Poppy is the author of "A Bard's Lament." She lives in Enoshima and likes to read novels and play video games, especially open-world RPGs.

"Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" is a main storyline quest in BioWare's fantasy roleplaying game Dragon Age: Inquisition. The quest is obtainable after you complete "In Your Heart Shall Burn" and have settled in Skyhold.

Empress Celene is under threat from an unknown assassin. If she died, Orlais would be thrown into chaos, making it an easy target for Corypheus. It's up to the Inquisition to intercept the assassination and make sure Orlais is safe.

Empress Celene is under threat from an unknown assassin DeviantArt

"Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" is a unique quest that people tend to love or hate. It has sidequests, multiple dialogue options, and some bonus quests depending on the three companions you choose to take with you.

This is a complete guide to the quest which includes the locations of all bonus items and a guide on each of the five possible endings. Please keep in mind that it isn't possible to reconcile Briala and Celene's relationship and find all the Caprice coins in a single playthrough.

Who Should I Take?

As always, you can only take three people with you on this quest. It's recommended that you take:

Your love interest: If you are in a romance with Josephine or Cullen, then this doesn't matter as they come along either way.

Sera: This opens up a new quest for bonus items. However, please keep in mind that it's not possible to complete Sera's quest and "The Great Blackmail Hunt" in the same playthrough if you want Briala and Celene to rule together.

Vivienne: Choose her if your character is a mage. This gives your character some extra credit as people respect Vivienne.

Quest Stage: Enter the Winter Palace

Scandalous Secrets: 1

Caprice Coins: 1

Halla Statuettes: 1

Your beginning court approval depends on your character's race and fighting class. A human non-mage will win the highest approval and you will lose some if your character is a mage, an elf, or a Qunari. Even if you start with the lowest possible amount, it is still possible to achieve 100 court approval, so don't let it concern you for now.

Head to the quest marker a few feet from where you begin and talk to the fretting noblewoman about her missing ring. Respond with "interesting stratagem" for a small approval bonus. It doesn't really matter whether you give the ring back or not (you can easily find it hidden in a small fountain near where the noblewoman is standing), but if you do return it, you'll get a little more approval.

Approach two talking nobles up the stairs on the left and they will berate you for disturbing them. Head to the balcony where you'll find a red circle; stand inside it and select "Investigate" to listen to their conversation.

Find the storage key on the same balcony. Head to the area on the opposite side to find the halla statuette. Use the key to open the storage room directly below you. The halla statuette can be used to open the eastern storage room for some items; however, since it contains nothing quest-related, it is recommended you save it for future doors.

Scandalous Secrets

You'll find the first secret (1/30) in the room you unlocked with the storage key, which begins the quest "The Great Blackmail Hunt."

Caprice Coins

In the same room as the secret, you'll find your first Caprice coin (1/1), starting the quest "Throwing Away Money."

Halla Statuettes

On the same balcony where you eavesdrop on the nobles, you'll find a halla statuette (1/11).

ballroom in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts Pinterest

Quest Stage: Enter the Ballroom

Scandalous Secrets: 2

Caprice Coins: 0

Halla Statuettes: 0

You'll find yourself in the Winter Palace vestibule. You can talk to Cullen if you like. Avoid Gaspard for now and find the secrets.

Scandalous Secrets

Head to the far end of the vestibule near the entrance to the library. "Investigate" in the red circle to eavesdrop on conversations. Repeat until it counts as a secret towards your total (2/30). Sometimes it may take a few attempts.

You'll find the other secret near the main stairs' balcony when you eavesdrop (3/30).

After that, speak to Duke Gaspard to initiate the next stage.

ballroom in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts Play3

Quest Stage: Speak with Leliana

Scandalous secrets: 0

Caprice coins: 0

Halla Statuettes: 0

Take your time walking across the ballroom if you'd like to hear the entirety of you and your companions' introductions. Sera's is particularly funny. When Celene addresses you, respond with:

"It's an honor", though take note you will only receive court approval if your character is a non-mage human. If you're a mage, you'll only receive approval if Vivienne is in your party. If you're a non-mage elf, Qunari, or Dwarf, select "The weather may turn foul" instead.

Any dialogue option.

Before you approach Leliana, find your companions and chat with them. If you brought Sera, say "Any tips from your friends?" to start the quest "Red Jenny's Stashes." Only if your court approval is lower than 60, ask "How are you fitting in?". If you're in a romance with her or are interested in romancing her, ask her to dance. You can chat with Cullen and Josephine, too.

