Just arrived in the mysterious lands of Avowed? Your first real test awaits in the “Cabin Fever” side quest, where a desperate woman named Dehengen pleads for your help to reclaim her home from a menacing band of Xaurips. Venture to her isolated cabin perched on a cliff, battle these reptilian invaders, and uncover secrets that hint at darker forces at play. Will you be the Watcher to lift the curse and restore peace, or will the cabin’s chilling mysteries consume you?
Our Avowed guide will will you give a full “Cabin Fever” walkthrough, including where to start the quest, how to find and explore the cabin, and what you should tell Dehengen to do.
How to start the ’Cabin Fever’ side quest in Avowed
To start the “Cabin Fever” side quest in Avowed, head to Claviger’s Landing in Dawnshore and speak with Dehengen, who can be found near a pillar close to the docks. She will explain that her home has been overrun by hostile Xaurips and asks for your help to drive them out. Agreeing to assist her will trigger the quest, and she will give you the key to her cabin, which is located northwest of the area. From there, follow the quest marker to Dehengen’s house to begin clearing out the invaders and uncover the deeper story behind her situation.
Once you complete Avowed’s first quest, “On Strange Shores,” and start the second, “Message from Afar,” you’ll be in Claviger’s Landing outside of Paradis.
After you check in with Cynric and pick up Kai, your first companion, you’ll continue toward Paradis. Just up the stairs from the docks, you’ll find Dehengen. Talk to her, and you’ll learn that a pack of xaurips have invaded her house.
Where to find to Dehengen’s cabin
Dehengen’s cabin in Avowed is located in the Fractured Shore area, northwest of Claviger’s Landing in the Dawnshore region. To find it, start by heading to the camping spot north of Claviger’s Landing, then take the stairs on the western side to enter the Fractured Shore. From there, follow the path northwest, crossing gaps between cliff islands-be prepared for an ambush by hostile xaurips along the way. After defeating them, cross a wooden bridge to reach the cabin perched on a cliff. The cabin is marked on your quest map once you accept the Cabin Fever side quest from Dehengen at Claviger’s Landing.
The cabin is to the northwest of the town. As you get closer, you’ll run into some xaurips. Deal with them, and then cross the wooden bridge.
The cabin is less a cabin and more a large house. One of the Dawnshore fast travel beacons, named Dehengen’s Cottage, right out front.
As you approach, head around to the right and keep working your way back. Against the back wall, you’ll find the On Soul Twins: A Treatise book.
Cut across the back of the house until you find a wooden crate blocking a low entrance. Smash through it and check out the room. You’ll find Dehengen’s Journal on a table against the far wall.
After you talk to Kai about the journal, head through the door on the left. You’ll find a pair of xaurips waiting for you.
Once they’re cleared out, loot the chest in the far right corner and then examine the crude wall painting on the left wall. After another conversation with Kai, you can return to the Claviger’s Landing beacon fast travel point.
’Cabin Fever’ side quest outcomes and rewards
In the “Cabin Fever” side quest in Avowed, players assist Dehengen in driving out Xaurips that have invaded her home. The quest involves clearing the enemies, exploring Dehengen’s cabin, and uncovering a surprising connection between her and the Xaurip leader. Players face key choices at the quest’s conclusion: killing the Xaurip leader yields a modest reward of 300 Copper Skeyt; advising Dehengen to ignore the Xaurip results in a small XP gain; while encouraging her to give the Xaurip leader a chance grants the best outcome, rewarding the player with the unique Vindictive Band, which inflicts poison on critical hits, along with bonus XP. This choice-driven quest offers varied outcomes and valuable loot, making it a memorable early mission in Avowed.
When you return to Dehengen, you’ll talk to her for a bit. Ultimately, you’ll have to choose what to tell her to do: either ignore the xaurip or spend time with the xaurip. The end of this side quest doesn’t have larger implications for your game, but it does impact what reward you get.
Tell her to ignore the xaurip
If you decide the xaurip isn’t worth her time, you can give one of the dismissive dialogue options and convince her there’s nothing special happening. If you do that, you’ll get your XP and the side quest will end.
The other option will get a nice reward, though.
Tell her to spend time with the xaurip
If you tell her to spend time with the xaurip and explore the soul twin connection they share, she’ll give you the Vindictive Band ring as a reward (and you’ll get the XP).
What secrets about Dehengen will I uncover during the quest
During the “Cabin Fever” quest in Avowed, you uncover several intriguing secrets about Dehengen:
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Half a Soul Mystery: Dehengen believes she is cursed because an astromancer told her she only has half a soul. She suspects the other half resides within a Xaurip, the very creatures that invaded her home.
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Connection to a Xaurip: Exploring her cabin, you find a mural depicting a human and a Xaurip together, and her journal reveals that a particular Xaurip has been watching her in a non-hostile way.
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The Soul Twin Concept: Behind the cabin, you discover a book titled On Soul Twins: A Treatise, which provides deeper insight into the idea that Dehengen and the Xaurip chief, Tazaraak, are soul twins-two beings sharing one soul.
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Crucial Decision: The quest culminates in a choice: you can encourage Dehengen to meet and befriend Tazaraak, accepting their shared fate, or dissuade her from doing so. Supporting her leads to a unique reward and a sense of closure, while refusing leaves her story unresolved.
These discoveries reveal that Dehengen’s troubles are not just about a home invasion, but about a mystical bond that challenges her understanding of identity and belonging.
What surprising truth about Dehengen will I learn during the quest
The surprising truth you learn about Dehengen during the “Cabin Fever” quest in Avowed is that she and the xaurip warchief, Tazaraak, share a mystical bond as soul twins-two halves of one soul split between them. Dehengen believes she has only half a soul, with the other half residing in the xaurip chief. This revelation reframes her conflict with the xaurips not as mere hostility, but as a deeper, spiritual connection. The quest’s best ending involves convincing Dehengen to spend time with Tazaraak, leading to them learning to live together in peace, which grants you a unique reward and a sense of resolution to her story.
