Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts

Completionist Version

Prep:

Notes:

Outside:

After talking to Gaspard, talk to the Noblewoman near the entrance. Be sure to say "Interesting Strategem" for some Court Approval. Find and bring her ring back to her. It's on a nearby lion carving on a wall.

Go up either grand staircase, then go up the stairs to the left. Do the short quest to learn how Eavesdropping works. Find the Storage Room Key at the end of the balcony.

Go downstairs and open the Storage Room door to find a Caprice Coin(1) and a Secret(1) Document.

Go up the stairs on the other side. Pick up the Halla Statue(1), then go downstairs to open the Eastern Storage door with it. Loot what's inside.

Go inside the main door to the Vestibule.

The Vestibule:

Upstairs, use the two Eavesdropping Circles on the west side until you get their Secrets(2 & 3).

When ready, either talk to Gaspard or go in the door to the Ballroom.

The Ballroom:

If you want to hear all of the introductions for your people, don't move from the stairs. When ready, walk to the other end of the dance floor.

When talking to Empress Celene, only Human rogues and warriors can get Court Approval with the top dialog option. Otherwise, pick the middle option.

When you regain control of your character, find a codex book on a couch. If you brought Sera in your party, find her to start the side quest "Red Jenny's Stashes."

Exploration 1:

Go out to the Vestibule for a scene with Leliana. Facing the door to the Ballroom, go right, into the Hall of Heroes. Down the first set of stairs on the right, find a Caprice(2) next to the statue. Back up the stairs, try talking to the Whispering Elf, then when they walk away, use the Eavesdrop Circle just down the nearby stairs for a plot point.

Enter the next hallway. Patrolling around this area is The Council of Heralds Vassal. Talk to him and say "Phillipe is a jerk" for some Court Approval and a Secret(4). Also in this hallway is an Eavesdrop Circle for a Secret(5).

Go in the first room on the left. Talk to Duke Germain and ask about his nephew for some Court Approval and a Secret(6). Also in this room, search between the two lion statues for a Caprice(3). Use the Eavesdrop Circle for a Secret(7).

Leave this room to the left. Near the entrance to the next room down the hall is another Whispering Elf. As an elf inquisitor, they'll speak to you directly, otherwise, talk to them, and then find an Eavesdrop Circle for a plot point.

In the next room, don't talk to the guards more than once, as that can cause a drop in Approval. Go out to the balcony and find the first plot item, the Cylinder Seal, next to a flower pot.

Return to the hallway and go out the doors to the Guest Garden. After a conversation with Celene's ladies in waiting (who look like triplets), take an immediate right to find an Eavesdrop Circle for a Secret(8). In the opposite corner are some nobles. Go over or around the railing and Eavesdrop on them twice for two Secrets(9 & 10), then talk to them to get them to join the Inquisition. Next to that Eavesdropping Circle is an open storage closet with one of Sera's Stashes(1).

Timed Section 1:

Face the fountain and go up the lattice to the left. This starts a Timed Area, where your Approval drops by roughly 1 per minute, but not while the game is paused. Once upstairs, turn right and search along the railing to find a Halla(2) and a Secret(11). On the opposite side of the lattice, open the Halla door and pick up the second plot item, Negotiations.

Go in the doors to the Grand Library. Past the urns on the bookshelf on the left, pull the hidden switch. Go in the secret door, but DON'T pick up the Letter yet. Instead, loot the other stuff, and get the veilfire torch. Go back to the urns and light them in this order: Etienne I, Reville, Etienne II, Judicael I, Judicael II, Florian. (Or, if you face the torch room, start on the right on the garden side and work your way toward the torch room, then do the left side in the same order.)

Loot the stuff in the newly opened secret room. After you get back up the stairs, go out the doors to the left. At the base of the stairs there is a room to either side. The one on the right can only be opened if you are a rogue. The room to the left contains a document Secret(12). In the Library Hall find a Secret(13) on the easternmost table by the windows.

Return to the veilfire room and pick up the third plot item, the Letter. This starts a series of hard-to-hear bells, which signal that it's time to return to the ballroom. Return to where you found that last Secret Document and go through into the Vestibule to stop the Approval drop. Stand just outside the Ballroom door until after the second bell, and your inquisitor says something about being "fashionably late." This grants some Approval.