If your court approval is higher than 60, talk to Lady Mantillon and ask her to dance (requires the nobility knowledge perk) to obtain the quest "Dance with the Dowager: the Allemande." If your approval isn't high enough, don't worry - you can come and do this later. Finally, go and talk to Leliana by going to the vestibule.

Quest Stage: Explore the Grand Library

Scandalous Secrets: 10

Caprice Coins: 2

Halla Statuettes: 1

You'll find yourself back in the vestibule, where new items will have appeared. When facing the door to the ballroom, turn right and enter the guest wing. Run straight through into the room with a lot of people in it for now. Talk to Duke Germain and select the dialogue option "Investigate" and then "Gaspard is your nephew?" for some court approval.

Next, talk to the Council of Heralds Vassal and select "Philippe is a jerk!" for a nice boost in court approval. You can also talk to Lady Marcelette, but it won't affect approval.

Iron Bull is in this room if you decided to bring him along. He's got some interesting things to say. Blackwall is also standing in the Hall of Heroes (between where Iron Bull is and the vestibule).

Some elves will be having a discussion. Approach them and they'll move; you must then find a place to eavesdrop on them. Next, head to the balcony (near where you met Duke Germain) to pick up the cylinder seal.

After that, go to the guest garden where you'll be approached by some of Celene's ladies. Respond how you like (being polite is better). You'll then be free to explore the garden.

There's a noble there who you can eavesdrop on; select the red circle in the far corner to listen in on the conversation. Do this twice. After that, approach him and, depending on your preference, agree with leashing templars or stopping mages. You'll gain a new recruit for the Inquisition.

Near the locked door in the far side of the garden, there is a cobwebby corner with a box you can loot. This is one of Red Jenny's Stashes.

Climb up the netting at the back of the garden and enter the doors to the library. Ignore everything in this room and turn right into one of the doors into the main part of the library. Go down the stairs and into the door on the right. If you're a rogue, you'll be able to pick the lock but if you're a warrior or a mage, don't worry - the room doesn't hold any quest-specific items.

Make sure you explore the library and find all the secrets and coins below before you pick up any main quest items. When you've grabbed everything, get the book near the stairs between the garden and the library. After that, head to the room near the garden and "pull book" to reveal the secret room. Grab the veilfire before you pick up the secret and light the beacons to reveal the secret staircase and get some bonus items.

Only when you're sure you've got all the secrets, coins, and items you can pick up the letter on the desk and open the door in the upper garden with the halla statuettes to pick up the negotiations. This will start the timer to get back to the ballroom. For the highest court approval, wait for the second bell (when your inquisitor will say "fashionably late, now") before you enter the ballroom.

Scandalous Secrets

Upon entering the room with a lot of people in it, find the red circle on your immediate left when you enter. Eavesdrop for a scandalous secret (4/30).

After that, take the first left into the room with Duke Germain and eavesdrop in the red circle on the right (5/30).

Talking to Germain (6/30), the Council of Heralds (7/30), and the nameless nobles both times (8/30, 9/30) all mentioned above also reveals another secret each.

In the opposite side of the garden, you can eavesdrop for another secret (10/30).

Upon climbing up the netting at the back of the garden, turn right and go to the end of the balcony to find a secret (11/30).

When you go into the main library and down the stairs, go through the door on the left and pick up the documents for another secret (12/30).

In the main area of the library, search for a secret on the far table on the left (13/30).

Caprice Coins

Very close to Duke Germain is one of the lion statues where you'll find a Caprice coin (2/15).

In the Hall of Heroes, near where Blackwall is standing, is another Caprice coin (3/15).

Halla Statuettes

When you climb up the netting at the back of the garden, make a sharp right and approach the end of the balcony to find a halla statuette (2/11).

Quest Stage: Enter the Servants' Quarters

Scandalous Secrets: 0

Caprice Coins: 0

Halla Statuettes: 0

Here, you'll meet Celene's occult advisor. When she talks to you, respond with:

"It's a mystery."

"That's a good question."

If you haven't already, deliver the scandalous secrets to Leliana. Then enter the ballroom and approach Briala. Choose all the possible conversation topics; none of them affect approval. Then talk to Celene's ladies-in-waiting and select all dialogue options. These two steps will complete the quest "Behind Every Empress." Then, head back to the Hall of Heroes and enter the servants' quarters with the key the advisor gave to you.



