SIDEQUESTS – Winter Palace
Note: This is a once off area, only available during the story quest: Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts
Behind every empress (reward: None)
From: Approaching ladies in waiting, or Ambassador Briala in ballroom, after talking with the Occult Advisor in ballroom cutscene
Greet the empress's ladies-in-waiting
Speak with ambassador Briala
Speak with each of these people in the ballroom to finish this 'quest'.
Briala's people (reward: +80 Influence)
From: Approaching elven servants in western Hall of Heroes room
Look for conspicuous elven servants
Talk to them.
Find a spot to eavesdrop on the servants' conversation
Stand where they were standing, and eavesdrop from there. They will never notice you.
Search the guest wing for a hidden cylinder seal
Go out onto the balcony and use your advanced seach to find the seal.
Caprice coin toss (reward: ) *Note: This is not a proper quest, and will only show up when standing near the fountain. It is the completion part of Throwing away money sidequest.
From: Approaching the fountain in the Guest Garden
Coins tossed (15) (+1 Court favor per coin tossed)
This is a progressive quest, so you can throw these in as you go, or all at once at the end. The reward will be the same. At latest hand these in after the second cutscene in the Royal Wing. After that is a point of no return.
Celene's occult advisor (reward: None)
From: Entering small Library room (with 6 vases)
Search the library for clues
Pick up the letters on the desk. This will set off an alarm. Also, part of the main quest will be completed.
If you are out of the room quick enough (before the guards arrive), you will gain +10 court approval. However, if you are still in the room, or return after leaving (and the bell is still ringing), you may lose -20 court approval.
Even gilded walls have ears (reward: +80 Influence)
From: Walking near to the nobles at the top of the left staircase near the palace entrance
Approach the talking nobles
Walk up the stairs and enter conversation with the nobles. Apparently they don't like you.
Find a safe spot to eavesdrop on the nobles' conversation
The "eavesdrop" spot is about two steps away and very much out in the open. How is that better than a place that obsructs sight? I have no idea. After listening in you'll complete the quest.
Find a missing key (reward: None) *Note: This quest will give you an optional extra piece of evidence for the main quest
From: Approaching the locked halla door, inside the Grand Apartments, on the upper floor
Gain access to the vault
Once you have access to the Servants Quarter's area, travel to the Grand Apartments, and climb the stairs to the upper floor. There will be a room with three venatori enemies nearby. Kill them and use 3 halla statuettes to open it.
(Amulet of power for Vivienne)
(Elven locket – Evidence for main quest, optional)
Gaspard's clandestine meeting (reward: )
From: Automatically after returning from the Servant's Quarters area
Explore the trophy room
There are guards at the door to the trophy room. In order to get past them, choose the dialogue option "You should speak to Cullen." (+10 court approval)
Herd of stone halla (reward: +200 Influence)
From: Picking up a stone halla statuette
There's a veritable herd of halla statuettes scattered around the Winter Palace. They stand out a little too much to be simply decorative.
Halla statuettes found (10) *Note: There are 11 statues available, but you only need 10 to complete the sidequest
- Palace Gardens – The first can be found during the sidequest: Access the eastern storage room (outside palace)
- Guest Garden – Climb up the trellis on the north side of the guest garden and follow the balcony round to the right. The statue is sitting on the railing. Use advanced search if you can't spot it.
- Servant's Quarters – On a beam overhead in the kitchen (one of the first rooms in the servant's quarters area). You can jump onto the table and then jump to reach it. Or just climb up if you have difficulty.
- Servant's Quarters – Turn left upon entering the garden in the servant's quarters to find it in a corner.
- Grand Apartments – Turn right after regaining control after the mannequin cut-scene, clear the first group of venatori, then the second along the path to the right. Climb the stairs and the ladder here to find it in the corner of a bedroom.
- Grand Apartments – On the ledge next to where you regain control after the scene that appears once you deal with the assassin.
- Trophy Room – In rear area of trophy room in Hall of heroes. You will need to trick the guards into leaving by talking to the ambassador at the door. Becomes available after returning from Servant's Quarters.
