Blood Ties Collectible Locations in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

Chapter 1: Blood Ties is the opening chapter of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, and it holds just two collectibles. You collect one Blade and one Artefact here, with no Resonance Points to worry about. Both are easy to secure on a first run, and neither requires a detour off the main path.

Quick answer: The Rusty Sword blade unlocks on its own the moment the game begins. The Handled Cross artefact sits in the middle of the courtyard, under the white tree branch, during the “Loot the bodies” objective in Sub-Chapter 3.

Chapter 1: Blood Ties collectibles list

Two items count toward 100% completion in this chapter. There are no Resonance Points to find in Blood Ties, so the chapter tracker only needs these entries.

Collectible	Type	Sub-Chapter	How to get it
Rusty Sword	Blade	1 – A new home	Unlocks automatically at the start of the game
Handled Cross	Artefact (Relic of the Present 1/14)	3 – The search for the key	Middle of the courtyard, under the white tree branch

Rusty Sword blade (Sub-Chapter 1 – A new home)

The Rusty Sword is a story unlock, so there is nothing to search for. It registers on the chapter tracker as soon as you begin the game, during the opening in Sophia’s past. You cannot miss it, and it needs no input beyond starting a save.

Note: The Rusty Sword is the default weapon with no perks. In the expanded edition you also gain access to the Falchion and the Hero’s Blade later on, but those are separate from this chapter’s tracker entry.

Handled Cross artefact location (Sub-Chapter 3 – The search for the key)

The only artefact in Blood Ties is the Handled Cross, logged as Relic of the Present 1/14. It appears once Sub-Chapter 3 begins and you take control in the desert ruins.

When the sub-chapter opens, move forward into the courtyard where bodies lie on the ground. This is the same area tied to the “Loot the bodies” objective.

Head to the center of the courtyard and look for the pale, fallen tree branch. The Handled Cross rests on the ground directly beneath it, next to a skeleton. Interact with it to add the relic to your count.

You will know it worked when the pickup prompt confirms the relic and the chapter tracker updates its Artefact total. With that in hand, both Blood Ties collectibles are done.

Sub-chapters with nothing to collect

Two sub-chapters hold no collectibles, so you can play through them without stopping to search. Sub-Chapter 2 – Faro’s cabin and Sub-Chapter 4 – The fighting pit are both clear. Focus on the combat prompts here instead, since this is where the game teaches blocking, parrying, and Focus attacks.

Missing an item and using chapter select

Neither Blood Ties collectible is truly missable. If you skip the Handled Cross, you can return through chapter select and grab it later. The one thing chapter select does not restore is Resonance Points, but this chapter contains none, so nothing is lost by replaying it. Everything needed for full completion in Blood Ties can be picked up on a return visit.

What to grab next in Chapter 2: Felons

The pace picks up straight after Blood Ties, and Chapter 2 hides several pickups that are far easier to walk past. Here are the ones to watch for as you continue.

In Checkpoint 2, after two soldiers finish searching you, do not cross the bridge yet. Climb the steps on the right to reach a dock with a boat, then pick up the Serenissima Banner (also listed as the Flag of Venice), Present Relic 2/14, lying on the ground near the corner to the right of the bridge. Cross the bridge first and you will have to backtrack.

Chapter 2 Checkpoint 2 banner as Sophia stands with companions in a stone courtyard near the waterfront — The Chapter 2, Checkpoint 2 waterfront where the Serenissima Banner sits near the boat. Image credit: Asobo Studio / via @mrdeathyt2885

When guards tell the group to remove their masks, take the side doorway on the right that bypasses the festival checkpoint. That route leads into a courtyard where a small wooden chest on the ground holds a new Charm.

Chapter 2 Checkpoint 2 dialogue as the character moves through a dim torch-lit passage toward a side route — The torch-lit shortcut past the festival guards that opens into the courtyard chest. Image credit: Asobo Studio / via @mrdeathyt2885

Keep moving toward the church along the crowded street, then turn left into a shop alcove. Behind the large wine jugs on the ground you will find another artefact to collect before you continue.

Chapter 2 Checkpoint 2 alley leading toward the church where an artefact hides behind wine jugs — The festival street alcove near the church that holds the next artefact behind the wine jugs. Image credit: Asobo Studio / via @mrdeathyt2885

During Checkpoint 3, grapple across the rooftops on the way to help your crew at the arsenal. Pull the archer down, edge along the narrow wall, and open the chest tucked against the brick wall to claim one more Charm.

Chapter 2 Checkpoint 3 rooftop traversal with the objective to go help your crew at the arsenal — The Checkpoint 3 rooftop route to the arsenal where the chest against the brick wall holds a Charm. Image credit: Asobo Studio / via @mrdeathyt2885

With the Rusty Sword and Handled Cross secured, Blood Ties is fully cleared, and the Felons pickups above keep your relic and charm totals on track as the story moves into the city.