How to use Mysterious Shards in Assassin's Creed: Mirage

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage features a lengthy side quest that asks you to collect multiple Mysterious Shards from across Baghdad. It doesn’t really explain much more than that, but it turns out that this pickpocketing escapade can land you some very impressive loot.

If that sounds good to you and you fancy improving your arsenal of weapons, then you’ll want to find as many Mysterious Shards as possible. For those up to the challenge, here’s how to use Mysterious Shards in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.

How to use Mysterious Shards in Assassin's Creed: Mirage

Mysterious Shards are tied to Nehal's case in our Investigation menu. Nehal’s Calling will request that you ‘Find the hidden place’, and will eventually see you uncover a note that “mentions an oasis, north of ‘Aqarquf Dunes.”

After collecting enough Mysterious Shards, more clues about the ‘oasis’ will be uncovered, and that’s where you ultimately need to go.

This oasis can be found in the northern wilderness of your map, to the east of the town of Anbar. Navigating the wilderness isn’t the easiest task considering it's all deserts, but finding the oasis isn’t too hard; while looking at the wilderness north of your map, you’ll spy a blue lake. This is where you need to go, so place a map marker there, steal a horse, and get going.

When you arrive, there’ll be some structures and small bits of loot. Venture to the very top of the tallest structure here, where you’ll find a letter on a desk. Read it, and you’ll learn that the Tha’been already know about the Mysterious Shards, and that's what this excavation site is for.

Now, use Enkidu to scope out the nearby lake. They’ll identify a quest marker in the middle of it. So, clamber down the structure and dive into the lake. Keep swimming, and you’ll eventually find yourself in a small cave. Parkour through it, and you’ll finally have found yourself in a secret, buried chamber with multiple pillars.

This is where the Mysterious Shards come into play. You will need to put the Shards that you have collected into the pillars by a door for that door to open and reveal a piece of Isu gear. Then, you can retrieve the piece of gear and keep it for yourself. Each pillar requires either two, three, or five Mysterious Shards.

What’s better is that the gear you retrieve here will already be fully-upgraded, too.

The rewards you can receive are as follows:

• The Samsaama - Every fifth hit heals Basim for 10% of his health.
• Shamshire-e Zomorrodnegar - Maximum Health is lowered by 50%, but damage is increased by 50%.
• Milad's Outfit - Successful Air Assassinations set off a flash of lighting to disorient bystanders within a 15m radius.

Where to find Mysterious Shards in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

There are ten Mysterious Shards scattered across Baghdad, all being held onto by the Tha’been, who are elite Order members. Each Tha’been member will have a small entourage of one or two guards, so you’ll need to pickpocket the Mysterious Shard and flee quickly, or prepare to assassinate all three of them. Basim will also say that a member of the Tha'been is nearby when you're close by a Mysterious Shard.

Mysterious Shards are also marked on your HUD by a small, golden shard icon, and there’ll be two in each major area in Baghdad. You’ll also be able to see them on your map, and from overhead when using Ekidnu’s ability.

Below, we've listed the rough locations of each Mysterious Shard. That said, Tha'beens will often be on the move, but they stick to their patrol paths. Make your way to the location listed, and you'll no doubt see that glowing gold Shard icon on your UI, so you can easily catch up with wherever their patrol has taken them.

1. Around the front of Damascus Gate Prison in Harbiyah.
2. Found between the Upper Harbor and Khurasan Gate Guardhouse in Harbiyah.
3. Near the stable by The Bazaar in Karkh, but often patrols near the House of Poulterers.
4. Found in front of the Harbor Camp in Karkh. They move towards the Great Garrison.
5. Found patrolling the Suburb of Kahtabah in Abbasiyah, near The Four Markets.
6. Near the Scholar’s Estate in Abbasiyah. Will patrol near the Tax Collector’s Mansion.
7. In the Administrative District by the Round City, near the Soap Bar District.
8. South of the Harem in the Round City, not far from Basra Gate. Patrols near the Qadi District Office.
9. Outside of Anbar. Continue out of town from the stables and take a right.
10. In the farmland in Jarjaraya, west of the Stables.

For more on Assassin’s Creed Mirage, have a look at how to upgrade your current weapons, and how to enhance your outfits.