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.