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You would think that the days in Vermund vary thanks to its wide variety of inhabitants that lurk around every corner, ready to assail or devour you. While one would not be wrong to think this, another small factor affects a simple and short daily adventure: the Pawns of Dragon’s Dogma 2. While they are the most loyal beings an Arisen could wish for, they are so unpredictable that they can make a small expedition a walking hell. And although everything worked out in the end, it took me one day to learn that my Pawn is a magnet for trouble and danger.
My Loyal Warrior
Before I tell you about my adventure ordeal, let me talk about my Pawn in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Her name is Solaine. Like many adventurers, I had spent hours imagining what she would look like in Vermund. Once I could summon her, I asked her to be a Mage to support me in combat, although I slowly realized that this vocation did not suit her. You see, Solaine does not measure her words or blows. She doesn’t care if I’m healthy or getting beaten up by seven goblins at once. She charges into battle with a war cry and flings enemies into the air, even as a mage. So you can imagine this vocation didn’t last long.
With a claymore in hand and somewhat questionable armor for someone who should be defending me, Solaine was a full-fledged Warrior. Her days of casting spells were over, and the days of tackling enemies, throwing explosive barrels at my face, and climbing griffins even if it meant her imminent fall began. From here, I saw that the difficulty of my adventure didn’t increase because of the enemies; it increased due to taking care of my more than rebellious Pawn, who, no matter how much I told her to come to me, I saw her looking for the nearest enemy to impale with her sword.
Crossing the Border
The long-awaited day I want to tell you about was when my group crossed the border between Vermund and Battahl. You see, I was unaware that I needed a permit to cross. I thought the being Arisen would grant me entry, but it was not so. With a grunt from the guard, my group of girls and I were thrown sideways and barred from entering Battahl. Being the proactive person I am, I led my group through a river full of rocks, fog, and rain to enter the desert illegally. The adventure already had an added difficulty from here, but I didn’t know how complicated it would be because of Solaine.
The trip started with a short climb up the river until we came across a waterfall and some goblins and harpies. So far, nothing out of the ordinary for an inhabitant of Vermund. We made it up without a problem thanks to the spells of my other Pawns I rented and Solaine’s ability to throw goblins off a cliff. All was going well until the rain began to fall harder on our faces to the point that we could barely see a thing. And it was there where we saw a silhouette through the mist, darkness, and lightning; it was a minotaur guarding the border. Unafraid to face this creature, we unsheathed our weapons and threw ourselves at it.
The fight was going well. As a Fighter, I was clinging to this creature’s horns. My Sorcerer was using lightning, and my mage imbued our weapons with flame. Solaine was being quite helpful as well. She managed to topple this monster with slow but deadly blows on more than one occasion. That is until she thought of shouting to get its attention. Usually, in a fight like this, there is no problem, at least when you see everything around you. But with poor visibility, we didn’t count on Solaine’s scream attracting a chimera. That’s right, it was two deadly creatures against a group that could barely see their silhouettes.
Within seconds, my Pawns, except for Solaine, were down. The cry of their defeat traveled between the walls surrounding this deadly canyon. The minotaur had fallen thanks to the Chimera’s intervention, but we had no support. I was trying to dodge the blows of this beast and could not reach my other Pawns. And it was there where Solaine, like the hero she always felt herself to be, threw a stone at the Chimera’s face, flinching it and allowing us to cut off two of its heads. After a pause, the four of us were on our feet and ready to move forward. There, I stood proud to see my main Pawn of Dragon’s Dogma 2 save the day for once. However, the journey wasn’t over.
A Rocky Descent
Due to a lack of food and time, we decided not to camp. Yes, it was a terrible decision on my part as a leader, but I wanted to get to Battahl before nightfall. After defeating several Saurians, we emerged from the rainy canyon and saw a light at the end of a tunnel. It was not our death; it was Battahl in all its splendor. It looked as if a painting had come to life. Its orange landscape with light green plants stood out in what should have been a lifeless desert. With a smile on our faces, one last challenge awaited us: descending the waterfalls.
Any adventurer in Vermund might fear bodies of water, and we wouldn’t blame them for that. The fact that there are tentacles in the water ready to take the life of any inhabitant generates fear. So, you can imagine my nervousness about descending waterfalls with a deep lake at the bottom. Still, I tried to descend with surgical precision. I would jump to finish off the harpies and then order my Pawns to catch up with me. Everything would have gone perfectly had it not been for a griffin and Solaine’s chaotic proactivity.
Griffins are annoying creatures despite being a necessary part of this world’s ecosystem. They come to fight you and escape to their nest after a few blows. In this short encounter, the griffin managed to defeat my mage, and Solaine, as a good helper, carried her to me to revive her. Well, that would have been if Solaine hadn’t dropped her in the water, sending the poor Mage Pawn to the Rift once and for all. Still, we made it down, even though there were now only three of us, and we were getting closer and closer to our destination.
Beyond Journey’s End
After dodging hobgoblins, golems, and three ogres, the entrance to Battahl was in front of us. Being illegal visitors, we were not welcomed in a good way. Every guard stopped me on sight to ask me what I was doing there. Frankly, it was not the arrival I expected for me, the hero of these nations. And beyond that, I wasn’t feeling in the best of spirits either. I lost a Pawn with whom I had traveled 30 days in the game, my Sorcerer had a quarter of life left, and Solaine was asking me to pass her some edibles in case they were taking up too much space in my inventory.
Any Arisen would have already thrown my Solaine into the water. In fact, every time she returned from an adventure with another Arisen in Dragon’s Dogma 2, they would send us rotten fruit or fish. I can understand why, but I also understand the reason why I can’t help but still have Solaine as a relentless Warrior. She may not be the most strategic or calm in a fight, but she gives that little flare to every trip. It doesn’t matter if she kills other pawns or even me; there’s always something new to see when she accompanies me.
After such a chaotic day, I finally slept in the only tavern where I was not spoken to unkindly and woke up to be greeted by Solaine. I couldn’t help but shake my head and smile at the same time. That face of eagerness for adventure was priceless. And believe me, this was not the last trip. Solaine was loyal to me throughout our journey.
In dark dungeons, against creatures that petrify with their eyes and winged beasts that spew fire. In each of them, she always did two things: hit the enemy and my other Pawns with all her might. They weren’t the best methods, but they were the most effective. At the end of my journey, I always remembered her as the most loyal Pawn I could have ever summoned in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
