More soul means more healing and more spell casts, which matters far more than it sounds. With three full vessels you can open a boss fight with three casts of Shade Soul before you touch your main soul meter, or bank two full heals for a bad moment. Soul Catcher and Soul Eater charms make the extra capacity fill faster.
One fragment is sold by Sly in Dirtmouth for 550 Geo. The rest are scattered through the world, often in the same kinds of places as Mask Shards: hidden alcoves, small platforming challenges, and rewards from optional content.
How to collect them
Vessel Fragments look like curved shell pieces floating in place. Like Mask Shards, they are picked up on touch and there is no fight attached to most of them, just the problem of reaching the room. Several need the Mantis Claw, the Crystal Heart or the Monarch Wings.
Buy the Sly fragment when you have 550 spare Geo. For the rest, filter the map to the Vessel Fragment category and work area by area. Two of the harder ones are deep in Deepnest and in the Abyss, so bring the Lumafly Lantern.
What you get
Three fragments make one Soul Vessel. All nine give you three vessels, worth 3 percent of the 112, counted per completed vessel rather than per fragment. That is the whole reward, but the practical effect is significant: three extra spell casts or heals in every fight for the rest of the game.
All 9 locations by area
Dirtmouth (2)
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Sly's shop
On sale as soon as Sly reopens his shop in Dirtmouth.
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Sly's upstairs storeroom
Part of the rare stock Sly unlocks after you give him the Shopkeeper's Key.
Forgotten Crossroads (1)
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Left of the great lift shaft
Unlock the lift from the City of Tears side, then ride it up to the Crossroads and drop into the gap on the left of the shaft.
Greenpath (1)
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Greenpath, near the sealed Queen's Gardens entrance
In the low south-west rooms of Greenpath beside the door to the Queen's Gardens that cannot be opened from this side.
City of Tears (1)
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Above King's Station, near the lift
Climb the rooms above King's Station toward the Resting Grounds lift. The fragment sits on a ledge beside it.
Resting Grounds (1)
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Seer's chamber
Given by the Seer once you have gathered 700 Essence with the Dream Nail.
Howling Cliffs (1)
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Stag Nest
Open every other Stag Station so the Last Stag takes you to the Stag Nest. The fragment is at the start of the nest.
Deepnest (1)
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Above the working tram in Deepnest
From the Deepnest tram station, climb past the Garpedes and spikes to the platform holding the fragment.
Ancient Basin (1)
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Fountain in the Ancient Basin
Drop Geo into the fountain below the Pale King statue until 3000 Geo has been paid, then take the fragment from the water.