How to find all Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries in the Shattered Realm

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest
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Look out for Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries as you go through the Shattered Realm, tracking clues and aligning the beacons to rescue Queen Mara’s Techeuns. Like the Trivial and Enigmatic Mysteries, these Ascendant Mysteries are some hidden chests that will require you to use Wayfinder’s Compass abilities to reach them. While you’ll be passing through barriers, revealing hidden platforms, and protecting yourself from slowing Fields of Strife in the Shattered Realm, Ascendant Mysteries present some extra puzzle or challenge that you need to overcome too. You can unlock these abilities by completing seasonal challenges and Wayfinder’s Voyage quests to rank up your compass in Destiny 2 Season of the Lost.

Each Ascendant Mystery you find and open has a chance to give you a piece of Season of the Lost gear, some Parallax Trajectory, and other resources like Glimmer and Destination Materials. Each one also has its own Triumph attached to it, and there’s a seasonal challenge that requires you to find a couple of these mysteries. The Shattered Realm holds plenty of collectibles, including Trivial and Enigmatic Mysteries, Illusory Barriers that can only be destroyed with the Ager’s Scepter Exotic Trace Rifle, and hidden data caches. It’s well worth exploring the Shattered Realm to see what secrets – and loot – you can unlock. Here’s how to find all the Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries across the three Shattered Realm variations.

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How to find Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries

How to find Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest opening

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Ascendant Mysteries a little trickier to find compared to the other two types of mystery as you’ll need to solve some sort of puzzle or other encounter to unlock it. The three Shattered Realm variations have two Ascendant Mysteries each, meaning there are six in total with each one being linked to a beacon that needs to be aligned.

Once you’ve defeated the invading enemies around the beacon and it has been aligned, you’ll be able to read an extra message in the text feed that acts as a clue for locating an Ascendant Mystery. Follow the clue to begin the challenge and eventually you’ll be rewarded with the mystery chest at the end. Some of these Ascendant Mystery challenges will also hide a few Trivial and Enigmatic Mysteries along the way, so keep an eye out for those too. This guide also refers to location names within each Shattered Realm variation which you can read under your motion tracker, so use this to help you get to the general area of each Ascendant Mystery.

Forest of Echoes

Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries in Forest of Echoes

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm forest of echoes bungie image

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The Forest of Echoes Shattered Realm is the one that looks like the EDZ, with the church and courtyard area from Trostland and some twisted trees like those found in the Dark Forest.

1. Hive Ritual at the Shrine Ascendant Mystery – The Dark Ritual Triumph

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest aligning first beacon clue

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To get the first Ascendant Mystery in the Forest of Echoes, you need to have aligned the first beacon in the church area called the Abbey of Whispers. Once aligned, you’ll notice a message appear saying, “Hive Wizards gather for a ritual at the Shrine”. The Shrine it mentions is on a floating island away from the church.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest wizards performing ritual at shrine

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To get to it, head out the back exit of the church near where the beacon is and turn left. You’ll spot a True Sight Wayfinder’s Compass device and the floating island way up in the sky which should have some Wizards moving about on it. Get True Sight and climb your way up the now visible platforms to the shrine.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest shrine relic orb and blight guide

(Image credit: Bungie)

Once you’re up there, defeat all the Hive enemies and an orb relic will spawn in front of a statue. You need to pick it up, refresh your True Sight ability, and carry the orb back to the main island across the floating platforms. There should be a mini Taken blight on the shrine near the orb and getting close to it will cause it to go to the next area. Use it to guide the way.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest tunnel network barrier breach entrance

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For the next obstacle, you need to use Barrier Breach to carry on down the path. You’ll be led down into a tunnel network which will have a few Taken Thrall in it. Keep going through the tunnel network, using the mini blight to guide you, and eventually you’ll find more True Sight and Barrier Breach devices next to a hole in the tunnel wall. Use the devices and exit through the hole in the wall to reach a series of platforms that lead to the right. Jump across them and you’ll get to The Crypt.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest apocalyptic blade hive knight boss

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As soon as you’re in The Crypt area, take the relic orb to the Awoken statue in the right corner and dunk it in. This will spawn the Apocalyptic Blade boss and its minions. Defeat them and the Ascendant Mystery Chest will appear in front of the statue for you to loot.

