Destiny 2: How to Unlock Ager’s Scepter Exotic Trace Rifle (Complete Questline)

Human Made

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

We’re only a few weeks into Season of the Lost and we already have a new Exotic Quest to take on. As if the new Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle Lorentz Driver wasn’t enough, we now have ourselves a new Trace Rifle called the Ager’s Scepter in Destiny 2. There aren’t that many Trace Rifles in the game, so you know when they release one it’s bound to be killer. Especially since this one is powered by Stasis and may help unlock more secrets in the Shattered Realm.

So, let’s dive right in and walk you through how to unlock Ager’s Scepter in Destiny 2.

How to Unlock Ager’s Scepter Exotic Trace Rifle Quest in Destiny 2

Unlike the Presage Quest from Season of the Chosen, the Exotic Quest to unlock Ager’s Scepter isn’t all that complicated or puzzle-oriented. Instead, it’s all about seeking out markers, running through the Astral Alignment activity, and finishing up some Strikes. Yeah, this one is a bit of a grind, but well worth the reward at the end.

To start be sure that you’ve completed the introductory story quest, Wayfinder’s Voyage. This will give you access to the weekly adjacent quest Tracing the Stars. This questline is a preliminary requirement to kick off your Exotic Quest. Hopefully, you’ve been keeping up with tracking down those pesky Astral Skews each week, if not here’s where they’re located.

Complete Tracing the Stars 1 — Atlas Skew Locations

The first week has you exploring the Divalian Mists and the Spine of Keres areas in the Dreaming City. Here is our recommendation for how to tackle finding each Atlas Skew.

a) Drowned Bay Alcove

When you spawn into the Divalian Mists, look for the Drowned Bay Lost Sector entrance behind you. Head in until the map opens up on a beach and head directly to your right into a shallow canyon. You’ll find your first Atlas Skew here and can immediately fast travel back to the spawn point.

b) Central Cave

From the spawn, head toward the entrance of the Blind Well. Before heading up the stairs, jump down to your right and look for a cave entrance that spawns enemies. There should be an Atlas Skew in the back of the cave.

c) Lower Cliffside

Head to the left from the spawn point as if you were going to the entrance of the Rheasilvia. Instead of going into the cave, look to your left off the cliffside for a small landing. Jump down and claim your next Atlas Skew.

d) Spine Oracle Orrery

Climb back up and head toward Rheasilvia, but instead, take a left through the crystallized cave entrance. This will lead you to the scattered islands and the Oracle. Enter the main tower and head up to the top of the stairs, where you’ll find the Atlas Skew in the upper landing.

e) Distant Spine Island Tree

Head back down from the tower and take a left to the outside. Follow the path until you come to the end of the islands that is marked by a very notable tree. There’s your last Atlas Skew for the week.

Once you’ve collected them all, open the HELM on your map and enter the single-player mission where you input your Atlas Skews. This will introduce you to the first bit of history about Crow and Mara Sov and prompt you to return to the HELM and visit your Wayfinder. Grab the Vulpecula Hand Cannon and start Tracing the Stars 2.

Complete Tracing the Stars 2 — Atlas Skew Locations

The second week has you exploring The Strand and Aphelion’s Rest areas in the Dreaming City. Here is our recommendation for how to tackle finding each Atlas Skew.

a) Strand Towering Statue

Once you spawn in, head to your right toward The Strand. Once you enter the area, you’ll immediately see the giant statue right in front of you. From the back left side, climb up to the very top until you reach a landing near the shoulder with the Atlas Skew.

b) Strand Gazebo Statue

Jump down and head to the left of the statue toward a towering stone outcropping. Head to the top and past the Gazebo into the cliffs behind where you’ll locate the next Atlas Skew.

c) Aphelion Brazier

Now, jump down to your right from the Gazebo and enter the Aphelion’s Rest Lost Sector. Fight your way until the end and you’ll find the Atlas Skew right next to the Brazier.

d) Garden Waterfall

Head back toward where you entered The Strand, and instead of going through the entrance, take the stairs to your left. Follow the path until you end up with an open area with a bridge. The waterfall will be to your far right with the Atlas Skew sitting right next to it.

e) Garden Bridge Tree

Now it’s time to get on top of that bridge. With the right jump, you can simply climb up the right side. If you can’t seem to traverse the terrain, pass under the bridge and loop around. The Atlas Skew will be located right beneath the tree at the end.

Once again, you’ll enter a single-player mission in the HELM and learn more Ascendant history. Afterward, head back to your Wayfinder and collect the Fractethyst Shotgun. You won’t automatically get the next quest line, so be sure to grab it before leaving.

