Sealed History Walkthrough in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen (Sealed Study Location)

Sealed History picks up the moment Seeking the Sage ends, sending you north to a sealed archive whose records Polyeidus wants to read. It breaks into four parts: travel with Wash’s commission soldiers, fight through the Mountain Stronghold, open its inner gate, then push on alone to the Sealed Study and give the scholar time to read.

Quick answer: Find the gate lever in the chamber beyond the small window. Get there by passing through the round tower, climbing the wooden ladder, crossing the snowy terrace, and entering through the arched doorway; then Examine the stone lever. The Sealed Study is below ground, beyond Brinerot Grotto: farther along the path, enter through the doorway next to a damaged Riftstone.

Before you set out

Sealed History starts on its own once Seeking the Sage is finished — all three riddles answered and the talk with Polyeidus done at his tent in the Norgandian Settlement. You will see the banner “Sealed History / Priority Quest Set Automatically.” There is no quest-giver to hunt down.

Pack Lantern Oil, since the study sits underground and you will get an “Out of Lantern Oil” warning if you run dry; refill it from Items using “Add Oil.” Bring curatives and a Wakestone, and put lightning skills on a pawn for the fights ahead. A sword-and-shield Fighter around level 62 to 71, backed by Archer, Thief and Mage pawns, can get through the route.

Join Wash and rescue Amos

Use a Ferrystone to fast-travel to Norgan Portcrystal: Rivercave Campground. You arrive in Valgr Ravine, right beside the cave. Walk in to the campfire and speak with Wash to head out with the soldiers.

Once outside the cave, ascend the cliffside stone steps beneath the dangling icicles. Direwolves and armed attackers ambush the group at the summit, near the bridge ruins and their enormous chain. This location is the Mountain Stronghold.

Quest line Sealed History: Make for the mountain stronghold, with the Arisen on snow-covered stone steps beside a frozen waterfall in Valgr Ravine — The stone steps up the cliff from Rivercave Campground, with the objective “Make for the mountain stronghold.”

The Arisen follows a commission soldier across snow toward wooden frames hung with turquoise icicles — Following the soldiers toward the icicle-hung frames at the top.

Wash tells you that Amos, a recruit, disappeared during the battle. Retrace your route over the frozen river and head for the lower ruined archway draped in icicles. Amos calls out before you see him, and another pack of direwolves attacks there.

Wash stands on the frozen river and says Amos is missing after the battle — Wash after the fight: “Amos is missing. I lost sight of him during the battle.”

Quest line Sealed History: Search for Amos, as the Arisen runs across the frozen river — The objective “Search for Amos.” sends you back across the frozen river.

In the snow beyond the archway, approach Amos to trigger “You rescued Amos.” Then ascend the snowy steps to the ruined archway, find Wash there, and speak with him to regroup.

Amos, a young soldier, thanks the Arisen in the snow at night — Amos once the enemies around him are down: “Thanks for coming after me.”

Find the little window and open the gates

Go up the slope after the soldiers until you reach the stronghold’s main gate. Turquoise ice seals the portcullis, and it cannot be opened from this side, so leave it alone. Instead, ascend the broad stone staircase between the towers to the upper courtyard. Ghouls clamber over the walls, followed by direwolves. Defeat every enemy until the game confirms the stronghold is clear.

Wash draws your attention to a small square window near the top of the castle wall. It is above and to the left of a small arched gate fitted with an iron grille. The window is not an entrance; the mechanism for raising that gate is in a room behind the wall.

Ignore the wall and the ice-and-snow-packed archway nearby; neither is the route. Head to the round stone tower below the courtyard, go into its base, and climb the wooden ladder on the inside wall.

Wooden ladder inside the round tower — The wooden ladder inside the round tower is the way up to the gate lever, not the window itself. Shown at 229:58 in Shirrako’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

At the top of the ladder, you emerge onto a snowy terrace above, alongside the stronghold wall. Deal with the ghouls here, then enter the small stone room through the pointed archway in the wall.

On the wall is a carved stone mechanism with a lever. Stand at it and choose Examine. The arched gate under the window lifts, giving you “You opened the gates.” Leave the room, drop off the broken ledge to the ground, and go through the open gate with Wash.

Wash and a soldier with lanterns below the wall as Wash says the gates are open — After the lever: “That’s done it! The gates are open!”

Examine prompt at the stone gate lever — Standing at the carved stone lever with the Examine prompt showing — this opens the inner gate. Shown at 230:46 in Shirrako’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Reach Northwall Campground

Beyond the gate, a hulking, fur-covered brute drops from the rocks into the stream bed beneath a stone bridge. Its attacks include swipes, slams, charges, and grabs. As a Fighter, target its legs, then climb up to its head while your pawns attack with ice and lightning. Defeating it grants 94,498 XP. Climb the snowy steps beyond the bridge to a cave in the cliff, where the soldiers pitch camp: Northwall Campground, which is also a fast-travel point (Norgan Portcrystal: Northwall Campground). Open the chest in the camp for a Climbing Hook. The objective becomes “Seek the sealed study.” and from here it is you and your pawns.

A campfire with a cooking tripod and a Cook prompt inside the cave of Northwall Campground, soldiers standing nearby — Northwall Campground: the soldiers’ fire inside the cave.

Fight through North Valgrian Frostgrove

Leave the cave and head uphill, where Bugaboos jump down from the rocks. As the “North Valgrian Frostgrove” banner appears, three large enemies stand between you and the study. Handle them in this order.

