If you’ve spent time exploring the hidden secrets of Dawnshore in Avowed, you likely already know about the totem quests, likely the hardest quest line to beat in the game. Each main area has a total of seven totem fragments hidden within specific landmarks, and you have to find them through exploration.
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For Emerald Stairs, the quest is called Totem of Defiance, and it can give you various buffs, including increased damage against skeletons or increased levels on Constitution and Dexterity, but you’ll first have to find all its pieces.
Emerald Stairs Totem Fragment Clue Location
If you don’t want to go on a random run to find these totem fragments, which will take you multiple explorations of the entire map, you can visit a specific trader to get clues for each fragment. Unlike other quests, these clues won’t simply mark the general area on your map, but instead tell you about the area for each fragment in a riddle.
To get these clues for the totem of Emerald Stairs, you can visit the Farmer’s Market area to the southeast of Fior Mes Iverno. You’ll also visit this during the Elder Offerings quest. However, if you’ve reached the end point of Emerald Stair’s story, you might find this trader on Coastal Farms instead.
Emerald Stairs Totem Core Location
The first item you can find for each totem in Avowed is its core where you’ll place all the other pieces. These are usually found in the Shrine areas of each map, and for Emerald Stairs, it’s the Shrine of Skaen. You can find it on the western side of the map just above where The Delemgan Glade is written on the map.
The shrine is essentially a tower that you’ll have to climb using the platforms on its side once you reach the area. After a bit of parkouring, you can enter the shrine and climb a few more stairs to find the core sitting in front of you.
Sacrificial Dagger Location
To find the second item, you’ll have to head to the north of Fior Mes Iverno until you find the Abandoned Farms area on the map. If you don’t want to go here to specifically hunt for this fragment, you’ll eventually get here during the end of the Emerald Stairs main story.
As you get to this place and look at its map, you’ll see a few big buildings drawn in yellow. You can find this dagger by going behind the top left building here. It’s stuck to a paper and it’s a little difficult to get the game to register that you want to take the dagger and not read what’s written on the paper.
Idol Of Covert Plots Location
To get your third totem fragment called the Idol of Covert Plots, you’ll be heading over to the northwestern edge of Emerald Stairs. As you get here, you’ll discover an area called the Grim Wetlands. If you look at the map, there will be a small shack to the north of where “Grim” is written, which is your destination.
After you get to this shack and defeat the guarding skeletons, you can head to its left side to notice a not-so-hidden secret entrance. The switch to open this entrance will be on the lantern held by the statue beside it. Enter the shack from this entrance and you’ll find the fragment on the left near another statue.
Idol Of Secret Hatred Location
The riddle for this fragment can be a little misleading as it mentions an owner decaying, which might point you to the multiple graves you’ve visited in another quest. However, the actual location for this is far in the southwestern direction of the map near the Overgrown Homestead area where you can find the Ancient Grotto cave.
This cave might seem straightforward when you enter for the first time, but it has a ton of secret areas alongside a bounty battle. Here are the steps you need to follow after entering to get to the fragment:
- Keep going straight until you reach the open area and then take the path on the bottom left side as soon as the area opens up.
- Follow this path to another open area and cross it by first jumping on the right side and then on the upper left.
- Keep going through the cave and when you see the path dividing for the first time, turn left. Here, you’ll see a tiny opening on the bottom right.
- Head straight into this opening and you’ll find the body of the previous owner of Fior Mes Iverno, with this fragment in his hands.
Idol Of Violent Rebellion Location
The clue for Idol of Violent Rebellion is fairly easy to understand as it indicates that the fragment sits at a high point somewhere. To get to this high point, you can check out the Ranger Headquarters found on the eastern edge of Emerald Stairs. This is the building you have to climb to get this fragment.
You can start climbing by heading to the southern side of the building at the bottom and jumping on a mini-roof where you can see a ladder going up. From here, you can parkour your way from the side of the building up until you reach another ladder that takes you to the very top.
Obsidian Prayer Beads Location
This is likely the most difficult fragment to find as the area suggested by the clue can be massive. Seeing ruins in a Verdant Glade isn’t uncommon in Emerald Stairs, but the ruins you’re looking for can be found on the western edge where you visit to get the Adragan Heart in the main story as well.
To get to this fragment, teleport to the beacon at the entrance of the western secluded area in The Delemgan Glade. Cross the broken bridge and go straight through the right path until you reach an open area. From this area, stay on the right and keep going straight to enter another tight path in front.
Here, you’ll see a low tree that you can climb on from the other side. Climb on the tree, jump on the platform connected to it, and then you’ll see another jump spot on your left. Use this spot to jump and you’ll find the Prayer beads at the top.
Effigy Necklace Location
Effigy Necklace is the only totem fragment in Emerald Stairs locked behind the main story as you need to get here with Giatta to open the secret entrance inside Naku Tedek. Once you open this secret entrance and go down the first set of stairs, you’ll notice a door leading you further in.
As soon as you go through this door, there will be a locked door on your left with an electric generator on the wall. Use Giatta’s ability or an electric weapon to activate this generator and enter the hidden room. Here, use the ice fruit on the wall to jump on water and then on the tree to your right in the room.
You can then jump to the top part and you’ll find the Necklace sitting on a table to the right.
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