The lantern guttered as I staggered back to a Beacon, the mini-map a stitched wound of secrets. I’d just watched a cultist drag a named corpse into a pit and realised one shell was still somewhere I hadn’t checked. You feel that small, stubborn itch—because one missing shell changes the whole game.
I’ve spent nights pruning routes, testing Glimpse economy, and laughing at design choices in Cold Symmetry’s Mortal Shell 2 so you don’t have to. I’ll tell you where each hidden shell hides, what triggers you need to pull, and the order that saves you time and pain on Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox. Read fast, act faster.
The day I opened the map while eating ramen — All shell locations in Mortal Shell 2
There are nine shells total: one starter and eight secret finds. You’ll meet two free shells as you enter Fainweald (Tiel and Proxima). The rest demand Glimpse, puzzle solves, or optional fights.
Rule of thumb I follow: don’t spend Glimpse on shells until you’ve grabbed Tiel and Proxima. Those two are found in plain sight; every other shell is tucked behind a task that punishes impatience.
Where is Proxima’s shell in Mortal Shell 2?
Start at Widow’s Overlook Beacon. Head north into Blackridge Cliffs, pass a cultist group, and push further until a white, spider-like enemy and a Beacon appear. Enter the Shattered beacon and Proxima’s body — and the shell — will be waiting. No Glimpse required, just patience and attention.
How do I get Tiel’s shell?
Don’t enter Mushroom Village. From its entrance head east until you find an enclosure lit by torches. Tiel’s gravestone sits there and the shell is buried in the dirt. Stand still: a cutscene triggers the add to your collection, so watch it before you start digging.
Eredrim shell location
Use the Beacon to drop into the Citadel of Penance courtyard. Fall into the pit, cross the lower dungeon, and press forward until you spot the arena with locked gates. Find the lift beside those gates, pull the lever, then prepare: the Warden ambushes you when you surface. Kill the Warden, and Eredrim’s corpse and shell are yours.
How do I get Gragu’s shell?
Gragu is alive in the One Legged Wolf Tavern, but he wants the Heart of Vatra. From the tavern, take the rope bridges east through a mountain pass lined with vampires. At the temple you’ll face a chest that needs three offerings, but you can bypass it and climb to the highest point.
At the peak a corruption-choked statue clutches the Heart of Vatra. Take it, use a side exit, and return to Gragu. What follows is one of the funniest sequences the game hides — give the Heart to Gragu to receive his shell.
Smert shell location
From Outskirts of Nochte Beacon, climb the slope to Prophet’s Rest. Interrupt the ritual and clear the cultists to reach Smert’s body. There are three blood pools you must fill with your own blood; you will die in the process, but the Beacon is close and the filled pools remain. Repeat the fill-and-respawn cycle three times to add Smert’s shell.
Genessa shell location
Find the censer in the Eastern Ruins of Mammon at the Revenant Graves — the area with red trees and Sester Genessa figures. Interacting with the censer triggers a fight with Sester Secondus; beat her to claim Sester’s Censer, return it to Marrow Keep, and Genessa’s first memory will unlock so you can switch to her.
Lazlo shell location
Activate High Lord’s Courtyard Beacon, find the stairs to an air current, then drop into the dark crypt. Expect a Knight of Mammon. Defeat Vellen, the High Lord of Mammon, and Lazlo’s body — and shell — will be there when the dust settles.
If you’re juggling platforms, remember guides on Steam Community and developer threads from Cold Symmetry and Playstack often contain patch notes or small navigation fixes. Speedrunners on YouTube and Discord channels can shave minutes off your runs, and Moyens I/O’s screenshots above show the key beats I mention.
One last note: shells change playstyle like swapping chess pieces mid-game — choose shells that answer the encounters you hate most. Will you try a pacifist-style run, or will you collect every shell and turn Fainweald into your testing ground?