Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Should Neve Offer Hope to Dock Town or Focus on Its Protection?

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Rook finds himself accompanied by a diverse array of new companions, each with distinct skills that contribute to the team’s success. A standout character introduced early on is Neve Gallus, a detective hailing from Minrathous, embodying the essence of the film noir archetype. As Rook’s liaison with the mysterious Shadow Dragons, Neve is on a personal mission to track down a dangerous adversary exploiting the vulnerable inhabitants of Dock Town. It’s crucial to note that the unfolding narrative contains significant spoilers for the game.

Neve’s individual quest sets itself apart from the personal journeys of other companions, as it delves deep into the gritty world of detective work. Completing her storyline is essential for her to earn the Hero of the Veilguard title, a prerequisite for surviving the climactic battle. Players’ decisions regarding Rook’s guidance will not only affect Neve’s skills and equipment but also shape the future of Dock Town.

Neve’s Commitment to Dock Town

A Relentless Pursuit of Justice

Neve’s journey may feel somewhat fragmented, as she unravels the mystery of the missing individuals within Dock Town, culminating in a connection to an old nemesis. Although intertwined with the Venatori, who serve as primary antagonists in The Veilguard, the story lacks a strong villainous presence in Aelia. Nonetheless, Neve’s quest offers valuable perspectives into Minrathous’s seedy underbelly, linking Rook with figures from both legitimate and illicit circles, such as Rana and Elek, who represent the Templar and the notorious Threads crime syndicate, respectively.

Neve’s personal story is enriched by the lore introduced in the Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights narrative, particularly in the chapter titled “The Streets of Minrathous, ”where key characters like Rana, Elek, and Aelia first emerged.

The Consequences of Urging Neve to Protect Dock Town

A Steadfast Guardian Against Crime

If Rook guides Neve to adopt a protective role towards Dock Town, she transforms into a vigilant guardian operating from the shadows. Faced with a ruthless foe targeting the community’s most defenseless, Neve can take a firmer stance against crime. However, should Rook not intervene during the dragon invasions, and Neve has become Hardened in The Veilguard, the narrative will underscore the catastrophic fate that befell Minrathous at the hands of the Venatori.

Choosing to safeguard Dock Town equips Neve with the Winter’s Wraith skill and the Threader’s Plates armor, optimizing her for a damage-per-second (DPS) role. This combination enables her abilities to recharge faster, enhances her critical damage, and increases her effectiveness against foes at low health. However, there is a trade-off; detonations are limited, allowing enemies to be detonated only once, which may hinder party synergy in combat scenarios.

Ability	Increased critical damage by 2%.Damage abilities deal 25% more damage to low-health enemies. Ability cooldowns reduced by 20%.
Armor	Enemies remain Sundered when detonated but cannot be detonated again. Sundered effectiveness increases by 20%.

The Impact of Advising Neve to Bring Hope

Inspiring Courage and Justice

Alternatively, players can inspire Neve to foster hope among Dock Town’s citizens, illuminating the path to righteousness and justice. Opposed to Aelia’s condescending view of the downtrodden, Neve pledges to serve as a beacon of courage, demonstrating that positive change is possible for the often-overlooked populace of Dock Town. This decision also reflects her refusal to accept Aelia’s declaration that Tevinter is beyond repair.

If Rook shares a Shadow Dragon background in The Veilguard, additional dialogue options become available, allowing for deeper exploration of the prevailing corruption and Neve’s idealistic vision for a better future.

If Neve opts to be an emblem of hope, she gains the Cold Justice skill and the Investigator’s Robes, facilitating her role as a crowd control specialist. This setup enhances Neve’s cold-infused abilities, diminishing enemy resistance to cold damage, immobilizing foes upon detonation, and doubling the duration of freezing effects.

Ability	Chilled effectiveness boosts by 2%.Frozen duration increases by 100%.Maximum Chilled stacks increase by 1.
Armor	Detonations permanently diminish enemies’ cold resistance. Detonations apply Frozen status when an enemy’s cold resistance drops below zero.

Choosing to embody integrity and justice resonates with Neve’s mission, leading to her collaboration with Rana, who will apprehend Aelia following their confrontation. Neve insists on publicly showcasing Aelia’s arrest to send a clear message about accountability in Dock Town. Should Aelia manage to evade justice, Neve vows to persist in her pursuit.

Ultimately, players face a similar choice as in other companion quests in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, where the decision can be tackled through the lens of roleplay, personal journey, or from a perspective focused on gear and skills. Whether Neve embraces a lawful path by establishing a detective agency with Rana or adopts a more hardened approach with the Threads, there is no definitive right or wrong pathway. Each Rook can navigate their choices in a manner that aligns with their gameplay style.

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