Emerald Stair

Walkthrough

The area in the order you play it. Tick things off as you go: they tick off in the checklists below too.

1. 1

   Arrival at Maxim’s Claim

   After finishing An Untimely End in Dawnshore, head to the Emerald Stair Gatehouse in Southern Embrace east of Paradis, speak with Stecg to secure your Writ of Passage, and cross the lowered drawbridge into Maxim’s Claim. When you set up your first camp overlooking the valley, Kai will initiate the companion quest Battle Scars. Make sure to talk to merchant Lluisa here to pick up parchment clues for regional items.

   Uncover the Skaen God Totem core and its 6 regional fragments for camp buffs.

   Tip: Set up camp right away to trigger Kai's conversation and start tracking local secrets.

2. 2

   Farmer’s Market and Central Plains

   Head down into the farmland and supply stalls of the Farmer's Market, where you can buy the Practical Pockets map from Ector Brewer to acquire Hjilde’s Handy Hide for 660 copper. Settle local disputes involving stolen provisions and creature tampering in the Food Theft and Nature vs. Nurture questlines to earn your choice of rewards, and look for Painter's Brush on an easel in a country house via Painter's Regret. While roaming the surrounding fields, fend off packs of wild beasts and search the central rural ruins for a locked cache holding Horsecutter.

   Key fight: Wild Beasts
   Painter’s Brush: on an easel inside a country houseHow: Follow Treasure Map – Painter’s RegretHjilde’s Handy Hide: purchased from Ector Brewer for 660 copperHow: Follow Treasure Map – Practical PocketsHorsecutter: rural ruins in the central plainsHow: Open locked chest/cacheWarmage’s Boots: Food Theft questHow: Reward from Food Theft questline choicesMissable because: Resolving the respective NPC storyline through hostile bypasses Don't missRing of Pain Amplification: Nature vs Nurture questHow: Reward from Nature vs Nurture questline choicesMissable because: Resolving the respective NPC storyline through hostile bypasses Don't missWolf Boots: Nature vs Nurture questHow: Reward from Nature vs Nurture questlineMissable because: Resolving the respective NPC storyline through hostile bypasses Don't missForager’s Friend: Food Theft & Nature vs. Nurture questsHow: Reward from Food Theft / Nature vs. Nurture choices

   Tip: Apply frost slows to bears, wolves, and pumas to blunt their knockdown leaps.

   Watch out: Do not use hostile bypasses against the quest NPCs in Food Theft or Nature vs. Nurture, or you will lock yourself out of the Warmage's Boots, Wolf Boots, and Ring of Pain Amplification.

3. 3

   Fior mes Ivèrno Hub

   Ascend to the hilltop settlement of Fior mes Ivèrno to meet The Governor at the manor and connect with animancer researchers Monto Pastor, Ivette, and Remi, alongside recruitment of Giatta. Visit the central plaza to buy Minoletta’s Conduit from Abritt Porrya, and browse the Essence of War shop where Stephan sells the crushing weapon Lodestone. Before heading back out, search the quarters of the upper animancy laboratory to grab Animancer’s Swallowtail.

   Minoletta’s Conduit: Fior mes Ivèrno central plazaHow: Purchase from Abritt PorryaLodestone: Essence of War in Fior mes IvèrnoHow: Purchase from StephanAnimancer’s Swallowtail: Fior mes Ivèrno upper animancy laboratory quartersHow: Find in quarters

   Tip: Purchase the Lodestone from Stephan early so you have a reliable crushing weapon ready for upcoming animancy encounters.

4. 4

   Felipe’s Depression

   Travel west from the market to the edge of the massive sinkhole known as Felipe’s Depression, where frantic cries for help echo from the depths. Descend into the cavern system during The Sinkhole Stroll, utilizing choke points to hold off venomous swarms, and locate Old Felipe to escort him safely to the surface.

   Key fight: Sinkhole Spiders & Cave Crawlers

   Tip: Equip poison-resistant trinkets and use your companions to bottle up the swarming Sinkhole Spiders and Cave Crawlers.

5. 5

   Animancer Outposts and Elia's Barn

   Push onward to the rural research sites and enter Elia's Barn to continue The Animancy Method. Inside, confront and destroy the rogue animancy revenant Silvo alongside the flesh constructs, which secures Elia Rosell’s cooperation and provides the soul sample without triggering animancy destabilization.

   Key fight: Animancy Revenants & Flesh Constructs

   Tip: Smash through the flesh constructs and revenants using lightning shocks and crushing weapons like Lodestone, as they resist piercing and slashing blows.

6. 6

   Grim Wetlands and the Delemgan Glade

   Venture into the overgrown wild glades filled with dense brambles, seeking out the court of the Delemgan Queen during The Animancy Method. You can choose to peacefully negotiate with the Queen to obtain the Adragan Heart, or engage her court and Blights directly in battle. While exploring the tangled undergrowth, clear away brambles in a secluded alcove to discover Sun and Moon.

   Key fight: Delemgan and Wood Spirits
   Sun and Moon: overgrown alcoveHow: Clear brambles

   Tip: Burn through the wooden bodies and plant tissue of the wood spirits using fire damage, and interrupt enemy casters before they land charm or rooting debuffs.

7. 7

   Deep Wilderness, Ruins, and Waterfall Cave

   Scour the regional Ranger Headquarters to find One Last Trick, track down Earthy Aegis to locate Nature’s Ward in a round ruined building's breached wall, and defeat elite bounties Big Wylie Tranton and Belderreno for unique loot. Raid hostile wilderness camps and elite caches to pick up Emerald Splitter and Woodman’s Labor, then thoroughly clear out Waterfall Cave before finishing your cartography and exploration through Naku Tedek and the ancient ruins.

   Key fight: Bounties & Elite Targets
   Nature’s Ward: breached wall of a round ruined buildingHow: Follow Treasure Map – Earthy AegisOne Last Trick: regional Ranger HeadquartersHow: Locate insideEmerald Splitter: elite wilderness caches and hostile campsHow: Recover from caches/campsWoodman’s Labor: elite wilderness caches and hostile campsHow: Recover from caches/campsWaterfall Cave chests and regional drops: Waterfall CaveHow: Loot before advancing story past Naku Tedek or concluding Ancient SoilMissable because: Clearing the regional story progression past Naku Tedek or concluding Ancient Soil before clearing sub-caves Don't missSurvivor's Guilt: from elite wilderness encounters, dropped by bounty targets Big Wylie Tranton or BelderrenoHow: defeat the target and loot the remains New

   Tip: Seek out the Skaen God Totem core and all six regional fragments hidden across the landscape to activate useful camp buffs.

   Watch out: You must loot all chests and drops within Waterfall Cave before concluding Ancient Soil or pushing the main story past Naku Tedek, otherwise those items will become permanently missable.

What you decide here and what it leads to.