How to Unlock & Romance Gwendan in Sovereign Tower

You walk in on Gwendan holding court from your throne. This scene has the widest spread of Sovereign tag effects he offers, and one branch where he threatens to walk out of your court entirely.

Dialogue Choices:

• Interrupt the performance,
  • “…” (Stay silent) (You let the silence work. Oh, it’s you, Your Grace. Err, this isn’t what you think. He was just wondering what the view was like here.)
  • “Isn’t that MY throne, Sir Gwendan?” (The same scramble.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Decide how hard to press,
  • “You dared to sit on MY throne?” (Tyrannic +1) (Come now, it’s hardly high treason. Then the barb: you’ve only been here a couple of weeks, and all you had to do was open a door to become Sovereign. If he had come sooner, perhaps he would have been able to…)
  • “Would you like to suggest any improvements, Sir Gwendan?” (Wise +1) (He was wondering when you would finally think to ask his opinion. He has PLENTY to suggest.)

Dialogue Choices:

• If you pressed him on the throne,
  • “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. What’s so bad about the view from the throne?” (Wise +1, Kind +1) (Lets him talk, which is what he wants.)
  • “Enough.” (Tyrannic +1) (Shuts it down, and he remembers it.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Hear him out, or don’t,
  • “I care little for such frivolities.” (-1 affinity) (Well, he doesn’t think he will be staying in this graveyard of a court for very long.)
  • “Tournaments? I shall think on it.” (+1 affinity, Wise +1, Kind +1) (I should hope so, he says. He has a lot of other ideas, if you need his advice again.)

Gwendan is loudly appalled by the Tower’s soup. Two of your three opening options cost affinity, and the scene hides the first hint of the tragedy behind his whole character.

Dialogue Choices:

• Respond to the complaint,
  • “You’re right, it’s intolerable.” (+1 affinity) (Ah! Glad we agree on that point. Then, pointedly: don’t you bear some responsibility for this?)
  • “Nobody’s forcing you to eat it.” (-1 affinity) (He thinks he’d be rather embarrassed if he was in your place.)
  • “Anything else the spoilt little prince wishes to cry about?” (-1 affinity) (You will NOT. Speak to him. Like that. EVER AGAIN.)

Dialogue Choices:

• On responsibility,
  • “Certainly.” (Should we ignore such crimes as a given, he asks. Inaction does not make a knight.)
  • “(Lie) No.” (You promise to find out who is responsible.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Follow the murder, romance-gated,
  • “He was poisoned?” (Even worse. It was enough even without being able to see in the dark. The splashes, the screams, the reek. And what about his family’s beautiful silk tablecloth? Completely ruined. Trust him, it’s something that stays with you for life.)
  • “And you survived such horror? You are very courageous.” (+1 affinity) (Courageous? Yes. Heroic even. Many guests had fainted, but he, of course, remained sparkling. When you’re dressed like him, you have to keep your cool.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Close it,
  • “Murder is rampant nowadays. It must displease you.” (Displeased? He despises it. It’s brutal, inelegant, and it ruins the upholstery.)

The third event if you never pushed him toward the humble path. He is paying you back, and he is faintly annoyed about having to.

Dialogue Choices:

• Ask what prompted this,
  • “Where does such generosity come from?” (He admits your sudden eagerness to settle his debts, though much appreciated, left him feeling indebted. And since he promised to return the favour, he has come into some money.)

Dialogue Choices:

• React to how he got it,
  • “So you went crying to your Aunt, is that it?” (-1 affinity) (Err, no. Well, not exclusively. Some of his Aunt Gwendolen’s friends were there that day, and let’s just say he knows how to use his charms.)
  • “Sorry to put you in this situation.” (+1 affinity) (Very noble of you to acknowledge the emotional toll your reckless generosity has put him through. He even had to turn on the charm for his Aunt’s old friends, can you believe it. But sleep well, you’ll have your money back.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Follow up, romance-gated,
  • “Did you seriously collect those coins just by batting your eyelashes?” (He knows how to make the most of the gifts nature has so generously given him.)
  • “Charming people is child’s play for you, I suppose.” (You suppose correctly. A little something to keep in mind: it’s always handy to have some pretty boys around. That said, judging by the others, one can’t exactly say that’s a mandatory requirement for sitting there.)

Dialogue Choices:

• On the other knights,
  • “My knights are all very easy on the eyes.” (If you prefer denial, Your Grace, so be it.)
  • “Yes, I see who you’re referring to… at least he’s sweet.” (+1 affinity) (Well, he supposes the man needs at least that much going for him. But he won’t deny it is sometimes hard to stand by his side. He does it for you, Your Grace.)
  • “You’re the best-looking one here.” (He’s aware of that. The competition is not actually very fierce.)

This scene only exists on the humble path, after his return. It is where his entire backstory opens up, and it is a different character to the one who complained about soup.