Quest Stage: Explore the Servants' Quarters

Scandalous Secrets: 0

Caprice Coins: 0

Halla Statuettes: 2

When you enter the servants' quarters, make sure you equip your weapons and armor. Turn right and go into the room with the beds to pick up the Diary of a Nosy Servant. Go to the kitchen to grab the statuette and item, detailed below, then head back to the garden.

Go outside and take a sharp, immediate left to get the statuette before you jump down to see the body.

Halla Statuettes

There is a statue on the beams above the kitchen. Climb the boxes and crates on the other side and walk across the beams to reach it (3/10), as well as the book. Save beforehand if you're worried about losing a lot of court approval.

As soon as you go outside from the servants' quarters, take a sharp left to grab the hidden halla statuette in the far corner (4/10).

Quest Stage: Find the Harlequin

Scandalous secrets: 0

Caprice coins: 3

Halla statuettes: 2

After the cuscene, head north until you hit a wall and take the stairs on the right. Follow the path and up the ladder to collect the halla statuette and the Caprice coin (more details below).

Go back down to the garden and kill the Venatori. Keep an eye out for fountains near the wall, as some of them have a bag of gold you can loot. Head for the Grand Apartments next and kill the Venatori inside. After you've grabbed the Caprice coin, head back outside to find the second of the three Red Jenny's Stashes (in the corner, in the southwest corner of the map).

Back in the Grand Apartments, go up the stairs and follow the path. On the left, grab a book for a codex and some experience, and then go towards the quest icon to battle more Venatori.

After the cutscene, go back into the room and grab the halla statuette. Explore the entirety of this floor; in one bedroom, there is a vault that contains an elven locket, an item that is essential to one of the endings.

After that, head back down to the gardens and to the vestibule.

Caprice Coins

After finding the dead emissary, go north until you hit a wall and take the stairs on the right. After you follow the path and climb the ladder, keep going straight ahead until you reach the balcony railing. There is a Caprice coin on top of it (4/15).

When you enter the Grand Apartments, go to the large hall straight ahead and you'll find another Caprice coin (5/15).

After you've grabbed the supply cache in the kitchen, go to the bedroom across from it. By the north wall, on the bed, is another coin (6/15).

Halla Statuettes

After finding the dead emissary, go north until you hit a wall and take the stairs on the right. After you follow the path and climb the ladder, go to the room on the left where you'll find a hidden halla statuette (5/11).

Right after the cutscene with Briala, go back into the room and find a halla statue near the entrance to the balcony (6/11).

Quest Stage: Explore the Trophy Room

Scandalous Secrets: 14

Caprice Coins: 7

Halla Statuettes: 1



You're under a timer here, but there's still time to grab a few items. When the second bell rings, head straight for the vestibule. There is time to collect the extra items later.

You'll meet Grand Enchanter Florianne, who will invite you to dance. The next scene is vital to the overall court approval. Respond with the following to give your character a big boost.

"May I help you?"

"Let's dance."

"Orlais' war is Thedas's war" if you have the nobility perk, or "Why don't you educate me?" if you don't.

"Is that what we both want?"

"Which am I to you?"

"Who do you trust?", "I trust the Inquisition" or "I trust no one."

"Isn't everyone?"

Watch the cutscene with Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana. Reply how you like depending on the outcome you want. If you're not sure, select "I need more information."

Head clockwise around the room to find the items (detailed below) and then deliver your scandalous secrets to Leliana. If you want to blackmail Briala and Celene with their love affair, be sure to show Briala and Fleur the elven locket.

Head to the vestibule. After collecting the items, go towards the trophy room and eavesdrop on the conversation between the guards. Approach the guards and encourage them to go and talk to Cullen. Go into the trophy room and after collecting the bonus items, grab the evidence against Gaspard. You can also unlock the door for bonus loot if your character is a rogue.

Scandalous Secrets:

Immediately after reaching the Hall of Heroes after coming from the servants' quarters, head forward a few paces to grab a secret document (14/30).

Enter the vestibule and head to the other end towards the library, but turn right instead of left. Eavesdrop for another secret (15/30).

Go down the large staircase in the vestibule and turn left into a room. There's a secret on a bench (16/30).

Go to the room where Iron Bull is. Near the door to the garden, on the floor, is another secret document (17/30).

A little farther on, past the door to the garden, is another secret on the table (18/30).

