Destiny 2 Equilibrium Dungeon: All Relic Locations and The Way Between Quest Guide

• The Equilibrium dungeon has four relics to find as part of the post-dungeon quest The Way Between, started by speaking to Aunor Mahal at the Tharsis Outpost.
• Relic 1 drops automatically after your first clear of Dredgen Sere — no puzzle required.
• Relic 2 is found in the Inner Temple after the Harvester encounter — break a Taken blight with the Praxic Blade to trigger a Gathering Shadow trial.
• Relic 3 is in the first traversal section, just before the hangar doors to outer space — shoot blue fuses, enter the unlocked door, and repeat the Gathering Shadow trial.
• Relic 4 is in the large jumping puzzle before the final boss — destroy aerial Taken blights to create platforms, activate two battery panels, and reach the final locked room.
• Each relic must be charged by completing a full dungeon run before being placed — you cannot rush all four in one session.
• Placing all four relics unlocks the Shade of Sere secret boss fight, which rewards the Energy Conduit Praxic Blade catalyst and the Heirloom Exotic Crossbow catalyst.

The Destiny 2 Equilibrium dungeon has a hidden quest called The Way Between that sits entirely outside the main dungeon run. Completing it requires four separate relic hunts across multiple full clears of the dungeon, each tied to a Gathering Shadow puzzle that unlocks a new Praxic Blade upgrade. This guide covers every relic location, the exact puzzle steps for each, the minimum number of runs required, and what you earn at the end.

How to Start The Way Between Quest

Before anything else, speak to Aunor Mahal at the Tharsis Outpost and pick up The Way Between from her. Do this before you start your first Equilibrium clear. The quest needs to be active in your log before the relic drops from Dredgen Sere — if you do not pick it up first, you will need to go back to Aunor before the quest registers.

The Equilibrium dungeon is launched from the Destinations screen under the Renegades expansion node. It is a three-player dungeon set on Venus inside a Cabal-occupied Praxic Temple. The main mechanic throughout the dungeon is the Gathering Shadow system — destroying Taken Acolyte Eyes builds a buff called Gathering Shadow, which unlocks Shadow Power abilities used to progress encounters and puzzles.

How Many Runs Does The Way Between Take

At minimum, four full clears of Equilibrium are required to complete The Way Between. Each relic you find must be charged by completing a full dungeon run before you can place it in the Inner Temple. You cannot collect and charge all four relics in a single session.

The sequence looks like this: Clear 1 (Relic 1 drops automatically) → Place Relic 1, find Relic 2 → Clear 2 (Relic 2 charges, Relic 3 found) → Clear 3 (Relic 3 charges, Relic 4 found) → Clear 4 (Relic 4 charges) → Place all relics → Secret boss fight.

If you join a fireteam where another player is further in the quest, their progress unlocks certain puzzle sections for the group — this can reduce the number of clears you personally need. But for a fresh start, four clears is the minimum.

Relic 1 Location: Inner Temple (Automatic Drop)

Where: Drops automatically after defeating Dredgen Sere on your first Equilibrium clear.

Relic 1 requires no puzzle. Simply complete the full dungeon — all encounters plus the final boss — and the Integrated Relic will drop as a quest item when Dredgen Sere dies.

On your next run, enter the dungeon and proceed to the Harvester encounter area, which contains the large Inner Temple room. Walk up the stairs inside the Inner Temple. A door that was previously sealed will now be open. Enter and look for the first altar on your right. Place the relic on it. You will hear dialogue confirming the placement, and the quest advances.

Reward for placing Relic 1: Offensive Form — a Blade Focus upgrade for the Praxic Blade that enhances its offensive output in combat.

Relic 2 Location: Inner Temple Right Path (Harvester Sparrow Section)

Where: After completing the Harvester encounter — backtrack to the Inner Temple instead of boarding the ship.

After the Harvester encounter ends, do not board the ship. Turn around and head back into the Inner Temple. Turn right toward the Sparrow section. You will see a Taken blight blocking the path. Destroy it with the Praxic Blade to trigger the Gathering Shadow trial.

