The Elder Scrolls is no stranger to either of these modes of storytelling, but Skyrim didn’t quite reach the literary heights that Oblivion and Morrowind achieved. Having said that, the Dawnguard DLC did bring some extremely intriguing mythology in the shape of the Aetherium Shards and the quest that goes with it.
Lost to the Ages transports you to numerous Dwemer ruins, letting you witness their decay firsthand following King Gellir’s subjugation of the Dwarves many years ago. The Shards’ story is one of politics and battle. It sparked decades of civil war in Dwemer civilization, eventually leading to the race’s extinction in Skyrim.
If all that tale nonsense isn’t your thing, the shards can also be used to make some really cool gear. You must, however, work for them, which is why I’ve put up this Atherium Shards guide.
In this article, we’ll go over the history of Aetherium Shards, where you can find them, and what you can make with them. So saddle up and get ready for what could be Skyrim’s most amusing fetch quest ever.
Skyrim Aetherium Shards Guide
Aetherium Shards are a rare and robust resource that can be used to make the Aetherium Crown, Shield, or Staff. These relics are among the most powerful things in Skyrim, and they may be tailored to your preferences.
You must acquire all four Aetherium Shards in order to create an Aetherium artifact. The shards can be found in various Dwarven ruins throughout Skyrim, and difficult adversaries guard them.
This tutorial will assist you with locating and collecting all four Aetherium Shards, as well as providing recommendations on how to create the appropriate Aetherium item.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard from Arkngthamz
Arkngthamz is a typical Dwarven dungeon. You’ll have to work your way up from Katria. At some point, she’ll mention plummeting to her death, and you’ll notice a log reaching out over the hole you just climbed up.
Zephyr, Katria’s bow, is near the end of the log. Make a point of picking up Zephyr, one of the best bows in the game. Fight your way through the Falmer until you reach a large wall with a locked entrance. Around the entryway, there are five cutouts in the wall with these strange-looking contraptions in them.
These are known as Tonal Locks, and you must hit all five of them in the exact order to open the door. If you get the order wrong, you die. You could read Katria’s notebook and do some investigating to figure out the combination for yourself, but we’ll save you the time and energy and tell you.
- Bottom left.
- Bottom right.
- Top left.
- Top right.
- Middle.
Hit them in this order with a ranged assault, such as a spell or a bow, and the door will open, granting you access to the Aetherium Shard in Arkngthamz. Katria will then tell you that she is going in quest of the other shards and encourages you to do the same.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard From Raldbthar
Skyrim contains four Aetherium Shards in all. You’ve only acquired one, so there are three more to go. Each shard’s placement is fixed, and they’ll be there before you start Lost to the Ages, so you might already have one or more of them. Most gamers, though, will not.
It doesn’t matter what order you collect the shards in. So, feel free to pursue whichever ones pique your interest. You’ll need all of them regardless to gain entrance to the Aetherium Forge. Oh, and until you’ve already discovered the location of a shard, it won’t be noted on your map, so you’ll have to study Katria’s journal to find each Dwemer ruin. Nobody has time for that, so I’ll walk you through each one now.
Raldbthar, one of the four locations of the Aetherium Shards. #PS5Share, #Skyrim pic.twitter.com/c6jTuw3db9
— 🇵🇭🏳️🌈Homoludens🧠🎮 (@a_space_alien) August 11, 2021
The first shard I’ll lead you towards is the one at the conclusion of the Raldbthar dungeon. This is the same dungeon where Mourning Never Comes, the first main Dark Brotherhood quest, takes place. If you investigated the dungeon after completing the quest, you most likely already have the Aetherium Shard from there. If not, you’ll have to go back to the highlands southeast of Windhelm.
If you still have Mourning Never Comes active, or if you completed it without obtaining the shard, the entrance to the dungeon will either feature bandits or be completely vacant. Otherwise, you’ll have to cope with a few Dwarven automatons.
Continue on into Raldbthar until you reach a room with four buttons and a metal barrier obstructing your path. The third button from the left will open the gate and allow you to go. You should eventually arrive in a room with an elevated bridge and a pool of water. This area is littered with numerous Dwemer gears. These gears are all clogged, either with human skeletons or with Dwemer debris.
To lower the bridge, you must eliminate the blockage from each gear, including one concealed in the pool of water. The bridge carries a Dwarven Centurion with it, whom you must kill before proceeding. You may, however, chew the Centurion by pressing the button used to lower and raise the bridge. This will knock the Centurion into the water, where you can kill it with arrows or spells from a safe distance.
After that, you’ve completed the difficult part of Raldbthar. You need to wipe out a few more spiders and spheres before reaching the finish of the dungeon and the Aetherium Shard.
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Obtain the Aetherium Shard From Mzulft
You’re done with Dwemer dungeons after finishing up with Raldbthar and Arkngthamz; thank Talos, unless you enjoy it, in which case, you masochist, more power to you.
Rather than having to travel to Mzulft, the shard is stored in a glorified shed near the dungeon’s entrance. Don’t ask me why this highly precious chunk of magical material is being stored there.
There are three locked doors inside the Dwarven Storeroom. Two of the doors have Apprentice level locks, and the third has an Expert level lock. You’ll need to unlock at least two of these three locks to acquire the shard, but you shouldn’t have any trouble with Apprentice locks at this point.
Aside from the shard, there’s some loot in the storeroom, but it’s mostly scrap and junk. There’s nothing too valuable or essential to be concerned about missing.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard From Deep Water Crossing
Deep Water Crossing has the final shard on the list. This is by far the simplest to obtain. It’s just sitting there waiting for a powerful gust of wind to send it tumbling down a cliff. You don’t even need to visit a different load zone to get it.
Deep Water Crossing is an ancient Dwemer stone bridge. When you cross the bridge, you will notice a dirt hill rising higher. Continue up the hill until you reach an altar with some Dwarven gear and the final Aetherium Shard.
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