Dialogue Choices:

• Ask about the letter,
  • “And to whom are you singing my praises?” (He deflects the compliment.)
  • “Are you writing to your family?” (As unlikely as it may seem, some of the connections he made in Brimwood have become particularly dear to him. They promised to stay in touch, so he owed them news of his return.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Press on Brimwood,
  • “I half-expected you to make nothing but enemies in Brimwood.” (Ah, the early days were far from easy. Between his unpaid debt, his flashy armour and his privileged name, he became the penitentiaries’ official punching bag. And since he hadn’t yet learned how to shut his damn mouth, he’d even insult the jailer who brought him his soup.)
  • “So you paid your debt by working, right?” (Straight to the arrangement.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Four ways to respond,
  • “The ‘penitentiaries’? You did some kind of community service… right?” (Politely pretending not to understand, which he allows. He explains: the Brimwood penitentiaries are the final destination for criminals and highborns with debts to settle, established during their Great Revolt. Those bleak pits at the bottom of the mines ultimately taught him quite a lot.)
  • “So you learned to shut up… which just goes to show, anything is possible.” (He won’t argue with that. Given the ego he once had, seeing him humbled must look something close to a miracle. Who knows what else he’s capable of now.)
  • “So how did you manage to make friends there? I’m curious.” (The penitentiaries are crawling with petty nobles who had sold out their county to the Empire. Watching that bunch of haughty fools make a spectacle of themselves, snickering and backstabbing each other for vainglory, was clarifying. The people of Brimwood may seem vindictive, even cruel, but no one appreciates redemption quite like them.)
  • “And how do you feel now?” (Straight to the conclusion.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Or push on the mines,
  • “I’m surprised you’ve settled in so well.” (So is he, frankly.)
  • “And did you meet friends there?” (The people he is writing to.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Respond, romance-gated, and one option stings,
  • “It’s for the best. Honestly, it looked tacky.” (+1 affinity) (Oh, you think? You could have told him, though.)
  • “I almost regret sending you to that hellhole.” (-1 affinity) (You preferred him liar and arrogant? There’s no accounting for taste, he supposes.)
  • “I think you are more brilliant than ever…” (Romance option) (That goes straight to his heart, Your Grace. You too are lighting up this place. He returns to his letter.)

Gwendan stands in the gardens inspecting his armour. This scene exists only on the humble path, and it is where the joke character stops being a joke entirely.

Dialogue Choices:

• Approach him,
  • “Still admiring yourself?” (Oh, greetings, Your Grace. No, that’s not really his thing anymore. Do you remember what he revealed to you about this armour?)
  • “Everything okay?” (The gentler route into the same question.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Ask about the change,
  • “Have you turned into a magician?” (He can feel it, it’s sturdier, in an indescribable way. Having confirmed his suspicions with an apothecary in Brizh, it seems powerful properties are at work. That compulsive investment wasn’t so foolish after all.)
  • “You mean it only took a little dirt for it to reveal its full potential?” (Same reveal, more teasing.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Push further,
  • “So… your desire to shine has finally paid off.” (It just took a little introspection and some permanent calluses on his hands. A long-term investment. But deep down, he doesn’t think buying that armour was purely about showing off. Maybe it was just his way of looking for a little security after his parents died.)
  • “I hope that in Brimwood, you had also learnt how to manage your finances.” (He’s learned the value of money. He’d never wanted for anything, so naturally, once his parents were gone, he made a number of mistakes.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Acknowledge what he just said,
  • “… I didn’t know your parents had passed away.” (Indeed. A long pause. It’s a sordid story he almost never brings up. To cut a long story short, his parents were murdered in their own home by a man they had taken in and sheltered. Which recontextualises the dinner-table murder he mentioned two events ago entirely.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Respond to the reveal, romance-gated,
  • “… Thank you for sharing this with me.” (+1 affinity) (It wasn’t really premeditated, but, thank you for listening.)
  • “It’s not that tragic. I’ve got worse stories.” (Oh yes? Well. He’s sorry for you, Your Grace.)
  • “You’re not. I want to learn more about you, Gwendan.” (Romance option) (Really? I, thank you. The feeling is mutual, you know. You’re quite the enigma yourself. You can then offer to spend more time together, or tell him you’re ready to share all your secrets with him.)

You find Gwendan alone in the empty kitchens, lost in thought. He asks, just out of curiosity, whether you ever feel lonely. This is the longest and most tender scene he has, and it is only available on the humble path.

Dialogue Choices:

• Answer him,
  • “Yes. But I believe that the role of the Sovereign is one of solitude.” (You seem resigned to this, he says. But no one would blame you for expressing a certain frustration regarding a role that robs you of normal connection.)
  • “No. The bond I share with my knights is more than enough for me.” (Oh, is that so? Don’t you sometimes feel you must uphold some kind of boundary with the people around you?)
  • “Not sure. Do you?” (+1 affinity) (Well, a bit. But don’t think you can just throw the question back at him to avoid answering it.)

