Starting a side quest inDragon’s Dogma 2can be sudden. An NPC can run up to the Arisen to ask for help while you’re on your way to a shop, a dwelling, or when you’re trying to complete a different side quest. However, other quest-givers aren’t so obvious, either because they keep to themselves or because you have to look for them off the beaten path.
The NPC who starts “Twixt a Rock and a Hard Place” is in the second category. You’ll need to go find him if you want tocompletethisDragon’s Dogma 2side quest, and you may have to hunt in a few different places to locate the NPCs he sends you to.
How to Start Twixt A Rock And A Hard Place in DD2
The first person you need to find for this quest isAkakios, a beastren who spends his timeon the outskirts of Bakbattahl.Specifically, you should head for the city’s exit and take the south road. You should spot an armed blue beastren standing by the stalls. Like other quest-givers, Akakios will initiate a conversation as soon as you walk close enough.
Akakios is from Vermund, and he has a favor that he can only ask a fellow citizen of the northern kingdom. He needs you to deliver aLetter of Requestto a man named Ernesto.Ernesto is on Volcanic Island, and the way there is too dangerous for Akakios to manage.
You can start this quest as soon as you visit Bakbattahl for the first time, and you can complete it as soon as you get it. The Spellseal Door south of Bakbattahl will eventually open during the main quest “The Guardian Gigantus,” butyou can reach Volcanic Island earlierby passing through Drabnir’s Grotto, a cave system to the south.
Where to Find Ernesto in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Ernesto can be surprisingly difficult to locate. The quest marker points to an area just outside the north gate of Volcanic Island Camp, but he actually patrols the area inside the gate. Look for a beastren guard in a red outfit. Like Akakios, he should initiate a conversation with you as soon as you walk close enough, at least if you’ve started “Twixt a Rock and a Hard Place.”
Another reason you may have trouble finding him is because he might be dead. Monsters attack Volcanic Island Camp by spawning in the middle of town, and Ernesto takes an active role in fighting them. If you can’t spot Ernesto anywhere, you should head to the Bakbattahl Morgue and see if his coffin is present.You can then revive him with a Wakestoneand speak to him to continue this quest.
Once you give Ernesto the Letter of Request, he’ll write a second letter and tell you to bring it to Barbas in the Agamen Ruins (called the Excavation Site on your map). These ruins are where you began the game, but luckily the guards there don’t realize that they once held you captive.
Where to Find Barbas in Dragon’s Dogma 2
The easiest way to reach the Agamen Ruins is by using the ropeway.Head up to the inn and shop, then continue along the path to find one end of the ropeway.
You can start moving the gondola by interacting with the lever, and you can move faster by hammering the movement buttons or spinning the movement stick. Several succubi will attack along the way, and you should get off the lever and fight them off when they do. The gondola has a health stat, and if it takes too much damage, it’ll break.
You can also follow the road to the Agamen Ruins. You’ll encounter more enemies on the road, but you won’t risk falling to your death.
Barbas is another beastren guard, but his outfit is blue and brown. You should find him on the path to the northern gate. As a guard,Barbas might also be dead, but the Excavation Site is less dangerous than Volcanic Island Camp. He’ll speak to you as soon as you approach, so give him the updated Letter of Request to finish the quest and get2,500 XP, 20,000 gold, and aFerrystonethat you may want to use right away.
