(spoilers) expedition shard question

[n3xuiz]

i found a submarine and the ferryman was kind enough to tow it so i can visit the underwater station with the acorn in it. but when i pick it up the monolith attacks me and since i don't have the ethereal torch (nor the shard for that matter) i can't defeat it. so now after some reading it seems i need to go to deep caverns (where i've never been) with the shard (that i don't know where to find)
to craft the torch.

in the basegame i was always able to muddle through with the extensive help of the wiki but now i don't know how to proceed.

i'm asking for explicit spoilers here:



1) where exactly is the shard located

2) if i return to the institute questline to gain access to the elevator can i just go to ocolus without compromising the original underrail storyline (which i have not finished and was saving for after i was done with expedition)

3) i read about keeping the acorn and that only then i'll be able to get my hands on samurai armor and sword unique items. what are the consequences of this? do i have to fight my way out against AEGIS?

[Tahoefox]

1) where exactly is the shard located

The Sormirbaeren Graveyard. It's exact location is randomized each playthrough. If you have enough Intelligence you can talk to Yngwar and the ferryman to find out where it is. While it is possible to obtain the shard by searching every part of every corpse, it is quite time consuming to do so.

2) if i return to the institute questline to gain access to the elevator can i just go to ocolus without compromising the original underrail storyline (which i have not finished and was saving for after i was done with expedition)

You don't have to do any of that, the entrance to Oculus is not in DC. You can access it from the caves near Rail Crossing, assuming you've completed the necessary quests.

3) i read about keeping the acorn and that only then i'll be able to get my hands on samurai armor and sword unique items. what are the consequences of this? do i have to fight my way out against AEGIS?

You will not need to fight Aegis, you can just tell them that you didn't find it. I don't know of any other consequences.

Personally I've chosen to keep it for myself, foolishly hoping that I'll be able to find some obscure way to open it.


Edit: I had to type this twice because the forum eats posts with special characters. Now that the word Sormirbaeren is going to be used here frequently it might be time to address that bug.

[n3xuiz]

thank you very much! at first i thought you were trolling with the S post 

[shario]

3) You dont need to trade in the Acorn to get these unique items, you can reject Aran's offer and some time later he will try to kill you. For me it was in the basement of my house in the Core. Aegis wont be hostile even if you dont give them the Acorn, as you tell them that you didnt find it at the Abyss and they just believe you, FOOLS.

[n3xuiz]

ok so i finished the main quest and most other things but now my remaining question is getting to Oculus from Rail Crossing.

when i started my current run i printed this map out:
https://www.underrail.com/wiki/index.php?title=File:Map_by_Pipboy.png

i realize it might no longer be completely accurate as its quite old now and new areas have been added (at the ingame map update and presumably expedition)



i'm just a filthy casual thats used to skyrim style handholding aka pls walk 10m due west etc.. 

[shario]

Going by your map:
Rail Crossing Platform ->
Cave Lake 16 ->
Abyss.
Oculus is where Abyss is on that map. This way still exists in the current version.
However, to see and enter it you need to complete Jack Quicksilver's and Abram's questlines.

[n3xuiz]

thx!

i already did most of the jack quicksilver questline today so i'll soon be able to progress in expedition