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Soul Searching in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen starts after The Castle in the Ice and takes you from Polyeidus’s study to three hidden transcriptions, Lorade Castletown, Abyss Ridge and finally Rovall’s soul. The reliable route is to copy Grotesquerie, Evil’s Emergence and Hero’s Blade, wait a full in-game day for Polyeidus, rescue Morgus, open the Castletown gate, complete the linked heart scene, repel (rather than kill) the Fallen Dragon, defeat the spectral knight and examine the glowing sword in the rock. This walkthrough follows every objective in order and flags the points that commonly make the quest appear stuck.
The quest is spoiler-heavy by design. If you have just finished The Castle in the Ice, set Soul Searching as your priority quest and use the stages below as a route map.
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What should I do before starting Soul Searching?
Finish The Castle in the Ice first. Soul Searching then becomes the priority quest and sends you to Polyeidus in the Sealed Study. You do not need a special accessory or third-party utility; the only quest-specific tool is the Transcription Kit that Polyeidus hands over. Keep a healing supply, lantern oil and a few combat items ready because the route moves through snow, fog, ruins and several enclosed fights.
The quest’s opening and slab locations are also documented in the AllThingsHow walkthrough and the QuestDuo route guide. The directions below consolidate the objectives and the easy-to-miss interactions.
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How do I start Soul Searching with Polyeidus?
- Travel to the Sealed Study after The Castle in the Ice.
- Speak with Polyeidus. He gives you the Transcription Kit and tells you to search beneath Norgan Snowfield.
- Leave the study and follow the route toward Rivercave Campground. Take the cart to the Mountain Stronghold, then continue toward the open portcullis leading into Norgan Snowfield.
The marker may point generally toward the snowfield rather than directly at the entrance. Look for the stone steps descending into a trench. At the trench’s western end is an icicle-fringed cave: this is the entrance to Snowfall Valley Derelict Passage.
Where are the three Soul Searching slabs?
You must copy three intact slabs, not every disc you encounter. The required transcriptions are Grotesquerie, Evil’s Emergence and Hero’s Blade. At each intact slab, examine it and hold the copy interaction until the Transcription Kit records the name.
1. Copy Grotesquerie
Enter Snowfall Valley Derelict Passage and follow the passage into the first chambers. The first intact tablet is the slab named Grotesquerie. Approach it, use the examine prompt and keep the interaction held until the copy completes. If the prompt disappears, reposition directly in front of the face of the slab rather than searching the surrounding walls.
2. Find Evil’s Emergence behind the rubble
The circular hall contains a cracked, cobwebbed disc. It looks like a transcription target, but it is broken and does not count for Soul Searching. The real Evil’s Emergence slab is behind a rubble blockage.
Find an explosive cask nearby, pick it up and throw it at the boulders covering the doorway. The blast clears the route without requiring a special weapon. Enter the newly opened space and copy the intact slab marked Evil’s Emergence. Check the quest counter before leaving the room; the broken disc will not advance it.
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3. Reach Hero’s Blade
Continue deeper through the passage. A lesser demon guards the route toward the final tablet. You can fight it or move around it if the terrain allows, then continue beyond the encounter to the intact slab named Hero’s Blade. Copy it in the same held-interaction manner.
When all three names have been recorded, open the quest log and confirm that the transcription objective has advanced. If it has not, you have almost certainly examined the cracked disc instead of Evil’s Emergence or released the interaction too early.
Why does Polyeidus make me wait?
Return to the Sealed Study and deliver all three transcriptions to Polyeidus. The objective then changes to waiting while he deciphers them. This is not a bug or a missing cave objective: a full in-game day must pass before the next conversation is available.
Use the time to rest at an inn or camp, complete another safe activity and then speak with Polyeidus again. The quest advances only after the waiting period and the follow-up conversation. Once he has finished deciphering the material, the marker moves to Putrid Copse.
How do I rescue Morgus in Putrid Copse?
- From the Sealed Study area, use the climbing-hook route down toward the woods.
- Follow the quest marker through Putrid Copse until you reach a foggy clearing.
- Defeat the Blemmyae in the clearing.
- Speak with Morgus after the fight, then follow the new objective to meet Wash at the gate.
The Blemmyae is reported as weak to Lightning. It can seize and swallow party members, so watch for a grab animation and be ready to interrupt it or create distance. If a pawn disappears into the creature, concentrate on freeing that pawn rather than scattering through the fog. Once the monster falls, Morgus speaks automatically and the gate objective becomes active.
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How do I get into Lorade Castletown?
Meet Wash in the gate court. The entrance is blocked by rubble, and explosive casks are placed nearby.
- Pick up a cask and carry it to the rubble.
- Throw the cask directly at the blocked section, then move clear before it detonates.
- Repeat until the opening is passable. The walkthrough reports that three casks were sufficient on its route.
- If the available casks are gone or a throw fails, attack the gate structure. The quest allows the obstruction to be destroyed by ordinary attacks.
- Enter through the breach and climb up into Castletown.
Do not confuse the first locked portcullis inside the settlement with the destroyed gate. The portcullis remains closed; the intended route uses a low archway to its left.
What is the route from Castletown to Abyss Ridge?
At the locked portcullis atop the long stair, turn left and pass through the low archway. Cross the roofless interior, climb the ladder and continue along the top of the wall. This bypass is the way around the locked barrier.
