In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, one of your first major moral dilemmas unfolds in the blighted village of D’Meta’s Crossing-should you save the trapped mayor, Julius, or leave him to his grim fate? This choice may seem straightforward, but it ripples through your party’s dynamics and unlocks unexpected consequences, including a secret side quest if you decide to abandon him. With companions divided over his fate and the mayor’s dark past shrouded in mystery, your decision sets the tone for the difficult choices ahead in your journey through Thedas.
First, look for clues
When you arrive at D’Meta’s Crossing in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the village is shrouded in blight and mystery, making it crucial to carefully explore and gather clues before deciding the mayor’s fate. As you navigate the cursed town, destroy blight obstacles to unlock hidden rooms filled with loot and notes that reveal the mayor’s background and the village’s tragic story. Pay close attention to your companions’ reactions and the mayor’s own words during your encounter, as these clues will help you weigh the consequences of saving or leaving him behind. This investigative approach ensures your choice is informed, reflecting the complex moral landscape of the quest “Shadows Crossing”.
As you work your way through blight-afflicted D’Meta’s Crossing, there are a few of the glowing and pulsating sacs of blight – blight obstacles – you can destroy. Doing so will open rooms with loot and a couple of notes that talk about the mayor and what befell the village.
Should you save the mayor in D’Meta’s Crossing?
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, deciding whether to save the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing during the “Shadows Crossing” quest is a significant early choice that mainly affects companion approval rather than the broader story. Saving the mayor earns Neve’s approval but disapproval from Bellara and Harding, while leaving him behind has the opposite effect. The mayor, Julius, is revealed to have been complicit in the village’s downfall through his misguided pact with blighted gods, which complicates the moral weight of the decision. Choosing to leave him may unlock a later side quest related to the consequences of your choice, whereas saving him does not lead to major story changes. Ultimately, the decision hinges on roleplaying preferences and which companions’ approval you prioritize, with no major long-term narrative impact except for a faction-specific option to exile him to the Grey Wardens if aligned with that group.
“Should” is a loaded word here, so let’s rephrase it a little to, “What happens if you don’t save the mayor of D’Meta?”
At the end of your trip through D’Meta’s Crossing, you’ll have to deal with Chekhov’s dragon briefly, but that’s not important right now. Once it leaves, you’ll meet the mayor and get the choice to save him or leave him here. You’ll also have three companions with you who will judge your decision. And that’s the immediate effect – your companions will approve or disapprove based on what you do.
Your conversation with the mayor and their reactions (and Harding’s facial expression) will give you a hint to how they’ll react:
- If you save him: Bellara and Harding disapprove, and Neve approves
- If you leave him here: Bellara and Harding approve, and Neve disapproves
The choice is yours, ultimately, but we will say one thing: saving him doesn’t mean you have to like him (and you’ll have a few cutting remarks to toss his way).
The changes to your companions’ opinions of you are the only effect on the game at the moment, so, like most things in life, it’s just about who you’re trying to impress. Ultimately, the dialogue plays out similarly no matter what you choose and you get the same ominous warning about the fate of the world.
Should I save the mayor to prevent him from spreading Blight
You should not save the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing if your main concern is preventing the spread of the Blight. Leaving him to die results in him becoming infected and turning into a powerful blighted creature later in the game, triggering the side quest A Growing Corruption where you must confront this threat directly. Saving the mayor denies you this quest and does not prevent the Blight from spreading; it mainly affects companion approval ratings, with Neve approving the rescue but Bellara and Harding disapproving, while leaving him gains approval from Bellara and Harding but loses Neve’s approval. Thus, if you want to avoid the Blight’s further corruption and gain additional gameplay content, leaving the mayor is the recommended choice.
Will saving the mayor prevent the spread of Blight in future quests
Saving the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing in Dragon Age: The Veilguard does not prevent the spread of the Blight in future quests. If you save him, the Blight-related side quest A Growing Corruption does not appear, and the mayor’s infection and transformation into a blighted creature are avoided. However, this choice mainly affects companion approval ratings-Neve approves of saving him, while Bellara and Harding disapprove-and has no significant impact on the main storyline or Blight spread. Leaving the mayor to his fate triggers the A Growing Corruption quest, where you confront the mayor as a blighted boss, but this does not alter the overall progression of the Blight beyond that side quest. Therefore, saving the mayor does not stop the Blight from spreading in the game’s future quests.
