Mortal Shell 2 Franz Guide: Tarforge Upgrades & All 4 Key Items
馃幆 TL;DR: Franz runs the Tarforge in Marrow Keep, but the machine arrives broken. Every upgrade function stays locked until you hand him one of 4 key items found out in the world.
1. The 4 Tarforge Key Items
| Item | Unlocks | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Muradean Actuator | Enhance Weapons | Optional chest in the Village Outskirts cleanse dungeon (prologue) |
| Obsidian Lathe | Enhance Sidearms | Martyr's Tomb, dungeon south of Widow's Overlook Beacon |
| Etching Needles | Temper Tarstones | Chest in Glutted Mire, just before the Magdalena boss arena |
| Foundry Stone | Smelt Equipment | Guarded by enemies near the gateway at Outskirts of Mammon |
馃挕 Prioritize the Muradean Actuator: getting a primary weapon to +3 or +4 early flattens the difficulty curve more than any other upgrade in the hub.
2. The Kill-Franz Shortcut
Killing Franz unlocks all four Tarforge functions immediately and removes the item requirement entirely. The forge keeps working without him, and the four key items convert into materials instead 鈥?paying out 7 Ventrium, 4 Laterite, and 3 Dorsalite each time you feed one in.
鈿狅笍 The trade-off: you lose the character and his dialogue. Speedrunners and players chasing the fastest possible upgrade access take this route; lore collectors should leave him alive.
3. Upgrade Priority
- Muradean Actuator first 鈥?weapon levels are the biggest power spike
- Etching Needles second 鈥?Tarstone tempering opens build variety
- Obsidian Lathe third 鈥?sidearm upgrades help ranged builds
- Foundry Stone last 鈥?smelting matters later
馃幆 Bottom line: "Find the Muradean Actuator early, feed it to Franz, and upgrade your main weapon to +3/+4 ASAP." That's the single biggest early-game power jump.