Use Shield to cross poison clouds
Use Shield Transmutation to cross poison clouds in Valor Mortis; the story unlocks it in the University during Chapter 8: Blasphemy. With Shield available, return to Valley of Ashes > The Other Side to enter the hidden camp and finish The Emissary's blocked objectives.
Unlock Shield in the University
Shield is a mandatory story unlock and the final Transmutation you acquire. Its location is on the library route associated with University > Main Hall, beyond the chandelier crossing. If poison is stopping your early visit to The Emissary, continue the campaign until you reach this pickup.
- Follow the University library route across the chandelier to reach the large open room beyond it.
- Reach the top of the stairs in that room to obtain Shield Transmutation through story progression.
- Hold Shield Transmutation active while crossing poison clouds to protect your passage through the hazardous area.
Quest spoilers: finish The Emissary
The Emissary begins before you can finish its poison route. Its early clues are the Emissary's Seal at The Other Side and the Emissary's Letter after Slaughtermill. Collect those clues, then return with Shield to investigate the camp.
- Collect the Emissary's Seal at the abandoned carriage in the poison-filled area left of the Valley of Ashes > The Other Side Lantern to begin the quest.
- Collect the Emissary's Letter from the ground on the right inside the tunnel immediately after Slaughtermill, near Vale of Wrath > Old Windmill, to continue the trail.
- Cross the poison with Shield from Valley of Ashes > The Other Side, following the downhill path into the hidden camp.
- Pick up the Incriminating Letter on the ground inside the camp as the next part of your investigation.
- Inspect the body beside the cannon to summon a Risen Soldier and trigger the camp's combat encounter.
- Defeat the summoned enemy before continuing your search through the camp.
- Shoot the weak spot in the train car near the poison to open the onward path.
- Open the chest in the tent beside the cleared route to collect the Perfect Copy Amber.
- Interact with the red cloth beside the blocked gate farther into the area to complete The Emissary.
Perfect Copy is a chest pickup along this route, so remember to loot the tent while investigating the camp. It increases the ranks of your other equipped Tier 1 and Tier 2 Ambers.
Follow the poison routes for The King of Smugglers
The King of Smugglers also requires Shield and takes you through poison in the Vale of Wrath and The Outskirts. Collect Toothless Jack's Journal as well as the Cargo Manifest; the journal is another required clue along the Ship Graveyard route.
- Cross the poison field reached by grappling back toward the village from Vale of Wrath > Ship Graveyard, then turning right, to enter the quest's starting area.
- Collect Toothless Jack's Journal beneath the pier, behind the lower ladder, to secure the clue needed for quest completion.
- Collect the Cargo Manifest on the cargo reached after the wall jump beyond the boat fight to start the quest.
- Cross the poison from The Outskirts > Harbour with Shield to reach the side dock and ship.
- Pull the blue flower in the ship's hold before continuing your investigation there.
- Collect Crusty Benek's Torn Letter in the hold to continue following the smugglers' trail.
- Defeat the miniboss in the hold to receive the Harbour Residence Key.
- Unlock the residence left of the iron gates with the Harbour Residence Key to gain access to the house.
- Read Crusty Benek's Journal on the top floor to complete The King of Smugglers.
Collect the nearby Masterwork Firearm Parts before leaving the residence. The chest beside the journal contains another Butcher's Carnage Amber.
Poison detours with quest items and upgrades
| Option | What to collect and where |
|---|---|
| Valley of Ashes > Military Camp | Surplus Amber: burn the gold vines uphill from the camp. In the cave, shoot the lantern across the poison, then the weak point that enables the left swing point. Follow the route to the cliff chest. |
| Vale of Wrath > Ship Graveyard | Butcher's Carnage Amber: grapple back toward the village and turn right into the poison field. Follow the path to the balcony visible immediately on your left for its chest. |
| The Outskirts > Market Square | Laudanum: follow the poisoned path to the house, climb to the second floor, and drop through the floor opening into the bedroom to collect the bottle. |
| City of Orphans > Shamble Street | Oathbound items: take the large-gate shortcut toward the river, then go left to the ramp. Cross the poison at its bottom left, clear the house weak point, and defeat the Eternal Guardsman for a Mysterious Stone Pyramid and Adrien Cassell's Emblem. |
| University > Main Hall, poison hallway | Quintessential Transmutation Material: return toward the earlier elevator and follow the poison hallway to another elevator. Ride down to establish the Lantern shortcut, then back up to the balcony chest. |
| University > Main Hall, lower library | Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade and Masterwork Firearm Parts: take the poison hallway opposite the chandelier route and descend. The upgrade is behind the statue after collecting the item in front; the firearm parts are beneath the rear balcony in the lecture hall beyond the library. |
| University > Lift Shaft | Lunatic's Grasp Amber and a Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade: at the end of the hallway with platforms above poison, inspect the explosive chests on the lower level. The left holds the Amber; the right holds the upgrade. |
Open the train-car route if your shot is blocked
If you cannot get an angle on the train car's weak spot from ground level, move up the cliffs and aim down toward it. Shooting that weak spot opens the path near the poison. Continue toward the blocked gate afterward and interact with the red cloth to finish The Emissary.