The one-eyed tusked giant

A one-eyed, shaggy giant with tusks emerges from the trees. It stomps, slams its body down, and exhales a cone of freezing air. A blade protrudes from its hindquarters; get behind the giant and use “Draw blade (Hold)” to stagger it and obtain Lv 3 Ancient Light Weaponry spoils. Avoid its breath by climbing the boulders, then leap onto its head and attack the eye. If you cut its legs, it falls, revealing another “Draw blade (Hold)” prompt. It awards 125,188 XP and drops Ponderous Bone and Lv 3 spoils.

The Snowfoot

Further up the trail a Snowfoot triggers a “Massive Enemy Encounter.” This huge ape-like beast charges, slams both fists, and leaps to stomp. Hit the legs first, then climb its back. It has 240,000 health, is weak to lightning and resists fire, so lead with lightning. It drops a Snatching-Beast’s Talon and Lv 3 spoils for 97,198 XP.

Getting past the fort gate

Bugaboos attack outside a stone fort at the end of the descending trail. Its large portcullis is made of wooden lattice, but it is shut and cannot be opened from here. Bypass it by climbing the rocky slope beside the fort, passing a large creature’s carcass, and descending through the broken wooden palisades into the thin woods.

Through Brinerot Grotto to the Sealed Study

At the cliff’s edge, a little stone platform holds two short standing stones and some Norgan Ducats. Brinerot Grotto’s entrance lies just beyond it. Light your lantern before entering.

Venin Harpies confront you in the stone passage. At its end, stairs lead to an iron portcullis locked on the opposite side, making this entrance impassable. Retrace your steps and exit the way you entered.

Barred portcullis inside Brinerot Grotto — The barred portcullis at the end of Brinerot Grotto's first passage is locked from the other side — turn back here. Shown at 252:02 in Shirrako’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Keep following the path outside. A second “Massive Enemy Encounter” banner reads “Encountered: ???.” The beast has a lion’s body, a goat’s head on its back that casts purple magick, and a serpent for a tail. It pounces, breathes a poison fog, and speeds up sharply late in the fight. Climb on its back to stab the goat head, back out of the fog to heal, revive pawns fast, and keep a Wakestone ready. It awards 118,798 XP and drops Lv 3 spoils and a Freakish Mane. An ornate chest in the ruined corridor nearby holds more Lv 3 spoils.

Go on downhill to a damaged Riftstone glowing purple beside a ruined doorway. Go through the doorway — two armoured warriors ambush you here — and take the stairs down. The “Brinerot Grotto” banner shows again. In the passage a Climbing Hook sits on the supply sacks. The route opens into a round chamber with three tall carved stone tablets, where Polyeidus catches up and asks for at least a day with the records. The banner reads “Sealed Study” and the objective ticks over to “You located the sealed study.”

The Arisen in the dark round chamber of the Sealed Study, facing tall carved stone tablets lit from above — The Sealed Study: carved stone tablets under a shaft of light.

Sealed Study chamber with three tablets — The Sealed Study chamber, with its three carved stone tablets, is where Polyeidus takes over the research. Shown at 264:34 in Shirrako’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Wait a day, then finish the quest

While in the chamber, collect the grimoires scattered across desks, the floor, and shelves. Fast travel is unavailable inside; trying gives the message “Eternal Ferrystone cannot be used here”. Take the long staircase up to the surface instead. At its top is a Portcrystal, and the study becomes a fast-travel destination named Norgan Portcrystal: Sealed Study.

Now pass a day. One reliable way is to Ferrystone to the Norgandian Settlement, sit on the wooden bench outside the thatched house, and choose “Doze Off” until it has gone dark and become day again. The prompt “Polyeidus may have concluded his research” appears on the bench, followed by “Ask Polyeidus about the results of his research.” The quest’s own hint is to check back “in a day or two.”

Use a Ferrystone to return to the Sealed Study, descend, and speak with Polyeidus beside the tablets. He identifies Lorade Castle, east of the Mountain Stronghold, and the rubble there has been cleared. You receive “Completed: Sealed History.” No completion reward is displayed, and The Castle in the Ice starts immediately with the objective “Find a path leading east through the stronghold.”

Polyeidus in the Sealed Study says the castle should lie east of here, beyond the mountain stronghold — Polyeidus a day later: the castle “should lie somewhere east of here, beyond the mountain stronghold.”

Grimoires found in the Sealed Study

Grimoires rest on the desks, floor and shelves of the chamber. The table covers six of them; Thunderous Concord, Fulgurous Lord and Igneous Melody can be picked up here as well. Each is a book anyone can read to cast a single spell, so grab them before you leave.

A Pick Up prompt on a glowing book labelled Thunderous Concord in the Sealed Study — “Pick Up: Thunderous Concord”, one of the grimoires lying in the study.

Grimoire	Spell	Effect
Winter’s Path	High Frigor	Ice
Threshing Blaze	High Salamander	Fire
Prescribed Tranquility	Solemnity	Silence
Emergent Vitality	Anodyne	Healing
Hiemal Euphony	Ice Boon	Ice on weapons
Governing Soul	Halidom	Cures certain debilitations

Where Sealed History sits in the Forsaken Dominion chain

Sealed History is one of the Forsaken Dominion main quests added in Dark Arisen. It follows Seeking the Sage and leads straight into The Castle in the Ice. It shows no reward on completion, which is worth knowing so you are not waiting on a reward that never arrives.

With Lorade Castle now marked to the east, the follow-up quest sends you east through the stronghold, so keep the Norgan Portcrystal: Sealed Study and Northwall Campground travel points handy for the trips back and forth.