Talisman · Skill Damage
Shard of Alexander
Where to find it, how to finish Alexander's quest for it, and what the 15% skill boost actually does.
Find Shard of Alexander in Elden Ring: location, Alexander quest steps, skill damage effect, Warrior Jar Shard comparison, and common quest lock issues.
Quick Stats
- Type
- Talisman
- Effect
- Greatly boosts the attack power of skills
- Skill Damage Bonus
- 15%
- Weight
- 0.9
- Location
- Open plaza northwest of the Dragon Temple, Crumbling Farum Azula
- Obtained From
- Defeat Iron Fist Alexander at the end of his questline
- Quest Required?
- Yes — finish Iron Fist Alexander's questline
- Missable?
- Yes — killing Alexander early locks this talisman
Shard of Alexander Location
Where the talisman drops, and how far Alexander's quest must be before he appears there.
Quick Answer
Location: Crumbling Farum Azula — open plaza northwest of the Dragon Temple
Nearest grace: Dragon Temple Lift. Defeat Iron Fist Alexander in the final duel after his questline reaches Farum Azula.
Shard of Alexander is not sitting in a chest or sold by a merchant. You only get it when you finish Iron Fist Alexander's questline and defeat him in the final duel in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Best approach: rest at Dragon Temple Lift (imp statue — two Stonesword Keys). Take the lift up, leave the temple interior, and cross the broken Farum walkways toward the open plaza northwest of the Dragon Temple. Alexander stands alone on that flat arena and asks for one last fight.
If you already unlocked Dragon Temple, that grace is closer to the plaza. From there, stay on the upper temple paths and push northwest onto the same open platform — you do not need another dungeon clear once you can see the plaza floor.
He only shows up here after the earlier required stops: talk at the Radahn Festival, free him above Jarburg after Radahn, then talk to him in the Mt. Gelmir lava. If the plaza is empty, finish those steps first instead of searching for a chest.
Win the duel for Shard of Alexander and Alexander's Innards. The Innards are optional follow-up for Jar-Bairn in Jarburg; the talisman drops from this fight.
Region
Crumbling Farum Azula
Area
Northwest plaza near Dragon Temple
Nearest Site of Grace
Dragon Temple Lift / Dragon Temple
Quest progress needed
Through Mt. Gelmir in Alexander's quest
How you get it
Defeat Alexander in the final duel
Edition
Base Game
Shard of Alexander Location Map
Map location
Shard of Alexander — final Alexander duel
Crumbling Farum Azula — open plaza northwest of the Dragon Temple
How to Get the Shard of Alexander
Follow Alexander's required stops, then finish the Farum Azula duel. Skipping the quest does not unlock a separate drop.
Step 1
Meet Alexander
From Saintsbridge, head west and uphill toward Warmaster's Shack until you hear Alexander calling. He is stuck in the ground on the Stormhill slope. Talk, then hit him until he pops free — do not kill him. Gael Tunnel is an optional later chat if you pass through.
- Location
- Limgrave — Saintsbridge / Stormhill
- Required?
- Recommended
- Can Skip?
- Yes — you can meet him later
- Nearest Grace
- Saintsbridge
- Next Step
- Radahn Festival or a later Alexander stop
Step 2
Reach the Radahn Festival
Start the Radahn Festival at Redmane Castle, then talk to Alexander in the castle plaza before the fight. Summoning him against Starscourge Radahn is optional; the plaza talk is what keeps his quest moving on the normal path.
- Location
- Caelid — Redmane Castle
- Required?
- Yes on the normal path
- Can Skip?
- No — later steps need the festival
- Nearest Grace
- Chamber Outside the Plaza
- Next Step
- Find Alexander after Radahn
Step 3
Free Alexander after Radahn
After Radahn, Alexander is stuck in the cliff above Jarburg in eastern Liurnia (south of the Artist's Shack / Carian Study Hall approach). Craft Oil Pots from Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook [17] — buy it from the Abandoned Merchant in Siofra River (1,000 runes; follow the music from Siofra River Bank). Throw an Oil Pot on him, heavy-attack him free, then finish his dialogue.
- Location
- Liurnia — cliff above Jarburg
- Required?
- Yes
- Can Skip?