Complete Tracing the Stars 3 — Atlas Skew Locations

The third week has you exploring the Chrysura Melo in the Dreaming City. Here is our recommendation for how to tackle finding each Atlas Skew.

a) Rheasilvia Lower Level

Once you spawn, head toward Rheasilvia where you’ll immediately find a bridge. Jump down to the cave below and look for the Atlas Skew in the right side cave entrance.

b) Rheasilvia Temple Overlook

Jump back up to the top level and look for a looming mountain in the center of the area. Head to the top where you’ll find the Atlas Skew sitting next to a Patrol.

c) Rheasilvia Secluded Statue

Now, head toward the temple entrance and look for platforms along the cliffside to the right. Jump along the side of the cliff and onto the separated islands toward the platform with a large statue. Keep moving until you reach the top and grab the Atlas Skew waiting there.

d) Harbinger Sidehall Statue

Head back toward the temple entrance and follow the main path until you enter a large, looming room. Enter the smaller broken temple to the right and look for the Awoken statue at the far side with the Atlas Skew sitting beneath it.

e) Harbinger Ahamkara Skulls

There are two ways to get to this location. Head back to the main room and either jump off the cliff to the far right and onto an outcropping, or head straight into the next room and drop down so you can head back through the elevator shaft beneath. In either case, look for an open room and another statue with the last Atlas Skew next to it.

You’ll once again enter a single-player mission in the HELM. Then head back to your Wayfinder and collect the Chrysura Melo Auto Rifle. Completing this will finally unlock the Exotic quest to unlock the Ager’s Scepter.

The Hollow Coronation Quest: Getting Ager’s Scepter

You’ve cleared out all of those pesky Atlas Skews and can finally begin unlocking the Ager’s Scepter. Here’s how to complete all 12 steps of The Hollowed Coronation Quest to unlock it.

1. Activate the Quest

Once you’ve turned in your last Tracing the Stars quest, you can immediately acquire The Hollow Coronation Exotic Quest from the Wayfinder’s Compass. Then, like the missions leading up to it, you’ll have to walk through the portal and have a chat with Mara Sov.

2. Collect Atlas Skews in the Confluence

Surprise, you’re not actually done collecting Atlas Skews. Thankfully, these five are much easier to find and far closer together. To start, you’ll need to head to the Confluence. There are actually three entrance options, but the easiest is through the Spine of Ceres. Once you enter the main area with a temple in front, jump off to the right and enter the cave below, where you’ll find a Taken Portal.

Once inside, here are the locations for the five Atlas Skews.

a) Giant Crystal

After entering, head to the left and down the corridor toward a room with a crystal. Your first Atlas Skew will be located there.

b) Harbinger Cathedral

Head through the other doorway in the Crystal room and then through the doorway on the left. Keep going until you reach the end of the hallway, where the Atlas Skew will be located in front of a statue.

c) Throne Room

Head back to the main room and go through the doorway opposite of how you initially entered from the Crystal room. Go to the far end of the room with the throne and portal to grab your third Atlas Skew.

d) Tree Triad

You’ll need to go back to the main room again with the three entrances. Head through the entrance on the right side. Make it to the end of the corridor until you find the giant tree with the next Atlas Skew.

e) Garden Statue

Keep going further down the same corridor until you hit the end with the Gardens of Esila. Keep going until you hit the final room with a Taken portal, where you’ll find the final Atlas Skew.

3. Activate the Atlas Terminal

Once you’ve acquired this fourth wave of Atlas Skews, you’ll need to deposit them in the Caliburn Gatehouse to unlock the Atlas Terminal. This will wrap up the initial story about Crow and Mara Sov and open up a portal into the Dozmary Vault where the Ager’s Scepter resides.

4. Find Ager’s Scepter

Of course, nothing is ever that simple in Destiny 2. As soon as you try to acquire the Trace Rifle, a barrier will emerge, making it impossible to collect. At this point, you’ll be summoned back to the HELM.

5. Visit Mara Sov

Chat again with Mara Sov to learn about the locking mechanism that is currently holding the Ager’s Scepter. Thankfully, this will not require any more Atlas Skew collection, but it will lead to a few rounds of Astral Alignment.

6. Parallax Trajectory and Rifle Kills

To start, you’ll need to collect 100 Parallax Trajectory and an unknown amount of Rifle kills in the Astral Alignment activity. You can unlock Parallax Trajectory by completing virtually any activity, but at a random pace. However, it may be better to run Astral Alignment so you can work on both steps simultaneously.

You can earn all of your Parallax Trajectory in a single round and, if you’re lucky, complete all of your kills in two rounds. Any weapon that includes Rifle (Auto, Scout, Pulse, Fusion, Trace, or Linear Fusion) will do, so try to stack a qualifying weapon type in each slot. Additionally, try to stall the Taken round if it comes up — you can keep racking up kills without having to progress the round forward.

