All Totem of Defiance fragment locations in Avowed

Following in Dawnshore’s footsteps, Avowed's second region of Emerald Stair has yet another god totem for you to restore. This area is far more complicated to fully explore than Dawnshore though, so finding all the Totem of Defiance fragments to restore The Schemer’s Offering can be a bit arduous.

Time-consuming though it may be, it’s well worth tracking each fragment down. Not only do you get some great stealth and Ranger-style perks out of it, but you’ll also see some of the best sights Avowed has to offer. Seriously, Emerald Stair is as beautiful as it is dangerous, especially when night falls and only mushrooms light the way.

All Totem of Defiance fragment locations

The Totem of Defiance, known as The Schemer’s Offering, has six fragments and a base you need to collect across Emerald Stair. Like with the Totem of Rightful Rulership before it, each fragment provides a special perk once slotted into the base, only now you’ll have to choose which of the two totems you want active.

Once you’ve collected the base and slotted in all six fragments, The Schemer’s Offering will be fully upgraded and restored, triggering a short memory-like sequence focusing on the god Skaen.

Here are the locations of the Totem of Defiance base and all six fragments so you can grab them for yourself, though if you’d like some more immersive hints to get started, you can buy the Fragments of the Offering map for this totem for 500 coins by visiting Lluisa Melcer at the Farmer’s Market.

The Schemer's Offering

To start your hunt for the Totem of Defiance fragments, you’ll need to find the totem’s base, which is much harder to find by accident compared to Woedica’s. The Schemer’s Offering is located at the top of the Shrine to Skaen in the Delemgan Glade to the northwest of Emerald Stair, requiring you to climb the various platforms to reach it.

Once you’ve collected this piece, head back to a campsite and place it so you can start adding the six fragments to it next.

Effigy Necklace

The Effigy Necklace is found during the Ancient Soil main quest which opens a secret tunnel system below Naku Tedek, though you can return to this area if you missed it the first time through.

After entering the secret tunnels below the Naku Tedek Grounds:

1. Go down the spiral staircase and turn left once you reach the bottom
2. Use Giatta’s Spectral Jolt (or any other electric item or spell) to activate the switch to open the door
3. Enter the room and use an ice spell or Eye of Rymrgand to make a platform in the water to climb up the tree root and onto the ledge where you will find the fragment on a desk

Once placed in The Schemer’s Offering, the Effigy Necklace causes your next attack within ten seconds of being hit to deal an additional 20% damage based on the damage you received. This stacks with Retribution.

Idol of Secret Hatred

The Idol of Secret Hatred is in the Ancient Grotto, closest to the cave entrance west of Naku Tedek Grounds, making it a very convenient fragment to collect after the Effigy Necklace.

Though the Ancient Grotto has two entrances, the quickest route is to travel to Naku Tedek’s campsite. Then:

1. Climb down the ravine to the west of Naku Tedek Grounds and cross to the other side using the fallen tree trunk
2. Turn left and continue to climb along the ledges until you reach the Ancient Grotto entrance, which will load the cave area
3. Once inside, climb the ledge and crouch through the tunnel to your right where you will find the fragment next to a skeleton (which also has the Ring of the Founder unique)

The Idol of Secret Hatred increases your damage against unaware enemies by 25%.

Idol of Violent Rebellion

The Idol of Violent Rebellion is at the very top of the Ranger Headquarters tower to the east of Fior mes Iverno, requiring lots of climbing to reach.

The best place to start is to travel to the Rolling Crags Beacon at the base of the Ranger Headquarters and then:

1. The best place to start is to travel to the Rolling Crags Beacon at the base of the Ranger Headquarters and then:
   1. Climb the boxes on the south side of the tower and grab the overhang near the ladder
   2. Ascend the ladder to reach the first floor, turn left, and leap to the next platform
   3. Turn left again and continue along the walkway, climbing to the next platform
   4. Scale another ladder to reach the top of the tower, where you can pick up the fragment on a stack of boxes (as well as a chest containing awakened adra)

With this fragment slotted, you will deal increased damage against 'skull' enemies, which basically means the toughest enemies are slightly easier to kill.

Sacrificial Dagger

The Sacrificial Dagger is found lodged in a door with a note attached at the Abandoned Farms in the Rolling Crags region, directly north of Fior mes Iverno. Being such an open area, it’s not hard to find the Sacrificial Dagger. You’ll just have to clear the camp of Xaurips first, though this region isn’t particularly high level.

Sacrificial Dagger makes it so Second Wind casts Flurry of Blows–a great bonus to have when losing a fight.

Obsidian Prayer Beads

The Obsidian Prayer Beads are on a ledge to the west of Delemgan Glade, overlooking the courtyard. This fragment eluded me for longer than I care to admit, largely because the path you need to take is awkward to climb, which led me to think you couldn’t actually reach the higher area to the west.

To grab the Obsidian Prayer Beads:

1. Enter the Delemgan Glade courtyard, facing the large tree
2. Turn right to climb up the rocks near the broken stone pillar
3. Turn right again at the top of the ledge and continue forward until you reach the large tree root that forms an archway over the path
4. Climb the tree to reach the rocky overhang
5. Turn around and jump to the ruin platform that overlooks the courtyard where you started

The Obsidian Prayer Beads cause critical hits to deal high poison accumulation, making it a perfect choice for high critical rate Ranger builds.

Idol of Covert Plots

The Idol of Covert Plots is found in a locked church in the Grim Wetlands, directly east of the Infested Camp at the top of Emerald Stair. Hidden so far north of this region, the Grim Wetlands is one of the more challenging areas in Emerald Stair, though this fragment doesn’t require any combat.

Since the front door of the church is barred, to collect this fragment:

1. Head to the left side of the church
2. Press the switch hidden in the statue’s lamp
3. Enter the church through the new side door and grab the fragment from the bench at the back

Providing +2 Constitution and Dexterity, the Idol of Covert Plots is far from the most interesting of Skaen’s upgrades. However, it’s very useful in nearly all builds thanks to dexterity’s speed-boosting effects, increasing your attack speed and action speed across the board.

All Totem of Defiance buffs

The Totem of Defiance has six buffs which generally focus on dexterity and stealth: