In “Shadows of Ancient Arlathan,” the follow-up quest to the explosive opening of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players have the opportunity to navigate the consequences of their earlier choices. As you regain control of Rook in your new home, the Lighthouse, you’ll explore your surroundings, interact with characters like Varric, and make decisions that influence your relationships with companions Neve and Harding. Engaging in optional conversations can impact your romantic prospects, and pivotal choices during discussions about Solas will shape your story moving forward. In this guide we will explore the choices of Harding in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Shadows of Ancient Arlathan Quest
When you regain control of Rook, you’ll find yourself in your new home: the Lighthouse. Take a moment to explore a bit. You can talk to Varric and your injured companion, who will vary based on your choices from the last mission. You can check out the chest to browse your wardrobe. If you want, you can also use the Mirror of Transformation in the corner to change your appearance.
When you’re ready, head down the hall and stop at the table on your left to pick up your first codex entry. Then, turn right, go down the stairs, and through the door to meet up with your uninjured companion, either Harding or Neve. You’ll get a sense of the vastness of your current location in the Fade, and you’ll discuss your next steps. When you’re ready to continue the story, head to the waypoint on your map. Before that, you can have optional conversations with both Neve and Harding. The topics will be quite different depending on who you chose to bring along to take down the statue.
Harding Choice
If you didn’t take her to the statue, Harding will greet you with, “Oh, hey, Rook. How’s it going?” You can respond with, “Are you okay?” and Harding will appreciate it. If you don’t, she’ll keep talking, and you’ll get dialogue options when she says, “There’s so much to do. We have to keep going.” Harding won’t approve of any of the responses, but if you say, “You sure you’re okay?” she’ll be disapproving. To get the best outcome, choose one of the two options at the bottom.
After finishing the optional conversations, go to the waypoint and interact with the library table to continue the main quest. At the table meeting, Harding and Neve will debate whether Solas is a god. You’ll have a few choices, but the most important one is when you decide to say either “Harding’s right” or “Neve’s right.” The person you agree with will be pleased, while the other will be upset. Choose wisely, especially if you want to romance one of them.
After you finish the conversation, head down the stairs to the lower level of the Lighthouse. Before you enter the eluvian, pick up the codex entry to the left of it. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and enter the eluvian. You’ll meet some other inhabitants of the Arlathan Forest, and then you’ll be taken to the next main mission: In Entropy’s Grasp.