Relic 2 Puzzle: Gathering Shadow Trial

Once the blight is destroyed, an In Shadow timer begins counting down. You must build your Gathering Shadow buff high enough before the timer expires. Here is how the trial works:

• Locate and destroy Forgotten Eyes (Taken Acolyte Eyes) scattered around the trial area. Each one destroyed extends the In Shadow timer and adds to your Gathering Shadow stack.
• Build Gathering Shadow to Shadow Apprentice level. At this threshold, a Taken-infused panel on the left wall becomes shootable.
• Shoot the open panel. This unlocks a door behind it containing another Forgotten Eye — collect it to push higher.
• Backtrack to the start of the trial area to find the Shadow Apprentice enemy that spawns. Kill it.
• A new Taken blight appears near a previously blocked door. Destroy it with the Praxic Blade.
• Use your accumulated Shadow Power to break the Taken Captain’s shield in the next room and defeat it.

When the Taken Captain is dead, a relic appears. Pick it up.

Charge it by completing another full dungeon run. Return to the Inner Temple on the following run and place it on the second altar.

Reward for placing Relic 2: Invigorating Blade — a Blade Focus for the Praxic Blade.

Relic 3 Location: First Traversal Section (Hangar Doors)

Where: The first traversal section after the Harvester encounter, just before the blue fuse puzzle that opens the hangar doors to outer space.

Progress through the dungeon past the Harvester encounter into the traversal section. You will reach a corridor with blue fuses on the walls that you shoot to open the hangar doors. Look for the door closest to the two fuses — it will now be unlocked. Enter it.

Inside, you will find a Taken blight. Destroy it with the Praxic Blade to begin the trial.

Relic 3 Puzzle: Shadow Apprentice Extended Trial

This trial uses the same Gathering Shadow mechanic as Relic 2 but extends through more rooms.

• Destroy Forgotten Eyes throughout the area to build Gathering Shadow and keep the In Shadow timer running.
• Reach Shadow Apprentice tier. Shoot the open Taken-infused panel on the left wall — this unlocks a door with another Forgotten Eye inside.
• Continue forward through the door. More Forgotten Eyes line the path.
• Use Shadow Power against the Taken Captain in the middle room to break its shield and defeat it.
• Enter the right room. Destroy the Taken blight there with the Praxic Blade — this opens a vent leading further down.
• Drop through the vent. Follow the path right to find more Forgotten Eyes, another Taken Captain, and a final Taken blight on the right wall hiding a panel.
• Destroy the final panel. The relic appears. Pick it up.

Complete another full dungeon run to charge it. Return to the Inner Temple and place it on the third altar.

Reward for placing Relic 3: Invigorating Blade — a second Blade Focus tier for the Praxic Blade.

Relic 4 Location: Pre-Boss Jumping Puzzle

Where: The large open jumping puzzle area after the second encounter, just before Dredgen Sere.

Clear the second encounter and continue forward into the jumping puzzle that leads toward the final boss. You will pass through an area with Psion enemies. Clear them. At the top of this section, look for a door on the left with a Taken blight in front of it. Destroy the blight with the Praxic Blade to begin the final trial.

Relic 4 Puzzle: Battery Panels and Aerial Platforms

This is the most complex of the four puzzles. It combines the Gathering Shadow mechanic with an aerial navigation challenge.

• Enter the trial area and destroy Forgotten Eyes to build Gathering Shadow and extend the In Shadow timer.
• Look right — you will see Taken blights floating in the air. Destroy them with the Praxic Blade. Each one destroyed creates a platform you can jump to, allowing you to reach higher Eyes and navigate the vertical space.
• Keep building Gathering Shadow while moving through the area.
• At the back right, use Shadow Power to activate the first battery panel.
• The second battery panel is located high up on the far left wall — opposite end of the room. Navigate to it using the aerial platforms created by destroying aerial blights. Activate it with Shadow Power.
• With both panels active, head into the red pipe (the route that normally leads to the boss). Shoot the vent on the floor to drop down into a final hidden room.
• This room contains more Forgotten Eyes, a Taken Captain, and a final Taken blight hiding the last battery panel.
• Destroy the final blight. Activate the last panel. A locked door beside it opens — inside is the fourth and final relic.