- No
- Nearest Grace
- Jarburg
- Next Step
- Mt. Gelmir lava bath
Step 4
Talk to him on Mt. Gelmir
From Seethewater Terminus on Mt. Gelmir, follow the river canyon toward the lava. Alexander is bathing there to harden himself — talk through his lines so he moves on. Summoning him for Fire Giant afterward is optional and not required for the talisman.
- Location
- Mt. Gelmir — lava near Seethewater Terminus
- Required?
- Yes
- Can Skip?
- Fire Giant summon optional; Gelmir talk required
- Nearest Grace
- Seethewater Terminus
- Next Step
- Final Farum Azula encounter
Step 5
Reach the final encounter
Enter Crumbling Farum Azula and take Dragon Temple Lift (two Stonesword Keys), or go northwest from Dragon Temple onto the open plaza. Alexander waits there for a friendly duel once you have finished the earlier required stops.
- Location
- Crumbling Farum Azula
- Required?
- Yes
- Can Skip?
- No
- Nearest Grace
- Dragon Temple Lift
- Next Step
- Win the duel
Step 6
Obtain Shard of Alexander
Defeat Alexander to receive Shard of Alexander (15% skill attack) and Alexander's Innards. You can mark it collected here if you track talismans on this site. Optionally bring the Innards to Jar-Bairn in Jarburg later — that is separate from the talisman drop.
- Location
- Farum Azula final duel
- Required?
- Yes
- Can Skip?
- No
- Nearest Grace
- Dragon Temple
- Next Step
- Optional: give Innards to Jar-Bairn in Jarburg
Alexander Quest Requirements
Use this table for Shard of Alexander only — it is not a full Iron Fist Alexander walkthrough. Skip anything marked optional if you just want the talisman.
| Quest Step | Required for Shard? | Location | Can Skip? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limgrave free (Saintsbridge / Stormhill) | Recommended | Limgrave | Yes — you can meet him later |
| Gael Tunnel encounter | No | Gael Tunnel | Yes |
| Radahn Festival / talk at Redmane | Yes | Caelid — Redmane Castle | No on the normal path |
| After Radahn — free him above Jarburg | Yes | Liurnia | No |
| Mt. Gelmir lava talk | Yes | Mt. Gelmir | No |
| Fire Giant summon | No | Mountaintops of the Giants | Yes |
| Final Farum Azula duel | Yes | Crumbling Farum Azula | No |
Where Does Alexander Go After Radahn?
After the festival, Alexander leaves Redmane and gets stuck in the cliff above Jarburg in Liurnia — that is the next required stop, not Farum Azula yet.
Free him with an Oil Pot, finish his dialogue, then find him bathing in lava near Seethewater Terminus on Mt. Gelmir.
Only after the Gelmir talk does he move to the Crumbling Farum Azula plaza for the Shard of Alexander duel.
Fastest Way to Get Shard of Alexander
Do not kill Alexander early. Early kills only drop Warrior Jar Shard and lock Shard of Alexander for that playthrough.
Shortest path: Radahn Festival talk → Oil Pot free above Jarburg after Radahn → Mt. Gelmir lava talk → Farum Azula duel.
Skip optional stops (Gael Tunnel, Fire Giant summon) if you only want the talisman.
Buy Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook [17] from the Abandoned Merchant in Siofra River and craft Oil Pots before the Jarburg cliff. Bring two Stonesword Keys if you want the Dragon Temple Lift approach in Farum Azula.
Shard of Alexander Effect
What the talisman actually changes once it is equipped.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Effect | Greatly boosts the attack power of skills |
| Skill Damage Bonus | 15% |
| PvE | 15% skill attack power |
| PvP | 15% skill attack power |
| Weight | 0.9 |
| Stacks With | Other damage talismans (not Warrior Jar Shard) |
| Cannot Stack With | Warrior Jar Shard — equip one or the other |
The 15% applies to skill attack power — the damaging hits from a weapon skill or Ash of War skill animation.
It does not raise ordinary light/heavy attacks, block damage, spell or incantation damage, or status buildup by itself.
Support skills that only apply a buff and deal no attack hit gain nothing while the buff is up; only skill hits are boosted.
Unique weapon skills (Moonveil, Rivers of Blood, Blasphemous Blade, and similar) count as skills and get the full bonus on their damaging parts.
What Does Shard of Alexander Boost?
