A Candle in the Storm quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is part of Empress Nadinia/Ser Menella’s questline. During the Shadowed Prayers quest, you must uncover the plot to kill Empress Nadinia. Once the assassin has been apprehended, Menella will be sent to the hotspring in Vocalnic Island Camp to recover.
Make your way to Volcanic Island Camp in Dragon’s Dogma 2, and there, you will meet Menella, who asks for your help again in trying to identify the mastermind behind the attack on the Empress.
During your investigation, you will have to make some choices, but don’t worry, as I will explain the impact of those decisions so you aren’t blindsided by your decisions.
Get the information from Herman, Coral Snakes Member
The first objective of this quest is to venture to the Bakbattahl jail. There, you will need to pay 5000 Gold to an inmate named Herman to get some information from him. He will mention that the Coral Snakes gave him this job to assassinate Empress Nadinia.
After your conversation with Herman ends, you can return to the Volcanic Island Camp to relay this information to Menella. Use one of the Ferrystones you have acquired to fast travel to the Portcrystal at Volcanic Island Camp.
She will devise a plan for you to inform the Coral Snakes about Empress Nadinia’s location so that you can lure them there and set a trap for them. This way, you can determine the mastermind’s identity behind Empress Nadinia’s assassination plan in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Furthermore, this also means that you will need to make another visit to the Bakbattahl jail. You can enter this area, turn left, and walk past the first two jail cells on your left side. Talk to the inmate named Ashe, a member of the Coral Snakes, inside the third jail cell.
Tell Ashe that you have the Empress
As part of Menella’s plan, you can tell him that the Empress is in your custody. This will prompt Ashe to think that you are with the coral snakes. He will tell you that he will pass this information on to the interested party and will give you the location of an empty house south of the Pilgrims’ Path.
Now that you have leaked this information to the Coral Snakes, you can report back to Ser Menella. Menella will be present near the entrance of Bakbattahl, so speak with her. She will tell you to meet her at her special hideout, so follow the marker on your mini-map to reach that location.
There, you will find Menella with Empress Nadinia. Menella plans to set up a decoy to avoid risking the empress’s life in Dragon’s Dogma 2. However, the Empress will not be entirely on board with this plan as she thinks it will only be convincing if she plays her part.
This way, you will have two choices during the quest: A Candle in the Storm. The first one supports the Empress’s proposal, whereas the second option opposes it.
Should you support Nadinia’s proposal in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
It is highly suggested that you support Empress Nadinia’s proposal as the first option. This way, you will receive the best reward for the quest A Candle in the Storm in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
After that, you can tell Menella that you are ready. An unknown NPC from the Coral Snakes will arrive at the hideout during nightfall. After speaking with her, the unknown member will observe Nadinia and verify that it is indeed the real Empress.
She will then instruct you to kill Nadinia. This is simply a test, so all you need to do is pull out your weapons as if you were going to do it. After a few seconds, the mysterious person will tell you to stop, as you have earned her trust.
It turns out that she is interested in making Empress Nadinia’s death more of a spectacle for everyone to see. In short, she doesn’t want Nadinia to die at this moment. After her conversation ends, Menella blocks the exit leading to the hideout. This way, it will be revealed that the mysterious person is, in fact, Nadinia’s assistant, Irmhild.
Nadinia will state that Irmhild’s plan has failed, and Irmhild will explain her motives for eliminating the empress. After her dialogue ends, Irmhild will be arrested, and the quest A Candle in the Storm will be marked as complete.
Supporting Nadinia’s plan will earn you the best rewards, including XP (x4800), Gold (x25000), and a Ring of Amplification.
What happens if you oppose Nadinia’s proposal?
If you refuse Nadinia’s proposal by selecting the second option, the Empress must go with Menella’s plan. Once the Mysterious stranger approaches the hideout, you can speak with her. She will then enter the place, and after inspecting the decoy, the mysterious person will state that this is not the empress.
Judging by the situation, the Mysterious person will call reinforcements and run out of the hideout. You must deal with the assassins present outside and kill them all in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Here, you can catch up with the Mysterious person and reveal her identity as Irmhild, or she can escape during the fight.
If Irmhild gets caught, she will take her own life, immediately ending the quest for you. That said, choosing the second option means the rewards will be decent but not great. You will get the same amount of XP (x4800), but compared to the first choice, you will get 19,000 Gold.
In addition to these, you will receive Jasper (x3) as a reward for completing the quest A Candle in the Storm in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Keep in mind that Irmhild will take her own life without explaining her motives, so it is a bad ending.