2. The Well Ascendant Mystery – Born of Darkness Triumph

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest forest of echoes blight clue

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For the second Ascendant Mystery in the Forest of Echoes, you’ll be destroying a lot of Taken Blights. To get started, you need to have aligned the second beacon in the Harrowed Cliffs area. You’ll see another clue message saying, “Blights corrupt the Harrowed Cliffs”, at which point a big Taken Blight and some Taken enemies will spawn on top of the nearby cliff. Climb up the cliff and destroy the blight by going inside the dome and shooting the black orb. Two more blights will spawn back down towards the beacon. Destroy these as well.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest forest of echoes blight

(Image credit: Bungie)

Now head to the edge of the Harrowed Cliffs where the floating rocks are as if you were going to the exit portal to the boss fight. You’ll spot another blight below on one of the floating rocks which also needs to be destroyed.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest forest of echoes well

(Image credit: Bungie)

Once you’ve destroyed that blight, you’ll see that the Ruins area opposite the exit portal is overrun with even more blights and Taken. Head over to the Ruins and destroy the blights. Now head down the brick well into a large cave and defeat the Taken Devoured Ogre to reveal the Destiny 2 Ascendant Mystery chest

Debris of Dreams

Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries in Debris of Dreams

Destiny 2 shattered realm debris of dreams season of the lost activity

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The Debris of Dreams Shattered Realm is the one that looks a lot like the Tangled Shore with floating, craggy islands and large Eliksni facilities.

1. Industrial Facility Mystery – Refined Power Triumph

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams first beacon aligned clue

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The first Destiny 2 Ascendant Mystery in the Debris of Dreams can be found after you’ve aligned the first beacon and received the message saying, ‘Scorn drilling operations commence…’.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams Scorn drill crew enemies

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Head back to the first main rock island called the Ruined Outpost and defeat the Drill Crew Scorn around the hovering Glimmer mining drill. Once defeated, the drill will drop an orb of Unrefined Ascendant Energy. A waypoint guiding you to the Industrial Facility should appear after you pick up the orb.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams ascendant energy core charged

(Image credit: Bungie)

Follow the waypoint into a little room that requires Barrier Breach to enter. There will be a teleporter inside which will take you to a floating island that is otherwise inaccessible. You need to take the energy orb to a receiver on this island and deposit the Ascendant Energy. Now stand on the raised plate nearby to begin lowering it. Once it reaches the bottom, the receiver will drop the now refined orb of Ascendant Energy for you to collect.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams true sight path back to facility

(Image credit: Bungie)

To get back to the Industrial Facility and deposit the refined orb, use the True Sight compass device on the floating island to reveal a path that leads over to the facility. Follow the waypoint through a previously locked door to access the facility and deposit the orb to power up the area.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest and console debris of dreams

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Doing so will activate a nearby console too. Toggle the console to reveal the Ascendant Mystery chest, and you can open it for your rewards.

2. Derelict Shipyard Mystery – The First Rule Triumph

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams encampment mystery

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For the second Ascendant Mystery in the Debris of Dreams, you need to visit the Scorn in the Encampment after aligning the second beacon and seeing the message, ‘Something stirs in the Encampment’, appear. From the second beacon, head up the into the Encampment area as though you were going towards the teleporter that leads to the final boss area.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams encampment door lock

(Image credit: Bungie)

However, once you jump up to the top of the steps, you’ll notice some Scorn standing around a door. Eliminate them and then follow the button prompt while standing next to the door lock to open it. Head through the door and you’ll emerge into an arena full of Scorn enemies, three of which are named bosses.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams encampment mystery chest in arena

(Image credit: Bungie)

Kaaskis the Hungerer and Siirnak the Deepwalker will escape, but Akaskis the Listener will stay in the arena. Defeat it and you’ll notice you have an effect called ‘Scorn Cache Passcode’ on the left of your screen. In this arena room, you’ll find the Ascendant Mystery chest currently trapped within a blue forcefield dome with a Scorn brazier in front of it. Approach the brazier and ‘transmit the passcode’.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams barrier breach doorway in arena

