Neve’s companion quest in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a winding road littered with plenty of Venatori disruptions. While the tone of Neve’s quests can differ depending on whether you decide to save or ignore Minrathous early in the game, The Returned Cultist Case boasts several dramatic moments and a climactic final battle that puts Neve in the spotlight.
Related
Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Something’s Coming Walkthrough
Help Evka and Antoine control a blight eruption.
While each of the other climactic companion quests highlights your friends’ autonomy and abilities, The Returned Cultist Case gives Neve a particularly integral part in completing the mission. It’s time to start one last excursion at The Cobbled Swan, where Neve waits for you to help her defeat Aelia.
How To Find Aelia
First, meet Neve at The Cobbled Swan in Dock Town, as always, and compile your party for this quest.
Lucanis or Harding are good options to bring to help enhance Neve’s damage and make her the focal point of your detonations.
Once the conversation concludes, you’ll be on your way to the Thread Market. Follow your marker through Wharf Crossing South and head north to the Shoreline Passage, where you’ll find a red barrier along with a body to investigate.
Follow Neve on her alternative path through a blue barrier, then fight the Venatori (weak to Cold, resist Fire) here, and clear out their group.
Next, keep following your marker to the Condemned Warehouse and take note of the statue across the way: this is your way in.
Use Neve’s ability on the mechanism to the upper right of the platform, which will lower the bridge for you to cross.
Once on the other side, go up the ladder, and pull the lever attached to the wooden beam, revealing a secret entrance below the statue.
Climb down into the Nocean Corridor and take the zipline up, then follow the path to the left, shimmying along a wooden beam and up to another zipline, which takes you to a northern platform where more Venatori are waiting to ambush you.
There’s a Barraging Venatori Mage (weak to Cold as well) you should neutralize immediately, as they represent the greatest threat here.
Keep following the way north along a wooden path that leads through the mountains and into Sanctum Lusacan.
More Venatori will appear in the next room; deal with them and prioritize the Rejuvenator Mage.
Destroy the wooden scaffolding here and head through, then jump across the gap, following the path up a ladder and into a room where you’ll fight a Bloodhunting Pride Demon (weak to Necrotic, resists Electricity) and a small group of enemies.
Once the demon is down, follow Neve through the now-deactivated blue barrier and meet up with Rana and Elek.
Make sure you’re ready for a hectic fight before you open the door ahead.
How To Defeat Aelia
Phase One
Watch the cutscene, then prepare for a war against Aelia’s Venatori protectors as you aim to break the red crystals scattered around the room.
Be careful to avoid the periodic smaller crystal explosions as you approach each shielded crystal; hitting them with a ranged attack is safer.
To finish phase one hit the unshielded crystal on the left side of the arena, then the one in the middle, then the one directly next to Aelia. Doing this will lower the shield for the crystal on the far right.
Destroy the far right crystal, which will make the second crystal adjacent to Aelia vulnerable.
Once those are done, hit the large red crystal in the center and Neve will inflict damage on Aelia’s Blood Shield.
Phase Two
During phase two, three similar red crystals will spawn with shields, along with more Venatori and Shades.
Thin out the crowd then hit the two crystals in the center area near Aelia, unshielding one red crystal on the ground.
Destroy the newly unshielded crystal, then follow up by destroying the others that are now vulnerable, allowing Neve to take another shot at Aelia.
Phase Three
To begin phase three, Aelia will bring a Blood Forge Prime (weak to Cold, resists Fire) to fight you now, as the other Venatori have proven too weak.
Defeat this Blood Forge by exploiting its weakness with Neve, and it will go down quickly, giving Neve a final shot at Aelia’s Blood Shield.
This will defeat Aelia and complete The Returned Cultist Case.
What Rewards Do You Get From The Returned Cultist Case?
After the closing conversation, you’ll earn the following rewards:
- 3,000 XP
- 400 Gold
- Increased bond with Neve
- +100 Shadow Dragons Strength
Helping Neve cements her as the protector of Dock Town, and is an important distinction that can play a role in conversations to come.
Next
Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Sacrifice Of Souls Walkthrough
Help Emmrich end the feud with his former friend, Johanna Hezenkoss.