Go to the wall on the left. There is another secret on the floor (19/30).

Go to the room on the far left-hand side for another secret near the left wall (20/30).

Go to the room next to it (where Duke Germain is) and find another secret in the far-right corner of the room (21/30).

In the same room, go outside to the balcony and eavesdrop on the left (22/30).

Jump over the railing into the grassy part of the balcony to find another secret document (23/30).

On the other side of the same balcony, there's another secret on the bench (24/30).

Go to the guest garden and to the other side near the locked halla statuette door. Turn right to find another secret (25/30).

Go back to the library and find another secret on top of one of a north side table (26/30).

Enter the Trophy Room and go to the wall on the right-hand side. You'll find a secret on the small table (27/30).

Caprice Coins:

After dancing with Florianne, head around the ballroom clockwise to find the Caprice coin (7/15) near Josephine.

After delivering your secrets to Leliana, continue up the hallway and find another coin near the statue in the corner (8/15).

In the vestibule, go to the northeast corner of the room to find a coin near the railing (9/15).

Near the many secrets in the room where Iron Bull is, go to the end room on the left to find another coin near a secret (10/15).

Up the netting to the library from the garden and opposite the opened halla statuette door is another coin on the railing (11/15).

Enter the Trophy Room and go to the wall on the left-hand side. There's a Caprice coin on the floor (12/15).

Unlock the Lower Garden door with your collected halla statuettes and head down to the garden where you'll find a Caprice coin on the railing near the final Red Jenny stash (13/15). However, DO NOT DO THIS if you want a truce or you want to unite Briala and Celene, as you'll need to save your halla statues for the final halla door.

Halla Statuettes:

Right next to Gaspard's orders is a halla statuette on his desk (7/11).



Quest Stage: Explore the Royal Wing

Scandalous Secrets: 3

Caprice Coins: 2

Halla Statuettes: 4

Go to the back of the vestibule and go up the stairs on the right to enter the Royal Wing. Don't forget to equip your weapons and armor. Open the halla statuette door if you wish; after that, approach the door at the far end of the hall and watch the cutscene. If you want to support Briala, avoid asking the elf to testify against her.

If you want to support Gaspard or get all three to make a public truce, then open the halla door and set the naked guard free. You can also leave him where he is. After that, pass through the room where you saved the elf.

You will now be able to follow the marker for the boss fight. Please note that you cannot go back after the boss fight, so be sure you have all of the halla statues, coins, and secrets before you enter the room.

Scandalous Secrets

Upon entering the Royal Wing, immediately turn left to find the secret on the desk (28/30).

In a room on the western part of the Royal Wing, there's another secret on the other end on top of a small bench (29/30).

If you open the halla door in the Royal Wing, there's the final secret on the left on a table when you walk in (30/30).

Caprice Coins

In Empress Celene's private quarters, you can get another coin only if you release the naked prisoner (14/15).



When you hear the rift sound, approach the opposite door to the balcony. Follow the balcony anti-clockwise, jump through the window, and find the final coin on the far left (15/15).

Halla Statuettes

After the cutscene with the elf, turn around towards the wall to see a statuette on a cabinet (8/11).

In the western part of the main royal wing, head into the bedroom. There's another statuette in the middle on a table (9/11).

When you hear the rift sound and the cussing, just keep going and descend the stairs. The statuette is on the floor near a bookcase (10/11).

There are two doors, one of which leads to the boss battle. Go through the opposite door to another balcony. Follow the path anti-clockwise and jump through the open window. You'll find the final halla statuette on a table on the left side of the room (11/11).

Before doing the boss battle, go back to Leliana and deliver your secrets to complete the quest.

Quest Stage: Boss Battle

Enter the door where the rift sound is coming from and watch the scene. If Sera is in your party, choose the dialogue option "He's used to it by now" when it presents itself, for a little approval.

After the battle, use the dialogue option "Come work for me" (requires the Underworld speech perk) to recruit the man left behind. Sera will slightly approve of this, too.

Head to the door opposite from where you came and grab the gold near the body on the balcony. Then head for the quest marker for the finale,

All Possible Endings

Depending on items you collected and dialogue options you chose, some endings will have become available to you. Here are the five possible endings, summed up.

Celene rules alone.

Celene and Briala rule together.

Gaspard rules alone.

Gaspard "rules" with Briala pulling the strings.

All three come to a public truce and work together for the Inquisition.

