Fallgrim hides more than just enemies and Tarstones. Scattered across its crumbling halls and mist-choked groves are dozens of curiosities — the game's name for rare collectibles, lore fragments, and upgrade catalysts that never appear on your standard map. This Mortal Shell II curiosities guide breaks down every category of hidden item, where to hunt for them, and exactly what each one does when you hand it over to the right NPC. Because while the Posture system and sidearms get all the attention, the real depth of character progression lives in these tucked-away trinkets.
Most players finish their first run missing half of the curiosities available, which locks them out of the most powerful shell abilities and weapon infusions. That is why this matters: a single well-placed curiosity can shave hours off your dungeon clears, and several of them permanently alter how your chosen shell handles combat. Get the full catalog below, organized by region and function, so you never walk past a hidden upgrade again.
Curiosity Categories and What They Do
Curiosities in Mortal Shell II fall into four distinct buckets, and each one feeds a different progression system. Understanding the categories first makes the rest of this Mortal Shell II curiosities guide much easier to apply, because you will know exactly which item type you are chasing and why it matters for your build.
The four categories are Relics, Lore Fragments, Upgrade Catalysts, and Key Items. Relics grant passive stat bonuses while equipped, Lore Fragments unlock codex entries and occasionally trigger hidden dialogue, Upgrade Catalysts are the rarest tier and directly feed weapon and shell upgrades, and Key Items advance questlines or open sealed doors. According to community data from the open beta, most players naturally find around 60 percent of the Lore Fragments but only 30 percent of the Upgrade Catalysts on a blind playthrough.
| Category | Primary Use | Rarity | Typical Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relics | Passive stat bonuses when equipped | Common to Rare | Chests, boss arenas, shrine rewards |
| Lore Fragments | Codex entries, hidden dialogue triggers | Common | Bookshelves, corpses, hidden alcoves |
| Upgrade Catalysts | Weapon and shell upgrade materials | Rare to Epic | Secret rooms, optional bosses, puzzle rewards |
| Key Items | Quest progression, door unlocks | Unique | Quest chains, specific NPC interactions |
Because each category feeds a different system, your priority order matters. Relics give immediate combat power, Upgrade Catalysts give long-term scaling, and Key Items gate entire regions of content. Lore Fragments are the only category that does not directly improve your combat stats, but they matter for the story and for unlocking certain shell-specific dialogue options that can lead to bonus rewards.
Relics: Passive Power Hidden in Plain Sight
Relics are the most straightforward curiosities to understand because they behave like equippable talismans from other soulslikes. Each shell has a single relic slot, and the relic you slot in modifies your stats or adds a unique combat effect. The best part is that relics are shared across all eight shells, so finding a great one once benefits every character you play.
The Ember-Touched Idol is one of the most sought-after relics because it converts 15 percent of your Posture damage into health recovery. That means every time you shatter an enemy's posture and land a Riposte Takedown, you heal for a meaningful chunk. Players report that this relic completely changes the flow of boss fights, since you can trade blows more aggressively when you know the posture break will top you off.
Early-Game Relic Locations
Your first reliable relic comes from the Sunken Chapel, which is accessible roughly two hours into a standard playthrough. After defeating the area's miniboss, the Carrion Priest, check the altar behind his arena. The Petrified Heart sits there, granting a flat 10 percent increase to maximum Resolve. That extra Resolve bar segment lets you use your shell ability one extra time per fight, which is a massive early-game advantage.
Another early relic, the Whispering Chime, hides in the Mistveil Catacombs behind a breakable wall. It increases your item discovery rate by 12 percent, making it the single best farming tool in the early game. Equip it before grinding Tarstones or hunting for rare drops, and you will notice the difference within an hour.
| Relic Name | Effect | Location | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ember-Touched Idol | 15% Posture damage heals HP | Fallgrim Depths, hidden chest | Aggressive melee builds |
| Petrified Heart | +10% max Resolve | Sunken Chapel, behind altar | Ability-heavy builds |
| Whispering Chime | +12% item discovery | Mistveil Catacombs, breakable wall | Farming and grinding |
| Hollow Lantern | Reveals hidden walls within 10m | Ashen Gorge, puzzle reward | Exploration and secrets |
The Hollow Lantern deserves special attention because it reveals hidden walls within a 10-meter radius, which is a game-changer for finding other curiosities. It is locked behind a light-reflection puzzle in the Ashen Gorge, and while the puzzle takes about ten minutes to solve, the payoff is enormous. With the Hollow Lantern equipped, you will spot breakable walls and secret passages that the naked eye simply cannot catch, making it the best exploration tool in the entire game.
Upgrade Catalysts and the Forge System
Upgrade Catalysts are the true endgame of the curiosities system because they directly feed the forge. Unlike standard upgrade materials that you farm from enemies, Catalysts are finite per playthrough and each one permanently enhances either a weapon or a shell ability. This is where the Mortal Shell II upgrades explained portion of this guide comes into play, because the system has more depth than most players initially realize.
