag you toward deadly water, so watch the encounter's hazards and keep the nearest white crystal in mind in case suppression also becomes a problem.
Plan for about four to six successful Veiled Charybdis catches, then watch for the trench crystals to turn deep red. The count is a range, not a guaranteed fixed number.
The Skolopendra Hunt
Deep-red trench crystals signal that Skolopendra has awakened. This is the point where the update shifts from repeated rare catches to a dedicated boss minigame with additional effects.
Complete the Skolopendra encounter to finish the trench's main boss loop.
How to Get the Chasm-Stalker Rod in Fisch
The Chasm-Stalker Rod becomes purchasable after you conquer the Obsidian Trench and Skolopendra. It adds a new mutation, strong passives, and a streak system unique to the Chasm-Stalker.
Fisch Mariana's Awakening Bestiary Additions
Mariana's Awakening adds 22 species, split between the new trench and the existing layers of Mariana's Veil. That means you do not need to stay in the Obsidian Trench for every new Bestiary entry.
| Group | Count | Named entries |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Trench | 12 | Obsidian Gaveltooth, Cinder-Crust Gar, Scoria Scorpionfish, Shatter-Tooth Shark, Magma-Glass Marlin, Tectonic Toadfish, Ash-Cloud Angelfish, Shatterjaw Shark, Pumice Puffer, and Basalt Behemoth, plus two hidden catches |
| Existing Mariana's Veil layers | 10 | Charred Coelacanth, Obsidian-Plated Piranha, Glacial Gulper, Hoarfrost Halibut, Lumin-Lure Lanternfish, Void-Drifter Jelly, Geode Grouper, Pearl-Plated Pleco, Gargoyle Goby, and Wraith-Whisper Ray |
The trench group is the one tied directly to the new layer, suppression, Charybdis, and Skolopendra route. The other 10 entries are distributed across existing layers, so check those areas as well if your goal is full update completion. Use the live in-game Bestiary for the current bait, location, and other conditions; this section is meant to show the update's scope and route rather than replace those individual entries.
For the remaining collection work, plan trench sessions around a nearby white crystal and return to the existing Mariana's Veil layers for the 10 species outside the trench. Watch for red crystals after about four to six Veiled Charybdis catches to know when the boss phase begins.
