The Avowed Totem of Defiance is perfect for buffing sneaky Ranger builds, but you've got to plunder the Emerald Stair to find all seven fragment first. Some of these fragments are very easy to grab, but several are deep within dangerous territory, so you must come prepared. Otherwise, denizens of the Living Lands will be a serious issue on your quest in Avowed to get this totem to Skaen completed. However, to make the search as easy as possible for you, I've detailed the locations of all the Totem of Defiance pieces in Avowed below.
Avowed Totem of Defiance piece locations
To begin the search for the Totem of Defiance, you must buy the Fragments of the Offering quest item from Lluisa Mercel in the Farmer's Market. Now you can start the typical scavenger hunt for the seven fragments, though be warned: most of the totem pieces are on the more treacherous west side of the region, so make sure you upgrade your items in Avowed to Exceptional quality (or close to it) first.
Once you've got the core of the Totem of Defiance and have placed it at your Avowed Party Camp, you can start adding other totem pieces to it, unlocking unique buffs with each one until you've got a completed totem. Remember, you can have only one totem active at a time. Furthermore, hopefully you did this when using our Avowed Totem of Rightful Rulership guide but make sure you turn on the "Compass – God Shrine Totem Pieces" setting under the UI menu as it's off by default.
If you're ready to look, here's where you'll find all seven pieces of the Totem of Defiance in Avowed:
Avowed Totem Core
"To find the totem of the Quiet Slave, an ancient tower you must brave."
On the west side of Emerald Stair, you can find an area known as the Delemgan Glade, part of which is between two cliffs. The Totem of Defiance core is on the northern cliff, which you can easily reach if you travel to the Plateau Junction Avowed fast travel beacon and then head southwest past the Godless Sinkhole. At the end of the cliff, you'll notice this crumbling tower which is the Shrine to Skaen. Climb it and you'll find the Schemer's Offering totem base at the very top.
Avowed Sacrificial Dagger
"Left alone in fallow fields, the ritual blade thirsts for skin freshly peeled."
The Sacrificial Dagger is probably the easiest to find and you can grab it early on in Emerald Stair. Head to the abandoned farms on the north side of the map and look around the back of the larger building on the east side of the area – it's touching the F in "Farms" on the map. You'll find the dagger pinning a note to a wall.
Avowed Idol of Covert Plots
"In a place of worship amidst moldering rot, this idol continues to scheme and plot."
The Idol of Covert plots is hidden in a ruined church building on the west side of the Grim Wetlands near the Infested Camp. However, you need to take the long way around to get inside. Start by heading south along the cliff wall and you'll eventually find a gate that you can open with a lockpick.
Head through, then go right and up the hill, eventually leading you to the sporeling-infested camp. On the cliff edge, you'll notice a broken bridge that leads directly to a whole in the roof of the church. Jump across, then drop down and collect the idol from the shrine. You can then unbar the main doors to get out.
Avowed Idol of Secret Hatred
"In a damp hollow its sibling waits full of rage, while its previous owner decays with age."
This idol is hidden within the Ancient Grotto which is a small dungeon with two entrances. I recommend taking the lower entrance in the cliff of the river chasm as you can get the idol quite easily from there.
Once you're in, bear right and then crawl through the small tunnel. You'll emerge into a small cave with a skeleton that is clutching the idol.
Avowed Idol of Violent Rebellion
"From on high the third surveys the land, sowing the seeds of revolt near at hand."
The Idol of Violent Rebellion for the Totem of Defiance is in the Ranger Headquarters tower next to the eastern edge of the Emerald Stair map. Start by ascending the south side of the tower, by climbing up to the ladder that leads to a hole in the wall. Keep climbing and you'll eventually reach the top, where the idol has been stuck into a wooden box.
Avowed Obsidian Prayer Beads
"In a verdant glade where old ruins crumble, you will find beads dark and umbral."
From where you got the core, head across the tree root bridge to the glade proper. From the main clearing, you'll notice some ruins on top of the cliff formation to the west. The prayer beads are on top of these ruins, but to get up there, you need to follow the path through the archway to the right.
Follow the path up and around to the left, go under the tree root over the path, then turn around and climb onto it. From here, you can climb onto a rock ledge and then leap to the balcony on the ruined wall where you'll find a skeleton lying next to the prayer beads.
Avowed Effigy Necklace
"Hidden in ruins of heathens long gone, the octet of skulls sings its silent song."
The Effigy Necklace is the only one of these totem pieces that relies on making progress in the main quest to reach. You need to have the "Ancient Soil" quest, which tasks you with exploring the Nadu Tedek ruins. After some magical adra stuff, a door will open, letting you into the depths of Nadu Tedek.
Once you reach the bottom of the spiral staircase, go into the hallway and turn left, then get Giatta to activate the shock switch on the wall to open the door ahead. Head into the next room and climb onto the tree branch by freezing the water to give yourself a platform to climb, then hop onto the upper level. Here you'll find the necklace on a table.
Avowed Totem of Defiance buffs
Besides the core, every fragment of the Totem of Defiance grants some kind of improvement, be it to your combat capabilities, your Avowed Attributes, or something else. If your Avowed build uses Ranger abilities, stealth, and poison damage, then this is a good totem to activate.
These are the buffs that the Totem of Defiance in Avowed provides:
- Furious Frenzy: Second Wind casts Flurry of Blows.
- The Slave's Patience: Gain +2 Constitution and +2 Dexterity.
- Hidden Hatred: Increases your damage against unaware enemies by 25%.
- Kill the Master: Increases your damage against "skull" enemies.
- Bitter Thoughts: Critical Hits deal high Poison Accumulation.
- A Vengeful Victim: After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 10 seconds deals extra damage equivalent to 20% of the damage you received. This stacks with Retribution.
There's an Avowed totem to collect in each of the main regions, giving you a few different options when it comes to buffs. While searching for totem pieces, be sure to look out for treasure map locations for more loot, such as the Avowed Woedica's Inheritance and Avowed Intimidating Feline Codpiece maps in Dawnshore.
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