The forge accepts two types of Catalysts: Weapon Catalysts and Shell Catalysts. Weapon Catalysts unlock new move sets and damage scaling paths for your weapons, while Shell Catalysts unlock additional ability nodes on your shell's skill tree. According to the official Steam page, the game features extensive weapon upgrades across more than 80 dungeons, but the Catalysts are the rare drops that make those upgrades truly transformative.
Weapon Catalyst Breakdown
Each weapon in Mortal Shell II has three Catalyst slots, and filling all three unlocks that weapon's Awakened Form. The Awakened Form typically adds a unique passive effect or a new heavy attack variant. Because Catalysts are finite, you cannot awaken every weapon in a single playthrough, so you must choose which weapons deserve the investment.
The Crimson Shard is the most common Weapon Catalyst, dropping from optional bosses and found in hidden chests throughout the mid-game regions. It adds a fire damage component to your weapon's heavy attacks, which is excellent against the game's many flesh-based enemies. The Frost-Touched Prism is rarer and adds a slow effect to your light attacks, making it ideal for kiting faster enemies.
| Catalyst Name | Type | Effect | Acquisition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimson Shard | Weapon | Fire damage on heavy attacks | Optional bosses, hidden chests |
| Frost-Touched Prism | Weapon | Slow effect on light attacks | Rare drop from Frost Wraiths |
| Void-Tainted Core | Weapon | Posture damage +20% on charged attacks | Secret boss in Fallgrim Depths |
| Echo of the First | Shell | Unlocks ultimate ability node | Complete Tiel's questline |
The Void-Tainted Core is arguably the strongest Weapon Catalyst because it boosts Posture damage by 20 percent on charged attacks. Given that the Posture system is the core combat mechanic, this Catalyst turns an already strong weapon into a posture-breaking machine. You find it by defeating the secret boss The Hollowed King, which spawns only after you collect all three King's Seals hidden across Fallgrim.
Shell Catalysts and Ability Nodes
Shell Catalysts work differently from Weapon Catalysts because they unlock nodes on your shell's ability tree rather than modifying weapons directly. Each of the eight shells has a unique tree, and Shell Catalysts are the only way to access the final tier of abilities. The Echo of the First is the most versatile Shell Catalyst, and it unlocks the ultimate node for whichever shell you use it on.
Because Shell Catalysts are even rarer than Weapon Catalysts, you will likely only find two or three per playthrough. That means you should commit to a single shell early and funnel all your Catalysts into it, rather than spreading them thin across multiple characters. The shell unlock guide on this site breaks down which shells benefit most from their ultimate nodes, so check that before you commit your Catalysts.
Key Items and Quest Progression
Key Items are the curiosities that gate content rather than directly improving your combat stats. They open doors, trigger quest chains, and sometimes reveal entire hidden regions. Missing a single Key Item can lock you out of a boss fight or a whole dungeon, which is why this Mortal Shell II curiosities guide treats them as a priority category.
The King's Seals mentioned earlier are the most important Key Items in the game. There are three of them, and collecting all three spawns the secret boss The Hollowed King in Fallgrim Depths. Defeating him rewards the Void-Tainted Core Catalyst and the Crown of the Hollowed, a relic that grants a 25 percent damage bonus against bosses.
The Three King's Seals
Each King's Seal hides in a different region, and none of them appear on your standard map. The first seal sits in the Sunken Chapel behind a locked door that requires the Chapel Key, which you get from a side quest involving the chapel's caretaker NPC. The second seal is in the Ashen Gorge at the bottom of a spike pit, accessible only after you unlock the Featherfall ability from the Acolyte shell.
The third seal is the trickiest because it requires solving a multi-stage puzzle in the Mistveil Catacombs. You need to light three braziers in a specific order, and the order is hinted at by murals on the walls. Community reports suggest that most players miss this seal entirely on their first run, so pay close attention to the wall art in that area.
| Key Item | Purpose | Location | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Key | Opens locked door in Sunken Chapel | Caretaker NPC quest | Complete chapel side quest |
| King's Seal I | Spawns Hollowed King boss | Sunken Chapel, locked room | Chapel Key |
| King's Seal II | Spawns Hollowed King boss | Ashen Gorge, spike pit | Featherfall ability |
| King's Seal III | Spawns Hollowed King boss | Mistveil Catacombs, puzzle | Light three braziers in order |
Beyond the King's Seals, other Key Items advance the main story and side quests. The Broken Locket triggers a memory sequence for the Tiel shell, and completing that sequence grants a permanent dodge-distance bonus. The Sealed Letter starts a quest chain that ends with a unique weapon, and the Ancient Compass reveals the location of every remaining curiosity on your map, which is invaluable for completionists.
Lore Fragments and Hidden Dialogue
Lore Fragments are the most numerous curiosities, with over forty scattered across Fallgrim and its surrounding regions. Each one adds an entry to your codex, and some trigger hidden dialogue when you return to the hub area. While they do not directly improve combat, they matter for unlocking certain shell-specific dialogue options that can lead to bonus rewards.