Exploration 2:

After the conversation, actually enter the Ballroom. To advance the plot, go out to a balcony and talk to Briala. The next plot point is to talk to Celene's ladies-in-waiting again, and they're just inside from Briala [bug: if you can't talk to them, exit and re-enter the Ballroom]. The middle balcony is Celene, but she can't be spoken to. Out the other balcony, talk to Gaspard to complete this section of plot point.

If you have the Nobility Knowlege Perk, find The Dowager (Council) and ask her to dance. You need an Approval of at least 61 to do so. If she won't talk to you, come back later when you do have the approval.

Go out to the Vestibule and into the Hall of Heroes. Go down the stairs, and into the door at the end to the Servant's Quarters and Grand Apartments.

Timed Section 2:

Open the inventory and equip your party, because there's some fighting ahead. Like pausing, no decrease in Approval will happen while on the inventory screens. Go right and loot the bedroom. Exit the other door into the kitchen and grab the Halla(3) from the rafters. To do so, stand on the table just under it. Jump, then Pause at the top of the jump. Click the Halla, then unpause.

Exit to the garden area, but don't approach the fountain in the middle yet. Instead, immediately go left to find a Halla(4). Now approach the fountain for a cutscene.

Go north from the fountain and kill another set of Venatori. Go northeast up some stairs and then up a ladder. At the end of the balcony is a Caprice(4). Inside the little room is a Halla(5).

Go back down to the ground level and east into the Grand Apartments. In the room to the left find a Caprice(5) on the middle bed. Exit and go left into the Dining Room, where you'll kill some Venatori. Pick up the Caprice(6) in the southwest corner of the room between two flower pots.

Exit east into the Library to kill some more bad guys, Go up some stairs and into the room on the left. Kill those Venatori. Open the Halla door to get into Celene's Vault. Loot the contents, being sure to pick up the Elven Locket, which is required if you want Celene and Briala to rule together.

Exit this room in either direction and you'll eventually fight a Harlequin. This is followed immediately by a scene with Briala. After this scene, reenter the room and find the Halla(6), which was visible while Briala was talking. There is some miscellaneous loot scattered around if you're desperate, but I recommend skipping it in order to avoid the Approval drop.

Drop off the balcony where you last saw Briala, and go down to ground level. Go to the southwest part of the map to find one of Sera's Stashes(2). Follow the quest marker. Go up some stairs and through the gate to end this Timed Section.

Back to the Ballroom:

Again, wait at the Ballroom door for the second bell, (ignore the Eavesdrop Circle for now), and your inquisitor says "fashionably late." This again grants Approval.

Upon entering, you will dance with Florianne. During the conversation, say
(The first response has no effect on Approval)
"Let's Dance"
The Nobility Perk, (otherwise AVOID "As much as I care to")
"Is that what we both want?"
"Which am I to you?"
The Underworld Knowledge Perk, (othwerwise AVOID "I trust Celene/Gaspard/Briala")
The last one's Approval change is unavoidable.

Exploration 3:

In the Ballroom, find a Caprice(7) on the railing overlooking the dance floor on the east side. There is another Caprice(8) in the northwest corner to the right of the statue. If you want Celene and Briala to rule together, Talk to Briala and the ladies-in-waiting and show them all the Elven Locket.

Out in the Vestibule, go straight down the stairs and left. There is a document Secret(14) on one of the benches. Back upstairs, find a Caprice(9) on the floor near the railing in the northeast corner of the room. Up the stairs towards the Royal Wing is an Eavesdrop Circle Secret(15). Don't enter the Royal Wing yet.

In the Hall of Heroes, talk to Ambassador Anton and get them to go talk to Cullen for some Approval. Go in the Trophy Room that they were guarding. This is a Timed Area, so don't dither. Find a Caprice(10) on the floor to the left in front of the stuffed baby nug. There is a Secret(16) on the table between the bookcase and the stuffed Mabari.

Through this room is an office, where you'll find the plot item Secret Orders. There is also a Halla(7) on the desk. The other door here can only be unlocked if the Inquisitor is a rogue.

Back in the Hall of Heroes, on the lower level is a document Secret(17) behind the statue at the far end of the couch.

In the next hallway there are three documents: a Secret(18) next to a flower pot next to the door to the Gardens, a Secret(19) on the southern table in the middle, and a Secret(20) on the floor between a lion statue and a bench on the southeast side of the room.

