Destiny 2 Ager’s Scepter Exotic Quest Guide – Where To Find All Atlas Skews For Tracing The Stars

TL;DR

  • Complete three weekly quests to collect 15 Atlas Skews across Dreaming City locations
  • Ager’s Scepter trace rifle unlocks after finishing A Hollow Coronation mission
  • Each weekly quest requires finding 5 specific Atlas Skews in designated areas
  • Return to HELM after each collection phase to progress the storyline
  • Strategic navigation saves time when hunting for hard-to-find artifact locations

Season of the Lost introduces an extensive multi-week treasure hunt that rewards dedicated players with one of the most powerful exotic weapons available. The journey begins when Mara Sov, the Awoken queen, assigns you the Tracing the Stars mission, setting you on a path to recover legendary artifacts tied to kestrel mythology.

This exotic trace rifle pursuit unfolds over several weeks, with each phase requiring you to locate five distinct Atlas Skews scattered throughout the Dreaming City’s landscape. The artifacts serve as crucial components needed to eventually access A Hollow Coronation, the final mission where you’ll secure Ager’s Scepter for your arsenal.

Weekly resets introduce new Atlas Skew locations, ensuring the hunt remains fresh and challenging. Proper planning and efficient route optimization can significantly reduce the time investment required to complete each collection phase.

The initial week of artifact hunting takes you through three primary Dreaming City zones, with some locations requiring careful exploration to discover.

  • Divalian-Rheasilvia Path, Lower Cliffside: From the Divalian Mists landing zone, follow the path toward Rheasilvia. Before reaching the bridge, descend to the lower cliff area on your right where the skew rests on a rocky outcrop.
  • Divalian-Cimmerian Path, Central Cave: Continue along the same path toward Cimmerian Garrison. Look for a cave opening midway along the route, with the artifact positioned near ancient Awoken structures.
  • Drowned Bay Alcove: In the Spine of Keres region, navigate to the bay area and search the submerged alcove section, requiring careful attention to underwater navigation.
  • Spine Oracle Orrery: Located within the Oracle Engine building, this skew demands completion of the platforming sequence to reach the celestial observation chamber.
  • Distant Spine Island Tree: The most challenging location requires reaching the isolated island in Spine of Keres. Use the rocks as stepping stones and check the ancient tree at the island’s center.

After securing all five artifacts, make your way back to the H.E.L.M. to advance the narrative and prepare for the following week’s challenges.

Week two expands your search to new Dreaming City territories, with artifacts hidden in both obvious and subtle locations that test your observational skills.

  • Strand Towering Statue: In The Strand area, locate the massive Awoken statue near the central plaza. The skew rests at the statue’s base, partially obscured by foliage.
  • Strand Gazebo Statue: Continue through The Strand to find an ornate gazebo structure housing a smaller statue, with the artifact positioned on its pedestal.
  • Garden Waterfall: Journey to the Gardens of Esila and follow the water source to discover the skew behind the cascading waterfall, requiring you to pass through the water curtain.
  • Garden Bridge Tree: Cross the stone bridge in Gardens of Esila and examine the ancient tree growing alongside it, where the artifact nestles within the roots.
  • Aphelion Brazier: Within Aphelion’s Rest, find the ceremonial brazier area where the skew sits atop one of the fire containers, visible only from specific angles.

Common mistakes include overlooking elevation changes and failing to check behind environmental obstacles. Advanced players can complete this phase in approximately 25-30 minutes with optimized routing.

The final collection week concentrates on Rheasilvia’s interior spaces and Harbinger’s Seclude, demanding thorough exploration of confined areas and hidden passages.

  • Rheasilvia Secluded Statue: In the Rheasilvia region, locate the secluded statue chamber accessible through a narrow passageway, with the artifact placed at the statue’s feet.
  • Rheasilvia Lower Level: Descend to the basement area of the main Rheasilvia structure, where the skew rests on a crumbling pedestal in a dimly lit corner.
  • Rheasilvia Temple Overlook: Climb to the highest point of the temple ruins for a panoramic view, with the artifact positioned on the overlook’s edge.
  • Harbinger Sidehall Statue: Within Harbinger’s Seclude, navigate the side corridors to find a statue alcove containing the skew, partially hidden by hanging vines.
  • Harbinger Ahamkara Skulls: The most thematically appropriate location features the skew placed among the Ahamkara skull collection in Harbinger’s Seclude’s main chamber.

Returning to the H.E.L.M. after this final collection unlocks access to A Hollow Coronation, bringing you one step closer to wielding Ager’s Scepter.

