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Overview

House Celeste is the ducal house that governs the Duchy of Hernand. As the highest-ranking noble family in the region, they carry the weight of defending the duchy and protecting its people from the many threats that have emerged across the continent of Pywel. The family traces its lineage back to the wandering knight Canta, whose descendants settled in Hernand and built the duchy into the prosperous territory it is today.

While House Celeste handles diplomacy and the broader defense of Hernand, they delegate internal governance to their most trusted partners, House Serkis. This division of responsibilities has been the foundation of Hernand's political structure since the duchy's founding. The arrangement allows House Celeste to focus on external affairs, military readiness, and relations with neighboring regions like Calphade and Pailune.

Details

History and Lore

The story of House Celeste begins with the wandering knight Canta, a figure whose travels eventually brought him to the lands that would become Hernand. Though the details of Canta's journey are scarce in surviving records, his descendants established themselves as the ruling family of the duchy and took on the name Celeste. Over the generations, the family built Hernand Castle as the seat of their power and expanded the duchy's borders to encompass a large stretch of fertile territory.

House Celeste's approach to governance has always centered on a clear division of labor. The ducal family handles diplomacy with foreign powers, manages military operations, and represents Hernand's interests abroad. Meanwhile, House Serkis manages the everyday administration of Hernand's cities and settlements. This partnership has endured since the duchy's founding and remains the backbone of Hernand's political stability.

By the time the events of the game begin, Hernand faces growing threats from multiple directions. The Black Bears have become bolder in their operations, bandit groups like the Bleed Bandits have spread across the region, and the arrival of the displaced Greymanes has added a new variable to the political landscape. House Celeste must balance its duty to protect the duchy's citizens with the reality of these mounting pressures.

Controlled Locations

House Celeste controls more territory than any other noble house in Hernand. Their holdings span castles, outposts, ranches, and beacon towers across the duchy.

Quests

House Celeste runs the bounty notice system in Hernand. Players who align with the house receive bounty quests that task them with hunting down specific targets across the duchy. These quests focus on eliminating dangerous individuals who threaten Hernand's stability.

Relationship with Other Houses

House Celeste sits at the top of the hierarchy among the noble houses of Hernand. Their closest ally is House Serkis, which has served as their right hand since the duchy's earliest days. House Lanford governs the Calphade region on their behalf, acting as a shield against threats from the border with Pailune. The count's houses (House Grace, House Roberts, and House Felix) manage commerce, technology, and culture within the duchy, while House Alfonso contributes military strength through their tradition of spearmastery.

Tips

• House Celeste's bounty quests are available once you reach the city of Hernand and can be picked up from bounty boards.

• Completing bounty notices increases your standing with House Celeste and your overall Hernandian Contribution.

• Some bounty targets may appear in locations controlled by hostile factions, so be prepared for additional resistance.

Abyss Gear Reward Map

Two of the most coveted Hernand Abyss Gear drops route through House Celeste. The Legendary Wolf quest gives the player Shadow Claw, and the Elder Tree quest later in the same house ends in the Icewing Plate Armor that carries Shattering Frost.

Legendary Wolf: Shadow Claw Path

Legendary Wolf is the first Celeste-anchored abyss-gear chain. Once the four-of-six Finding the Relic step in the Hernandian Parish of Solumen resolves, Summon - Legendary Wolf appears in the Celeste faction quest list for most players.

1. Speak to the soldier's wife. She reports her husband is missing and points to his last known location.

2. Reach the dying soldier. He is almost dead but gives a direction. A small wolf pack ambushes the area; clear it and follow the lead.

3. Speak to the second soldier. He gives the actual location of the legendary wolf.

4. Track the wolf. The in-game prompt to hold the lamp and follow the golden trail is unreliable. Flying around the search zone and watching the map for red pack dots is faster; the wolf moves with its pack and shows up clearly on the minimap once nearby.

