Echoes of the Past Guide in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Echoes of the Past is the very first companion quest for Bellara, one of the main companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which unlocks very early on in the game. It is, for the most part, quite straightforward, mostly rehashing puzzles players will have seen before, but there are some minor choices and a tricky puzzle that can be difficult to solve.

This guide covers everything there is to do in Echoes of the Past, all possible dialogue choices Rook can make and their consequences, and how to solve every puzzle inside.

How to Start Echoes of the Past in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

To start Echoes of the Past, you will first need to complete the two story quests “Smuggled Relic Case” and “Sea of Blood.” Afterward, return to the Lighthouse and talk to Bellara to trigger the cutscene where she fails to repair the Nadas Dirthalen, the eighth archive. Then, progress the main story by completing the “Shadows of Minrathous” story quest and return to Bellara. Talk to her to trigger the Echoes of the Past companion quest.

Travel to the Crossroads and follow the quest marker to return to the Arlathan Forest. Direct fast travel to this location may not be currently available if you haven’t explored the Crossroads beforehand. Defeat the Antaam and unblock the path ahead to reach the Forest (this also progresses the Winding Ways side quest). Follow the quest marker to reach the Eluvian that returns to the Arlathan Forest. Head north towards the beacon to finally start the quest.

Echoes of the Past Step-by-Step Guide

Bellara wants Rook to help her with three cube puzzles in Echoes of the Past. Here are their solutions.

Cube Puzzle #1 Solution

There are two power crystals you need to find and place next to the artifact Bellara is repairing.

• Power Crystal #1: Directly behind Bellara, at the far end of the room.
• Power Crystal #2: Opposite of the first Power Crystal, floating by the barrier and the table.

Cube Puzzle #2 Solution

There are three Power Crystals here.

• Power Crystal #1: Climb the rubble right next to the golden door to find it.
• Power Crystal #2: Directly behind Bellara, hidden by some destructible wooden boxes.
• Power Crystal #3: Climb the ladder behind Bellara.

Cube Puzzle #3 Solution

There are two Power Crystals here.

• Power Crystal #1: Bash the wooden beam next to Bellara to create a pathway to the other side. Climb the ladder on the right to find it.
• Power Crystal #2: Use Power Crystal #1 on the cube at the far end of the room, behind where Bellara is working. Use the newly created stone bridge to reach the other side and claim the second Power Crystal.

There is a door with a breakable lock on the same balcony as Power Crystal #1. Inside, you’ll find 3x Heartwood, 45 Gold, a Caretaker Power Memento, and the
Pursuant’s Implements appearance
.

Bellara Dialogue Choices in Echoes of the Past

After you’ve completed all three cube puzzles in Echoes of the Past in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you’ll be asked to approach Bellara as she stands on a balcony nearby. Doing so will trigger a cutscene where Bellara will share the reason why she is so uptight about checking and rechecking the artifacts: her brother. During this conversation, there will be two dialogue wheels with different options.

Which dialogue option you choose during this dialogue is purely cosmetic and has no bearing on the game except for this specific cutscene. Bellara will not approve or disapprove of any choice you make here.