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To fully unlock the Destiny 2 Ascendant Mystery chest, you need to defeat the other two Scorn bosses and get their passcodes. To get one of them, use the Barrier Breach compass device in the arena and head through the barrier blocking the doorway opposite the entrance. You’ll come into a corridor full of laser tripmines, so be careful.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams kaaskis Scorn boss

(Image credit: Bungie)

Keep going through the corridor and you’ll eventually reach a section where you have to walk along a rocky cliff outside. There is a doorway at the end of this cliff that you need Barrier Breach to get through. It will lead into a room where you can defeat Kaaskis and retrieve its passcode. Head back the way you came into the arena room and transmit the second passcode.

For the final passcode, you need to head through the doorway on the raised ledge of the arena between the other two doors. Go down the corridor and jump through the hole in the floor to the cave below.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams upper ledge door in arena

(Image credit: Bungie)

Follow the trail of Dark Ether to The Ruined Outpost island and jump through the rotating turbine in the floor to access a cave. Siirnak will be inside, so defeat him to get the passcode and head back to the arena in The Encampment. Transmit the final passcode and the dome around the Ascendant Mystery chest will deactivate, allowing you to unlock it.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant chest debris of dreams ruined outpost turbine

(Image credit: Bungie)

Ruins of Wrath

Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries in Ruins of Wrath

destiny 2 bungie image shattered realm ruins of wrath hive dreadship

(Image credit: Bungie)

The Ruins of Wrath Shattered Realm features a lot of Hive and Hive architecture, including a massive Hive Dreadship.

1. Warbringer’s Tower Ascendant Mystery – Lord of the Undercroft Triumph

Destiny 2 Season of the Lost Shattered Realm undercroft enigmatic mystery warbringer's tower Hive plate

(Image credit: Bungie)

You can get the first Ascendant Mystery in the Ruins of Wrath Shattered Realm after you’ve aligned the first beacon. Once you’ve done so, you’ll see a message saying, “A dormant plate comes to life”. You need to head to the right towards the tall Hive tower and spot a large plate covered in Hive symbols that needs to be activated.

Destiny 2 Season of the Lost Shattered Realm undercroft enigmatic mystery spiky cylinders and swinging lanters

(Image credit: Bungie)

Once activated, the tower doors will unlock, and you’ll be able to head inside and descend into the depths of the tower undercroft. After jumping down the first hole, you’ll have to invoke Barrier Breach, pass through a barrier, and jump down another hole which is full of spinning, spiky cylinders and swinging lanterns. Do your best to avoid these and the spikes on the floor to reach the undercroft and a Hive Knight boss called Scoroboth, Xivu Arath’s son.

Destiny 2 Season of the Lost Shattered Realm undercroft enigmatic mystery barrier breach compass device

(Image credit: Bungie)

You need to defeat him to unlock this Destiny 2 Ascendant Mystery, but he has an impenetrable shield that you need to bring down first. Get Barrier Breach from the compass device that’s in a little nook between a pillar and a doorway on the right in the first area where you meet Scoroboth.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath relic orb in Scoroboth boss fight

(Image credit: Bungie)

With Barrier Breach active, head through that doorway and walk through the corridor full of Hive lanterns. Eventually, you’ll emerge into another room which holds a relic orb. There is also a Destiny 2 Enigmatic Mystery in this room too. Grab the relic orb, run back through the corridor to Scoroboth, and throw the orb at him to take down his shield. Once you’ve dealt enough damage, he will teleport away and a should return with a band of Hive enemies. Defeat the Hive and Scoroboth should teleport again, this time to a new area.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath relic orb in Scoroboth boss fight

(Image credit: Bungie)

To get to this area, head to the far end of the room where you’ll see a floating circular platform above an open hole – there is a Trivial Mystery chest on top of this platform. You need to jump down the hole into a dark pit to face Scoroboth again, but his shield will need to be brought down. Around the perimeter of this pit is a corridor that holds another relic orb. Look for a mini Taken blight ball flickering in a corridor and this will lead the way to the relic. As before, grab the relic, throw it at Scoroboth, and begin damaging him.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath Hive Knight Scoroboth boss fight

(Image credit: Bungie)

Eventually, Scoroboth will teleport to the final area – a light room next to the pit that is covered in a slowing Field of Strife. To finish him off, get Safe Passage and Barrier Breach from the compass devices in this area, then head under the bridge to grab another relic orb. Throw the orb at Scoroboth to bring down his shield for the final time, defeat him, and then claim your rewards at the Ascendant Mystery chest that will appear. You can head back into the pit area and go through an exit portal to remerge by the Warbringer’s Tower.