Dialogue Choices:

• If you said yes,
  • “I do not miss what I do not know.” (I see. Guess it’s a way of protecting oneself.)
  • “You’re right. Actually, I think it weighs on me a little.” (Understandable.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Then,
  • “No, rest assured. I’m not suffering from it.” (He lets it stand.)
  • “… Perhaps.” (The honest answer, and the one that opens him up.)

Dialogue Choices:

• He offers you a way out of the fatalism (Audacious +1),
  • “Perhaps I am indeed too fatalistic.” (Nothing is stopping you from breaking the mould, whether you’re a Sovereign or anything else.)
  • “Maybe I should start a dating club for lonely Sovereigns?” (He watches you closely, a slight mischief in his eyes.)

Dialogue Choices:

• If you said no instead,
  • “I am close to everyone regardless of that.” (He wishes he could feel that certain. But no doubt his past and who he used to be play a part. Feeling close to others has sometimes been a real challenge.)
  • “… Indeed. I’d like to deepen certain relationships, but it’s complicated.” (He understands. He felt it too.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Then,
  • “Likewise. That’s why I changed.” (He doesn’t think it needs to be so hard. Easier said than done, of course, but sometimes you just have to speak plainly.)
  • “I try not to dwell on the past too much.” (A fair position, and he lets it go.)

Dialogue Choices:

• And (Audacious +1),
  • “… You’re right.” (Glad to hear it.)
  • “I fear I am a prisoner of the framework imposed upon me, alas…” (He observes you attentively, his eyes tinged with deep respect.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Respond, romance-gated,
  • “Talking about it is the first step towards moving past it, isn’t it?” (+1 affinity) (You’re right, yes. He thinks it felt good to talk about it out loud.)
  • “… And what about our relationship?” (The question takes him completely by surprise. W-well. You’re important to him.)

Dialogue Choices:

• If you asked about the relationship,
  • “I appreciate you… But my status does not allow me anything more.” (The refusal.)
  • “(Take his hand without a word.)” (In truth, he had hoped for some time now that you felt the same way, but hadn’t dared put it into words. He would devote his everything to you.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Then,
  • “I’m sorry… but you know I cannot go any further than this.” (He accepts it.)
  • “That is my wish too, Gwendan. I wish to know you completely.” (Your words catch a glint of held-back emotion in his eyes. Nothing is left but a soft breath caressing your cheek.)

Dialogue Choices:

• The final beat,
  • “Wait…” (Without a word, you stand up to lock the kitchen door. Your status allows it, after all. You return to Gwendan, who approaches to embrace you shyly and softly.)

Dialogue Choices:

• The last choice in his entire arc,
  • “(Remove your mask.)” (Your bodies find their rhythm in a faltering dance until your faces are finally brought together, inches apart. His eyes devour you.)
  • “I’m sorry. I’m not ready. (Keep your mask on.)” (The same dance, until Gwendan’s face finally finds itself in front of your mask.)

A faint voice reaches you from an open door. Keep your head up. All eyes on the left profile. The left profile inspires confidence. You have caught Gwendan giving himself a pep talk.

Dialogue Choices:

• He asks whether you are lost in your own Tower or just bored,
  • “The first option.” (Getting lost in the confined space where you spend all your days requires a certain kind of talent, he observes.)
  • “The second option.” (He has a few ideas to keep you busy, starting with the deadly boredom that overwhelms anyone living within these walls.)
  • “What were you reciting?” (Just a few words of affirmation before heading out to face the world. So he doesn’t forget to shine. He’d bet his cloak you do the same before climbing onto your throne.)

Dialogue Choices:

• Respond to the affirmations, romance-gated,
  • “Indeed.” (And it shows, Your Grace.)
  • “No.” (Perhaps you should give it a try.)
  • “I have plenty of words of affirmation for you, if you’d like.” (Looking at you, it’s easy to guess no one ever bothered to whisper sweet flatteries in your ear when you were young.)

Then he drops the act. All right, listen. I see the way you look at me. To be honest, he doesn’t even think you fell in front of him by accident today. You’re following him, aren’t you?

Dialogue Choices:

• Answer,
  • “?… You’re mistaken.” (Come now, there’s no point in denying it.)
  • “I plead guilty… you don’t leave me indifferent.” (But don’t worry, he says.)

Dialogue Choices:

• He explains himself,
  • “?? Are these more of your words of affirmation?” (He fully understands how you feel about him. He’s rather flattered. A hero of his caliber, with this kind of magnetism, right here by your side? It’d be borderline inhuman to resist.)
  • “Alas, yes…” (Same speech, delivered to a more willing audience.)

Dialogue Choices:

• And then he turns you down,
  • “Good for you.” (There’s no need to hide your distress behind that marble mask, Your Grace. Alas, it’s fooling no one.)
  • “So our story is impossible?!” (Don’t make him repeat it, Your Grace. He’s sorry.)