How to Start Dark Arisen and Reach Norgan in Dragon's Dogma 2

Quick Answer

Speak with Captain Brant at The Stardrop Inn in Vernworth at night and choose “About the new Arisen…”. Rest at Shakir’s Inn, return to Brant, and question the soldiers in the western square. Reach the Fallen Griffin through Malachite Forest, not from Melve’s riverbank, then speak with Pekdre to travel to Norgan.

The first Dark Arisen quest sends you looking for a creature that reportedly fell near Melve. Following the marker directly from Melve, however, leads to the wrong side of a river. The creature is actually beside a waterfall at the eastern edge of Malachite Forest, and the easiest way to reach it is from the western side.

There is also an important choice before you leave Vernworth. Captain Brant offers two new investigations: one leads to Norgan, while the other opens the Lost Rites dungeon content. Choosing the wrong conversation does not take you to the snowy region.

Chilling Tidings begins in the familiar part of the game, but it is worth preparing before accepting the journey north. The recommended level for Norgan is 40, and the enemies awaiting you are much stronger than the ordinary threats outside Vernworth.

Start Chilling Tidings at the Stardrop Inn

You do not need to begin a completely new character to access Dark Arisen.

After installing the expansion and reaching Vernworth in the original story, visit The Stardrop Inn at night.

Captain Brant is inside the tavern, where you normally speak with him about the main story.

Talk to him and look for the new conversation options.

Choose “About the new Arisen…”.

This option has a recommended level of 40. It begins the investigation into reports of another Arisen living somewhere far north of Vernworth.

Brant explains that a letter intercepted on its way to Queen Regent Disa describes an Arisen who should not exist. Only one Arisen is expected in an age, which makes the report especially troubling.

Disa is already preparing to send agents north. Brant wants you to reach the mysterious Arisen before those agents can interfere.

The second DLC option, “About the uncovered ruins…”, is for the Lost Rites challenges. It is a separate investigation, not a prerequisite for reaching Norgan. If you want to undertake those challenges, their entry conditions and locations are covered in the Lost Rites walkthrough.

Can You Start Dark Arisen Below Level 40?

Yes. Level 40 is Brant’s recommended level for the Norgan investigation, not a mandatory requirement for accepting Chilling Tidings.

You can enter at a lower level, but the enemies beyond the mountain crossing are substantially stronger. Prepare your equipment and Pawns before asking Pekdre to take you north.

Rest at Shakir’s Inn and Return to Brant

After the first conversation, Brant arranges a room for you in Vernworth.

Head to Shakir’s Inn, above the Vocation Guild.

Speak with the innkeeper. The room has already been paid for by someone from the castle, so you do not need to spend gold on this particular stay.

Rest for the night.

During your sleep, you experience a disturbing vision of Vernworth overrun by strange creatures. This sequence is part of the investigation.

When you wake, the innkeeper tells you that a message arrived instructing you to return to the tavern.

Go back to The Stardrop Inn and speak with Brant again.

If necessary, wait until nighttime so that he is available in his usual location.

Investigate the Soldiers Preparing to Leave Vernworth

Brant has learned that Disa intends to send a group of soldiers over the mountains on foot.

They are gathering in the square on the western side of Vernworth, near the Merchant Quarter.

Go there and speak with the soldiers preparing for departure.

The conversation reveals that the journey into Norgan will be extremely difficult. The roads have not been maintained, supplies will be scarce, and the soldiers are already concerned about the dangerous creatures that may be waiting there.

They also mention a report of something unusual:

A creature believed to have flown down from Norgan has fallen near a waterfall southwest of Melve.

Investigating this creature becomes your next objective.

The soldiers also explain why approaching directly from Melve is not practical. The waterfall is on the opposite side of the river, and there is no convenient bridge connecting the two sides at that location.

This is the point where many players waste time.

You are not meant to keep searching the southern edge of Melve for a way across. The destination is reached from the Malachite Forest side.

Where Is the Fallen Monster Southwest of Melve?

The Fallen Monster is beside a large waterfall in Malachite Forest, within the wooded area associated with the elves.

Although Melve is mentioned in the objective, you do not need to approach the creature from Melve itself.

There are two practical ways to reach the location.

Route 1: Travel From Vernworth Through Trevo Mine

For a player who prefers traveling on foot, use the western roads out of Vernworth.

Follow the road toward Trevo Mine and continue toward the river crossing that leads into Malachite Forest.

Once across the river, enter the wooded region and work toward its eastern edge.

Follow the shoreline until you reach the large waterfall and the nearby clearing.

This route avoids the mistake of traveling to Melve and trying to cross the river at a place where the terrain does not permit it.

The forest contains hostile creatures, including Saurians and Goblins, with stronger monsters possible along the approach. Traveling through it is not entirely risk-free, particularly if your party is still using weak early-game equipment.

Keep an eye on your position relative to the river. You want the wooded side of the waterway, not the road that leads back toward Melve.

Route 2: Take the Oxcart Toward Checkpoint Rest Town

The soldiers mention a quicker approach using the oxcart from Vernworth toward Checkpoint Rest Town.

