Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones

01What tarstones actually do

A tarstone amplifies the effect of the weapon or sidearm you have equipped. They are not stat sticks you slot and forget — the right stone changes how a build functions.

The Gloombound Stone is the clearest example: it increases the amount of Gloom you get from slain enemies, which makes it the default choice any time you are farming rather than progressing.

02How to upgrade a tarstone

Upgrading raises a tarstone's potency — for the Gloombound Stone, that means a bigger Gloom multiplier.

You need Etching Needles. They are found near the arena leading to Magdalena in the swamps. Once you have them, take them back to the Tarforge and give them to Franz.

03The two names to remember

• Etching Needles — the upgrade material, near the Magdalena arena in the swamps.
• Franz — the person at the Tarforge who does the actual upgrading.

04Pairing stones with sidearms

The late-game Gloom loop pairs the Emberseed Stone with the shotgun sidearm: three rapid blasts, then Burn damage finishes an elite for roughly 2,000 Gloom. That is the clearest confirmed example of a stone and a weapon being chosen together rather than separately.