In the tense “Shadowed Prayers” quest of Dragon’s Dogma 2, you are thrust into the heart of political intrigue in the city of Bakbattahl, tasked with protecting Empress Nadinia from a hidden assassin during a sacred morning ritual. With only a cryptic description and a crowd full of potential threats, your keen eye and swift action will determine the fate of the Empress-and the city itself. Will you identify the culprit in time, or will the shadows claim their prize? This walkthrough guides you step-by-step through this high-stakes mission, ensuring you catch the assassin before it’s too late.
In this Dragon’s Dogma 2 guide, we’ll walk you through how to start the “Shadowed Prayers” quest and how to find the assassin in Bakbattahl.
How to start the ’Shadowed Prayers’ quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2
To start the “Shadowed Prayers” quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you need to speak with Menella, a Beastren warrior who can be found near the Flamebearer Palace in Bakbattahl after completing the main quest “Nation of the Lambent Flame.” Menella will warn you about an assassin targeting Empress Nadinia and ask for your help to protect her. Once you accept the quest, you must rest until morning and then return to the palace for the Empress’s prayer ceremony, where you’ll need to identify and apprehend the assassin based on clues Menella provides, such as the assassin having his hair tied back and a wounded right arm.
You’ll first meet Menella, the royal guard, during the “Nation of the Lambent Flame” story mission, but she won’t give you the “Shadowed Prayers” quest until you’ve spent more time in Bakbattahl.
Complete “Nation of the Lambent Flame” and then rest in Bakbattahl. There appear to be multiple ways to start “Shadowed Prayers,” but I received the “Shadowed Prayers” quest during the “A New Godsway” main story mission, which took me into the palace to visit a character named Ambrosius.
If you’re looking to complete “Shadowed Prayers” as early as possible, sleep in Bakbattahl and go to the palace immediately after you wake up – while it’s still morning. If it’s still not working, continue with the main quest and you should naturally encounter Menella.
How to find the assassin in ’Shadowed Prayers’
To find the assassin in the “Shadowed Prayers” quest in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you first need to return to the Flamebearer Palace in the morning during the ritual. Listen carefully to the clues given by Menella, who will provide you with a Bandit Bill of Arrest describing the assassin: he wears his hair tied back and has a wounded right arm. During the prayer, approach the group of devotees on the stairs and identify the man matching this description. Once you spot him-typically a man with scars on his arm and tied-back hair-use the grab command to apprehend him before he can attack Empress Nadinia. Successfully capturing the correct individual completes the quest segment and prevents the assassination.
Once Menella finally tracks you down and gives you the “Shadowed Prayers” quest, she’ll ask you to return to the palace in the morning to stop an assassination attempt against the empress.
Head to an inn (or your home, if you bought the house in Bakbattahl) and sleep until morning. In the morning, head back to the Flamebearer Palace and walk in. Menella will stop you again.
Menella will now give you a description of the would-be assailant via the “Bandit Bill of Arrest” in your inventory, which reads: “Wears his hair tied back. His right arm was wounded during the attack.”
With that description, walk straight ahead toward the prayer room. You’ll find a bunch of devout citizens on the steps. Facing the prayer room, walk to the right side of the steps and you’ll see a human man with a scarred right arm and shoulder-length hair tied partially back. He’s in a grayish toga and has a sword hanging from the left side of his belt.
If you talk to him, the game will list his name as Herman. You can see what he looks like in the image above – he’s the one I’ve circled.
Make sure everyone else is out of the way so you don’t accidentally accuse the wrong person (Dragon’s Dogma 2 can be fiddly like that), and grab Herman. You’ll tackle him to the ground and he’ll confess immediately.
Nadinia will then take you to her chambers and thank you for saving her life by giving you 3,500 XP, 18,000 Gold, and five Jasper. Congratulations on thwarting a royal assassination, Arisen! Now if you could just get rid of that pretender in Vernworth.
What hidden clues help identify the assassin in Shadowed Prayers
The key hidden clues to identify the assassin in the “Shadowed Prayers” quest of Dragon’s Dogma 2 are found in a note given by Ser Manella, which describes the assassin as a man with his hair tied back and a wounded right arm. This description is subtle, as the arm injury appears as a light scar rather than a conspicuous bandage, and several characters in the crowd wear armbands that can mislead you. The assassin, named Herman, is typically located on the right-hand side of the crowd near the palace stairs, wearing dark clothing. Careful observation, possibly using photo mode to scrutinize the scar on his arm, is necessary to distinguish him from lookalikes. Once identified, you can apprehend him by grappling (R2) to trigger the arrest and save Empress Nadinia.
How do the tied-back hair and right arm injury reveal the assassin’s identity
The tied-back hair and right arm injury serve as crucial visual identifiers to reveal the assassin’s identity in the “Shadowed Prayers” quest. According to the Bandit Bill of Arrest given at the quest’s start, the assassin, Herman, is described as a man with his hair tied back and a wounded right arm. This wound is subtle, appearing as a light scar rather than an obvious bandage, which requires careful scrutiny to notice. Several NPCs wear armbands that can mislead players, so the combination of the tied-back hair and the faint scar on the right arm helps narrow down the suspect. Players often find Herman on the right-hand side of the crowd near the palace stairs, and using photo mode or close observation to spot these details is essential to correctly identify and apprehend him before he strikes the Empress.
