Dragon's Dogma 2 adds a substantial expansion with Dark Arisen, sending the Arisen north into Norgan, a frozen wilderness long abandoned by civilized folk. Two separate content tracks run in parallel: a full story campaign set in Norgan, and 12 standalone endgame dungeons called the Lost Rites. Between them, you're looking at 15 to 20 hours for the main content, or well over 25 if you want to clear everything. This guide covers how to unlock the expansion, every quest you'll encounter, and the side quests worth doing along the way.
How do you start Dark Arisen in Dragon's Dogma 2?
The entry point is simpler than you might expect. Head to The Stardrop Inn in Vernworth and find Captain Brant there at nighttime. Once you've reached the fifth main quest, Seat of the Sovran, he'll have two new dialogue options available:
- "About the new Arisen..." — This kicks off Chilling Tidings, the first quest of the Norgan story campaign.
- "About the uncovered ruins..." — This starts the Lost Rites questline, which sends you into the 12 new endgame dungeons.
You can technically trigger both of these quite early in the base game. That said, the enemies in Norgan and the dungeons scale to mid-game and late-game difficulty. The recommended level before heading in is 40.
Brant's new DLC dialogue options
What happens if you're already in the Unmoored World?
You have two options. You can finish the base game and roll into New Game+, which carries over your level, equipment, and items while resetting quest progress. Alternatively, the game offers a shortcut through the save system:
- Select "Change save slot".
- Hold X on controller (or Shift on keyboard) to create a new playthrough from your existing save file.
This starts New Game+ immediately on that character. Your current save becomes inaccessible on that slot, but you keep everything you've earned.
All Dark Arisen story quests
The Norgan campaign runs through six main quests. The third quest, Seeking the Sage, branches into three parallel sub-quests before converging again.
| # | Quest Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chilling Tidings | Unlocked by talking to Brant |
| 2 | Rumbles in the North | Follows Chilling Tidings |
| 3 | Seeking the Sage | Branches into three Riddle quests |
| 3a | Sage's Wisdom: Riddle of the Body | Sub-quest under Seeking the Sage |
| 3b | Sage's Wisdom: Riddle of the Soul | Sub-quest under Seeking the Sage |
| 3c | Sage's Wisdom: Riddle of the Will | Sub-quest under Seeking the Sage |
| 4 | Sealed History | Follows Seeking the Sage |
| 5 | The Castle in the Ice | Late-campaign quest |
| 6 | Soul Searching | Final story quest |
All Dark Arisen side quests
Seven side quests are spread across the Norgan region, most of them based out of the Norgandian Settlement. Several are locked behind story progress or require completing earlier side quests first.
| Quest | Location | Unlock Condition | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relics of the Past | Norgandian Settlement | Complete Chilling Tidings | 3,000 XP |
| Hammer and Tongs | Norgandian Settlement | Talk to Hal at the village | 6,000 XP |
| In for a Hare, in for a Hound | Norgandian Settlement | Talk to Ilsa | 10,000 XP + Scrag of Beast x3 |
| Oh, to be in Vermund | Norgandian Settlement | Complete Relics of the Past | 5,000 XP |
| Sticks and Stones | Broken Bridge, Norgan | Start Seeking the Sage, then talk to Morgus | 3,000 XP + 10,000 Gold |
| A Direwolf Delicacy | Norgandian Settlement | Complete In for a Hare, in for a Hound | 20,000 XP + Beast-Steak x3 |
| Reaching the Far Shore | Norgandian Settlement | Progress Soul Searching, then talk to Jiera | 50,000 XP + 10,000 Gold |
Norgan's main hub for side quests
A Direwolf Delicacy: what's the perfect treat for the hounds?
This side quest tasks you with finding a treat for Freki, the hound you befriend at the Norgandian Settlement. Freki can be summoned to accompany you through the Norgan region, which makes him genuinely useful for exploration. The quest is given by a young girl named Isla.
The answer is a Snowdeer Bone, which registers as a rare item when you pick it up. Snowdeer look like ordinary deer but are native to Norgan. They're not hard to find: head north from the Norgandian Settlement and follow the path along the south edge of the river. You'll run into them almost immediately. Take one down, loot the bone from its corpse, and return it to Isla.
If you present the wrong item, Isla will give you increasingly specific hints until she eventually just tells you what she wants. There's no penalty for guessing wrong.
How long does Dark Arisen take to complete?
The main Norgan story campaign runs 15 to 20 hours for most players. Completionists aiming to finish every side quest and clear all 12 Lost Rites dungeons should expect over 25 hours of total content. The Lost Rites dungeons each take roughly 30 to 60 minutes individually, so the endgame grind alone adds significant time.
Should you do Norgan or Lost Rites first?
This depends on where you are in the base game. If you're around level 40 and haven't seen the Unmoored World yet, the Norgan story campaign is the natural starting point. It provides context for the region and the new characters you'll meet.
The Lost Rites dungeons are designed as endgame content and scale harder than the Norgan overworld. Going in underprepared means hitting walls early. Finish the Norgan campaign first, gear up with whatever the region drops, then tackle the dungeons.
For more walkthroughs and tips across the whole game, the Dragon's Dogma 2 guides collection covers everything from vocations to boss strategies. If you're looking for other titles in the same vein, the RPG games hub is worth bookmarking.
