Lore in Dragon's Dogma 2 covers all the information related to the game's world history, races, and origins. This page will detail how this current World came to be and how two different nations Battahl and Vermund thrive. From long-standing conflicts, a nation corrupted by greedy leaders, and the mystery of how an Arisen is nameless in his kingdom, this page will have all the information to help players understand the story better.
Dragon's Dogma 2 Lore
The Story of Dragon's Dogma
Dragon's Dogma follows the story of the player character, a regular person hailing from the small village of Cassardis. While the knights of the nearby city are recruiting village residents into their order, Cassardis is suddenly attacked by a Dragon, an intelligent yet devastating creature that shows up sporadically across time to wreak havoc across the land. Being the only person to stand up against the threat, the Dragon takes the heart of the player character, marking them as the next Arisen. Strangely, the dragon attacks come to a halt after this incident.
Throughout the game, the player character discovers their purpose as an Arisen - the Arisen is a person strongly connected to the Dragon who, due to their heart being taken, does not age. They must embark on a journey and gather strength to reclaim their heart from the Dragon. Our protagonist soon finds out that they do not have to travel alone, however. The village chief introduces the Arisen to a man named Rook and urges them to take Rook with them to the nearby encampment to start their journey. He explains that Rook is a Pawn, people from an unknown place who neither have emotions nor the will to act of their own volition. Later at the encampment, you learn that Pawns come from a mysterious place known as the Rift and that they exist to serve and aid the Arisen on their journey.
Before they are able to command the Pawns, however, the Arisen is asked to prove themselves worthy of their services. Because of the Dragon's appearance, monsters have started becoming more hostile and aggressive. While the Arisen is staying the night at the encampment, a Hydra unexpectedly attacks, but is swiftly defeated by the Arisen's impressive martial prowess. Impressed by the feat, Mercedes, a soldier of noble blood from a neighboring duchy, promises to give in a good word for the Arisen to the duke. On top of this, the Arisen is granted full command of the pawn legion and has the freedom to choose their main Pawn, their closest confidant.
With a hydra trophy in hand, the Arisen and the soldiers of the encampment make their way to the city of Gran Soren. There, the Arisen comes across the Pawn Guild, a place of respite for all Pawns run by Barnaby. In addition to being a gathering place for Pawns, the Pawn Guild acts as a gate to the Everfall, a sprawling dungeon ruin that lies beneath the city. The Everfall is a mystery to the people of Gran Soren, save for the fact that the Pawns are tied to the place somehow.
Soon after, the Arisen is tasked to complete a series of Wyrm Hunts before they are granted an audience with the duke. These quests include meeting the Dragonforged, an ancient Arisen with great bouts of knowledge on the Dragon, and investigating Salvation, a cult dedicated to Dragon. Upon meeting the duke, and completing a set of Royal Orders, he invites the Arisen to his Treasury for a talk and some rewards for their hard work. Duke Edmund Dragonsbane was once an Arisen who earned his place as the Duke of Gransys after slaying the Dragon of his time.
The Arisen is finally tasked with aiding the duke's soldiers with the Dragon on the front line. But before they get the opportunity to do so, an urgent report comes in that Salvation has taken over one of the duke's strongholds. After confronting the cult's leader and besting him in battle, the Dragon shows up and urges the Arisen to find him immediately. Later, it is revealed that the Dragon has taken the Arisen's beloved hostage and that he has a bargain for them. The Arisen can either choose to fight the Dragon to reclaim their heart, or they can sacrifice their beloved in exchange for the thing they want the most - be it power, knowledge, riches, etc. Should the Arisen agree to the latter, they become the new Duke of Gransys.
Should the Arisen choose the former, however, a series of events is set into motion. The death of the Dragon returns not only the Arisen's heart, but also the hearts of past Arisen who had taken the Dragon's offer. The Dragonforged crumbles into dust, leaving his Pawn behind, and the duke confines himself in his castle study, having aged rapidly. Upon returning to Gran Soren, cheers and celebration do not await the Arisen, but instead death and despair with the collapse of the Urban Quarter, exposing the Everfall to the surface. Enraged with the loss of his immortality, the duke accuses the Arisen of conspiring with the Dragon and destroying the city, causing all soldiers of the city to be hostile towards them.
With nowhere left to run, the Arisen jumps into the crater leading into the Everfall where they meet Quince, a Pawn who helped an Arisen from another time battle the Dragon. She asks for aid in completing her master's quest of collecting Wakestones, after which she opens a rift leading into the Seneschal's Chamber. In the chamber, a mysterious figure challenges the Arisen with multiple trials with multiple choices to make. If at any point the Arisen falls in battle, they are shown to be reborn into the next Dragon. On the other hand, the Arisen has the choice to return to their peaceful life, before Cassardis was attacked by the Dragon.
