The Old Camp is the first faction you meet in Gothic 1 Remake, since Diego pulls you out of trouble the moment you land in the penal colony. Joining it is not a single conversation, though. You have to earn the trust of Gomez's enforcers, the Shadows, by running errands for them before the castle gate ever opens for you.
Quick answer: Complete enough Shadow favor quests during Casting Shadows, finish Diego's Test of Faith, reach Level 5, then speak to Thorus to enter the castle and impress Gomez. Never tell Gomez you serve Y'Berion, or he kills you instantly.
Requirements to join the Old Camp
Joining works the same on every difficulty. You are completing two linked main quests, Admission to the Old Camp and Casting Shadows, and the gate stays shut until three conditions are all true at once.
| Condition | How you meet it |
|---|---|
| Enough Shadow approval | Finish enough favor quests so the Casting Shadows entry updates in your Journal |
| Diego's Test of Faith | Bring the List of Requirements back from the Old Mine |
| Character Level 5 | Gain XP from quests, kills, and learning skills |
You do not have to clear every favor quest. You only need enough Shadows vouching for you. Doing all of them simply nets the most XP and Nuggets along the way.
Step 1: Talk to Diego and reach Thorus
Step 1: After the opening cinematic, keep talking to Diego until he offers to help you join. Pick the line "Say I want to join Gomez and his guys. What do I do?" to start the quest.
Step 2: Travel to Old Camp, either alone or by following Diego. Following him is slower but safer because he clears enemies on the road and you still collect the XP.
Step 3: At the top of the hill, speak to Thorus, the heavily armored guard at the castle gate. He explains that only Gomez's men get inside, and that you need other Shadows to vouch for you. He sends you back to Diego.
Note: If you only need into the castle for the Fire Mages errand, you can bribe Thorus with 1000 Nuggets. That gets you through the gate but does not grant an audience with Gomez, so it does not replace the admission process.
Step 2: Gain the Shadows' favor (Casting Shadows)
Return to Diego at the shack near the castle gate to start Casting Shadows. Each Shadow has a task, and completing it earns their backing. Diego himself counts once you pass his Test of Faith.
| Shadow / Quest | What to do |
|---|---|
| Fingers — A Ring for Fingers | Lockpick Scatty's chest, take the ring, and deliver it to Fingers near the Arena |
| Dexter — The Cult's Recipe | Steal the Dreamjuice Recipe from Kor Calom in the Swamp Camp and hand it to Dexter at the Market |
| Whistler — Whistler's Sword | Buy the broadsword from Fisk and give it to Whistler outside his house |
| Thorus — Out of Sight | Deal with Mordrag, the New Camp thief, by warning and escorting him or killing him |
| Sly — The Vanished Warder | Find Nek's corpse in a cave near Old Camp and return his amulet to Sly |
| Fisk — A New Fence for Fisk | After Out of Sight, hire Sharky in New Camp as the new fence |
| Scatty (unmarked) | Challenge Kharim or Kirgo to a duel in the Arena |
Check the Casting Shadows entry in your Journal after each one. It updates automatically the moment you have collected enough support, which tells you when to move on.
Step 3: Pass Diego's Test of Faith
Step 1: Once you have enough favors, return to Diego near the castle gate and ask about the Test of Faith. He sends you to the Old Mine to collect a list from a man named Ian, and gives you the countersign "The crawlers look mighty hungry."
Step 2: Optionally grab a map from Graham near the north gate. He sells it for 20 Nuggets, or you can threaten him to get it free. Threatening Graham carries no penalty to your admission.
Step 3: Head into the Old Mine, northeast of Old Camp. Take the right-hand path and descend the ramps or ladders until you reach the men gathered around a table. Speak to Ian, use the countersign, and take the List of Requirements of the Old Mine.
Step 4: Bring the list back to Diego. Finishing the Test of Faith awards 750 XP and Diego's vote for your admission.
Step 4: Enter the castle and impress Gomez
Step 1: With enough Shadow support, the Test of Faith done, and Level 5 reached, talk to Thorus again. Impressed by your progress, he lets you through the gate.
Step 2: Optional detour before the castle. Find Milten, a Fire Mage, outside the Temple of Innos. You can hand him the letter or deliver it yourself to Torrez in the temple garden, which rewards a Ring of Power.
Step 3: Enter the castle doorway and speak to Raven at the podium. He escorts you to Gomez.
Step 4: Impress Gomez by bringing up your achievements and the connections you have made. Any of the connection dialogue options work, whether or not you truly earned them. Avoid the two lines below.
- "Do I need to chop your head off to prove I'm a good fighter?"
- Mentioning Y'Berion ("To Y'Berion") — Gomez kills you on the spot.
How to confirm you joined
You know it worked when Gomez initiates you as a Shadow. The Admission to the Old Camp quest closes out with 1000 XP and the Shadow's Dress, and the "Gomez' Paperboy" achievement for joining Old Camp unlocks. Speak to Raven afterward to begin the next main quest, The Brotherhood's Plan.
Committing to the Old Camp is permanent for that save. The admission quests for the New Camp and Swamp Camp, along with their side quests, immediately fail and become unavailable. Pick this faction only once you are sure it is the path you want to take through the colony.