Quick Links
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisenhas a unique proposition for the player when they reach the final showdown with the titular Dragon — the option to sacrifice their Beloved in return for the Dragon leaving their world in peace.
Related:Dragon’s Dogma: Trial And Tribulations Walkthrough
Players who have made it here before will be familiar with some unexpected and surprising characters being presented as the Beloved. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how this process works and how you’re able to make sure the true object of your affection is selected.
Affinity is the name of the system that DDDA uses to determine how much NPCs like (or love) you. The primary ways to increase this areperforming questsfor characters orgiving them gifts. Each character has a particular kind of gift that will raise their Affinity; for example, all knights and soldiers will respond well toForeign Knife.you’re able to check the item’s text for clues as to who might like them. The one-off Escort quests, in particular, can increase Affinity greatly. Even talking to NPCs can increase affinity by small amounts.
When NPCs gain affinity, they will start to show different visual reactions, such as rosy cheeks or blushing when you talk to them. When NPCs hit the highest levels of Affinity, you will hear a sound effect when you speak with them, and they will be surrounded by a pinkish glow.
Affinity can beloweredby picking up or bumping into NPCs, drawing your weapon in front of them, or outright attacking them. It can also be lowered significantly by gifting the item ‘Liquid Effluvium,’ which is found in Bitterblack Isle. Affinity will also gradually reset to the NPC’s default value as days pass in-game.
Related:Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen: How To Get What You Want From Purifying Cursed Items
The Beloved
The Beloved is determined as the NPC with the highest Affinity after the questDeny Salvation. After this quest is complete, the NPC will be kidnapped.
The game will use various methods to determine which one becomes the Beloved because it can have multiple characters with max Affinity. The most commonly observed process is that it will be the NPC with max affinity who you have most recently spoken to. But this does not appear to be consistent, so the safest way by far is to intentionally lower the Affinity of any NPCs you have maxed and do not want to be your Beloved.
AfterThe Final Battlewith the Dragon is complete, the Beloved will come to live at the Arisen’s house in Cassardis. If the NPC is a merchant, they will continue to sell all of their items, which can make some easier and quicker to access.
Arisen’s Bond
The Arisen’s Bond is a special item given to the Arisen on completion of the questThe Dragon’s Tongue. This item automatically maxes Affinity for any NPC you gift it to. To receive this quest, you must have completed Selene’s quests in the Witchwood, culminating withWitch Hunt.
Once this quest is complete, you must leave and then return to the Witchwood, and then proceed to the Guardian’s Grave, where Selene’s Gran is buried. There, you will find theAncient Tabletand the Scholar, Rowland, and the quest will initiate.
Bring the Tablet to theDragonforgedat Hillfigure Knoll (you do not need to talk to any other NPC first, despite what the game recommends), and he will transform it into the Bond.