If they persevere and make it to the final trial, it is revealed that the Seneschal, the keeper of the world, sometimes referred to as God or The Maker, is in fact an Arisen that has demonstrated incredible willpower through their trial with the Dragon, and bested the previous Seneschal and their Pawn. By defeating the Seneschal in the final trial, the Arisen earns the title of Seneschal and all the responsibilities that come with it. Instead of fulfilling their role, however, they stab themselves with the Godsbane, the only blade able to kill the Seneschal. Their body plunges back down onto Gransys along with their Pawn. The story ends with the Pawn waking up in the Arisen's body on the beaches of Cassardis.
The Inhabitants of the World: Humans, Beastren, and the Elves
Dragon’s Dogma 2 takes place in a nation parallel to Gransys, the setting of the original Dragon's Dogma. In this world, there are two prospering nations, the human kingdom Vermund and the nation of the new Beastren race, Battahl. Aside from the humans and beastrens, another race thrives among them- the Elves. They are nestled at their home in Sacred Arbor.
Vermund, Battahl, and Sacred Arbor Landscapes
In the original game, neither the Sovran nor Beastrens were ever mentioned in the first game, but we also know that Gransys is just one region in that world. The first game also referenced the existence of different worlds other than the one player's journey through, which could mean different Dragons and Arisens. As for the identity of this Dragon, it will go a long way toward determining which of the many endings of the first game is canon in Dragon's Dogma 2. With the question of whether or not Grigori makes a return, or if the previous Sovran of Vermund is the Arisen from the previous game who took the Grigori’s bargain and so became the new ruler- we hope to find answers to these questions once the full game is released.
Vermund
The Greeneries of Vermund
Vermund appears to feature a terrain with a similar geography and landscape to that of Gransys. Vermund is rich with greeneries and vibrant areas beset with monsters, dangerous closed areas with some of the larger enemies, dark caves that not even the light can reach, and even a castle setting presumably from some form of a capital city, ruled by the man sat on the throne.
The Queen Regent Disa and Her Son Sven
Vermund is a nation ruled by someone called the Sovran, a long line of royalty who have ruled as Kings for many generations in Vermund. This very same bloodline was able to maintain its power by slaying the Dragon time and time again as the Arisen. However, things are not as simple as they seem. The Queen Regent, Disa is currently supporting a false Arisen. After the death of the previous Sovran of Vermund, she took charge of the kingdom's government and she schemes to place her son, Sven as the next king.
Sven, the chosen candidate of her mother is concerned about becoming the next ruler. He does not approve of her mother's conspiracy to take over the throne and wants to do what is right for the nation. Sven has a princely elegance, remains true to himself, and is sincere with his actions. However, his character makes it easy to become a victim of his own mother.
Brant, he once served the Captain of the Palace Guard
When the honest and righteous Captain of the Palace Guard discovered the plans of the Queen Regent, he was demoted for opposing her. Brant, who is loyal to Vermund and wishes to serve its best interest, will offer his cooperation to the Arisen and their quest for knowledge.
Battahl
The Lambent Flame
Battahl on the other hand is a nation of Beastren with ancient ruins at its center. The areas in Battahl are characterized by steep canyons and rugged terrain with cities constructed amidst them. There, the Beastren have established their own set of customs, beliefs, and unique culture. Their way of life has been shaped and nurtured by their harsh environment and differs largely from those of Vermund.
In Battahl, Pawns are seen as the source of misfortune, and instead of being ruled by the Arisen, they worship the Lambent Flame to ward off calamity under the leadership of Nadinia. The Empress became the head of Battahl at a young age and earned the trust of her people with her kindness and desire for peace and prosperity in the nation. She is followed around by her loyal servant Menella.
Nadinia, the Empress and High Priestess of Battahl with Menella the Beastren Guard
In the original game, neither the Sovran nor Beastrens were ever mentioned in the first game, but we also know that Gransys is just one region in that world. The first game also referenced the existence of different worlds other than the one player's journey through, which could mean different Dragons and Arisens. As for the identity of this Dragon, it will go a long way toward determining which of the many endings of the first game is canon in Dragon's Dogma 2. With the question of whether or not Grigori makes a return, or if the previous Sovran of Vermund is the Arisen from the previous game who took the Grigori’s bargain and so became the new ruler- we hope to find answers to these questions once the full game is released.
Sacred Arbor
Home of the Elves
Sacred Arbor is home to the Elves of the world. They live in isolation and speak their own tongue, making it impossible to communicate with them as the Arisen. However, some Pawns seem to have mastered the language and can understand the Elves.
Elves mostly keep to themselves and lead their lives outside of the reaches of humans and beasts. Some of the characters in Dragon's Dogma 2 come from this remote village and will offer assistance, quests, and guidance if you come across them. Make sure to have a Pawn specializing in Elven language to communicate with them properly.
Doireann and Glyndwr, Siblings from Sacred Arbor
