Essences not dropping essences sometimes

Doing some calcification essence farming, and a few times (maybe 3 times in 2 maps), essences haven't dropped their essences. Friend told me first and I confirmed it myself.

I corrupted a hysteria, killed the mob, and it's almost like he disappeared and the essence didn't drop. I completely killed the entire map, 0 monsters remain, and I didn't find a hysteria anywhere. There are two possibilities for this that are on my build that I may know of but I'll outline everything I have.

- Weird interaction with culling strike
- My merc has the annoint Last Rites which contains Cursed Enemies You Kill Are Destroyed

Additionally, my merc's loadout:
- Leer Cast
- Dying Breath
- Shaper's Seed
- Kaom's Binding
- Asenath's Gentle Touch
It's a withertouch merc

Additionally, here is my PoB: https://pobb.in/RnZ_7izVeu6M (didn't adjust any configs or anything). (edited because I accidentally used my other build. I'm running Holy Relic)

Lastly, my strat for if any scarabs could cause it:
- 1x calcification
- 2x adversaries
- 1x ascent
- 1x stability
Essence map craft.

Hopefully I'm not going crazy but it's getting annoying lol.

"

Loreis#2534 wrote:

Hopefully I'm not going crazy but it's getting annoying lol.

You're not crazy, there's essentially 3 ways essences don't drop that I've seen so far:

1. Loot filter too strict/labels disabled.
2. Corpse explode seems to eats the essences if certain criteria is met. Asenath gloves if the merc is getting the kills.
3. Some other specific set of conditions I'm not sure on yet. Seen videos of it happening with people who removed all of their corpse explode/destruction, still would randomly lose essences.

Not sure how far back since the issue was first reported, but was before Settlers.

I've never had this issue until this league and I've been a big essence farmer for a few leagues now. It actually just happened again and unfortunately seems to be mostly happening on corrupted / altered essences. It's happened mostly on the higher essences so not sure if this is a consistency thing or coincidence. I'll try taking off asenath's from my merc and seeing.

Edit: Just had an essence with 2 higher essences just spawn and have no health bar and is untargetable and seems unkillable... uh it might just be essence being cooked right now lol. That was weird.

Same for me. I've seen this maybe 4 times but this time was really bad as all the good essences didn't drop.

Mesa map, Tier 10. Using the Essence map device option, 3 Essence Scarab, 1 Ascent, and 1Stability.

My Merc and I both have culling, but otherwise no skills or mods that would destroy a corpse.

It is weird and annoying but this last map cost me a decent amount of currency by not dropping the essences.

EDIT: I think, but am not 100%, that each one that failed was possessed by a tormented spirit.

EDIT 2: Not just tormented monsters. But it does seem like it might be specific monsters, specifically ones that have shape changing phases such as crabs that lose their shells.

I don't think it's from cull. I've played two different characters. Both mercs have used the Eternal Struggle amulet with the cull active.

1) Never lost an essence: vfos zerker, merc using cull amulet, garb, and other gear.

2) Have lost several essences: Forbidden Rite Palsteron build where merc has the same cull amulet, but also Void Sphere as a skill, and Asenath's Gentle Touch gloves which are presumably destroying corpses.

I'll test the merc without the Asenath's. Will hopefully report on this soon after a couple map rotations.

~edit~

After having changed out of Asenaths for the last 20 maps of essence farming, it feels like the problem is solved. I'm reasonably sure Asenath's is what is eating up the essences.