The Tarnished Seal is just another name for the parry mechanic in Mortal Shell. Parry doesn’t just help you block attacks without expelling your valuable Harden ability — if you have a charge of Resolve, you can initiate a powerful counterattack that has the ability to heal you. There are four key item upgrades for the Tarnished Seal hidden throughout the game, and they’re very rare.
If you’re looking to fully upgrade your healing parry, and even increase the rate you earn resolve, this is where to find all four of those key items. Increasing your resolve gain is one of the most useful upgrades in the game, and it’s very easy to miss. You can even grab it before entering any of the three primary dungeons!
More Mortal Shell guides on Gameranx:
- 10 Tips To Help You Survive | Beginner’s Guide
- How To Find All 4 Shells | Class Locations Guide
- How To Get All 5 Weapons | Hadern Boss Tips
- How To Open Fish Statue Chests | Fog Mechanic Guide
- How To Fully Upgrade The Hallowed Sword
- All Weapon Upgrade Locations | Weapon Abilities & Damage Bonuses
- How To Beat Imrod, The Unrepentant | Temple Grounds Walkthrough
- How To Beat Tarsus, The First Martyr | Abandoned Chamber Walkthrough
- How To Beat Crucix, The Twiceborn | Eternal Narthex Walkthrough
- How To Beat The Last Boss | Final Battle Walkthrough
- How To Get The Secret Baghead Ending | Easter Egg Guide
How To Fully Upgrade The Tarnished Seal | Key Item Locations
The Tarnished Seal is your parry mechanic in Mortal Shell. With one charge of resolve, you can stun enemies by raising your tarnished seal and stunning an enemy, allowing you to counterattack and gain health.
There are four Tarnished Seal upgrades — three increase the amount of healing you’ll earn from a successful parry, while the last key item increases the amount of resolve you’ll earn from attacking enemies.
Tarnished Seal upgrades can be applied at any anvil or workbench.
- Solemn Offering: Enshrined Sanctum – Defeat the Enslaved Grisha in the Abandoned Chamber to reach the second Sester checkpoint. There’s a chest next to her with this upgrade for the Tarnished Seal.
- Solemn Offering: Monument of Ash – Reach the room where you first encounter the fire-throwing demons. Go to the right to unlock the shortcut door. There’s a chest here with this upgrade item.
- Solemn Offering: Eternal Narthex – In the main area of Eternal Narthex, go to the left side of the massive courtyard before the Dim Gate. Go through the portal and travel down to the area near the raised platform with the required lever. There’s a hidden bandit camp behind the strange geometric rocks — find the second hidden bandit camp in the area and access an optional portal that leads to this offering.
- Forbidden Offering: Fallgrim Outskirts – Right outside the entrance to Eternal Narthex, there’s a hidden room to the left where a special merchant is found. Talk to them and you can buy the Forbidden Offering for 3,000 tar.
The Forbidden Offering is one of the most useful items in the game. You can purchase it right at the start of the game. I recommend grabbing it early before entering any of the major temples.