- Royal Wing – In study to the right up the first set of steps in the royal wing. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – In Duchess Florianne's old room in the Royal wing. You'll perform a daring rescue in a scene there, so it's easy to know which room. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – Go toward the marker to find material to blackmail Gaspard, but instead of going into that room, head to the room south-west to find it down the stairs. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – Go toward the marker to find material to blackmail Gaspard, but instead of going into that room, head through the door directly opposite to the west, and travel around the open window on the north side. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
Halla doors – certain door scattered around the palace require (and use up) the statuettes to open. Choosing which doors to open and what is inside is therefore quite important to know in advance.
Palace exterior (garden) – Unlock the Eastern storage sidequest (requires 1 halla statuette)
Inside is some average loot, but you'll obtain +80 Influence for completing the sidequest.
Guest gardens (lower area) –
Guest gardens (upper area – climb trellis) –
Inside is a common loot box and a document (about negotiations) required to complete a step of the main story quest (triggers an important scene in the ballroom)
Grand apartments (upper floor) –
Some above average loot is inside as well as an elven locket (optional) which can be used as evidence during the main story quest
Empress's Quarters (Royal Wing) –
Some average loot,
Royal Quarters (Royal Wing) Left door –
Royal Quarters (Royal Wing) Right door –
Listen closely (reward: None)
From: Approaching elven servants in northern room of Hall of Heroes
Question elven servants
Go talk to them.
Eavesdrop of a conversation between servants
Head to the nearby balcony and eavesdrop with your super stealth skills.
Search the rooms in the upper guest wing
Head to the Guest Garden and climb the trellis and open the halla door to the left (will require 1 halla statuette). Inside are documents which will complete this quest, as well as part of the main quest.
Montebelliard's Ring (reward: +80 Influence, +5 court approval)
From: Talking to noblewoman near the entrance or locating the ring using advanced search
Speak with the noblewoman
The noblewoman is indicated by a quest diamond on the map, near the entry gate.
That sounds serious.
Interesting stratagem. (+5 Court approval)
Go look for it. (-10 Court approval)
Search for her lost ring
From where you gain control after talking to the Grand Duke run back to the nearby entry gate and turn left for the hidden object indicator to begin flashing. If you use advanced search, you'll find a ring on a nearby stone feature.
Return the Ring to the Noblewoman, or keep it to sell later
You now have the choice to return the ring to the noble for approval points, or to hold onto it and sell it later. Not handing it in will result in gold, but no influence or approval.
Open the lower garden door (reward: +80 Influence) *Note: This door is needed to complete Sera's Red jenny stashes sidequest.
From: Approaching the lower garden door, in the Guest Gardens
Open the locked door in the lower garden (3 Statuettes required)
Through this door can be found a coin for the Throwing away money sidequest. This is also the location for one of the stashes for Sera's Red jenny's stashes sidequest.
(Orlesian Banner)
Open the upper garden door (reward: )
From: Approaching the upper garden door, in the Guest Gardens, up the trellis
Open the locked door in the upper garden (1 Statuette required)
Open the upper royal wing door (reward: ) *Note: This door has optional evidence for the main quest, and opening requires 5 of the limited resource halla statuette. It also has a scandalous secret for The blackmail hunt sidequest.
From: Approaching the royal wing door, in the Royal Wing, upstairs
Gain access to the locked door in the upper royal wing (5 Statuettes required)
Once you have enough statuettes (some can be found in the Royal Wing), open this door for its goodies. The scandalous secret requires advanced search to find. The evidence for the main quest is laid out in the open, so it will not be easy to miss.
Red jenny's stashes (reward: Sera++ per stash) *Note: Must have brought Sera to the party. If you want to complete this quest, you will need three halla statuettes (limited resource, only found here) to open one of the doors.
From: Talking to Sera after meeting the Duchess
Sera's contacts have tipped her off about the locations of various stashes, hidden around the palace by nobles for other nobles. They're ripe for the picking.
Hidden stashes found (3) *Note: One of the stashes are in the Servant's Quarters area, which you cannot access initially. It is easier to do this when you are already in the area, rather than going back, to avoid loss of court approval.
Lower Guest Garden stash: Through the Open the lower garden door sidequest halla door. It will require three halla statuettes to unlock.
Guest Garden stash: In cobweb room, in south west corner (appears as chest when using advanced search).
Servants Quarters stash: Head to the marked location, and use advanced search to locate a chest in a nearby corner. Looting this chest will complete this part. This must be looted before moving on, as once this area is completed, you cannot come back to it.
