Extinguishing the Last Flames

Overview

Extinguishing the Last Flames is a faction quest from the Goldleaf Merchant Guild in the Duchy of Hernand. It is the sole questline for this faction in the Hernand region, and its final reward makes it one of the most valuable early side quests available. Guild leader Shakatu suspects that one of his people has been undermining guild operations. He tasks Kliff with interrogating five guild members, gathering evidence at each of their workstations, and identifying the traitor. The questline is investigation-focused, requiring careful observation of documents, items, and testimonies rather than traditional combat, though the final apprehension does involve a brief physical confrontation.

Quest Details

How to Unlock

Extinguishing the Last Flames becomes available after completing the Cheers Echoing From the Edge quest in Chapter 2, which culminates in the boss fight against Kailok the Hornsplitter. Once Kailok is defeated, the Goldleaf Guildhouse will be marked on the map with the Goldleaf Merchant Guild's faction symbol. Travel to the camp southeast of the City of Hernand and speak with Shakatu to begin the questline.

Investigation Targets

Shakatu asks you to investigate five guild members. All five investigations become available simultaneously after the initial conversation, and you can tackle them in any order. Each suspect has a testimony to hear and three pieces of evidence to examine at their workstation.

Objectives

1. Speak with Shakatu at the Goldleaf Guildhouse to receive the Investigation Log

2. Examine the Investigation Log (read each page)

3. Investigate Nogle (Trade Manager): examine Tavern Ledger, Broken Barrel, and Tax Notice

4. Investigate Kathan (Private Soldier): examine Guard's Letter, Guard's Report, and Broken Wagon

5. Investigate Grimzle (Ledger Manager): examine Merchant Delivery Seal, Empty Ledger, and Proof of Stay

6. Investigate Blique (Horse Manager): examine Old Saddle, Horse Hire Ledger, and Feed Purchase Receipt

7. Investigate Skrav (Trade Manager): examine Lantern, Stacked Goods, and Trade Schedule Log

8. Return to Shakatu and answer his questions about each testimony

9. Apprehend the traitor at Coalvale Workshop

10. Carry the traitor back to Shakatu on horseback

Walkthrough

Troubled Shakatu

Travel to the Goldleaf Guildhouse, located southeast of the City of Hernand. Speak with Shakatu, who explains that someone within the guild has been stealing and sabotaging operations. He hands you an Investigation Log. Make sure to examine every page of the log to get a full picture of the situation before heading out. After reading the log, all five suspect investigations become available simultaneously.

Nogle, the Trade Manager

Nogle is the closest suspect since he is in the main Goldleaves camp alongside Shakatu, just to the east. Speak with him and he will mention that he recently had drinks with Grimzle, but he does not suspect Grimzle as the traitor.

Three pieces of evidence need to be gathered near Nogle's location:

• Tavern Ledger: Found on a box under the merchant stall just to the left of Nogle. Examine it thoroughly.

• Broken Barrel: Located just behind Nogle's position. Investigate it.

• Tax Notice: Sitting by the bottles of wine at the back of the merchant stall.

Kathan, the Goldleaf Private Soldier

Kathan is the next closest suspect. He is stationed at a secondary camp just outside the western wall of the main camp. Speak with him and he will divulge that he suspects a guard is responsible for the treachery.

His three pieces of evidence are scattered around the camp:

• Guard's Letter: Found over by the anvil in the camp.

• Guard's Report: Located by the white tent, slightly to the left of where the Guard's Letter was found.

• Broken Wagon: Sitting just across the road from the camp. Cross over and investigate it before moving on.

Grimzle, the Ledger Manager

Grimzle is located at the Coalvale Workshop. If coming from the main camp, he is the next closest suspect thanks to the ability to glide down the cliff to reach his location quickly. Speak with Grimzle and he will claim that he suspects Nogle as the traitor.

All of Grimzle's evidence can be found in the building directly behind him. Head inside to collect:

• Merchant Delivery Seal: On the round table in the middle of the room. Despite not being a paper document, you must fully examine it to progress.

• Empty Ledger: Found on another table to the left inside the building.

