Shard Souls are disembodied spirits of Zaramoth's ancient army, trapped within crystallized shards of magical energy. These souls were ripped from their mortal bodies by the shockwave caused by the clash of the Sword of Zaramoth and the Shield of Azunai, which triggered the First Cataclysm.
As the spirits rushed into the underground River of Souls, the sheer magnitude of death energy tore Aranna apart into a thousand ley lines. Over centuries, these ley lines crystallized, trapping many souls inside glowing shards of raw magic.
Centuries later, the Dark Wizards discovered these soul shards deep within the Mines of Kaderak and began extracting them on Valdis’s orders. Once disturbed, the spirits emerged, invisible to most, and began possessing living creatures — turning them into savage, mindless killers. This phenomenon was widely misunderstood as a contagious plague, since only those of Azunite blood could see the spirits themselves.
The Hero of the Second Age and their companions, including Vix, eventually reached the heart of the shard mining operation and destroyed it during the quest Vix’s Vengeance, ending the plague by shattering the remaining shard supply.
History[]
When the First Cataclysm occurred, a massive pulse of energy instantly annihilated the battlefield's soldiers, tearing their souls from their bodies. These spirits overwhelmed the River of Souls and eventually became trapped in crystallized ley lines. These soul shards served as vessels for the dead — their pain and rage transformed them into malevolent ghosts.
Centuries later, the Dark Wizards discovered these shards deep beneath the Mines of Kaderak and exploited them to build Valdis’s army. Shard Souls were released and began to infect the land, possessing the living.
Only descendants of the Azunites could see and fight these spirits. To others, the possession appeared to be an unknown disease. Entire regiments from Windstone Fortress, Snowbrook Haven, and the Dryads of Greilyn Isle fell to the so-called “plague.”
Eventually, the hero and their allies destroyed the crystals, slew the shard-warped Giant Trilisk, and detonated the mines. Following the Second Cataclysm, the tormented souls found peace and faded into the ether.
A Shard Soul possessing a soldier
Dungeon Siege II[]
In-game, Shard Souls are ethereal undead enemies. Though weak alone, they appear in swarms and possess living creatures if not quickly dealt with. They are encountered during Acts I–III in corrupted regions near shard activity.
Frail Shard Soul[]
Appears in early Act I — specifically in the Lower Kithraya Caverns and Eastern Greilyn Beach.
- Level 11 – 68 Health – 60–100 Damage – 42 Defense – 75 XP
- Variant: Frail Shard Wraith
* Level 15 – 1571 Health – 132–212 Damage – 54 Defense – 766 XP
Shard Soul[]
Appears in mid Act I — in the Cliffs of Azunai, Windstone Fortress, and the Temple of Xeria.
- Level 17 – 130 Health – 98–164 Damage – 60 Defense – 110 XP
- Variant: Shard Wraith
* Level 18 – 2086 Health – 165–275 Damage – 63 Defense – 933 XP
Grim Shard Soul[]
Seen in late-game Act II and Act III — notably in the Snowbrook Haven Courtyard and the Mines of Kaderak.
- Level 33 – 391 Health – 240–401 Damage – 112 Defense – 367 XP
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- Only characters with Azunite bloodlines can see Shard Souls.
- The possession caused by Shard Souls mimics a magical plague.
- The Giant Trilisk was a beast composed of dozens of merged Shard Souls.