Merrick sells maps in the Marrow Keep and otherwise keeps the tone light. That changes the moment you walk in with Proxima. He locks onto Mother’s milk, names her out loud, and the rest of the exchange is grief he has been sitting on.
Quick answer: Take Proxima’s shell at the Shattered Beacon, press E to speak with Merrick in the Marrow Keep, then speak with him again after you kill the Hexapod in the Withered Shoals.
When Merrick talks about Proxima
The Proxima thread is two visits, not one. The first visit needs her shell. The second visit needs the Hexapod dead. Nothing in his normal shop talk replaces either conversation, so you have to come back on purpose.
| Visit | What must be true | What Merrick does |
|---|---|---|
| First talk | You have already taken Proxima | He recognizes Mother’s milk, names Proxima, and points you at the Hexapod |
| Second talk | The Hexapod is dead | He says she would be pleased and talks about the life they missed |
You will know the first visit fired when he says “Mother’s milk!” and asks if that is Proxima. You will know the second visit fired when he says he heard you killed the Hexapod. If he only opens the shop, the matching condition is still missing.
Get Proxima at the Shattered Beacon
Merrick cannot start this thread until you have found her. Proxima is early. You can reach the Shattered Beacon from Widow’s Overlook before any mandatory boss after the tutorial, and you do not have to fight the enemy outside the door.
Go back to the Marrow Keep and speak with Merrick. That is the first visit. He treats Mother’s milk as proof you found her, says it cannot be, then admits it is. He tells you she was hunting a nasty beast, the Hexapod, and that she might still finish that hunt through you.
Return after you kill the Hexapod
The second visit is later. The Hexapod is the boss of the Withered Shoals, behind the Gate of Mammon in the Mammon region. After the Fainweald gates are clear, move south to the Outskirts of Mammon Beacon, take the path behind Ruk’s statue through the Abandoned Slums, and continue to the Lonesome Spire. The Gate of Mammon opens into the Withered Shoals. The Hexapod is the six-fingered beast waiting there.
Once the Hexapod is dead, return to the Marrow Keep and use E to speak with Merrick again. He already knows. He does not ask you to describe the fight.
This is the talk people remember. He says it is good the beast is dead, then catches himself. Proxima would be pleased, if she were here. He wonders what kind of life she, or maybe the two of them, could have had if things had gone a little different. He does not think she would have been settling down. He does think they could have had a few more misadventures.
I wonder… what kind of life she or maybe even we could’ve had. If things went a little different. I don’t think she’d be settlin’ down. But maybe we could’ve had a few more… misadventures.
Merrick’s Proxima lines
Both conversations are short. If you walked away early or want to confirm you heard the full thread, this is the complete sequence.
| Visit | Merrick’s lines |
|---|---|
| After you find Proxima | Mother’s milk! / Is that… Proxima? / No, it can’t be. / You found her, huh? / You know she was huntin’ down this nasty beast. / The… Hexapod. / Maybe she still can… in a way. With your help. |
| After the Hexapod dies | I heard you did it… you killed the Hexapod. / Good. / Proxima would be… pleased. / If she were here. / I wonder… what kind of life she or maybe even we could’ve had. / If things went a little different. / I don’t think she’d be settlin’ down. / But maybe we could’ve had a few more… misadventures. |
If the first block never starts, you have not taken Proxima yet. If he never mentions the Hexapod’s death, that boss is still alive. When he reaches the misadventures line, the Proxima thread with Merrick is finished.