• Proof of Stay: Located just to the left of the door as you leave the building.

Blique, the Horse Manager

Blique is located at Bloomwood Ranch, near the large house at the back of the ranch. Speak with him and he will mention that some suspicious individuals recently came looking for a horse, and one of them seemed familiar from the Merchant Guild.

Like Grimzle, all of Blique's evidence is found inside the nearby house:

• Old Saddle: Just inside the door to the right, lying on the floor.

• Horse Hire Ledger: On a table near the back of the room.

• Feed Purchase Receipt: Just to the right of the door as you leave the house. Collect it and you are done with Blique.

Skrav, the Trade Manager

Skrav is located at the Goldleaf Trading Post, southeast of Hernand. Speaking with Skrav reveals that he, like Grimzle, suspects Nogle as the traitor.

His evidence is spread across the trading post:

• Lantern: Located near the middle of the trading post.

• Stacked Goods: Found on the far left side of the camp.

• Trade Schedule Log: Sitting just behind Skrav's tent.

Close Threat

With all fifteen pieces of evidence collected, return to Shakatu at the main camp. He will question you about each suspect's testimony. If you paid careful attention while examining the evidence, the culprit should be clear. There is no penalty for selecting a wrong answer, so you can guess if you are unsure.

Important: During the question-and-answer sequence, you must press the Interact button (E on keyboard, X on PlayStation, A on Xbox) to advance each prompt. The dialogue menu does not pop up automatically and may appear stuck if you do not press the button.

Select the following evidence for each suspect's testimony to correctly identify the traitor:

Apprehending Grimzle

All of the evidence implicates Grimzle as the traitor. Shakatu orders you to apprehend him. Return to the Coalvale Workshop where you will catch Grimzle in the act during a cutscene.

After the cutscene, you will have Grimzle pinned to the ground. Similar to a Bounty Contract, you may need to rough him up a bit before the Tie Up option becomes available. Once he is restrained, you must carry him on horseback all the way back to Shakatu at the Goldleaf Guildhouse. Since you are carrying a prisoner, you cannot fast travel and must ride the full distance.

Rewards

Upon delivering Grimzle to Shakatu, a short cutscene plays before you receive your rewards:

The Hernandian Banquet Cloak provides some base Defense and elemental Resistance. While its stats are modest, it serves as a solid early-game upgrade and, more importantly, wearing it grants you free entry to Hernand Castle, which is otherwise inaccessible without proper attire. The cloak can also be purchased later from the Hernand Tailor's Shop for 7.86 Silver, but getting it free from this quest is a nice bonus.

The Kinetic Art Counterweight is the standout reward. In the early game, Silver can be hard to come by, and selling this item provides a substantial amount that can help you open a proper bank account in Hernand. Be careful not to accidentally donate it to the Provisioner at your Howling Hill camp instead of selling it.

Tips

• There is no time limit on the investigation. Take as long as you need examining evidence at each workstation before reporting back.

• You can investigate the five suspects in any order. All investigations unlock simultaneously after reading the Investigation Log.

• The recommended route for efficiency is Nogle first (closest to Shakatu), then Kathan (secondary camp nearby), then Grimzle (glide down the cliff to Coalvale Workshop), then Blique (Bloomwood Ranch), and finally Skrav (Goldleaf Trading Post).

• You must fully examine every piece of evidence at each location, including non-paper items like the Merchant Delivery Seal. Skipping any evidence will prevent you from progressing.

• Pay close attention to Grimzle's evidence. The Empty Ledger (with the actual ledger missing) and the Proof of Stay are the most incriminating clues.

• There is no penalty for selecting wrong answers during Shakatu's questioning. You can experiment if you want to try identifying the traitor on your own.

• During the Close Threat questioning, remember to press the Interact button (E / X / A) to advance each prompt. The menu will not appear automatically.

• This is the only faction quest for the Goldleaf Merchant Guild in Hernand, so completing it is essential to build your standing with this faction.

• The Hernandian Banquet Cloak and Kinetic Art Counterweight are among the best equipment rewards from early-game Hernand faction quests. The cloak in particular is useful for accessing Hernand Castle content.