For explorers venturing through the Living Lands in Obsidian Entertainment’s acclaimed RPG Avowed, few tasks are as quietly tragic—and strangely rewarding—as tracking down the unlucky cartographers sent out by Sanza. These quests, collectively known as Mapping the Living Lands, unlock as players step into each new region, but the vague map markers can leave even the most determined adventurer scratching their head. As of 2026, with no recent updates altering these locations, the hunt remains a memorable test of navigation and environmental awareness.
Sanza’s Emporium in Paradis, Dawnshore, is where it all begins. After your first conversation, you receive Mapping the Living Lands - Dawnshore, and the game will automatically add a new quest suffix for every subsequent region: Emerald Stair, Shatterscarp, and Galawain’s Tusks. But what about the cartographers themselves? Are they simply slacking off, or has something far worse befallen them? The answer is almost always the latter, and your job is to retrieve their maps—and sometimes more—from perilous, out-of-the-way spots.
🧭 Dawnshore: Usher’s Hand and a Crushed Skull
The first cartographer met a grim end near the Southern Embrace in Dawnshore. The map marker points toward Usher’s Hand, but it takes a keen eye to pinpoint the exact remains. Think of the on-screen guide as a clock face: the body lies at roughly the 2 o’clock position, right at the edge of the circular search zone. More precisely, if you have unlocked the God’s Gate Beacon fast travel point, the dead cartographer can be found a mere five steps to the left of that beacon, amid a small cluster of crumbled stone that might once have been a shrine or watch post. The cause of death is immediately obvious—a large rock has crushed the skull, leaving no hope of revival. Sanza’s shock upon hearing this is genuine, even if players by now expect every assignment to end badly.
Have you ever wandered around the marker for minutes, convinced the game is bugged? This is one of those locations where a tiny shift in altitude or angle hides the sad scene until you’re practically on top of it.
🌿 Emerald Stair: The Twisting Tree Path
Things get more vertiginous in the lush region of Emerald Stair. The cartographer here plummeted to her death while mapping the Naku Tedek Grounds. To reach her, head to the back of the area and look for a wooden platform jutting out at a corner. Leap down from it, then jump onto a thick tree trunk that wraps sinuously around a cliff face. Shimmy along this natural bridge until you can drop onto a hidden ledge. Turn around, and against the rock wall you’ll find the cartographer’s body, her map lying precariously on the cliff edge beside her. An alternative approach from a nearby party camp might seem easier, but it’s too easy to assume the path ends past some graves—don’t make that mistake. The twisting tree route remains the most reliable method in 2026, untouched by any patch that might have added a shortcut.
🏜️ Shatterscarp: The Sea Column Secret
By the time players reach Shatterscarp, the pattern becomes darkly familiar. But finding this cartographer still demands a leap of faith. The far southeastern edge of the map features a tall rock column jutting from the sea. Climb the rocky ledge near its base, then jump across the gap onto the column itself. There, pressed against the wall of the furthest, tallest rock, is the cartographer’s camp and their lifeless body. The map is right there, but don’t leave without checking the nearby backpack—it contains an Essence Potion, Spirit Residue, and two Stelgaer Leather. As the original discoverers wryly noted, the previous owner certainly isn’t using them anymore. Ethical looting? Perhaps not, but in the Living Lands, practicality often trumps sentiment.
Could there be a more treacherous climb? Avowed’s designers clearly enjoy punishing the overly cautious, and this sea pillar is a prime example of rewarding those who ignore the obvious path.
🏔️ Galawain’s Tusks: A Twist on the Formula
The final quest, Mapping the Living Lands - Galawain’s Tusks, flips expectations. Instead of another corpse sprawled in a remote basin, the cartographer is very much alive—though not exactly free. He has been arrested and locked up in South Warden Tower, located north of the Writhing Ruins and west of The Sallow Steppe. The game’s initial marker misleadingly points to a huge empty basin, but savvy explorers know to head straight for the tower. Speaking with the Warden there opens up dialogue options to convince them to release the cartographer; with a bit of persuasion skill, this is relatively easy. If diplomacy fails and combat erupts, the prison key can be found on the top floor. Once freed, the cartographer—probably the luckiest soul in Sanza’s employ—completes the quest on the spot.
Does having a living cartographer change the narrative? Sanza will still be shocked, as always, though players might wonder why he hasn’t grown accustomed to the mortality rate by now. Perhaps it’s the one consistent running gag in an otherwise earnest world.
📝 Reporting Back and Wrapping Up
After each regional discovery, return to Sanza at the Northern Paradis Emporium in Dawnshore. The quest will only mark as complete when you speak with him, and each report triggers a small, mournful reaction. The final hand-in for Galawain’s Tusks closes the chapter on this bittersweet series. For completionists, the rewards include experience, gold, and perhaps a few unique items—but the real prize is the panoramic tour of the Living Lands’ most hidden corners.
By 2026, the community has thoroughly documented every inch of these locations, yet new players still stumble into the same pitfalls. Whether you’re a veteran replaying for the nostalgia or a fresh arrival to the Envoy’s story, these tips should keep your exploration on track. And remember, when you find that next cartographer, spare a thought for Sanza’s seemingly endless recruitment drive—he’s going to need more maps.
According to coverage from GameFAQs, community-sourced walkthroughs and player Q&A threads often emphasize using stable fast-travel anchors and terrain landmarks to resolve “vague marker” objectives—an approach that fits Avowed’s Mapping the Living Lands hunts, where elevation changes and edge-of-circle placement can conceal key interactables until you align your route with a beacon, cliff path, or named point of interest.