Reach Castletown Campground and speak with Polyeidus. From the camp, cross the bridge and go through the Castle Barracks Ruins. The route ends at Abyss Ridge, the chasm Polyeidus identifies as the demonic pit. After inspecting the area, return and report to him. If the marker seems to stop at the camp, the conversation with Polyeidus has not yet been completed.
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Soul Searching deliberately pauses while the linked quest Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way progresses. You cannot force the next Soul Searching objective by revisiting the slabs or sleeping repeatedly. Continue the linked quest until the scene in which you and Eir hear the heart speak.
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After that scene, Soul Searching resumes and asks you to tell Polyeidus what you witnessed. Return to him, complete the conversation and follow the newly displayed marker toward Mordria Fault.
How do I reach Mordria Fault and trigger the Fallen Dragon encounter?
- Go beyond the tents at Castletown Campground toward Mordria Fault.
- Meet Eir and follow her up the stone stairway.
- Defeat the lesser demon blocking the stairs.
- At the fault, Eir asks you to retrieve her master’s soul while she draws the dragon’s attack.
You have a documented choice here: follow Eir’s request and move toward the soul, or stay and fight the Fallen Dragon. The fight route described by the walkthrough does not kill the dragon. Instead, the encounter repels it; the dragon leaves without loot and the objective changes to Acquire Rovall’s soul. The available evidence does not establish every consequence of the alternative, so choose based on whether you want the additional battle rather than on an unsupported reward expectation.
If you stay to fight
Use the rampart ballistas while the dragon is in position, then attack when it lands on the ground. Keep enough stamina for evasive movement and avoid standing beneath the dragon during its strongest area attacks. Once it withdraws, check the quest log for the change to Acquire Rovall’s soul instead of waiting for a kill notification.
Where do I find Rovall’s soul?
After the dragon encounter, follow the route down to an enclosed courtyard. A spectral knight appears with armored companions.
- Eliminate one companion first to reduce the number of attacks arriving from different angles.
- Block or evade the knight’s broad sweeping attacks; do not remain directly in front of its weapon arc.
- Attack after the knight is knocked down, when its recovery window is longest.
- Continue beyond the courtyard to the rocky promontory.
- Interact with the glowing sword embedded in the rock. A scene plays, and the party returns to the Norgandian Inn.
The quest log should then display Completed: Soul Searching. Spectral-knight experience, discipline points and drops are reported differently between guide observations, so treat any particular payout or item list as an example rather than a guaranteed table.
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What rewards does Soul Searching give?
The detailed walkthrough reports 240,000 XP, 35,000 G and 3,000 RC for the dragon-fight route it describes. The same source also records two reported experience totals—180,000 XP or 240,000 XP—while the 35,000 G and 3,000 RC figures are reported with both sets. Because the evidence shows variation, do not treat 240,000 XP as a universal fixed reward.
| Reported result | XP | Gold | Rift Crystals | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower reported set | 180,000 | 35,000 G | 3,000 RC | One guide-reported outcome |
| Higher reported set | 240,000 | 35,000 G | 3,000 RC | Detailed dragon-fight route; still subject to reported variation |
The quest’s broader setting is part of Capcom’s paid expansion, which Capcom describes as adding a new story to the game released in March 2024. Capcom also says the Nintendo Switch 2 edition combines the main game and expansion in one package; platform and edition availability should be checked for your region before purchase.
Soul Searching troubleshooting checklist
- Only two slabs are counted: return to the circular hall and use an explosive cask on the rubble. The cracked disc is not the required tablet.
- Polyeidus has no new dialogue: complete a full in-game day after delivering all three copies, then speak with him again.
- The Castletown route seems blocked: use the low archway left of the locked portcullis, climb the ladder and follow the wall top.
- The quest appears paused: advance Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way through Eir’s heart scene; Soul Searching resumes afterward.
- The Fallen Dragon does not drop loot: on the documented route it is repelled, not killed. Continue to the Acquire Rovall’s soul objective.
- The final objective will not complete: defeat the spectral knight, reach the rocky promontory and interact with the glowing sword itself.
Quick completion order
- Speak with Polyeidus in the Sealed Study after The Castle in the Ice.
- Enter Snowfall Valley Derelict Passage beneath Norgan Snowfield.
- Copy Grotesquerie, Evil’s Emergence and Hero’s Blade.
- Return the copies, wait a full in-game day and speak with Polyeidus again.
- Rescue Morgus by defeating the Lightning-vulnerable Blemmyae.
- Meet Wash and destroy the Lorade Castletown rubble with casks or attacks.
- Use the archway-and-ladder route to Castletown Campground and report at Abyss Ridge.
- Advance Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way through the heart scene.
- Meet Eir at Mordria Fault and handle the Fallen Dragon encounter.
- Defeat the spectral knight, inspect the glowing sword and confirm the completed quest log.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Snowfoot weak to in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen?
Snowfoot is reported as weak to Lightning and resistant to Fire. If that enemy appears on your route, Lightning damage is the more favorable elemental choice.
Do I need a special accessory to finish Soul Searching?
No special accessory or replacement item is required for the quest. Polyeidus supplies the Transcription Kit, and the remaining objectives use ordinary traversal, explosive casks and combat.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen sold separately on Nintendo Switch 2?
Capcom describes Dark Arisen as paid expansion content and says the Nintendo Switch 2 version combines the base game and expansion in one package. Exact storefront listings and regional editions can differ, so verify the product page for your territory.