In Duke Germain's room in the SE corner is another documented Secret(21).

In the room with the guards, on a couch along the north wall is another documented Secret(22). Left next to this couch is a Caprice(11). Out on the balcony to the left is an Eavesdrop Circle Secret(23). Just over the balcony on the ground to the right of the open window is a documented Secret(24). On a bench on the balcony is documented Secret(25).

Out in the Gardens, in the northwest corner next to a sack is a documented Secret(26). Open the Halla door and go inside. One of the chests has the Orlesian Banner Skyhold Decoration in it. Downstairs in the Lower Garden find a Caprice(12) on the empty bench. The last of Sera's Stashes(3) is behind the fence behind the bench. (This quest auto-completes.)

Go back up to the Upper Gardens, and up the lattice to the Timed Area. Find a Caprice(13) on the balcony to the left. Go into the main Libarary Hall area where Cole is, and along the windows by the western most table is a documented Secret(27). Go out to the Vestibule and up the opposite stairs. Enter the Royal Wing now.

Final Timed Section:

Open your inventory and re-equip your gear, as you'll be fighting soon. If for some reason you want to end this with 100 approval, quicksaving and quickloading quickly might reset the timer on the Approval drop.

Immediately to the left, on the table, pick up the documented Secret(28). Go up the stairs and to the room to the right, where you'll loot a Halla(8) and a documented Secret(29), along with a couple of containers. Exit the room and go straight. There is a locked door on the right. Ignore this and open the next door for a cutscene. Aferwards, pick up the Halla(9).

Exit this room the way you came in and open the Halla door. Inside, talk to the guard who's tied up on the bed. If you want the Public Truce Ending, you'll need to convince the soldier to testify against Celene. Alternatively, telling him to stay quiet grants Approval. After the conversation, to the right of the bed on a desk is a Caprice(14). On a table down from the bed is a documented Secret(30).

Return to the room where the cutscene was and go through the doors to the right. The quest marker points to a door where you'll hear a conversation. Don't go through there yet. Instead, go trough the doors oposite and out onto a balcony. Jump in a window on the right and find the final Caprice(15) and the final Halla(10).

Retrace your steps and exit the Royal Wing back to the Vestiblue. Turn in the Secrets to Leliana in the Ballroom to complete the Social Leverage side quest. Toss the Caprices in the fountain in the Gardens to complete the Caprice Coin Toss side quest. This is also your last chance to talk to The Dowager (Council). Now return to the Royal Wing. Re-equip your gear. Again. Now go in the door where you heard the noises.

After the fight, talk to the Mercenary Captain. You can just get him to testify against Gaspard, or you can get him to also join the Inquisition if you have the Underworld Knowledge Perk. Follow the first quest marker and kill a few bad guys in the chapel. Head towards the next quest marker, but kill bad guys and go to the right until you get to a pair of Halla doors. With the mod installed, you can open both and loot all the stuff inside.

Now follow the quest marker until you open some doors and activate a cutscene. Save before going through this last door. If you're running mods and want the Belle of the Ball Achievement, you'll need to exit the game and restart it without mods.

This is where you make your choice of who rules Orlais. If you followed all the steps above, then all of the options should be available to you.

End:

A. Gaspard Rules Alone
Allow Celene to be assasinated, then in the conversation that follows, use the Blackmail material to discredit Briala.

B. Gaspard and Briala Rule Together
Allow Celene to be assasinated, then use Blackmail material to force Gaspard to submit to Briala.

C. Celene Rules Alone
Keep Celene Alive, then tell her "Gaspard was planning a coup." You can also implicate Briala to have her share Gaspard's fate.

D. Celene and Briala Rule Together
You must have retrieved the plot item Elven Locket as detailed above, and you must have shown it to both Briala and the ladies-in-waiting. You obviously must keep Celene Alive, then say "Briala helped stop Floiranne," use the evidence against Gaspard, then say "What about Briala's reward?" (Do NOT try to spare Gaspard's life, as that will skip the option to reward Briala.)

E. Public Truce Between All Three Parties
You must obviously have saved Celene, have convinced the naked soldier to testify, and you must have gotten blackmail materal on both Briala and Gaspard. AND you must have at least 85 court Approval.

Denouement:

Morrigan joins the Inquisition regarless of what you say.
Your love interest, or Josephine, will join you on the balcony.

this page last updated 11 November 2022