Keep in mind that "I'll talk to Florianne" yields more approval from certain companions, but can only succeed if you have high court approval. Once Florianne is captured, you can choose whether to imprison or execute her; "Take her away" gains more companion approval.

1. Celene rules alone

To achieve this, you must stop Florianne from assassinating Celene. Select:

"Detain the duchess" or "I'll talk to Florianne."

Use the evidence you got against Gaspard by selecting "Gaspard was planning a coup."

You can choose to spare Gaspard's life or let him be sentenced to death.

2. Celene and Briala rule together

For this ending, you must have acquired the elven locket and presented it to both Celene and Briala. Select:

"Detain the duchess" or "I'll talk to Florianne."

"Briala helped stop Florianne."

Present evidence against Gaspard.

Select "What about Briala's reward?"

3. Gaspard rules alone

Cullen favors this ending and some agree that the "rightful" emperor of Orlais is the better choice. To achieve this, you have to select the following.

"Wait for Florienne to attack."

Finish the boss fight.

Select "Gaspard will be emperor."

Use evidence to blackmail Briala.

4. Gaspard "rules" with Briala pulling the strings

Gaspard will have the title of emperor, but Briala and her spies will have the real power. This shows the Inquisition's support for elves. To achieve this ending, choose:

"Wait for Florianne to attack."

Finish the boss fight.

Select "Briala can take over."

Present evidence against Gaspard.

5. The public truce

Make sure you collect evidence against all three. You will have had to release the naked soldier in Celene's private quarters and asked him to testify against her. You must also have court approval of 85 or higher.

"Detain the duchess" or "I'll talk to Florianne."

Present evidence about all three characters.

Select "You work for me now."

All endings have different effects on your companions' approval. They also have various consequential war table operations.

"Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" is a fascinating quest that gives great insight into Orlesian culture and the famous "Game". It has a very different style to most of the other quests; that, plus the fact it has so many different endings and consequences, makes it one of the most interesting parts of Inquisition.

Which ending is your favorite? Do you prefer to let Celene and Briala get back together, or for the war general to take the throne? Hopefully, with this guide, you can get the desired outcome in your playthrough.

Questions & Answers

Question: Why don’t Leliana and Cullen recognize Morrigan in Dragon Age: Inquisition?

Answer: We don’t see then when they first meet Morrigan. The first time we see them all together is in the War Room, by which time, presumably, they had already met and exchanged pleasantries.

Question: I hate the "Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts" quest in "Dragon Age: Inquisition. That said, after I meet Morrigan, I go to the servants’ quarters. Am I then supposed to fight and explore losing court approval for the next ten minutes? Or do I go straight back to the ballroom after finding the body?

Answer: You fight and explore. Don’t worry about court approval because in the conversation with Florianne, you can easily get it all back if you choose the dialogue in this guide. You have to explore that area to move forward with the quest. Be sure to follow the guide for the Halla statue locations, too.

Question: In Dragon Age: Inquisition, does using a Halla statue on one door mean I can't use it on a door later on?

Answer: Yes, you can’t open every single door because there aren’t enough statues. If you want to open the door to Celine’s bedroom, don’t open the door in the lower garden. However if you want to finish Sera’s quest or get all the caprice coins then you’ll have to not open Celine’s bedroom door.

Question: Playing an archer in “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” I was looking at a list of unique bows in the game. I read somewhere that getting Tenasarin required killing Florianne. At least that is how I remember it, and I cannot find that page again. Do you know if that is accurate, or perhaps something that was patched out?

Answer: You can buy Tenasarin in Skyhold from the human male merchant (you have to have saved Seggrit in Haven during In Your Heart Shall Burn for him to be there) for 11110 gold once you've unlocked the ability to craft masterworks. You don't have to kill Florianne to do so. The merchant is standing near Bonny Sims, near the stables.

Question: Is there an option for Gaspard to have all the power and Briala to be the puppet on the throne in Dragon Age: Inquisition?

Answer: I doubt that the option exists as there would never be an elf on the throne, especially if Celine was killed for her to get there.

© 2017 Poppy

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on July 04, 2020:

Thank you Mihrazi, I will check it

Mihrazi on July 04, 2020:

First, really appreciate the guide.

Second, I think you're a little confused on the balcony sides in stage one. You say "Find the storage key on the same balcony. Head to the area on the opposite side to find the halla statuette. Use the key to open the storage room directly below you." But the room below the statue is the storage room you open with the statue, not key, And then later list finding the statue on the same balcony you listened in on the nobles on.

