Dragonspine is a nightmare. Honestly, if you’ve spent any time in the sub-zero climate of Mondstadt’s southern mountain, you know the feeling of the Sheer Cold meter ticking up while you desperately look for a Scarlet Quartz. It’s stressful. The "In the Mountains" quest is arguably the biggest gatekeeper for early-to-mid-game players because it forces you to thaw all the shards out to unlock the Peak of Vindagnyr domain. Without that domain, your Cryo and Hydro characters are basically stuck with mediocre artifacts.
You can't just hit these shards with Pyro. I've seen so many people try to bring Diluc or Xiangling and just wail on the ice crystals to no avail. It doesn't work that way. Dragonspine has its own set of rules, and if you don't follow them, you're just going to freeze to death while Paimon makes snarky comments.
The Frostbearing Tree Shard: The Easy One
Most people get through the first shard without a guide because the game basically holds your hand. This one is located at the Snow-Covered Path. You’ll see a giant, jagged blue crystal. To break it, you have to find Scarlet Quartz—those glowing red rocks—smash them, pick up the energy, and then hit the shard.
You have to do this four times.
There are four Scarlet Quartz nodes scattered right around the immediate area. It's simple, but it sets the tone. You learn quickly that the "buff" from the quartz only lasts a short time. If you dawdle or get distracted by a stray Slime, the energy dissipates, and you've wasted a node. They do respawn, but only until the shard is fully thawed. Once you've dealt with the fourth hit, the shard flies off toward the summit, and you get the Frostbearing Tree, which is basically the Statue of the Seven’s colder, more demanding cousin.
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Why the Starglow Cavern Shard Is Actually Evil
This is where the quest usually breaks people. If you’re trying to thaw all the shards out, the one at the bottom of Starglow Cavern is the "final boss" of frustration. You drop down into this massive glowing pit, find a frozen shard behind a barrier, and realize you can't even touch it.
There’s a combat challenge here. It’s not just a "kill some enemies" thing; it's a "kill multiple waves of Cryo Abyss Mages and Hilichurls while falling icicles knock you into the freezing water" thing. If you get wet, you get Frozen. If you get Frozen, you die.
Survival Tips for the Cavern Challenge
- Bring a Shielder: No, seriously. Zhongli is the dream, but even Noelle or Diona helps. Preventing the stagger from falling ice is the difference between winning and screaming at your monitor.
- Focus the Mages: Those Cryo shields are the bane of your existence. Use Bennett or Xiangling. You need fast Pyro application.
- Watch the Sheer Cold: There are warming seelies nearby, but in the heat of the fight, it's easy to forget that your health is slowly draining.
Once the barrier is down, you still need four Scarlet Quartz. Two are right in front of the shard. The other two are hidden around the back of the path leading up the cavern. One is even tucked behind some breakable rocks. You have to be methodical. If you miss one, you’re trekking back up the ramp while your Sheer Cold meter screams at you.
The Entombed City Outskirts Puzzle
The third shard is located near the Entombed City Outskirts, specifically in a clearing with several Cryo totems and a Seelie. This is a memory test. You have to watch the Seelie as it floats between the totems and then activate them with Cryo in that exact order.
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If you mess up, a chest appears, but then you have to fight Ruin Guards. Actually, you have to fight them anyway. Once the puzzle is "solved," the ground literally falls out from under you. You drop into a cave, and there’s the third shard.
This one is slightly different because one of the Scarlet Quartz pieces is locked behind a second Seelie puzzle inside the cave. You have to guide two Seelies to their pedestals simultaneously to open a gate. It’s not hard, just tedious. Most players get stuck here because they don't see the quartz hidden behind the bars.
The Summit: Doing It All Over Again
You’d think after finding three shards, you’d be done. Nope. You have to go to the very top of the mountain, near the Skyfrost Nail. Once you arrive at the summit, you find all three shards have relocated here, suspended in the air.
You have to thaw all the shards out one more time, but each one only needs one hit of Scarlet Quartz now.
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The verticality here is the real enemy. You’ll find one quartz by following a path upward, another by defeating a stray Lawachurl, and the third involves climbing the ruins to find a piece of quartz sitting on a high platform. You’ll need an archer. Seriously, just swap to Amber or Yoimiya for five minutes. It is ten times easier to pick up the quartz and fire a charged shot at the floating shards than it is to try and glide toward them with a melee weapon.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
A lot of people think they can "cheese" this by using Co-op. While you can have friends help you fight the enemies in Starglow Cavern, they cannot interact with the Scarlet Quartz to help you thaw the shards. You are the only one who can carry that energy.
Also, the "In the Mountains" quest is required to unlock the Peak of Vindagnyr. If you are wondering why you can't find the domain for the Blizzard Strayer set (essential for Ayaka or Ganyu), this quest is why. You can't just walk to the door; the door is buried under the Skyfrost Nail until you finish this.
Real Talk: Is It Worth the Hassle?
Dragonspine is a polarizing region. Some love the atmosphere; others hate the environmental mechanics. But from a progression standpoint, you cannot skip this. The rewards for the Frostbearing Tree alone—including Fates and a namecard—are too good to pass up.
If you find yourself stuck, check your quest log. Often, players think they've thawed a shard when they've actually only hit it three times. That fourth hit is mandatory. The shard will physically change shape and start glowing more intensely before it finally shatters and flies off.
Actionable Next Steps for Success
- Prepare your Team: Level up a Pyro character. Even a level 40 Bennett is better than a level 80 Ayato in Dragonspine because of the elemental reactions.
- Stock up on Goulash: Complete the "Ah, Fresh Meat!" quest first. Making Goulash slows down the accumulation of Sheer Cold, giving you a much wider window to solve puzzles.
- Use the Portable Waypoint: If you have high enough reputation in Mondstadt, place a portable waypoint at the summit. If you fall off—and you probably will—it saves a ten-minute climb.
- Archer Advantage: As mentioned, use an archer for the final summit phase. It turns a frustrating platforming section into a shooting gallery.
- Look Up: In the Starglow Cavern, if you're missing a Scarlet Quartz, it’s usually on a ledge above you or tucked behind a rock pile you haven't smashed yet.
Once you’ve finally managed to thaw all the shards out, the Skyfrost Nail will rise into the sky, revealing the domain entrance below. Take a breath, grab the Luxurious Chests that spawn, and enjoy the fact that you never have to do that specific puzzle again. Now you just have to deal with the actual domain, which is a whole different kind of cold.