Revision 7

Overview

House Roberts is the count's house of Hernand. Located on the west side of Hernand, just southwest of the big tree, the Roberts estate serves as the starting point for one of the early faction quest chains. A long-established merchant family, they rank among the wealthiest households in the duchy. Their fortune was built through generations of commerce, and their wealth has allowed them to mingle with high-ranking nobles and prominent figures in the arts. The Roberts family is known for hosting lavish banquets and maintaining a lifestyle that reflects their financial success.

House Roberts holds a notable rivalry with House Felix. The tension between the two families runs deep enough that House Felix never receives invitations to the Roberts family's social events. This rivalry adds to Felix's reputation as a house that struggles to keep pace with its peers.

Details

History and Lore

House Roberts built their wealth over many generations through merchant activity. Unlike the other noble houses, whose influence comes primarily from military strength, administrative authority, or technology, House Roberts derives its power from commerce. Their long-established trading networks have made them one of the richest families in the duchy, a position they leverage to maintain influence in Hernand's political affairs.

The family uses their wealth to cultivate relationships with the duchy's elite. Their banquets attract high-ranking nobles and artists, turning the Roberts estate into a social hub for Hernand's upper class. This social capital gives them political leverage beyond what their count's rank might otherwise allow.

Their rivalry with House Felix is a persistent feature of Hernand's political landscape. The exclusion of Felix from Roberts social events is well known among the nobility, and the competition between the two houses adds a layer of domestic tension to the duchy's politics.

Controlled Locations

House Roberts controls a diverse portfolio of commercial and military properties across Hernand, centered on Bluemont Manor.

Quests

House Roberts offers one of the more substantial faction quest chains available to the player. The questline begins with "Estate in Dismay" and involves helping Count Roberts deal with threats to his holdings, including bandits at Karin Quarry and a boss encounter at Fort Perwin.

Strongbox Puzzles at Bluemont Manor

Bluemont Manor, the seat of House Roberts, contains two strongbox puzzles hidden inside its northern and southern buildings. Both strongboxes reward the player with valuable accessories. Because the contents are classified as stolen goods, you must equip a mask before you can take the rewards.

Both strongboxes can be accessed before completing the House Roberts quest chain. By climbing the exterior walls of the manor buildings and entering through upper-floor windows, you can reach the puzzles early and grab powerful accessories ahead of schedule. The northern building strongbox is located on the second floor, past the NPC quest giver, in a bedroom. The southern building strongbox sits on the second floor in a side room by the window.

Northern Building: Owl Puzzle

The northern strongbox features a hexagonal prism with an image of an owl printed across four rotating cylinder sections. Four numbered buttons (1 through 4, from left to right) sit along the front of the box. Each button rotates a different combination of sections:

The key is to work from the inside out. First, align the two middle sections using Button 2. Then use Button 4 (the right button) to get the rightmost section in place. Next, use Button 1 (the left button) to position the leftmost section. Finally, use Button 2 again to turn the two middle pieces together, completing the owl image. Pressing buttons in the wrong order will misalign sections you have already corrected, so plan your sequence carefully.

Completing the puzzle unlocks the strongbox, which contains the Oath of Darkness earring. This accessory grants +2 Defense, making it one of the strongest defensive earrings available. The Oath of Darkness can be refined up to 10 times at any Blacksmith, further increasing its stats. Refinement materials include Hides and Bones from hunting, with Abyss Artifacts required from refinement level 5 onward.

Southern Building: Piston Puzzle

The southern strongbox uses a different mechanism. Five segmented dials control the height of a set of pistons. You need to adjust each dial so that when you pull the lever on the right, all pistons jump to the correct height and the image on the box lines up.

The solution is to lower each dial the following number of times (from left to right): 5, 2, 4, 3, 5. After adjusting all five dials, pull the lever to complete the puzzle.

The reward is a Crafted Gold Necklace, a solid early-game accessory that can be equipped or sold for silver.

Relationship with Other Houses

House Roberts sits comfortably within Hernand's hierarchy thanks to their wealth, even though their count's rank places them below the ducal and marquis houses. Their rivalry with House Felix is their most defining political relationship. The two families compete for influence among the count-level houses, with Roberts consistently coming out ahead due to their superior financial resources and social connections.

Their commercial operations complement the duchy's broader economy, and their holdings around the Perwin area, including Fort Perwin and the trading post, suggest they play a role in Hernand's trade routes and territorial security.

Tips

• Start the "Estate in Dismay" quest chain when you arrive in Hernand. The Gold Vein Map reward unlocks a valuable mining location.

• The Mining Knuckledrill from the first quest is useful for gathering resources at Karin Quarry and other mining nodes.

• Fort Perwin contains a boss encounter during the "Continuing Concern" quest. Bring healing items and prepare for a tough fight.

• Completing all three House Roberts quests provides a mix of mining tools, elixirs, and gold, making it one of the most rewarding faction quest chains.

• Bluemont Manor contains two strongbox puzzles with valuable rewards. You can access them before starting the House Roberts quests by climbing the manor walls and entering through upper windows. Equip a mask before looting, since the contents count as stolen goods.