Duchess in Distress and Beloved

[Merela]

Hi people,

I'm wondering if it's possible to complete the Duchess in Distress quest while keeping Mercedes as my Beloved? Missed that quest in my previous playthrough, so I'd like to do it in my NG+ playthrough (...but mostly I need those three Area Knowledge stars for my main pawn). Except I'm not exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of getting Aelinore (aka Hat Lover) as my Beloved. So, can you feed her hundred of Liquid Effluviums during or after the quest? Or does she vanish from Gransys like so many other characters?

[Spooky Ninja]

Nah she disapears after the quest, and no you can't feed her effluviums during quest.

My advice, give mercedes the arisons bond and plenty of that wine she likes to raise her affinity to max, and then just before the final battle with gregori speak to mercedes and only mercedes, if you speak to anyone else at all you won't get mercedes as you beloved.

Every npc in my game is at max affinity, and on multiple playthroughs it's always the last person of note i speak to that i get as my beloved.

[Vlka-Fenryka-7th]

Yes. You need to accept Duchess in Distress before finishing Deny Salvation and then go back to finish Duchess in Distress afterwards, but you have to do it before the completing the Final Battle quest or it will fail.

Also your Beloved will always be the last person you talked to with max affinity when completing Deny Salvation, which means if you talk to anyone with max affinity after Mercedes left the game she won't be you're beloved.

[Fashionbeast]

She vanishes after the quest.

I could swear i did the quest once and did end up with another beloved (Quina) at the finale.

Did gift the arisen ring shortly before doing Quina's final quest and then said goodbyes. During the last duchess mission i gifted her the LE item during the mission.
Did get the ring scene at Greatwall and did end up with Quina.

At another go i gifted another person the ring during his final quest and said goodbyes. Did the last duchess mission and gifted her the LE item during the mission.
Did not get the ring scene at Greatwall and did end up with the duchess.


It seems the ring helps out when you have two max affection persons, but sometimes it isn't correctly triggered?

[Vlka-Fenryka-7th]

It doesn't matter who you give the Arisens Bond to, you're Beloved will always be the last person you speak to with max affinity when completing Deny Salvation. Which means you have to avoid characters such as Madeline, Quina, Selene and Ailenore if you want Mercedes to be your beloved.

Not to mention you'll will have do finish most of these characters final quests (the quest where they leave the game) before completing Pride Before a Fall or these characters will most likely replace Mercedes as your Beloved as a result of completing these quest afterwards.

[Fashionbeast]

Originally posted by whisperingeyes666:

It doesn't matter who you give the Arisens Bond to, you're Beloved will always be the last person you speak to with max affinity when completing Deny Salvation.

I am sure you are right.

It is just, that did first Quina's last mision and THEN the "Duchess in Distress" mission the last before "Deny Salvation. That beloved result was such a strange thing and should not have happened with that quest order.


Final thoughts for Merela::

Give Mercedes the ring and make sure you do't finish other person's quest lines or get otherwiese max affection with another char (Caxton).
Then you should be fine.

[Vlka-Fenryka-7th]

They decreased the rate shopkeepers such as Caxton gain Affinity with Dark Arisen and even then there is my old throw water flask in face, then use the eternal ferrystone to teleport before the guards catch you trick.