How to get the Troubadour's Lute in Mortal Shell 2
Overview & Key Takeaways
The Troubadour's Lute is one of the most fascinating sidearms in Mortal Shell 2, and it was a fan-favourite amongst everyone who participated in the beta. Capable of confusing enemies and producing rad bardcore rhythms, the Lute was originally found by carefully exploring Mushroom Village.
However, in the full release of Mortal Shell 2, the Lute's location has changed, and it's actually now in a slightly off-the-beaten-path location that some players may not find until they've already beaten a slew of bosses.
In this guide, we'll tell you exactly how to get the Lute in Mortal Shell 2. We'll also provide some tips on how to make the most of this unorthodox, musical weapon. Fear not, troubadour-in-training - the ability to befuddle those vicious old ladies in Mushroom Village with the power of song will soon be yours!
The Troubadour's Lute is one of the most fascinating sidearms in Mortal Shell 2, and it was a fan-favourite amongst everyone who participated in the beta. Capable of confusing enemies and producing rad bardcore rhythms, the Lute was originally found by carefully exploring Mushroom Village.
However, in the full release of Mortal Shell 2, the Lute's location has changed, and it's actually now in a slightly off-the-beaten-path location that some players may not find until they've already beaten a slew of bosses.
In this guide, we'll tell you exactly how to get the Lute in Mortal Shell 2. We'll also provide some tips on how to make the most of this unorthodox, musical weapon. Fear not, troubadour-in-training - the ability to befuddle those vicious old ladies in Mushroom Village with the power of song will soon be yours!
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How to get the Lute in Mortal Shell 2
To get the Troubadour's Lute in Mortal Shell 2, you need to enter the One Legged Wolf Tavern. You may have spotted a piece of parchment advertising this drinking hole on the message board outside of Mushroom Village, but in a tricky twist, it's not actually in the town itself - it's to the east, across a few bridges and past a wall of corruption that must be cleansed.
Look eastwards of Mushroom Village if you want to find the Lute. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Cleansing corruption is easy as long as you have Mether's Breath. To get Mether's Breath, collect Ova and siphon them in the Ovum Siphon room in the Marrow Keep. The keep already has 3 Ova in it when you enter the open world, and I managed to unlock Mether's Breath after siphoning 7. See our guide on how to Fast Travel in Mortal Shell 2 for more info.
Once Mether's Breath is in your possession, it's time to locate the tavern. The two closest Beacons are the Mushroom Village Beacon and the Mushroom Village Gate Beacon. We'll start from the Mushroom Village Beacon, since that's the more obvious point that everyone will unlock first.
If you're facing the Mushroom Village Beacon, turn right and hike down the path until you come to a slope lined with posts which hold hanged men.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
There's a female cultist with a spear along the way, and you'll soon come to an area connected to two rope bridges where a Necrite (the big bug-like enemy with two big claws) lurks. Don't take the first rope bridge here (which leads to Hilga). Take the second one.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
If you haven't already unlocked the Mushroom Village Gate Beacon, which is to the right of the second bridge, do so - there's also an entry into a glowing Corrupted Gate here that eventually leads to the boss of this region.
Over the bridge, you'll find a pointed Trial structure (which yields 3 Ventrium upon completion). Behind it, several poison-chucking cultists hang around a chest, which contains a Marksman's Stone, a Tarstone that improves your ranged attack Critical Chance. Slice through these mooks and keep moving to reach the corruption wall behind them.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Interact with the wall to cleanse it and go beyond, but be careful, as the first foe you'll encounter is a hulking Cannibal Knight with a big blade. Kill him and then veer right.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
You'll see the One Legged Wolf Beacon in the distance. This is a Beacon that will automatically cleanse without you needing to complete a dungeon. Ruk is also on a statue nearby, and can offer you a piece of the map, so might as well grab that while you're here. The One Legged Wolf tavern is to the right.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Now you're in the home stretch. Follow the path over to the tavern, enter, and enjoy the lute sounds from the guy on stage. When you've had enough of his playing and want to perform yourself, peer to the side of the stage to find the Troubadour's Lute.
First thing I did after grabbing the Lute was accidentally murder this dude. Nice. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
The Lute's beta location An extra tip from Jeremy
In the beta, the Troubadour's Lute was located inside the chest in the centre of Mushroom Village that all of the crazed grannies are dancing around. To open it, you needed to find three offering stations located throughout the village and light the candles. These still exist in the final game, and are fairly easy to locate as long as you explore the village thoroughly.
Keep an eye out for these candle-holding structures. Light three, and you can pop open that chest and get a nice Auspicious Stone for your effort. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Instead of the Lute, the chest now contains a Glimpse and an Auspicious Stone - a Tarstone that improves your melee attack Critical Chance. Still good rewards!
How to use the Lute
Mortal Shell 2 - the only Soulslike I know of with a bard weapon! | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
The Troubadour's Lute operates as a sidearm similar to your other ranged weapons, but it shoots out waves of musical energy instead. Hitting an enemy with these waves will inflict the Confusion status on them, which makes them attack other foes in the area for a certain period of time. This is indicated by an icon that appears above their health bars and a countdown number.
If there aren't other enemies around to attack, then using the Lute on a foe will inflict Break damage, potentially opening them up for a riposte without needing to harden, guard, or parry.
You can stack Confusion multiple times as long as you have enough bars of Resolve to keep using the Lute. This means that you can lay the Confusion down on hefty enemies, watch them duke it out between each other, and even sit and strum the Lute as they do the work killing themselves for you.
Check out these tree monsters, killing each other because I stuck 'em with the Lute-inflicted Confusion. Highly satisfying. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Confusion is great when it comes to clearing out mobs without having to wade into the fray, and for this reason it's especially handy to find the Lute in Mortal Shell 2's early game.
While the Lute isn't nearly as useful against single bosses, it's still great for laying on the Break damage. Generally, I find myself always keeping it around as a backup sidearm, though it gets its most usage when I'm exploring dungeons, depending on how many enemies are in the rooms around me.
Congrats, now you know how to get the Lute in Mortal Shell 2. For additional help on navigating the world of this grim Soulslike, check out our guides on the Immersive Camera vs the Action Camera, and how to get the Axe and Dagger. If you're more interested in quests, we've also got guides on how to complete Gorf's questline and Hilga's questline. Last but not least, be sure to bookmark our list of all bosses and our comprehensive walkthrough!