3. Warbringer’s Tower Enigmatic Mystery in the Undercroft

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath totem

(Image credit: Bungie)

The final Destiny 2 Ascendant Mystery in the Ruins of Wrath is quite complicated to get as you’ll have to enter a series of portals in a particular order that lead to almost every area of the Ruins of Wrath to reach the Ascendant Mystery chest. Start by aligning the second beacon, and you’ll see a message pop up saying, “A Hive ritual commences nearby”. From the second beacon, head back to the Debris Field and look for the glowing totem in the opposite area.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath soulfire exarch wizard

(Image credit: Bungie)

As you approach the totem, you’ll spot a Hive Wizard called a ‘Soulfire Exarch’ which you need to defeat. It’ll drop an object called ‘the flame’ which you need to pick up and carry inside the tunnel area nearby. There should be a waypoint to guide the way. You’ll reach a Hive brazier on the floor which you need to deposit the flame into to reveal five portals with symbols above them.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath starting area with five portals

(Image credit: Bungie)

Out of these portals, only one is the correct way. Going through the correct portal will lead to a different area in the Ruins of Wrath with another Soulfire Exarch Wizard to defeat. Doing so causes the flame to reignite back at the starting area. You need to head back through the portal in the new area to get back to the starting area with the first five portals and grab the flame.

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath carrying flame to totem

(Image credit: Bungie)

Carry the flame through the correct sequence of portals and then use it to ignite the Hive brazier in the area. This will cause another set of portals to appear with unique symbols above them, so you need to head through the correct one out of these to reach the next area. Rinse and repeat going through the correct portal, defeating the Exarch, grabbing the flame from the starting area, carrying it back through all the portals, and igniting the next brazier to reveal more portals until you ignite the final portal. If you enter the wrong portal at any point, you will teleport back to the first five portals to start again.

To save you brute forcing your way through, here is a list of the correct sequence of portals to go through and which symbols to look for to find this Ascendant Mystery:

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath portal symbol sequence

(Image credit: Bungie)
  • Portal 1 in The Debris Field (the starting area) – From left to right, it is the fourth portal along. The symbol is two curved lines with a horizontal straight line between them and it looks a bit like a burger
  • Portal 2 in The Staging Ground – The middle portal and the symbol looks like an ‘A’
  • Portal 3 in The Outer Islands – The portal on the right with a symbol that consists of a stack of three horizontal lines and three dots on top. (Like the ‘Y’ gesture in YMCA or, if you’ve played Dark Souls, imagine Solaire praising the Sun.)
  • Portal 4 in The Warbringer’s Tower – The portal on the right, with a symbol made of a pair of horizontal lines both above and below a much bigger horizontal line, like the division (÷) symbol
  • Portal 5 in The Field of Promised Ruin (where the second beacon is) – Take the flame from the Exarch in this area and carry it to the totem to activate the final portal. It is the only one in the area but it has a symbol that is often referred to as the ‘Droideka’ by the Destiny community

Destiny 2 season of the lost shattered realm ascendant mystery chest ruins of wrath bridge walkway to ascendant mystery chest

(Image credit: Bungie)

Once you’ve defeated the Exarch, carried its flame to the totem, and activated the final portal, head through and follow the winding bridge pathway all the way up to the end. You’ll eventually reach an area with Safe Passage and True Sight compass devices. Use both and follow the path of floating True Sight platforms across to another tower. Once you get there, you must defeat one final Exarch to reveal the Ascendant Mystery chest.

And that’s all six Destiny 2 Ascendant Mysteries in the Shattered Realm activity. Check off all the triumphs you’ve now unlocked to get up your score. You can reopen them all each week to potentially get more Season of the Lost gear rolls, Parallax Trajectory, and Destination Materials.

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Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at GamesRadar+ who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.