5. Defeat the wolf twice over. The fight resolves in two phases. Shadow Claw drops on completion.

Troubleshooting: Legendary Wolf Does Not Appear

If Legendary Wolf is not in the Celeste faction quest list after returning the relic, run a short Scholastone Institute observation quest. Those quests are simple (go to a marker, observe, report back) and force-trigger Legendary Wolf to appear on the next quest list refresh.

Elder Tree: Shattering Frost Path

Elder Tree sits at the far end of the Celeste chain. To reach it, the Beggars' Alliance, House Grace, and Kharonso Troll Alliance arcs all need to be done in that order. They open the Legendary Hunter quest at Lion Crest Manor; finishing Legendary Hunter then opens the Elder Tree quest back in Celeste.

1. Trigger the Legendary Hunter quest. If it does not appear in the faction quest list automatically after the three faction arcs, travel to Lion Crest Manor and check for an NPC waiting outside. Speaking to them spawns the quest.

2. Max two trust meters. The first NPC gives the location of the Legendary Hunter once their trust meter is filled (a short interaction). The Legendary Hunter then gives the location of the lion boss after their own trust meter is maxed.

3. Defeat the lion boss. The fight ends the Legendary Hunter chain. Reward includes one of the strongest earrings in the game plus an armor set.

4. Pick up the Elder Tree quest in House Celeste. It appears in the Celeste faction list once Legendary Hunter wraps.

5. Travel to the Elder Tree boss arena. Head northwest of Castle Hernand into the mountains south of The Sage's Peak. The arena is a clear marker on the map.

6. Defeat Gwen Kraber. Reward is the Icewing Plate Armor with Shattering Frost embedded. Before fast-traveling out, descend into the arena and grab the spear lying below.

Position in the Lightningblade Quest Chain

House Celeste is the anchor house in the long chain of faction quests that eventually unlocks the Ruined Chapel boss fight inside the Hernandian Parish of Solumen, whose Blooded Sanctum reward delivers the Greedy Lightningblade, the Goldbranch Plate Crown, and the Shadow Gloves. Players who skip Celeste content will find themselves locked out of House Felix, House Grace, Beggars' Alliance, and the Troll Alliance unlocks later, because Celeste quests are the gates that open every subsequent house.

The chain begins with three of the nine Outlaws in Hernand bounties for House Celeste (just three of the nine are needed to trigger the next step). If a player is stuck at eight of nine bounties, clear the Vilcom Outpost on the northern map edge, then patrol the posting boards in Hernand until the ninth bounty spawns on a random post.

Celeste Mission Sequence

1. Complete at least three of the nine Outlaws in Hernand bounties to set the chain in motion.

2. After the Alfonso and Circus chain culminates in Hooves Through the Wind, return to House Celeste and pick up Queen of the Silk-Spun Citadel, a large spider boss fight that opens the Solumen parish.

3. Progress the Solumen Where Land Meets Sky opening mission, then return for Celeste's Missing Relic quest.

4. Accept How Hands from Celeste; this hands control off to the Valua Fisherman's Guild for Beyond the Silent Waves.

5. Continue with Girl Lost in the Mists, then Celeste's Abandoned Factory, then fast travel to force the Legendary Wolf mission to appear on the map.

6. After Legendary Wolf resolves, House Felix unlocks with Family Concerns.

7. Much later, once the Troll Alliance Sleeping Heart quest resolves, fast travel back to Hernand to trigger Celeste's Frozen Elder Tree mission.

8. Travel to Lion Crest Manor outside Hernand and speak with the Wandering Freesword to begin Celeste's Legendary Animals chain, the final Celeste prerequisite before the Ruined Chapel trigger.

Contrary to a common Reddit assumption, finishing Legendary Wolf alone does not unlock the chapel boss. The full Celeste track (Legendary Animals included) plus every subsequent house must be completed before the Hernandian Parish of Solumen mission updates to Ruined Chapel: Blooded Sanctum.