Each of these chests has average random loot in it.
Social leverage (reward: +160 Influence) *Note: This is not a proper quest, and will only show up when standing near Leliana. It is the completion part of The great blackmail hunt sidequest.
From: Standing near Leliana, in the Ballroom, after talking to the Duchess (where Leliana usually stands if she is not there)
Deliver scandalous secrets to Leliana (30) (+1 Court favor per scandalous secret delivered)
This is a progressive quest, so you can hand these in as you go, or all at once at the end. The reward will be the same. At latest hand these in after the second cutscene in the Royal Wing. After that is a point of no return.
The great blackmail hunt (reward: +200 Influence)
From: Finding secret correspondence during the sidequest: Access the eastern storage room
Scandalous secrets are everywhere at the grand masquerade. Listen in on conversations to gather gossip and scour the palace for incriminating items and notes. The secrets learned could be used to gain power for the Inquisition and the upper hand in the grand game of Orlesian society.
Deliver scandalous secrets to Leliana
Scandalous secrets gathered (30)
Note: Eavesdrop spots may take more than one attempt to obtain the required info. All spots listed will give info after enough attempts.
- Palace Gardens – The first can be found during the sidequest: Access the eastern storage room (outside palace)
- Vestibule – Eavesdrop spot: At the top of the large vestibule entry stairs, turn right to find the red circle (may be nothing there until completing #3) (vestibule – before meeting empress)
- Vestibule – Eavesdrop spot: At the top of the large vestibule entry stairs, turn right and head for the base of the nearby stairs leading up to find the red circle (vestibule – before meeting empress)
- Hall of Heroes – Eavesdrop spot: In front of a gold statue in the hall of heroes (near Solas if you brought him along).
- Hall of Heroes – Eavesdrop spot: In small side room in the hall of heroes near where Duke Germain (council) is standing
- Hall of Heroes – Talk to Duke Germain (council) – can be found in hall of heroes in a small side room. Ask him the dialogue option: [investigate] "Gaspard is your nephew?" (+5 court approval), you will also gain +1 scandalous secret.
- Hall of Heroes – Talk to the Council of Heralds Vassal – can be found in room with lots of people. Ask him the dialogue option: [investigate] "Phillipe is a jerk!" (+15 court approval), you will also gain +1 scandalous secret
- Guest Garden – Eavesdrop spot: Guest garden – east side, in the small hall behind the railings (may take a couple of tries)
- Guest Garden – Eavesdrop spot: Guest garden – west side, in the small hall behind the railings (may take a couple of tries) (may be able to eavesdrop twice at this location, which will replace #13, saving you from having to climb the trellis – can still get agent – see #13)
- Guest Garden – Secret love letter: Climb up the trellis on the north side of the guest garden and follow the balcony round to the right. The book is sitting on the railing. Use advanced search if you can't spot it.
- Library – Secret building permit: Climb up the trellis on the north side of the guest garden and open the door straight ahead to gain access to the library. Head through the other doors in this room and follow the main walkway to find a pair of blue doors back to the party area. The permit is on a table near the pair of blue doors. (To do this without losing approval, open the pair of blue door and return to the party to reset your timer, and run back in quickly to get the permit).
- Library – Secret trade documents: Climb up the trellis on the north side of the guest garden and open the door straight ahead to gain access to the library. Head through the other doors in this room and descend the stairs. The documents are on a desk through the open door at the bottom of the stairs. (See #11 to get to documents with timer reset, documents will be on same level as pair of blue doors).
- Guest Garden – Eavesdrop spot: Climb up the trellis on the north side of the guest garden and follow the balcony round to the left. At the end is the red circle (This may not be here if #11 has been done twice, see #11). If you talk to the man below that you eavesdrop on and say you are in favor of leashing the templars, you can convince him to become an agent for the Inquisition. (+1 Agent, +100 influence, +1 Power).
