A Candle in the Storm is a quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2 where Empress Nadinia plans to put up a ruse in order to catch and apprehend the assassin that is targeting her. Read ahead as we go through the steps and the outcomes of all the choices in the A Candle in the Storm quest of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
How to unlock the A Candle in the Storm quest
The A Candle in the Storm quest can be unlocked after successfully apprehending the assassin in the Shadowed Prayers quest. Head over to the Volcanic Island Camp and talk to Menella to start the quest.
Menella will ask you to interrogate the assassin you apprehended earlier. Head to the Bakbattahl Gaol and talk to the assassin. He will only tell you helpful info if you pay him 5,000 G, otherwise he won’t say anything helpful and you get to talk to him again until you bribe him. You will learn that he is a part of the Coral Snakes who are the ones behind the assassination.
Head back to Menella and tell her what you learned. She devises a plan to trap the Coral Snakes and tells you to lie that you have the empress in your custody. She then asks you to leak information over to the Coral Snakes and tell them to go to the fake location if they want to confirm it.
Empress Nadinia proposes her plan to set up a ruse where she pretends to have been fatally wounded and captured after a failed assassination attempt. This is to lure in the renegade that is out to assassinate her.
Head back to the Bakbattahl Gaol and look for an NPC named Ashe who is actually also a part of the Coral Snakes. Tell Ashe about the location to enact the plan.
Go to Menella who should now be back at Bakbattahl and tell her that you have leaked the information. For the next part of the plan, Menella will ask you to play the part of the bandit as you work with a substitute for the Empress. However, Empress Nadinia objects to this and insists that she should be there in person in order for the plan to go through.
You are then faced with an option to support or oppose the Empress’ proposal.
A Candle in the Storm Choices and Outcomes
There are two choices to be made, one of which has an additional outcome depending on your actions, bringing the total number of outcomes to three.
Support the empress’s proposal – Best outcome
If you choose to support the empress in her proposal, she will personally lie on the bed so that the renegade will be convinced and not suspect any traps. Once the renegade comes in and confirms that it is the actual empress that they are seeing, they will then command you to finish the plan and kill the empress. You only need to swing your weapon towards the empress as the renegade will stop you, convinced that you are with their agenda.
After listening to the renegade’s motives for the empress’ assassination, Nadinia sits up and reveals the ruse. It is then revealed that Irmhild herself is the renegade and the mastermind of it all. The quest then ends as Menella apprehends Irmhild for her actions. You will then be rewarded with 4,800 XP, 25,000 G, and the Ring of Amplification.
Oppose the empress’s proposal – Bad outcome
If you choose to oppose the empress in her proposal, a substitute will be placed in her position on the bed. Once the renegade comes in, they will see through the ruse and immediately finds out that it is a trap. The renegade runs away as they call in reinforcements for you to fight.
After defeating the reinforcements, Menella reports taht they have lost the renegade and resorts to just go on high alert for Empress Nadinia’s sake. The quest ends and you will be rewarded with 4,800 XP, 19,000 G, and x3 Jasper.
Support the empress’s proposal and attack the mastermind – Worst outcome
If you choose to support the empress in her proposal, you will be able to lure the renegade in just like in the best outcome. However, at the time that the renegade commands you to kill the empress, you have the option to hit them instead. The renegade can also be attacked just as before they enter the house as it will lead to the same outcome.
After attacking the renegade, Irmhild’s identity will be revealed as the mastermind of the assassinations. As Nadinia asks for her motive, Irmhild decides to end her life instead. This ends the quest and you will be rewarded with 4,800 XP and 19,000 G.
If you choose to run away as Irmhild tells you to attack the empress, she will end up calling reinforcements and fleeing away similar to the bad outcome.