Not a big deal, but I did have to start over because I used the statue thinking I was going to use the key. (I'm smart like that X.x)

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on June 07, 2020:

Yeah, that's right :(

Dexter on June 07, 2020:

So basically, if I want a truce or have Briala and Celene rule together, I can't get all of the caprice coins. grrr

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on April 22, 2020:

Hi, Soph. Thank you for your lovely message. I'm so glad the guide is helpful to you and you're enjoying DAI again!

Soph on April 22, 2020:

Hiya! I’ve actually been here since 2018 when I first played DAI. I recently booted it up again and just realized I haven’t thanked you for this brilliant guide. Great work and thanks a bunch!

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on February 09, 2020:

Hi Stal. In the "Who Should I Bring?" section of the article, it says "Sera. This opens up a new quest for bonus items. However, please keep in mind that it's not possible to complete Sera's quest and 'The Great Blackmail Hunt' in the same playthrough if you want Briala and Celene to rule together." This explains that it's not possible to collect all the secrets AND complete the Red Jenny quest in the same playthrough. Hope that helps and you can reload to get the ending you're looking for.

Stal on February 09, 2020:

I mean. Thanks for elaborating that doing the red jenny quest would ONLY prevent the Celene/Briala ending, and not letting us know that you can’t collect the final Coin or secret, so now I can’t 100% like I intended.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on January 08, 2020:

Thank you for your message! Unfortunately I don't know much about combat in the game, but there are some great guides on LevelSkip for tactics with different characters.

Taylor on January 08, 2020:

I am at a level ten so I haven’t been able to finish the fade rift battle. I am an elf rogue archer, do you know how I can beat it with Sera, Dorian, and Cole? I kept dying over and over so I looked it up and this was the first thing that came up. I appreciate it so much and I love that I got to see the ways to make it turn out how I wanted it to. Thank you so much.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on September 05, 2019:

Many people don't like this mission. Hopefully with the guide you managed to get through it!

Prpich on September 05, 2019:

Yeah i dont like this one bit. This mission seemed rushed to the point that just slapped things together.

Paula on July 10, 2019:

Great guide, I use it every time I play this game. DAI is awesome, can't wait for DA4.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on May 19, 2019:

Hi, Mimi! Thank you so much for your comment. I agree; none of them are particularly likable, so it really just depends on what you want for the Inquisition. Like with everything else in the Game, you do things for political power and to suit your own needs!

Mimi on May 19, 2019:

Awesome guide use it every time, too bad I hate Celene, Gaspard and Briala for different reasons especially after reading The Masked Empire, ugh. Never know who to choose.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on January 28, 2019:

Hi, there. Don't worry too much about approval (unless it's dropping below 50) because with the conversation with Florianne, you can get it all back very easily. As for the bell never ringing, does this mean you've never been able to get to the end of this quest? If so, it sounds like a bug. Or do you mean that your Inquisitor is never fashionably late? If it's the latter, you're only missing out on a couple of points and don't need to worry about it.

The way to not lose approval is by being surrounded by guests.

Willow3 on January 28, 2019:

There seems to be a real problem with this quest. I've NEVER been able to get the second bell to ring. I've met Morrigan, and gone to the servant's quarters, where my approval keeps dropping and I have NO idea what direction to head in once I've been attacked in the garden.g. Your guide helps a bit, but I still don't know if I am supposed to go to the servant quarters BEFORE the second bell rings or after it. Very frustrating to have to do this awful questline over and over and over and over and over...and still not be able to get to that second bell. My character absolutely has to have the approval boost because she is a Qunari mage.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on January 23, 2019:

You're very welcome! I'm delighted it helped :)

JFratt on January 23, 2019:

Very useful guide! Made the quest more enjoyable and got the truce ending so Thank you for the help!

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on November 02, 2018:

You're welcome, Alice! Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts is charming in its way. I hope you managed to find all the items and get the ending you wanted.

Alice on November 02, 2018:

I don't really like this quest but this guide made it much more bearable. Thank you.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on September 14, 2018:

That's so great to hear, Kelly, thank you! I'm glad it helped.

Kelly from Brampton, Canada on September 12, 2018:

I love this guide. Its so detailed and easy to follow. Ive been to so many other sites and none were so specific as to where all the collectibles and secrets where. Such a great guide

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on December 11, 2017:

Thank you for your comment, Catt. I'm so happy you got all the items!