- Trophy Room – Scandalous password – In Trophy room in Hall of heroes. You will need to trick the guards into leaving by talking to the ambassador at the door. Becomes available after returning from Servant's Quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Secret merchant treaties – On floor behind lounge in the north room of hall of heroes next to servant quarters door. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Secret merchant treaties – on floor in hall of heroes next to door leading to the guest gardens. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Secret merchant treaties – on table in hall of heroes next to door leading to the guest gardens. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Secret research – on floor in hall of heroes next to door leading to the guest gardens. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Scandalous bribe – on lounge in southernmost room of hall of heroes area. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Eavesdrop spot – red circle on balcony next to southernmost room of hall of heroes area. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Scandalous testimony – on balcony next to southernmost room of hall of heroes area. Jump over the railing to the left to find it. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Scandalous lead – Seat on balcony next to southernmost room of hall of heroes area. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Secret correspondence – can be found in hall of heroes in the small central side room with Duke Germain in it. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Guest Garden – Scandalous bribe – In north west corner of the guest gardens. To the left of the trellis. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Library – Secret research – On a table in the library. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Vestibule – Scandalous bribe – On seat in hallway to the right of the door you initially came in through from outside in the Vestibule area. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Vestibule – Eavesdrop location – Next to door to royal wing in Vestibule. Becomes available after talking to the duchess (dance scene) and then your advisors.
- Royal Wing – Secret merchant treaties – Turn left upon arrival to Royal Wing. Is sitting on a table here. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – Scandalous lead – In study to the right up the first set of steps in the royal wing. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – Document – Inside the Empress's private chamber in the Royal Wing (halla door – 5 statuettes required). Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
Throwing away money (reward: +200 Influence)
From: Finding caprice coin during the sidequest: Access the eastern storage room
Orlesian nobles have been known to toss caprice coins into fountains as a symbol of status. Doing this may strengthen one's social standing.
Caprice coins found (15)
- Palace Gardens – The first can be found during the sidequest: Access the eastern storage room (outside palace)
- Hall of Heroes – In small side room in the hall of heroes near where Duke Germain (council) is standing, next to one of the gold statues (hall of heroes – after meeting empress)
- Hall of Heroes – Northern room of hall of heroes down small stairs next to servant's quarters doorway. Look at the base of the large stone statue nearby.
- Grand Apartments – Turn right after regaining control after the mannequin cut-scene, clear the first group of venatori, then the second along the path to the right. Climb the stairs and the ladder here to find it on the railing.
- Grand Apartments – In the large central room of the ground floor of the grand apartments. On a table next to two vases
- Grand Apartments – On bed in servant's bedroom, across from kitched (which has supply cache). On ground floor of grand apartments.
- Trophy Room – In Trophy room in Hall of heroes. You will need to trick the guards into leaving by talking to the ambassador at the door. Becomes available after returning from Servant's Quarters.
- Hall of Heroes – Next to lounge in southernmost room of hall of heroes area. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Guest Garden – On railing at the top of the trellis and around to the left in the guest gardens. Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Guest Gardens – Open halla door (Open the lower garden door sidequest) in main area of Guest Garden (requires 3 halla statuettes). Descend the stairs and look in the south-east corner on a bench.
- Vestibule – Near stair entrance to the library and royal wing (above the entry stairs in the vestibule). Appears after returning from servant's quarters.
- Ballroom – In ballroom near entry doors after talking to the duchess (dance scene) and then your advisors.
- Ballroom – Railing in the ballroom after talking to the duchess (dance scene) and then your advisors.
- Royal Wing – On a chest inside the Empress's private chamber in the Royal Wing (halla door – 5 statuettes required). Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
- Royal Wing – Go toward the marker to find material to blackmail Gaspard, but instead of going into that room, head through the door directly opposite to the west, and travel around the open window on the north side. Becomes available after entering the Royal Wing.
Unlock the eastern storage (reward: +80 Influence)
From: Approaching the area at the top of the stairs near the palace entrance.
Access the eastern storage room
Statuettes required (1)
To get inside you need to acquire a halla statuette, one of these can be found directly above you (take the nearby stairs up). At the top of the stairs, use advanced search to find the statuette on the ground. Picking it up will begin a new quest involving finding the rest of them.
Head back downstairs and open the previously locked door to get inside the storage room. Inside is some average loot, but you'll obtain the quest reward. However, since the number of statues are limited, you may be better off saving the statue for another door with better loot. See the Herd of stone halla sidequest above for information on what is behind each door.
Note: There is an additional key for the storage room on the opposite side as well. This can be found upstairs like the other, walk along the thin balcony here to trigger the hidden item indicator and then use advanced search to find it in the flower pot.
Inside you'll find secret correspondence documents which should start a new quest, a caprice coin which will also start a new quest.