AION 2 Empyrean Traces map: where to find feathers

What are Empyrean Traces?

Empyrean Traces are feathers scattered across every zone of AION 2. Hardly anyone calls them by the full name: in chat they're just feathers, and in the plugin they have their own map layer, “Empyrean Traces”. Here's how they work.

• Picking up. Run or fly to a trace and press F. Each one can be collected once.
• Level. You can collect them after the tutorial, around level 10, and hand them in once you've done the Monolith quest in the main story, around level 16.
• Handing in. At your region's Monolith. For Asmodians that's the Altgard Monolith by Safe Haven and Nornir Assembly; for Elyos, the Verteron Monolith by Zumion Village and Dawn Legion Base.
• Rewards. Traces raise the Monolith's Resonance, up to level 30. Levels pay out rewards and stat bonuses: Amulet Enhance Scrolls, titles, Amplify Stone Fragments, Soul Codex resets and Hidden Cube keys. Spare traces after level 30 can be converted through Substance Morph.

Traces are spread thin rather than clustered, which is why they're easy to miss without a map, especially the ones floating in the air or lying on a lake bed.

Ground, air or underwater

Traces turn up in three kinds of places. Most sit on the ground, a good share float in mid-air, and a handful lie underwater. The plugin uses one icon for all of them, so if you reach a marker and see nothing, look up or dive.

Underwater traces are rare: 17 in Altgard and 50 in Verteron, and none at all in the Abyss. The Abyss makes up for it in the air, where 98 of its 200 traces float. High ones are easier from above: gain height first, then glide from one trace to the next.

Best areas for Empyrean Traces

Two islands lead the list: Immortal Isle for Asmodians (about 40 traces) and Eternal Isle for Elyos (about 40). They're the Gartua islands and neither has a statue of its own. If you're flying out for Gartua, sweep up the traces and the Hidden Cubes while you're there.

Under each area name, the table splits its traces into ground, air and underwater. An area is the nearest place name on the map, so the counts are approximate.

Altgard (Asmodians)

Almost all of Altgard's underwater traces are in two places, Idun's Lake and Moslan Forest. Lagta Fortress and Uruthumheim have the most floating ones.

Verteron (Elyos)

At Nahid Brigade Fortress nearly half the traces float in the air. In Cantas Valley and the Forest of Exiles, a lot of them are underwater.

Empyrean Traces in the Abyss

Lower Abyss holds 200 traces: 102 on the islands and 98 in the air. Both factions collect from the same set. The richest area is Siel's Right Wing, with about 16.

Abyss traces go to Ereshkigal's Monolith next to your faction's base. It only takes Abyss traces, its Resonance tops out at level 20, and its bonuses lean towards PvP. Altgard and Verteron traces don't count there, and Abyss traces don't count at your home Monolith.

Each faction has its own kibelisks (the Abyss teleports), so the table has a column for each. A kibelisk unlocks once you fly to it; until then you set off from the Latesran Roots, your faction's base.

Haven't made it to the Abyss yet? Here's how to get to the Abyss in AION 2.

Feathers on the overlay map

The plugin's map sits right on top of AION 2, so there's no alt-tabbing to a browser. Hover an event in the in-game panel and click the row to pin the map, then click ≡ and turn on “Empyrean Traces”. They show up as pale stars.

Type “trace” in the search and pick “Empyrean Trace”: every trace on your map lights up as a gold dot. Mark the places you've cleared with your own marks: right-click the map → “Place a mark here”. Statue numbers for planning a route are on the AION 2 interactive map.