Shadow of the Ancient Arlathan

Follow our guide to complete the Shadow of the Ancient Arlathan quest in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Learn about exploring the Lighthouse, optional dialogue, and quest rewards.

Alright, so you've just finished up 'The End of the Beginning' and now you're standing in the Lighthouse. This place is going to be your home base for the rest of the game, pretty cool, right? First things first, head out into the courtyard. A cutscene is going to kick off, and who you see there depends on who you decided to bring along with you in the last mission – it'll either be Harding or Neve.

Now, the game wants you to gather everyone in the Library. But before you do that, you've got a chance to chat with Neve in the Study and Harding in the Conservatory. These are perfect opportunities to get closer to them, especially if you want to romance them later on. Just look for those flirt options when they pop up – they'll change a bit depending on who you took to the statue earlier.

For Neve, you'll have two dialogue choices: “Let’s hope things go smoother” if you took her to the statue, or “Quite the start” if you didn't. Harding only has one option if you didn't take her: “Are you okay?”. After you've had your chats, head over to the Library for another cutscene. Oh, and hey, while you're exploring the Lighthouse, don't forget to check out our guide for all the Lighthouse Chests and Puzzles – there's some good loot to be found!

Once that's done, it's time to investigate Solas's ritual site. Make your way down the stairs to the Eluvian Room. When you get there, just interact with the gate. This will whisk you away to the Arlathan Forest, and bam! The quest wraps up. For completing this, you'll snag 900 XP, +200 Veil Jumpers Strength, and a nice boost to your Companion Bond.