7. Champion and Super Kills

Once you’ve gotten your kills and Parallax Trajectory, you’ll have to get more kills. This time you’ll need to defeat twenty combatants with your Super and eighteen Champions in the Astral Alignment activity. Like in the last point, try to extend playing the Taken session to keep spawning Champions and enemies.

8. Collect Strands of Nobility

After all of those Astral Alignment runs you get to complete three different Strikes. Luckily, you can select them directly from your map and just have to complete them to earn each strand. Here are the Strikes you’ll need to finish:

Lake of Shadows (EDZ)
Disgraced (Cosmodrome)
The Glassway (Europa)

9. Claim the Noble Seal

After you collect each Strand of Nobility, head back to the HELM to claim the Noble Seal from Mara Sov.

10. Claim Ager’s Scepter

Now for the good stuff, actually collecting and using Ager’s Scepter. You’ll head to the “A Hollowed Coronation” mission and enter through the Atlas Terminal. Unlock the barrier to claim Ager’s Scepter. Now, use it to break apart the solidified Darkness blocking the cave entrance to proceed.

11. Defeat Kelgorath, Risen of Bones

It wouldn’t be a new Exotic Quest without the chance to use it without limitations. This involves you taking down a horde of Five including a boss known as Kelgorath, Risen of Bones. Keep unleashing Ager’s Scepter to explode enemies in a shower of Stasis energy in a satisfying fashion.

12. Visit Mara Sov (One More Time)

You have the weapon, but to finish off the Quest, you’ll need to head back to the HELM and chat with Mara Sov. You’ll get a final animated cutscene covering the story of Mara Sov and Uldren, explaining Crow’s connection to the weapon you acquired.

What Does Ager’s Scepter Do?

Ager’s Scepter Trace Rifle — *Image: Bungie via HGG*

Ager’s Scepter is a Kinetic Stasis Trace Rifle that sits in your Primary weapon slot and uses Special ammo bricks. Like other Trace Rifles, it shoots a continuous beam of energy at opponents. However, Ager’s Scepter does come equipped with a few unique perks.

Regas’ Refrain brings ammo over from reserves after landing Stasis final blows. Ager’s Call generates a slowing burst that can freeze enemies in Stasis after landing final blows. It also includes Arrowhead Brake, Particle Repeater, and Hand-Laid Stock for increased Stability, Decreased Recoil, and improved Handling.

The overall stats are incredibly high aside from the impact, which is made up for by the consistent damage output. The true power here is how effectively this weapon can generate freezing effects that lead to explosive shattering of enemies. Additionally, it will help you unlock areas hidden by glowing Stasis in the Shattered Realm.

How to Unlock the Ager’s Scepter Catalyst

The Catalyst for Ager’s Scepter isn’t currently available but Bungie has announced that it will become

With the week 5 reset, the Catalyst for Ager’s Scepter is now available. Unfortunately, it’s not a straightforward mission this time around, and instead, the Catalyst drops randomly in Astral Alignment. There’s no guaranteed drop rate with some players reporting that they grabbed it in a single run, and others requiring anywhere between 6-10 runs before it drops.

The Catalyst will not drop during the Astral Alignment run and instead requires you to open a Waydinder’s Trove Chest after completing a run. The chest requires 100 Parallax Trajectory to open—meaning that you’ll want to be sure you have enough available for at least one chest, if not more so you can do multiple runs.

After you earn the Catalyst, you’ll need to get kills with Ager’s Scepter to fully unlock it. Keep in mind that shatter kills and destroying walls in the Shattered Realm will not count towards this progression.

What Does the Ager’s Scepter Catalyst Do?

It turns out that those rumors about the Ager’s Scepter Catalyst are true! Along with the traditional benefit of creating Orbs of Power when rapidly defeating enemies, there’s an additional perk that uses your Super energy. When your Super is fully charged, hold the reload button to activate the “Will Given Form” perk.

This will overflow your magazine (doubling ammo), cause increased damage, and increase your ability to slow and freeze enemies. While active, you’ll constantly drain your Super and will only end if you reload or stow Ager’s Scepter, or if your Super energy runs out.

Become a High Grounder

Hopefully, you’re already well on your way to snagging the latest Exotic weapon in Destiny 2. So far, it seems well worth the effort to obtain and should lead to more secrets uncovered throughout the season. Be sure to share this article on your favorite social platforms to help your Fireteam unlock Ager’s Scepter. And for the latest on Destiny 2, sign up for our newsletter for regular updates.

Happy gaming!