Duchess In Distress is a quest available in Dragon's Dogma.
Overview[]
- "After your ill-fated tryst, Aelinore was whisked off to the Northern Manse and locked away. Mirabelle begs you to rescue her."
Rescue Aelinore from The Blighted Manse.
Walkthrough[]
The prerequisite quest Arousing Suspicion must also have been completed for the quest to initiate. The quest becomes available after speaking with the Duke and accepting the quest Deny Salvation.
Aelinore's maid Mirabelle can be found outside of the Keep in the Duke's Demesne near the stairs.
Duchess in Distress (quest walkthrough)
Find Mirabelle in the garden after raiding the Treasury in Reward and Responsibility. Don the armor she bestows and infiltrate the Blighted Manse to the far north. Slay the Bandits within and lead Aelinore safely to the exit.
Mirabelle will mention that she fears the Duke will have Aelinore killed and asks the Arisen to save her.
She will hand over a Set of Royal Guard Armor to use as a disguise and describe her plan to bring Aelinore back to their homeland of Meloire.
Infiltrate the Manse[]
Head to the Blighted Manse, north-east of Hillfigure Knoll. In order to gain entrance through the front gate, the Arisen must equip the Set of Royal Guard Armor.
Pawns cannot enter the Blighted Manse with the Arisen during this quest.
Head to the uppermost room of the Manse, where Aelinore is being held. Attacking guards or removing the armor will give away the ruse. Find Aelinore in the upper most room.
Escape the Manse[]
Escort Aelinore to the ground floor and slay the guards.
Aelinore will declare that the front door is too dangerous and will open a locked gate leading to the rear exit, using the Manse Key.
Proceed with Aelinore through the sewers and slay the Bandits within. The Duchess will balk in certain areas and request to be carried over gaps in the bridges and walkways. The Arisen may ignore her pleas, as she will instantly teleport behind the Arisen if she gets too far behind.
Approximately half-way through the sewers the Arisen's pawns will show up to help dispatch more hostile Bandits.
Quest Successful[]
Upon exiting the sewers, a cutscene will show Aelinore leaving with Mirabelle for Meloire escorted by knights - Aelinore's parting gift is the rare material Love-In-The-Rough.
Preparation and considerations[]
- Aelinore is a sturdy queen, but she is not immortal.
- Caution! Completing Deny Salvation may end this quest. The usual reason for failing this quest is that Aelinore was selected by The Dragon as the Arisen's Beloved and since she is now in the Tainted Mountain, Duchess in Distress cannot be completed.
- The Arisen must enter the Manse alone, and will need to be able to protect Aelinore for much of the escape.
- Killing or attacking the Manse guards before meeting Aelinore will give away the infiltration.
- Upon leaving the Manse through the rear entrance, a Chimera will likely be waiting to ambush the Arisen. Aelinore will have left the player's hands by this point, though, and the player can teleport away by ferrystone if wishing to avoid the encounter.
Notes[]
- The Meloirean knights are probably Ser Sago (with ponytail) and Ser Airhart (with long hair).
- If the quest is failed, the Manse Key will either be dropped by Aelinore, or may appear in a chest in her room.
- Aelinore's gift (Love-In-The-Rough) is only available from this quest - to obtain more consult the forger at The Black Cat.
- After completing the quest, the Arisen may freely re-enter the Manse via the back entrance. The guards will have been replaced with Specters and Goblins with Hobgoblins.
- If Aelinore falls too far behind in this quest she will safely "teleport" to the Arisen's location.
- Liquid Effluvium does not appear to lower Aelinore's affection if gifted while being escorted.
Aelinore in the Mansse guard room, with two dead goblins for company..
- (Glitch) If Aelinore is incapacitated or slain by the guards in the Manse (failing the quest), and the key then retrieved the Arisen can exit the front door without using the key. However, on re-entering the Manse much later by the rear door, Aelinore will have recovered and will greet the Arisen at the rear sewers of the Manse, but she is on the 'wrong side' of the locked door and cannot leave.
- Exiting the Manse with Aelinore in company will not complete the quest. She will remain perpetually in the Manse.
- The locked door can be opened with the Manse key and Aelinore returned to her chambers - however these have since been occupied by goblins, plus she now has Spectres for company, not guards.
- (BUG)
, 
Aelinore will sometimes get stuck on ladders. This can be fixed by jumping, grabbing her and leaving her on the ground.
Achievement/Trophy[]
- Into the Manse is automatically awarded upon entering the Blighted Manse the first time.