Sticks and Stones is a short but rewarding side quest tucked into the early hours of Dragon's Dogma 2's Dark Arisen expansion. A commission soldier named Morgus needs three Heatstones pulled from abandoned firepits scattered around Norgan, and the quest pays out 3,000 XP, 10,000 Gold, and two crafting recipes that will keep the Chilled debilitation off your party for the rest of the DLC. Short as it looks on paper, knowing exactly where to go makes the difference between a five-minute errand and an aimless trek through a blizzard.
How do you unlock Sticks and Stones?
The quest does not appear until you have started Seeking the Sage and picked up the Spirit Compass. During that same stretch of story, Dorin hands you a Climbing Hook, which you will need to reach the first firepit with Morgus. Once the Spirit Compass is in your inventory, head to the broken bridge just northwest of the Norgandian Settlement and you will find Morgus waiting there.
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Sticks and Stones Quest Walkthrough
Speak to Morgus and he will explain that Heatstones come out of abandoned firepits and ask whether you want to accompany him or handle it yourself. Both paths complete the quest. Accompanying him is slightly more involved but unlocks a climbing shortcut that saves time on later runs through the area.
Should you accompany Morgus or go solo?
Here is the practical breakdown:
| Approach | Steps | Shortcut Unlocked | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accompany Morgus | More (escort + combat) | Yes, if hook attached | Climbing Hook required |
| Solo | Fewer (firepits only) | No | Morgus marks map locations |
If you decline, Morgus marks several abandoned firepit locations on your map and sends you off. You skip the escort entirely and report straight to Ryatt once you have three stones. If you accept, you follow Morgus up a cliff and clear a Beorcan camp before destroying the firepit there.
The solo route is faster. The escort route is worth doing once because attaching the Climbing Hook to the tether post on the ridge drops a rope ladder that persists as a permanent shortcut to the cliff camp above Lake Norgan.
How to reach the Beorcan camp with Morgus
After accepting, the objective becomes "Scale the cliff." There is no walking path up the rock face behind Morgus. A wooden tether post sits on the ridge above. Open your items, select the Climbing Hook, and throw it at the post. A rope ladder drops down the cliff face.
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Sticks and Stones Quest Walkthrough
Climb the ladder, then stay close to Morgus as he moves along the snowy trail through Valgr Ravine toward the ruined arch. The path continues toward the Beorcan Stronghold direction, so the area will become familiar later in the DLC.
How to defeat the Beorcans at the camp
When you reach the camp, expect a "Beorcan and others" encounter banner. Beorcans and white wolves guard the firepit. Morgus fights alongside your party, so you have some extra muscle, but the wolves can pressure your Pawns quickly.
Clear the enemies before touching the firepit. Once the area is secure, attack the abandoned firepit structure until it breaks apart. A Heatstone drops among the debris. Pick it up and check your inventory.
After the fight, Morgus will eventually meet you back at the Norgandian Settlement. He revises the task at that point: gather three Heatstones total and deliver them to Ryatt. His map markers point to additional firepit locations if you still need more stones.
Where are the three abandoned firepit locations?
Three reliable spots cover the full requirement:
Lake Norgan cliff camp
This is the camp you clear with Morgus. Ascend the rope ladder from the lakeshore, follow the trail through Valgr Ravine past the ruined arch, and the firepit sits in the camp beyond. One Heatstone drops here.
Norgandian Foothills standing-stone clearing
Leave the Norgandian Settlement through the wooden bridge outside the palisade gate. The area transitions to Norgandian Foothills. Follow the trail south-southeast to a clearing ringed by tall standing stones with a fire burning in the center. A Beorcan with an axe and a pack of direwolves guard this spot. After the fight, the Heatstone sits on the ground in the clearing. This location also overlaps with the When the Culling Gets Tough quest.
Ruined fort terrace above Lake Norgan
From the lakeshore, take the rope up the cliff and fight through the Beorcans in the ruins. Head to the open stone terrace at the top of a short flight of steps. The firepit here is a smoking cone of sticks on the paved surface. One sword swing breaks it, and the Heatstone lands where the firepit stood. Two chests are also in these ruins if you want to explore.
Other ways to get Heatstones
Firepits are not the only source. If you already have stones from other activities, they count toward the delivery:
- Campsites sometimes have Heatstones lying around with a Pick Up prompt, including Rivercave Campground.
- Aymond sells them for 3,000 Gold each, with 10 in stock and 4 restocked per day.
- Ilda also sells them for 3,000 Gold, with 1 in stock and 1 restocked every 2 days.
- Crafting: Combine Sunstone with Molten Ore to produce 3 Heatstones. Sunstone paired with Warming Salve also yields 3.
The quest reward itself includes a Sunstone and Molten Ore, which is exactly one crafting batch. Mix them after completing the quest and you immediately have three more stones ready for Norgan's cold.
How to deliver the Heatstones to Ryatt
Ryatt is a commission soldier stationed inside the Norgandian Settlement. Find him near the well, beside a moss-covered carved stone at the base of the stone stairs. He wears a dark beret and a cloak over his breastplate, and his name tag reads "Ryatt" (Pawns call him Ser Ryatt).
Speak to him to open the Deliver screen. The slot reads "Heatstone x0/3" and is tagged "Specified Delivery Only." Select your Heatstones, set the quantity to 3, and confirm. The quest completes immediately.
What do Heatstones actually do?
Each Heatstone temporarily shields your entire party from the Chilled debilitation when activated from the Items menu. They weigh only 0.05 kg each and stack to 99, so carrying a supply costs almost nothing. Each sells for 150 Gold if you end up with too many. You can also combine one with Withered Branches to craft Explosive Arrows, which is a useful secondary application for Archer builds.
Norgan's snowfields and whiteout conditions make Chilled a constant threat, so keeping a stack of Heatstones is one of the better habits to build early. The two crafting recipes unlocked by this quest mean you are never dependent on firepit runs to restock. For more on gearing up efficiently in the expansion, the Dark Arisen get overpowered fast guide covers relic gear, augment slots, and the builds that make Norgan significantly less punishing.
Quest rewards summary
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| XP | 3,000 |
| Gold | 10,000 |
| Molten Ore | 1 |
| Sunstone | 1 |
| Heatstone crafting recipes | 2 |
Finishing Sticks and Stones also opens the path to another Morgus quest, A Howl in the Dark, so completing it early keeps the side quest chain moving.
Sticks and Stones sits in a larger web of Dark Arisen content worth working through. The Lost Rites dungeon guide covers Devilkin Hollow and every Spellseal Door in the DLC, while the full Dragon's Dogma 2 guide collection has everything else you need to clear Norgan without missing a reward.