Board that oxcart and get off at the stopover near Arboreal Walkway, rather than continuing all the way to Checkpoint Rest Town.

From the stopover, proceed on foot into Malachite Forest and make your way toward the waterfall at its eastern edge.

The oxcart saves part of the journey, but the final approach must still be completed on foot. Stay on the forest side of the river; approaching from Melve places you on the wrong bank.

If the oxcart is unavailable, follow the western road out of Vernworth and enter Malachite Forest using the river crossing instead.

Find the Clearing Beside the Waterfall

Approaching from Malachite Forest, follow the river until the terrain opens into a clearing.

You will find a fallen Griffin and a mysterious man standing nearby.

This is the creature the soldiers were discussing.

You do not need to search the waterfall itself for a hidden cave or defeat another boss to trigger the next stage.

Speak with the man.

His name is Pekdre.

He knows about the passage north and can help you reach Norgan.

Speak With Pekdre to Travel to Norgan

Pekdre does not immediately send you north when you first approach him.

He questions your intention to travel into such a dangerous region and warns that the hardships waiting there are much greater than those you have encountered in the ordinary world.

The conversation is a commitment check.

Continue the conversation and confirm that you want to proceed.

Pekdre eventually accepts your decision, and the Griffin carries you across the mountains into Norgan.

There is no need to find a separate road through the mountains after speaking with him.

If you have reached the correct clearing but have not traveled north, return to Pekdre and finish the conversation. Merely finding the Griffin does not complete the travel sequence.

Can You Return to Vernworth After Going to Norgan?

Traveling to Norgan does not automatically complete the original Dragon’s Dogma 2 story or permanently remove your ability to visit the mainland.

However, the new region is dangerous enough that you should not treat the journey as a harmless sightseeing trip.

Prepare your party before confirming your departure. At this stage, you already have access to the inns, merchants, and equipment available in the original world, making Vernworth a convenient place to finish any necessary preparations.

Norgan has its own travel and settlement services, so you do not need to carry every item you own into the expansion.

Arrive in Norgan and Complete Chilling Tidings

After Pekdre sends you north, Beorcans attack shortly after your arrival.

You do not have to defeat every enemy in the opening encounter to continue. If your party is overwhelmed, the villagers can still intervene and bring you to safety.

Follow them into the Norgandian Settlement and complete the conversations about your arrival and the mysterious Arisen.

Chilling Tidings is complete once the settlement introduces your next objective: investigating the disturbances at Beorcan Stronghold.

You do not need to return to Vernworth to report to Captain Brant.

Before leaving the settlement, rest and check your equipment. The enemies along the mountain road are considerably stronger than those encountered during the journey through Malachite Forest.

Continue the Norgan main quest walkthrough for the stronghold and the story beyond it.

Captain Brant Has No Dark Arisen Dialogue — How to Fix It

A missing DLC conversation does not always mean you have failed to meet a story requirement.

Before restarting your character, determine whether the game has actually loaded the expansion.

Check the Time and Brant’s Dialogue Options

Return to The Stardrop Inn at night.

Brant’s new DLC conversations are available alongside his ordinary story dialogue.

Look specifically for:

• About the new Arisen… — begins Chilling Tidings.
• About the uncovered ruins… — starts the Lost Rites investigation.

If one option is available, it is possible to accept that investigation without completing the other.

You do not have to finish the Lost Rites dungeons before beginning the Norgan story.

Already in the Unmoored World?

If your original save has advanced into the Unmoored World, the normal Chilling Tidings entry route is unavailable in that world state.

You must return to an appropriate earlier story state or begin New Game+ to access the expansion through Brant.

New Game+ allows you to retain your character’s progression and equipment while restarting the story, but quest progress is reset.

Consider that consequence before starting a new cycle. Do not overwrite or abandon a save you still intend to use without checking the available save options.

This limitation is different from being below the recommended level.

A lower-level character who has reached Vernworth can access the quest, while a sufficiently high-level character in the wrong world state cannot start it through the normal route.

DLC Installed on Steam but Still Not Appearing?

If Steam lists Dark Arisen as installed but neither DLC conversation appears when speaking with Brant, check whether the expansion is loading correctly.

First, look at the game’s title screen. If the Dark Arisen content is missing there, repeatedly resting at an inn or returning to Brant will not resolve an installation problem.

Try these steps in order:

1. Open Steam → Library → Dragon’s Dogma 2 → Properties → DLC and confirm Dark Arisen is enabled.
2. Make sure the game has finished downloading and installing its latest update.
3. Check that the installation drive has enough free space for the expansion.
4. Restart Steam and launch the game again.
5. Under Properties → Installed Files, use Verify integrity of game files.

If the expansion still fails to load, reinstalling the game may resolve files that verification did not repair. Treat this as a last resort, and back up your save data before making changes to the installation.

Once Dark Arisen appears correctly on the title screen, return to The Stardrop Inn at night and check Brant’s dialogue again.

Choose “About the new Arisen…” to begin Chilling Tidings.