With all fifteen Atlas Skews collected across three weeks, you’ll gain access to the culminating mission: A Hollow Coronation. This challenging activity tests both your combat proficiency and puzzle-solving abilities.

Preparation is crucial – ensure your loadout includes weapons effective against both Taken and Scorn enemies, as you’ll encounter significant resistance throughout the mission. The mechanics involve intricate platforming sections combined with intense firefights in confined spaces.

Successfully navigating the mission’s obstacles rewards you with Ager’s Scepter, an exotic trace rifle boasting exceptional performance in both PvE and PvP scenarios. The weapon’s unique perk, “Will of the Kestrels,” provides escalating damage based on precision hits, making it particularly devastating in skilled hands.

For players seeking to maximize their effectiveness with this exotic, our Weapons Unlock guide offers additional strategic insights into trace rifle combat techniques.

After successfully gathering all five Atlas Skews, your next objective involves navigating to the HELM interface within the Director menu. Here you’ll locate a specific mission marker labeled “A Hollow Coronation” that advances the narrative arc. Activating this node triggers additional storyline context from Mara Sov, providing deeper insights into the kestrel mythology and your overarching mission parameters. Note that subsequent progression phases become available on a weekly reset schedule, requiring strategic timing for optimal quest advancement.

The second phase of this multi-stage questline directs players toward The Strand, one of three primary zones within the expansive Dreaming City environment. This particular batch of Skew collection proves significantly more accessible than the initial week’s challenges, featuring clearer environmental markers and more intuitive placement patterns that streamline the discovery process.

Upon transitioning from Divalian Mists into The Strand, your visual focus should immediately target the massive central statue dominating the landscape. This prominent landmark serves as an unmistakable orientation point for navigation throughout the area.

Scale the towering statue positioned at the heart of The Strand to uncover your initial Skew. The monument’s sheer scale and central positioning make accidental oversight virtually impossible, ensuring reliable discovery even for players unfamiliar with the terrain.

The specific Atlas Skew placement situates it adjacent to the statue’s foundation along the rear ridge line. Maintain elevation awareness during approach, as precise vertical positioning often proves more critical than horizontal coordinates for successful collection.

The architectural structure referenced in your navigation clues resides in The Strand’s eastern quadrant, positioned proximate to the Aphelion’s Rest Lost Sector entrance. This location periodically hosts Petra Venj during specific phases of the Dreaming City’s three-week environmental cycle, providing additional contextual significance beyond mere Skew collection.

Navigate toward the southeastern perimeter to locate your secondary Atlas Skew, identified by clues mentioning both gazebo and statue elements. While this represents another relatively straightforward discovery, note the statue placement at the gazebo’s rear section differs from the Skew’s actual position slightly further along the terrain.

Ascend the elevated terrain behind the eastern gazebo structure, specifically targeting the ridge area featuring substantial vegetation growth. The Atlas Skew conceals itself nearer to the zone boundary, requiring deliberate exploration beyond the immediate architectural features.

Garden of Esila represents an unmarked subsidiary zone accessible via The Strand’s southern extremity. Identify the cascading waterfall feature along the right-hand flank as you penetrate deeper into the primary sector.

Your mission requires accessing Garden of Esila for two additional Atlas Skews, though this sub-area lacks explicit cartographic designation. From The Strand, proceed to the absolute southern terminus to discover an architectural portal and ascending stairway leading into the garden. Follow the pathway until reaching an expansive open zone featuring a prominent bridge crossing and colossal central tree (note this landmark for future reference). Your initial Skew awaits positioned beside the waterfall along the right sector boundary upon initial entry.

Optimize your collection route by initiating at the central statue, progressing to the eastern gazebo, then concluding with the Garden of Esila segment. This optimized path reduces backtracking and can shave 3-5 minutes off total completion time compared to haphazard exploration.

Common navigation errors include underestimating elevation requirements at the gazebo ridge and missing the subtle Garden of Esila entrance. Ensure you’re scanning for the waterfall auditory cues rather than relying solely on visual identification when approaching the southern sector.

For experienced players, consider employing sparrow transportation between major points, though dismount before precise Skew interaction to prevent accidental overshooting. The entire five-Skew collection process typically requires 10-15 minutes for prepared operators familiar with Dreaming City topography.

