Awestruck

Overview

Awestruck is the fifth main quest in Chapter 2: Golden Greed. It is a brief dialogue-only quest that takes place right after Kliff's duel with Matthias in Hernand Square. A man named Barden Middler, the marshal of Hernand, approaches Kliff with an offer that sets up the rest of the chapter.

Quest Details

Walkthrough

Speak with the Mysterious Observer

Immediately after the duel with Matthias, look for a man standing in the crowd. He is dressed in knight armor without a helmet and has been watching the fight. Walk over to him to start a cutscene.

Conversation with Barden Middler

Barden Middler introduces himself as the marshal of Hernand. He compliments Kliff on his fighting skills and explains that brigands have been causing trouble across the region, disrupting trade and threatening the people living outside the city walls. He asks Kliff for help dealing with the problem.

Kliff is hesitant at first, but Middler mentions that Marquis Serkis is generous and willing to support the Greymane clan's efforts to reestablish themselves. The conversation wraps up with Middler pointing Kliff toward the first trouble spot: Springtide Mill, where bandits have taken control of the bridge and floodgate.

Notes

• This is one of the shortest quests in the entire game. There is no combat, no exploration, and no puzzle. It exists to transition the story from the Matthias duel into the Hernand region's bandit problems.

• Barden Middler becomes a recurring character throughout the rest of the main story. He is the first to connect Kliff to the political power structure of Hernand.

• The next quest, Shadow Cast Over the River, picks up right away with the Springtide Mill assault that Middler described.

Dialogue Details

Barden Middler introduces himself as the marshal of Hernand, the person responsible for maintaining order across the region. He explains that brigands have been terrorizing villages, seizing infrastructure, and disrupting trade routes. The Bleed Bandits, in particular, have taken control of Springtide Mill's bridge and floodgate, cutting off water supply and blocking merchant caravans.

Kliff is hesitant at first. He has no obligation to help Hernand's law enforcement, and his primary goal remains finding his surviving Greymane companions. Middler recognizes this and plays his strongest card: Marquis Serkis.

The Marquis Serkis Connection

Middler tells Kliff that Marquis Alan Serkis is a generous nobleman willing to support the Greymanes' efforts to reestablish themselves. This is the first mention of Serkis in the main story, and his offer gives Kliff a practical reason to cooperate with Hernand's authorities. The deal is straightforward: help Hernand with its bandit problem, and Serkis will provide resources and intelligence about the surviving Greymane members.

This arrangement drives the entire Hernand in Chaos sub-chapter. Every quest from Shadow Cast Over the River through The Dark Veil ties back to the agreement Kliff makes here.

Narrative Function

Awestruck is one of the shortest quests in the entire game. There is no combat, no exploration, and no puzzle. It exists to accomplish three story goals: introduce Barden Middler as a recurring ally, connect Kliff to Hernand's political structure through Marquis Serkis, and transition the plot from the Matthias duel toward the regional bandit crisis.

The next quest, Shadow Cast Over the River, picks up immediately with the assault on Springtide Mill that Middler describes here. Players should head southeast toward the mill right after the conversation ends.

Barden Middler's Role Going Forward

Middler becomes a recurring character throughout the rest of the main story. He is Kliff's primary contact within Hernand's official power structure and provides quest briefings for several missions in the Hernand in Chaos and later sub-chapters. He is the first person to connect Kliff to the political dynamics of the region, making this brief conversation one of the more important narrative beats in Chapter 2 despite its short length.