His Old Self – Pillars of Eternity Quest

This guide is for a particular side quest in Pillars of Eternity during Act 2. The guide has a walkthrough of the area, and a map with a legend.

Map Legend

1 – Goose and Fox
2 – Purnisc’s House

Background

You’ll receive this quest from Kaenra in the Goose and Fox in Copperlane (#1).

Walkthrough

Kaenra will tell you that her fiance Purnisc fell in with some Svef users, and that they took over her house — to the extent that when she demanded that they leave, Purnisc punched her in the face. Kaerna will then announce that she and Purnisc are through, and she’ll ask you to return her engagement ring to Purnisc so he’ll know what she’s decided.

Purnisc’s house is located to the north of the Goose and Fox (#2). Inside, you’ll find that the place is filled with addicts and mercenaries. When you eventually reach Purnisc in one of the side rooms, he’ll introduce himself as the city’s “first and foremost svef merchant,” and he won’t care at all if you hand over Kaenra’s Ring. If you keep digging, then eventually Purnisc will get fed up with you, and he’ll reveal that he’s really a wizard named Nyrid who was simply disguised as Purnisc. Then he and the mercenaries will attack you.

If you don’t anger Purnisc-Nyrid, and if you keep exploring the house, then soon enough you’ll come to the staircase leading to the upper floor. The mercenaries there will stop you, but with Resolve 14 or a bribe of 100 cp, they’ll allow you to pass.

Upstairs, no matter how you got there, a group of mercenaries will attack you. One of the mercenaries will drop a Rusty Bronze Key when he dies, which will allow you to enter a locked closet where you’ll find the real Purnisc. Purnisc will admit that he was dealing Svef, and that he held back some cp from his supplier, which is what led to his current situation. He’ll then ask you to kill Nyrid.

When you return to Nyrid, you’ll have a choice about how to proceed:

• If you decide to work with Nyrid, then you’ll have to kill Purnisc, which you’ll only be able to accomplish by force-attacking him. Once Purnisc has been dealt with, Nyrid will sell you his Svef at half price, and you’ll take a “minor” reputation loss with Defiance Bay. Kaenra will simply disappear from the Goose and Fox.
  
  
• If you decide to help Purnisc, then you’ll have to defeat Nyrid, plus all of the mercenaries guarding him. Once you’ve done enough damage to Nyrid, he’ll try to surrender, but you’ll only be able to take him prisoner if you have a dungeon at Caed Nua. Otherwise, Nyrid will drop a grimoire when he dies, which will give you access to some Level 1-3 wizard spells, including Crackling Bolt and Fireball.
  
  Note: If you give Nyrid Kaenra’s Ring, he won’t drop it when he dies.
  
  When you return to Purnisc, he’ll thank you for your help, and he’ll ask you to go back to Kaenra and explain to her what happened. When you do, you’ll have another choice to make:
  
  
  • You can lie and protect Purnisc. For this case, Kaenra will ask you for her ring back (assuming you have it). If you announce that you’re keeping it, then you won’t receive any compensation for completing the quest (you’ll just get to keep the ring, but since it’s a quest item, you won’t be able to do anything with it). Otherwise, Kaenra will give you the amulet Unwavering Resolve. You won’t earn a reputation bonus either way.
    
    You can tell the truth and encourage Kaenra to stay with Purnisc. For this case, Kaenra will give you the amulet Unwavering Resolve, and you’ll earn two “minor” reputation bonuses with Defiance Bay.
    
    You can tell the truth and encourage Kaenra to leave Purnisc. For this case, Kanera will give you the amulet Unwavering Resolve, and you’ll earn “minor” and “slight” reputation bonuses with Defiance Bay.
  
  But regardless of what you say to Kanera, when you return to Purnisc, he’ll sell you Svef at a 50% discount.

1 – Goose and Fox


2 – Purnisc’s House