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Buried Past is Volk's quest northeast of Svartrau. It takes several visits across multiple days. Completing the optional chores and finding Pieter's treasure changes Volk's final decision; simply choosing to spare him in the hostile ending does not save him.
Start and time commitment
Detail | Requirement |
|---|---|
Starting place | Volk's hut near the Ruined Hut Shrine, northeast of Svartrau |
Unlock | Available after the prologue; inspect the hut and speak to Volk. |
Map lead | The merchant at Maragir Crossroads can mark Volk's location. |
Availability | Day and night, with a night-only knife task. |
Listed time cost | 4-11 segments depending on the route |
Missable | Yes |
Use all the additional dialogue options during each visit if the goal is keeping Volk alive. Some tasks only appear after waiting until the next day. A quick visit that skips his requests can still advance the story toward an outcome with worse consequences.
Optional chores
Task | How to do it | Listed time |
|---|---|---|
Chop wood | Offer help, locate the axe in the shed wall with Focus Mode and chop wood. | 1 segment |
Remove the wolves | Ask about the snares, track the wolves to their den and kill them. | 1 segment |
Bring Slivovitz | Buy or loot a bottle and give it to Volk. | 0 segments |
Gather feverfew | Return the next day when Volk is ill and gather the plant by the river. | 2 segments |
Make ointment | Use the feverfew to prepare it for him. | 1 segment |
Board the bedroom window | Offer further help and repair the broken window. | 1 segment |
Find his knife | Inspect the vomit outside, ask about it and retrieve the knife from the thatched roof with Planeshift at night. | 0 segments |
All of the chores count toward the route in which Volk leaves alive. The roof task needs the night form, so leave room for it in the visit schedule instead of treating the zero-segment cost as a daytime task.
Training and the buried treasure
On the third visit, train with Volk to obtain an Artery Strike Manual. The training itself does not decide his fate. Afterward, accept the search for Pieter's treasure. Travel to Parlita, follow the trail southwest and search Giant's Pawns. The treasure route costs four segments in total and contains Pieter's Garb, a legendary light chestpiece.
If the treasure request was refused once, speak to Volk again immediately for another chance to accept. Refusing a second time provokes an immediate fight and skips the later soldier encounter and spare option.
Keep the priest at Maragir Monastery alive while progressing this stage. If he has died, Coen cannot complete the final conversation about the treasure. The remaining completion route is draining Volk at night, which gives his loot but no experience reward.
Volk's outcomes
Earlier actions and final choice | What happens | Reward consequence |
|---|---|---|
Complete every chore and find the treasure | On the next visit, two soldiers are dead and Volk has left a letter explaining he refused Brencis's trap. | Volk's Sword is lodged in a soldier inside the hut. |
Skip the chores or refuse the treasure, then kill Volk after the soldiers | Volk has betrayed Coen and dies in the confrontation. | Loot Volk's Sword and 200 Denarii. |
Reach the hostile outcome, then spare Volk | Coen avoids fighting him, but Volk dies the next day. | The sword and the other confrontation loot are missed. |
The option to spare Volk appears after the route has already turned hostile. The survival route depends on the earlier help and treasure search, so a final mercy choice cannot substitute for those tasks.
Reward checklist
Reward | Condition |
|---|---|
250 XP and 1 skill point | Normal completion; the priest-death recovery route does not grant XP. |
Artery Strike Manual | Train during the third visit. |
Pieter's Garb | Recover the treasure. |
Volk's Sword | Volk leaves alive, or Coen kills him. |
200 Denarii | Kill Volk and loot him. |
Pieter's Garb is one early equipment option for a Witchcraft Build as well as sword-focused setups. See Equipment and Crafting for the broader equipment system.