You've finally reached Vernworth. The city is massive, the music is swelling, and suddenly Brant is dumping a dozen different tasks on your plate. One of them, The Stolen Throne DD2 quest, sounds simple enough on paper. Go to a masquerade, find the false Sovran, and figure out what Queen Disa is actually up to. But then you realize you can't just walk in through the front door wearing your bloody monster-slaying armor.
Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't hold your hand. Honestly, it kind of enjoys watching you fail. If you show up to the masquerade in your standard greaves and chestplate, the guards will just turn you away. Or worse, they’ll get suspicious. This quest is a gatekeeper. It forces you to stop thinking like a warrior and start thinking like a noble, which is a bit of a leap when you’ve spent the last five hours kicking goblins off cliffs.
Getting the Gear Without Spending a Fortune
Let’s talk about the clothes. You need the Eventide Mask—which Brant gives you, so don't lose it—and a set of formal raiment. Specifically, the Courtly Tunic and Courtly Breeches. Now, if you go to Philbert’s Sundries in the merchant district, he will gladly rob you blind. He charges tens of thousands of gold for these items.
Don't do that. It’s a total waste of money.
Instead, you should head over to the Noble Quarter. There are two very specific spots where you can just... take them. Check the Comptroller’s Home; upstairs in one of the bedrooms, the full set is just sitting there in a chest. If you’ve already poked around Allard’s Estate for other quests, you’ll find another set there too. It’s basically the game’s way of rewarding you for being a bit of a kleptomaniac. Put them on. You'll look ridiculous, especially if your character is a seven-foot-tall beastren with a scarred face, but it works.
The Masquerade Timing Is Everything
Here is where people get tripped up: the masquerade isn't an every-night thing. You can’t just nap at the inn, wake up, and run to the palace. You have to check the schedule.
If you talk to the guard at the entrance of Vernworth Hall and he says there’s no event tonight, you have to pass the time. Most players just go back to the bench near the fountain and doze off for a day. It’s a bit tedious, but that’s the Dragon’s Dogma rhythm. Once the guard confirms the masquerade is happening, make sure you are wearing ONLY the mask, the tunic, and the breeches. If you have a cape on, sometimes the game gets picky. Strip down to the essentials.
Finding the Secret Hallway
Once you're inside, don't just stand around eating the imaginary appetizers. You’re looking for a specific person, but they aren’t on the dance floor. The "Stolen Throne" isn't going to reveal itself while you're rubbing elbows with minor lords.
Walk around the circular hallway that rings the main ballroom. You’re looking for a section of the wall that looks a bit off. Between two of the rooms on the back side of the hallway, there’s a hidden stone door. It doesn't have a handle. You just walk up to it and push. If you’re struggling to find it, look for the "seam" in the masonry.
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Behind that door is a walkway that leads outside to the Rose Chateau Bordelrie. This is where the real plot happens. You’ll trigger a cutscene with Wilhelmina, the proprietor of the establishment. She’s one of the most interesting NPCs in the game, and she basically saves your skin here by showing you through a peephole what the "False Sovran" is actually doing.
What This Quest Actually Reveals
It’s not just about seeing a guy in a chair. The Stolen Throne DD2 mission is your first real proof that the person sitting on the throne is a puppet. You see him interacting with Disa’s allies, and it confirms everything Brant suspected.
However, the game doesn't explicitly tell you that this quest is a prerequisite for a lot of the romance and political intrigue later on. If you rush through this and don't pay attention to Wilhelmina’s dialogue, you’re going to be confused when she shows up later asking for favors. She isn't just a plot device; she’s a power player in Vernworth.
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Common Bugs and Fixes
Sometimes the masquerade just won't trigger. It's a known issue where the "Masquerade" state of the building gets stuck. If the guards keep telling you there's no party even after three days of waiting, try this:
- Travel to a different town (like Checkpoint Rest Town) and stay at an inn.
- Come back to Vernworth.
- Check the hall again.
Usually, a "hard reset" of the area by leaving the city zone fixes the script. Also, make sure you aren't carrying a weapon in your "ready" stance. Even if it's sheathed, sometimes the AI gets aggressive if you've recently drawn it.
The Bigger Picture of the Sovran
Why does any of this matter? Because Dragon’s Dogma 2 is obsessed with the idea of "The Cycle." The fact that there is a fake Arisen on the throne means the natural order of the world is broken. Usually, the Arisen kills the dragon and becomes the ruler. By putting a fake on the throne, Queen Disa is trying to stop the cycle entirely, which has massive, world-ending consequences that you won't see until the final hours of the game.
When you finish the quest and report back to Brant at the Stardrop Inn (always at night, usually in the corner), he’ll give you a Wakestone Shard and some gold. It feels like a small reward for such a tense mission, but the real value is the "Border Entry Permit" or the progression toward it. Without finishing this, you're stuck in the starting region forever.
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Actionable Steps for Success
To wrap this up and get you moving toward the mid-game, follow this exact sequence:
- Scavenge, don't buy: Go to the Comptroller’s Home in the Noble Quarter to find the Courtly Tunic and Breeches in a chest upstairs.
- Check the schedule: Only attempt to enter the palace at night when the guard confirms a masquerade is active.
- Look for the seam: The secret door is in the back-right of the circular hallway. Don't look for a door handle; look for the break in the stone pattern.
- Watch the cutscene fully: Don't skip the dialogue with Wilhelmina. She provides the evidence you need to convince Brant.
- Report back immediately: Head to the Stardrop Inn at night to clear the quest from your log. This opens up the "Feast of Deception" quest line, which is the climax of the Vernworth arc.
If you’ve done all that, you’ve successfully navigated the messiest political hurdle in the game. Now you can get back to what really matters: climbing on top of griffins and hitting them in the face until they fall out of the sky.