Gran Soren is the beating heart of all of Gransys, and it'll serve as the main base of operations for many players in Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. The capital city has everything you need to get your adventure rolling, from an inn to rest at, shops to buy goods from, and important NPCs who drive the story forward.
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Everyone starts as a lowly, literally-heartless peasant from a fishing village, and getting to the city will require some effort. While you can technically reach Gran Soren by exploring the open world of Dragon's Dogma, you'll need to finish a couple of quests before you can enter the city. Here's what you need to do.
How to Reach Gran Soren in Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Reach the Encampment.
- Slay the Cyclops.
- Speak with Ser Mercedes.
- Rest.
- Slay the Hydra.
- Speak with Ser Mercedes again.
- Escort Ser Mercedes and the caravan to Gran Soren.
For those who are playing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen for the first time, getting to Gran Soren can be a little confusing, especially if they stumble upon it while exploring and ignoring quests. To get to the city, you'll have to follow the main quest line starting in The Encampment, which is just north of Cassardis. Upon starting the game, head out the fishing town's gate, then follow the road until you reach the wooden palisades. We highly recommend getting sidequests from Cassardis' townsfolk so kickstart your early game experience.
Once you reach the Encampment, interact with the Rift Stone inside the tent by the center of the camp, then make your personal pawn. The voice in the stone will tell you to complete a trial — specifically, this refers to killing the cyclops outside the camp. Slay the monster, and return to the stone. While it may be tempting to explore the area past the cyclops, head back to the camp first and speak with Ser Mercedes, who should have a quest marker right above her head.
Talking to Ser Mercedes will trigger the next part of the main quest, which is to slay the hydra rampaging inside the camp. Slash at one of its necks until a head flies off, then Mercedes will tell you to come with her to Gran Soren so she can offer the hydra's head to the duke. Accept her offer, and she'll prepare a caravan headed for Gran Soren.
Escorting the Caravan
You'll be going to Gran Soren by foot, accompanied by Ser Mercedes, a handful of knights, and an ox-pulled carriage carrying the hydra head. The party will go through the mountain past the waycastle north of the Encampment, and it's filled with hungry wolves, hostile harpies, and several goblins. You'll have to fight your way through here while protecting the ox from harm.
One way to make sure the ox survives is to bring a mage pawn. Preferably, they should have fire skills and Anodyne, the basic AOE healing spell. If you take any damage, stand near the ox and the mage will cast Anodyne in your position, healing both you and the ox.
A strider should be able to shoot down any of the harpies harassing the party, causing them to fall helplessly onto the ground. Fighters (not to be confused with warriors) can also lure harpies down by using the Shield Summons skill. Keep protecting the ox until you reach the city gates, and you'll be granted entry to Gran Soren.