After securing the Sidehall Atlas Skew, proceed through the substantial doorway exiting the cavern chamber to access an expansive room featuring descending circular staircases. Leap over the railing to reach the lower level, then execute a complete about-face to locate another substantial opening positioned directly behind your current orientation. Upon descending, you’ll arrive in another vast, cave-like space distinguished by two recessed areas on your left side, each containing one of the Dreaming City’s legendary Ahamkara skeletal remains. The Atlas Skew artifact rests precisely between these two alcoves.

This particular collectible requires extensive penetration into Harbinger’s Seclude’s depths, though once you’ve reached the appropriate chamber, it’s conspicuously positioned for straightforward acquisition without additional challenges.

The moment has arrived to deliver your accumulated Atlas Skews and engage with the unfolding narrative. Activate the “Hollow Coronation” destination marker on your HELM Director interface to submit your collected Skews and receive additional lore regarding the kestrels from Uldren’s perspective. Following this narrative segment, consult with Mara Sov stationed at the Wayfinder’s Compass terminal to claim your earned rewards and finalize this week’s quest progression milestone.

For Guardians who have maintained consistent Atlas Skew acquisition up to this juncture, you’ll unlock a fresh Exotic questline that ultimately grants access to Ager’s Scepter, a newly introduced Exotic-grade trace rifle weapon. To initiate this pursuit, you must first gather the concluding set of Atlas Skews, which necessitates journeying to the Confluence region within the Dreaming City. While multiple access routes exist, the most direct path for this objective originates through Harbinger’s Seclude located in Rheasilvia.

Navigate toward the primary temple structure in Rheasilvia and advance completely to its terminus. Recall that during the previous weekly cycle, you descended through the major opening to access the chamber containing the Ahamkara skulls where an Atlas Skew was located—this is precisely your destination now. Upon reaching this familiar room, reorient yourself to face the substantial exposed gap at the rear section. Proceed toward this opening and subsequently scan for a cave passageway on the right flank that connects to an Ascendant gateway.

Access the Confluence by traversing the Ascendant Portal situated in Harbinger’s Seclude, adjacent to the Ahamkara skull exhibits, to discover the initial Atlas Skew of this final batch.

This portal transition will transport you directly to the Confluence, with the first Atlas Skew positioned immediately beyond the portal’s emergence point.

Once you’ve arrived within the Confluence’s confines, inspect the chamber containing the prominent arboreal feature for this specific Atlas Skew placement.

Advance deeper into the Confluence’s interconnected passages and you’ll encounter a substantial circular chamber featuring three egress points radiating from its perimeter. Each of these accessways contains one Atlas Skew collectible. Your initial acquisition resides within the tree-adorned chamber previously referenced.

The subsequent Atlas Skew is positioned immediately adjacent to the legacy Shattered Throne portal interface that Guardians historically could only utilize for dungeon access according to a tri-weekly rotational schedule.

For optimized efficiency, experienced Guardians recommend establishing waypoints at each major transition to minimize unnecessary backtracking. The circular chamber with three exits serves as your central navigation hub—methodically clear each radiating corridor before progressing to ensure comprehensive collection. Common navigation errors include missing the subtle cave entrance to the right of the Ahamkara skull chamber and underestimating the vertical descent requirements in Harbinger’s Seclude.

Allocate approximately 45-60 minutes for complete Atlas Skew collection if following optimal routing, though first-time explorers should budget 75-90 minutes to accommodate orientation and exploration. Advanced players can reduce this to 30 minutes through precise movement and minimized combat engagement.

Action Checklist

  • Complete Week 1 – Collect 5 Atlas Skews in Divalian Mists, Rheasilvia, and Spine of Keres
  • Finish Week 2 – Secure 5 additional Skews in The Strand and Gardens areas
  • Complete Week 3 – Gather final 5 Skews in Rheasilvia and Harbinger’s Seclude
  • Return to HELM after each weekly collection to progress storyline
  • Tackle A Hollow Coronation mission with optimized loadout for Taken/Scorn combat
  • Complete ‘A Hollow Coronation’ mission at HELM to activate Strand Skew collection
  • Locate and scale central statue in The Strand for first Skew
  • Navigate to eastern gazebo near Aphelion’s Rest and ascend rear ridge
  • Find Garden of Esila entrance at southern Strand tip
  • Collect both waterfall Skews in Garden of Esila using auditory cues
  • Navigate through Harbinger’s Seclude to Ahamkara skull chamber for initial Skew
  • Activate Hollow Coronation at HELM and complete story interactions
  • Return to skull chamber and locate Ascendant portal in right-side cave
  • Systematically explore all three chambers in Confluence for remaining Skews

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