Quick check: what counts as a boosted skill hit, and what does not.
| Attack / Mechanic | Boosted? |
|---|---|
| Weapon Skills | Yes |
| Ashes of War | Yes — the skill portion of the ash |
| Normal light attacks | No |
| Normal heavy attacks | No |
| Spells / Incantations | No |
| Buff-only skills | Only if the skill itself deals attack damage |
Does Shard of Alexander Stack?
Shard of Alexander and Warrior Jar Shard cannot be equipped together. They fill the same role.
The bonus applies to skill attack power, not ordinary R1/R2 strings or spell damage.
Pair it with other damage talismans, body or aura buffs, and weapons that actually use skills — not with Warrior Jar Shard.
Shard of Alexander vs Warrior Jar Shard
Same job, different power and how you get them.
| Factor | Shard of Alexander | Warrior Jar Shard |
|---|---|---|
| Effect | Greatly boosts skill attack power | Boosts skill attack power |
| Skill Damage Bonus | 15% | 10% |
| How to Obtain | Finish Alexander quest + Farum duel | Kill Alexander early |
| Quest Requirement | Full questline | None — early kill |
| Can Equip Together? | No | No |
| Which Is Better? | Stronger end-game skill talisman | Earlier, weaker substitute |
If you want the strongest skill-damage jar talisman, finish the quest and take Shard of Alexander.
Warrior Jar Shard is only worth taking when you knowingly trade the quest ending for an earlier 10% skill boost.
Best Uses for Shard of Alexander
Shard of Alexander shines on loadouts that actually use weapon skills and Ashes of War. It is wasted on pure spellcasting or R1-only kits.
Best Weapons and Skills
- Moonveil
Transient Moonlight is the point of the weapon — the 15% applies to every skill wave.
- Rivers of Blood
Corpse Piler is a repeated skill string; the jar bonus multiplies that pressure window.
- Blasphemous Blade
Taker's Flames is a big skill hit that benefits cleanly from the talisman.
- Dark Moon Greatsword
Moonlight Greatsword shots are skill damage, not regular R1s.
Any Ash of War that spends FP on damaging thrusts, waves, stomps, or multi-hits gets the same 15% as unique skills.
Cast body or aura buffs first, then open with the skill — the talisman multiplies the skill hit, so FP spent on plain swings gets less value from this slot.
Skill-Focused Builds
Melee and hybrid skill builds want this more than pure tank or pure caster setups.
Quality, Dexterity, Strength, Intelligence katana or greatsword, and Arcane bleed kits all benefit once their damage comes from skills.
If your rotation barely uses skills, leave the slot for defense, stamina, or another build-defining talisman instead.
Keep going
Shard of Alexander FAQ
Can you get Shard of Alexander if you killed Alexander?
No. Killing Alexander early drops Warrior Jar Shard and ends his questline. Shard of Alexander is locked for that playthrough until NG+ or a new journey.
Can you get Shard of Alexander without completing his quest?
No. The talisman is the reward from the Farum Azula duel at the end of his quest. There is no separate chest, merchant, or world drop for Shard of Alexander.
How do you get Shard of Alexander after Radahn?
After the festival, free Alexander on the cliff above Jarburg in Liurnia with an Oil Pot (Cookbook [17] from the Siofra Abandoned Merchant), talk to him in the Mt. Gelmir lava near Seethewater Terminus, then duel him in Crumbling Farum Azula for the talisman.
Where does Alexander go after Radahn?
First to the cliff above Jarburg in Liurnia, then to the lava near Seethewater Terminus on Mt. Gelmir, and finally to the northwest plaza in Crumbling Farum Azula.
Can you get Shard of Alexander early?
Not truly early. The final duel is in Crumbling Farum Azula, a late-game area. Early kills only give Warrior Jar Shard (10%), not Shard of Alexander (15%).
Can you get Shard of Alexander after beating the game?
Yes, if Alexander is still alive and you have not abandoned his quest by killing him early. Farum Azula stays available after the ending on that save; if you already killed him early, you are locked out until NG+ or a new journey.
Is Shard of Alexander DLC?
No. Shard of Alexander is a base-game talisman from Iron Fist Alexander's questline in the Lands Between.
What does Shard of Alexander do?
It greatly boosts the attack power of skills by 15% in both PvE and PvP, at 0.9 weight. It does not boost ordinary light/heavy attacks or spell damage.
Does Shard of Alexander stack with Warrior Jar Shard?
No. You can equip only one of them. Shard of Alexander is the stronger 15% version.
Base Game. Collection progress for this talisman is saved in this browser.