The Tarnished Manuscript in the Mistveil Catacombs is a standout Lore Fragment because it unlocks a hidden conversation with the Foundling NPC. That conversation leads to a side quest rewarding the Whispering Chime relic, which we covered earlier. This is the perfect example of how Lore Fragments connect to the broader curiosity economy.
Lore Fragment Hotspots
Certain areas contain clusters of Lore Fragments, making them efficient farming routes for completionists. The Fallgrim Depths has the highest concentration, with eight Fragments spread across its winding tunnels. The Sunken Chapel has five, mostly tied to the chapel's backstory and the Carrion Priest fight.
The Ashen Gorge has four Fragments, but two of them require the Hollow Lantern relic to find because they sit behind hidden walls. The Mistveil Catacombs has six Fragments, and three of them are inside optional side rooms that you can easily miss if you rush toward the boss arena.
| Region | Lore Fragments | Hidden Walls Required | Missable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallgrim Depths | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| Sunken Chapel | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Ashen Gorge | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Mistveil Catacombs | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Because Lore Fragments are missable, you should explore thoroughly before advancing the main story in each region. Once you defeat a region's main boss, some areas become inaccessible, permanently locking you out of any Fragments you missed. The map guide on this site shows the exact locations of every collectible, so cross-reference it before you progress.
Curio Farming Routes and Efficiency Tips
If you want to collect every curiosity in a single playthrough, you need a plan. Blind exploration will leave you missing roughly half of the Upgrade Catalysts and a third of the Lore Fragments, according to community data from the open beta. This final section of the Mortal Shell II curiosities guide lays out the most efficient farming routes and the tools that make collection easier.
The single best tool for curiosity hunting is the Hollow Lantern relic, which we covered earlier. It reveals hidden walls within 10 meters, and since so many curiosities sit behind breakable walls, this relic effectively doubles your discovery rate. Equip it before you enter any new region and keep it on until you have cleared every side room.
Recommended Route Order
Start with the Mistveil Catacombs because it has the highest missable count and the Whispering Chime relic that boosts item discovery. Clear every side room and solve the brazier puzzle for the third King's Seal before you fight the region's main boss. Then move to the Sunken Chapel and grab the Petrified Heart relic plus the first King's Seal.
After that, head to the Ashen Gorge for the Hollow Lantern relic and the second King's Seal. With the Hollow Lantern equipped, backtrack through earlier regions to find any hidden walls you missed. Finally, clear Fallgrim Depths last, because it has the secret boss The Hollowed King that requires all three King's Seals.
-
Equip the Hollow Lantern before exploring any new region to spot hidden walls.
-
Clear Mistveil Catacombs first to grab the Whispering Chime for better drop rates.
-
Save Fallgrim Depths for last since the secret boss needs all three King's Seals.
-
Backtrack with the Hollow Lantern after unlocking new shell abilities to reach previously inaccessible areas.
-
Check the map guide before advancing past a region's main boss to avoid missing collectibles.
One more tip that players swear by: the Acolyte shell's Featherfall ability unlocks access to several curiosity locations that are otherwise unreachable. If you plan to collect everything, consider unlocking the Acolyte early and investing in that ability first. The shell unlock guide explains how to get the Acolyte and every other shell, so you know exactly what to prioritize.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the rarest curiosity in Mortal Shell II?
The Void-Tainted Core is the rarest curiosity because it requires defeating the secret boss The Hollowed King, who only spawns after you collect all three King's Seals. Most players miss at least one seal on their first run, making this Catalyst exceptionally rare. It boosts Posture damage by 20 percent on charged attacks.
How many curiosities are there in total?
According to community data, there are over sixty curiosities across all four categories: Relics, Lore Fragments, Upgrade Catalysts, and Key Items. Lore Fragments are the most numerous at around forty, while Upgrade Catalysts are the rarest at roughly ten per playthrough. Key Items and Relics make up the remaining dozen or so.
Can I get all curiosities in one playthrough?
Yes, but only with careful planning and the right tools. The Hollow Lantern relic is essential for finding hidden walls, and the Whispering Chime boosts item discovery. You also need to unlock the Acolyte shell's Featherfall ability to reach certain areas. Missable items disappear after you defeat a region's main boss.
Do curiosities carry over to New Game Plus?
Relics and Key Items carry over to New Game Plus, but Upgrade Catalysts and Lore Fragments do not. This means you can keep your best relics and continue questlines, but you must recollect Catalysts and Fragments each run. Plan your Catalyst spending accordingly, since you will need to re-farm them.
What should I spend my Upgrade Catalysts on first?
Prioritize one weapon and one shell early. The Crimson Shard on a Rusty Dagger shreds through Fallgrim’s fodder, while Echo of the First unlocks your shell’s ultimate. Don’t spread Catalysts thin—awaken your primary before experimenting. What curiosity are you hunting first? Share below.