The Elder Scrolls is no stranger to either of these techniques of storytelling, but Skyrim fell short of the literary heights attained by Oblivion and Morrowind. Having said that, the Dawnguard DLC did include some incredibly intriguing mythology in the form of the Aetherium Shards and the accompanying quest.
Lost to the Ages brings you to several Dwemer ruins, allowing you to experience their degradation firsthand following King Gellir’s long-ago enslavement of the Dwarves. The story of the Shards is one of politics and battle. It prompted decades of civil conflict in Dwemer culture, finally resulting in the extinction of the race in Skyrim.
If all that story-telling crap isn’t your thing, the shards can also be utilized to construct some truly cool gear. However, you must work for them, which is why I’ve created this Atherium Shards tutorial.
We’ll go over the history of Aetherium Shards, where you can find them, and what you can make with them in this article. So saddle up and prepare for Skyrim’s most entertaining fetch quest yet.
Skyrim Aetherium Shards Guide
Aetherium Shards are a valuable material that can be used to craft the Aetherium Crown, Shield, or Staff. These relics are among the most powerful items in Skyrim, and they may be customized to your liking.
To make an Aetherium artifact, you must collect all four Aetherium Shards. The shards can be found in numerous Dwarven ruins throughout Skyrim, and they are guarded by formidable foes.
This guide will help you find and collect all four Aetherium Shards, as well as make suggestions on how to craft the right Aetherium item.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard from Arkngthamz
Arkngthamz is your average Dwarven dungeon. You’ll have to start at the bottom and work your way up. She’ll mention falling to her death at some point, and you’ll notice a log reaching out over the hole you just climbed up.
Katria’s bow, Zephyr, is nearing the end of the log. Make it a point to get Zephyr, one of the best bows in the game. Fight your way through the Falmer until you come to a big wall with a locked door. There are five cutouts in the wall around the entryway that contain these strange-looking contraptions.
Tonal Locks are used to unlock the door, and you must strike all five of them in the correct order. You die if you get the order incorrect. You could read Katria’s notebook and do some research to find out the combination for yourself, but we’ll save you time and effort by telling you.
- Bottom left.
- Bottom right.
- Top left.
- Top right.
- Middle.
Hit them in this order with a ranged attack, such as a spell or a bow, and the door will open, allowing you to enter Arkngthamz to find the Aetherium Shard. Katria will then tell you that she is on her way to find the other shards and encourage you to do the same.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard From Raldbthar
Skyrim has four Aetherium Shards in all. You’ve only gotten one so far, so there are three more to go. The placement of each shard 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 players, however, will not.
It makes no difference which order you collect the shards in. So go ahead and pursue whichever ones pique your attention. You’ll need all of them to gain access to the Aetherium Forge. Oh, and until you’ve identified the location of a shard, it won’t be marked on your map, so you’ll have to read Katria’s journal to locate each Dwemer ruin. Nobody has time for that, so I’ll go over each one immediately.
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 point you toward is at the end of the Raldbthar dungeon. This is the same dungeon where the first big Dark Brotherhood quest, Mourning Never Comes, takes place. You most certainly already have the Aetherium Shard if you investigated the dungeon after completing the mission. Otherwise, you’ll have to return to the highlands southeast of Windhelm.
If you still have Mourning Never Comes active, or if you finished it without getting the shard, the dungeon entrance will either have bandits or be completely empty. You’ll have to deal with a few Dwarven automatons otherwise.
Continue through Raldbthar until you reach a room with four buttons and a metal barrier in your way. The third from the left button will open the gate and allow you to go. You should ultimately arrive in a room with a pool of water and an elevated bridge. This place is littered with Dwemer equipment. All of these gears are clogged, either with human skeletons or Dwemer trash.
To lower the bridge, you must remove the obstruction from each gear, including one hidden in the pool of water. The bridge is guarded by a Dwarven Centurion, whom you must kill before progressing. You may, however, chew the Centurion by hitting the bridge’s lower and upper buttons. This will knock the Centurion into the water, where you can kill it from a safe distance with arrows or spells.
You’ve now completed the tough part of Raldbthar. Before reaching the end of the dungeon and the Aetherium Shard, you must eliminate a few more spiders and spheres.
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Obtain the Aetherium Shard From Mzulft
After finishing up with Raldbthar and Arkngthamz, you’re done with Dwemer dungeons; thank Talos, unless you prefer it, in which case, you masochist, more power to you.
Instead of traveling to Mzulft, the shard is kept in a glorified shed near the dungeon’s entrance. Don’t ask me why this extremely valuable piece of magical stuff is kept there.
Inside the Dwarven Storeroom, there are three locked doors. Two of the doors have Apprentice locks, while the third has Expert locks. To obtain the shard, you must unlock at least two of these three locks, but Apprentice locks should be no problem at this stage.
Aside from the shard, the storage has some stuff, although it’s primarily scrap and junk. Nothing is too valuable or necessary to be anxious about missing.
Obtain the Aetherium Shard by Crossing Deep Water
The final shard is found in Deep Water Crossing. This is by far the most straightforward to achieve. It’s only waiting for a strong gust of wind to send it toppling down a precipice. You don’t even have to go to another load zone to acquire it.
The Deep Water Crossing is an old Dwemer stone bridge. You will notice a dirt mound increasing higher as you cross the bridge. Continue climbing the hill until you find an altar with some Dwarven equipment and the final Aetherium Shard.
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