Complete one more full dungeon run to charge Relic 4. Return to the Inner Temple and place it on the fourth altar.

Reward for placing Relic 4: Gyro Core — a Power Core upgrade for the Praxic Blade. This applies the elemental type of your equipped Super to the thrown Praxic Blade, which makes it significantly more effective against shielded enemies whose shield type matches your Super element.

The Secret Boss: Shade of Sere

With all four relics placed in the Inner Temple, the quest reaches its final step. Head to the back of the Inner Temple room. A Taken blight and a Raid Banner will now appear there. Place your Raid Banner to restore Super energy and ammo — you need your Praxic Blade fully charged for this fight.

Destroy the Taken blight. A Taken portal opens. Stand inside the portal well to teleport into the Shade of Sere’s boss arena — a square room partitioned by Taken energy walls.

How to Defeat the Shade of Sere

The fight has two repeating mechanics: the Compel phase and the DPS phase.

Compel phase: Kill Taken enemies in the arena using the Praxic Blade to build Gathering Shadow up to Shadow Master level. Once you reach Shadow Master, interact with the Shade of Sere to Compel him. Repeat this three times per cycle.

DPS phase: After three Compels, the Shade teleports upward. Destroy the floating Taken blights in the arena — each one destroyed spawns a platform. Use these platforms to climb toward the Shade and deal damage. The In Shadow timer extends only while you are dealing damage to the boss. Keep hitting him.

After the first DPS phase ends, repeat the full cycle — three more Compels via Shadow Master, then climb and damage again. Two full cycles ends the fight.

When the Shade of Sere falls, interact with the Praxic Fire that spawns in the arena.

The Way Between Quest Rewards: Full List

• Relic 1 placed: Offensive Form (Blade Focus for the Praxic Blade)
• Relic 2 placed: Invigorating Blade (Blade Focus for the Praxic Blade)
• Relic 3 placed: Invigorating Blade second tier (Blade Focus upgrade)
• Relic 4 placed: Gyro Core (Power Core — applies Super element to thrown Praxic Blade)
• Shade of Sere defeated: Energy Conduit — the fourth Praxic Blade catalyst, which provides health regeneration based on the number of enemies hit by the thrown Blade
• Quest complete: Heirloom Exotic Crossbow catalyst unlocked; Equilibrium dungeon loot focusing enabled at the final chest

Loot focusing is a significant bonus. Once The Way Between is complete, the final chest in Equilibrium lets you focus specific dungeon weapons and armor rather than taking random drops. This makes farming for god rolls on Equilibrium gear substantially faster.

Tips for Running The Way Between Efficiently

• Pick up the quest from Aunor before your first clear. If you forget, the Relic 1 drop is retroactive once you visit her, but it is cleaner to start with the quest active.
• Do not board the Harvester ship before checking for Relic 2. Backtracking past that point is annoying and the door closes once you load into the traversal section.
• Keep destroying Forgotten Eyes continuously during every Gathering Shadow trial. The In Shadow timer runs down fast — if you pause to look around, it expires and you fail the trial, requiring a restart from the blight.
• Bring a fireteam for Relic 4. The aerial platform section has a narrow window and benefits from one player handling platforms while another tracks the battery panels.
• Use your Praxic Blade catalysts before tackling the Shade of Sere. The Praxic Blade Dark Matter Crystals guide covers how to unlock the earlier catalysts if you have not done so yet.

If you are working through Equilibrium as part of a broader Monument of Triumph push, the Heirloom Exotic Crossbow catalyst from this quest is one of the standout endgame rewards. Pair it with a fully upgraded build — the Tier 5 crafted weapon guide covers how to get your other weapons to the same power level. For the Chatterwhite shader and other Tower-side Monument of Triumph objectives you can complete between Equilibrium runs, see the Chatterwhite and For the Bird triumph guide.