Catt on December 11, 2017:

I'm on my second play through of Inquisition and missed out on a lot of secrets / halla statues the first time round. Thank you so much for this guide! Managed to get them all.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on November 07, 2017:

Thanks for your very detailed answer! Unfortunately I could never download the DLCs so I wasn’t aware of the epilogue. Very nice analysis :)

Morgan on November 07, 2017:

I'd like an option to leave Celene officially on the throne, give Briala blackmail material so she's in charge and have Gaspard imprisoned, remanded to the inquisition or given to the wardens so he can't start shit. I'm not fond of executing people (but I will if it both benefits Orlais and they had it coming ).

I liked seeing Celene and Briala get together until I read their backstory. I don't think Celene will keep her promises to Briala and the epilogue doesn't mention anything about elven rights for them. On the other hand, Gaspard has motivation to try to bump Briala off that Celene doesn't have, Briala might be overthrown. Maybe she'd be able to do more for the elves in the long run with Celene if her plans with Gaspard are going to backfire. I play an elf and keep the Inquisition around at the end partly so that she can have some backup if I do a Briala/Gaspard route. The thought of being left with Gaspard if he does shake Briala off is unpleasant. For Celene/Briala, Briala has a pretty badass speech and I liked putting a lesbian ruling couple in charge. I put them on the throne during runs where I'm disbanding the inquisition. It became pretty unsatisfying to pair them when I read that Celene fetishized Briala, constantly let her down, killed Briala's family and burned down the alienage. Briala is no babe in the woods and she can make her own decisions, but I feel like I'm not doing her any personal favors by having her and Celene get back together.

Celene doesn't really care about the elves and is willing to fuck them over when it suits her (at least she's not enthusiastic about it like Gaspard but that is a very low bar). She is a terrible lover to Briala and honesty in general is not her thing. In Orlais I suppose you need to be slippery though. At least she is not actively out to harm the elves and with Briala's nudging will do some small good things for them here and there. Maybe in the future Celene will try to do right by her? That's probably naive. She is a proponent for educational access and seems less warmongering than Gaspard. In a choice between her and Gaspard (not including Briala) I would definitely pick Celene.

Gaspard is an imperialist racist asshole. He is an enemy to the elves and can be an enemy to Ferelden. He also has no interest in supporting education or cultural pursuits for anyone. I'm not impressed by his honor code and I see no reason to put him on the throne, other than as a puppet for Briala. He's just the worst.

Soo

pair up Celene & Briala and execute Gaspard or let Celene get assassinated and give Briala blackmail material?

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on October 23, 2017:

Excellent choice. That's what I went with as well, but it sucks you can't get all the Caprice Coins in the same playthrough. It's cute to see the empress happy with her lover again, plus you get the elves.

A.J. on October 23, 2017:

Only 6 hours to write? That's impressive, I think it took me 6 hours just to play through it :D

I went with Celene and Briala reconciling. Part of me wanted to get all three of them to work together once I had the chance, but I stuck to my instinct not trusting Gaspard. There was too much shady stuff going on with him. That option seemed to rely on blackmail and leverage over all three, and blackmail doesn't sound like a strong foundation for stable leadership.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on October 23, 2017:

You're welcome! And thank you for your lovely comment. It took me six hours to write this one haha. Which ending did you choose?

A.J. on October 23, 2017:

Thanks for this guide! I found it really useful, especially for the secrets and coins subquests. I'm glad there's other people out there still playing this game, and especially glad there are people out there writing content to help others get through difficult areas. Good Job! ^_^

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on October 12, 2017:

Nice!

anon on October 12, 2017:

You can get approval as a human mage even without Vivienne in your part if you choose the weather may turn foul in the conversation with Celene

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on October 02, 2017:

I am so happy to hear that, Emily! I'm glad it's useful for you! :D

Emily on October 02, 2017:

I've used this article every playthrough! It's the easiest to understand!!

Alison on September 25, 2017:

Thank you so much for this. I'm on my third playthrough and could never work out how to get all the secrets. I didn't realise red circles reappeared lol.. thank you again!!

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on September 10, 2017:

So glad to hear that :) share with your friends!

Bane on September 10, 2017:

Yeah this really helped out with annoying trophy I could never seem to get

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on September 08, 2017:

I'm glad to hear it! Which ending did you choose?

Gemini on September 06, 2017:

great article, really helped on my second run-through using the guide