Starfield Further Into the Unknown Walkthrough – Artifacts

Further Into the Unknown Overview

Questline: Constellation, main mission 8
Starts after: Starborn, by talking to Vladimir Sall at the Lodge
Locations: two planets, randomly generated for each playthrough
Objectives: recover two Artifacts, then add both to the collection at the Lodge
Needed before you go: a laser cutter, a weapon you trust and a healthy stock of ammo and med packs
Enemies: hostiles at both sites, plus one Starborn guarding each Artifact
Rewards: credits, XP and med packs, plus one Quantum Essence from each Starborn
Achievement: Further Into the Unknown unlocks on completion
Unlocks next: Short Sighted

Warning: Your Two Planets Are Random

Vladimir picks the two destinations at random when the mission starts, so almost nobody gets the same pair. This run drew Altair IV-B and Eridani III.

What does stay the same is the shape of each site. One Artifact is at the bottom of a mineral cave, reached through a surface entrance. The other is buried under an occupied surface outpost, in a mine or extraction level below it.

Both are set in a Caelumite deposit that has to be cut free, and both have a Starborn standing over them. Follow the route below and swap in whatever planet names your own quest log gives you.

1 – Talk to Vladimir

Mission Text:
“I need to meet with Vladimir Sall about finding more Artifacts in the fringes of space.”

After Starborn, travel back to the Lodge in New Atlantis in the Alpha Centauri system. Vladimir usually works out of the Eye, the station in orbit above Jemison, but he stays down at the Lodge for this conversation. Talk to him and he gives you two Artifact leads on two separate planets. Both objectives appear in your mission log at once and you can tackle them in either order. This run drew Altair IV-B and Eridani III, so Altair goes first here.

2 – Go to Altair IV-B

Mission Text:
“Vladimir has given me loations he believes could hold Artifacts.”

Open your missions menu and pick one of the two objectives to set a course. The Altair system sits north of Alpha Centauri on the star map, and you may need a jump or two through a nearer system before your grav drive can reach it. Altair IV-B has a single landing site for this mission, marked Hillside Cave, and the first Artifact is at the bottom of it.

If your objective names a different system, set course the same way. The landing site will be flagged on the planet view as soon as you reach orbit.

3 – Find the Artefact on Altair IV-B

Mission Text:
“Vladimir has given me loations he believes could hold Artifacts.”

Land and open your hand scanner, then follow the trail to Hillside Cave. There are two ways in. A lower entrance is marked with the cave symbol, and a higher one sits where the quest marker points. Take the upper entrance. It drops you closer to the Artifact and saves a long climb through the cave.

Inside is an abandoned camp with a live turret covering the approach. Deal with it, then work your way down. More turrets are waiting further in, so hug the walls and clear each level before you drop to the next. Keep the quest marker in view and you will not take a wrong branch.

At the very bottom, the Artifact is set into rock ringed with mineral deposits. A Starborn appears as soon as you get close, so clear a firing line before you commit. Once it is down, cut the deposits away with your laser cutter and pick the Artifact up. Loot the cave on your way out if you want, then head back to your ship.

4 – Find the Artefact on Eridani III

Mission Text:
“Vladimir has given me loations he believes could hold Artifacts.”

The Eridani system is south west of Alpha Centauri on the star map. The landing site on Eridani III is an Abandoned Outpost, and the second Artifact is below it.

The Crimson Fleet have taken the outpost, so expect a fight on the surface. Head inside the main building and clear it. There is a turret control computer just inside the entrance if you want to turn the defences to your side before pushing on.

The Artifact itself sits in the Helium Extraction site underneath the outpost, and there are three ways down:
-> Through the red secure access door inside the outpost, which carries a Master Lock and needs a high Security skill
-> Through the extraction station on the surface above the outpost
-> Through the cave entrance nearby at the top of the site

Take the cave. It puts you almost directly above the Artifact and skips the locked door entirely.

Follow the location markers down. A second Starborn is waiting beside the Artifact, and it fights the same way as the first. Once it is dealt with, the Artifact is encased in a Caelumite deposit. Cut it free with your laser cutter and take it.

5 – Add the Artefacts to the Collection

Mission Text:
“I’ve found the Artifacts. Time to add them to the collection.”

Fast travel back to the Lodge and add both Artifacts to the collection in the middle of the room. Matteo speaks up as soon as you do, questioning whether the hunt is worth what it is costing, and Noel pushes back on him. Vladimir closes the conversation by asking for help upgrading the Eye so it can pick up Artifacts further out.

That ends the mission, banks the Further Into the Unknown achievement and starts Short Sighted.

Starborn Fights and Quantum Essence

Both Artifacts in this mission are guarded by a Starborn, and they are a step up from anything the Crimson Fleet or the Spacers throw at you. A few things worth knowing before you walk in:
-> They turn invisible mid fight. If you lose track of one, put shots into the area you last saw it to force it back into the open. <
-> They hit hard for the point in the story where this mission lands.
-> They vanish when killed, so there is no body to loot.
-> Each one you kill hands you one Quantum Essence.

Quantum Essence is a consumable that recharges your Starborn powers far faster than waiting them out. If you have been running Anti-Gravity Field or Personal Atmosphere and finding the cooldowns painful, hold onto it. Two more come out of this mission alone.

Fighting them in a cramped mineral cave works in your favour. Back into a corridor so it cannot flank you, and clear the surrounding hostiles first so you are not caught between the two.

Further Into the Unknown FAQ

Are the planets in Further Into the Unknown always the same?
No. Vladimir generates two destinations at random when the mission starts, and the points of interest on them are randomised too. Altair IV-B and Eridani III are what this playthrough drew. The site layouts repeat even when the planet names do not.

Do I have to visit the planets in a set order?
No. Both objectives sit in your mission log from the start and you can do them in either order.

What level should I be for this mission?
There is no hard requirement, but each Artifact is guarded by a Starborn that outclasses the regular enemies at this stage. Bring your best weapon and a full stack of med packs rather than pushing through underlevelled.

What does the Starborn drop?
One Quantum Essence each. They disappear on death, so there is no corpse to loot beyond that

The Caelumite will not cut loose. What do I do?
Circle the deposit and try again from a different angle, since some faces cannot be reached with the cutter. If that fails, a grenade or a few rifle rounds into the deposit has shaken it free for other players.

What comes after Further Into the Unknown?
Short Sighted, which starts as soon as Vladimir finishes talking at the Lodge.