Sealed History Walkthrough in Dragon’s Dogma 2 Dark Arisen (Full Route)

Sealed History is the Forsaken Dominion main quest that follows Seeking the Sage in Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Dark Arisen expansion. You march north with Wash and the commission soldiers, fight through the Mountain Stronghold and open its inner gate. Then you continue on your own to an underground archive where Polyeidus wants to read the old records. The quest gives no reward when it ends, but it opens The Castle in the Ice.

Quick answer: Talk to Wash at Rivercave Campground, rescue Amos, pull the stone lever behind the stronghold’s small window, reach the Sealed Study, wait one in-game day, then speak to Polyeidus again.

How Sealed History starts

You don’t need to find a quest-giver. Sealed History begins automatically once Seeking the Sage is done, which means all three sage riddles are solved and you have spoken with Polyeidus at his tent in the Norgandian Settlement. A banner reading “Sealed History / Priority Quest Set Automatically” confirms it. Polyeidus then sends you to meet the Vermund commission soldiers at Rivercave Campground.

History menu with a Skills tutorial showing a shielded fighter facing a goblin and text about core and weapon skills. — The History tutorial logbook explains Skills, covering core skills and how to use weapon skills with Stamina.

Most of the quest takes place in the cold, and much of it involves combat, so pack the following before you leave:

Lantern Oil. The study and the grotto near it are underground. If you see “Out of Lantern Oil,” refill from Items using “Add Oil.”
Curatives, plus at least one Wakestone for the large fights on the way.
Lightning skills on a pawn. Several of the large enemies here are weak to lightning.
An Eternal Ferrystone or regular Ferrystones for the trips back and forth.

Join Wash at Rivercave Campground and rescue Amos

Open the world map and fast-travel to Norgan Portcrystal: Rivercave Campground. You arrive in Valgr Ravine, a few steps from the cave entrance.

Travel to Rivercave Campground — An Eternal Ferrystone takes you directly to the Rivercave Campground Portcrystal. Shown at 00:04 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Walk into the cave and go to the campfire. Speak with Wash. When “You joined the commission soldiers.” appears, you’re on the quest.

Talk to Wash to start quest — Talking to Wash at Rivercave Campground starts the march to the stronghold. Shown at 00:46 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Leave the cave and follow the soldiers up the stone steps on the cliff, under the hanging icicles. The objective changes to “Make for the mountain stronghold.”

At the top, near the ruined bridge and its large chain, direwolves ambush the group. This is the Mountain Stronghold. Kill every attacker so Wash can regroup.

After the fight, Wash notices that the recruit Amos is gone. Go back down the stairs, cross the frozen river and head toward the lower ruined archway covered in icicles. You’ll hear Amos call out before you can see him.

Search for Amos — To search for Amos, go back down over the snowy ledges toward the lower path. Shown at 03:12 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Kill the direwolves that have surrounded Amos, then talk to him. “You rescued Amos.” confirms that he’s safe.

Rescue Amos — After the direwolves are dead, talk to Amos so he rejoins the commission. Shown at 03:32 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Climb the snow-covered stairs until you reach the ruined arch, where you should speak with Wash. Your objective updates to “Join the soldiers and make for the stronghold.”

Mountain Stronghold gate lever location

Follow the soldiers up to the stronghold gate. After a short cutscene, Wash tells you the group needs to get through and continue north, and the objective becomes “Find a way through the stronghold.” Ice holds the portcullis shut, and you can’t open it from this side. The mechanism that raises it is in a small room behind the wall.

Attack the ice beside the gate and smash the ice sheet that blocks the nearby stone archway. Doing this triggers more enemies.

Go up the wide stone staircase into the upper courtyard. Kill the ghouls climbing over the walls and the direwolves that come after them, until the game tells you the stronghold is clear.

Wash then points out a small square window near the top of the castle wall, above and to the left of a small arched gate with an iron grille. You can’t enter through the window. It only marks the room that holds the mechanism.

Search for the gate mechanism — The gate mechanism is in the room behind this small window, so look for a way up from the side. Shown at 05:41 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Take the side path up through the snowy pass and break the second ice wall you find there. Inside, you can drop through a floor grate to loot a chest if you want, then climb back up by the ladder.

Climb the wooden ladder inside the round stone tower. It brings you out onto a snowy terrace on the rampart, next to the stronghold wall. Kill the ghouls patrolling the walkway.

Go through the pointed archway into the small stone room. Stand at the carved stone lever and choose Examine. The gate below rises, Wash shouts “That’s done it! The gates are open!” and you see “Secured the open gate.”

Pull gate lever — When you examine the stone switch, the stronghold gate opens and the objective is complete. Shown at 07:57 in Ghosts of Reykjavik’s video. Image: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.

Escort the soldiers to Northwall Campground

Drop off the broken ledge, meet Wash, and go through the open gate. The objective is now “Accompany Wash to find a place to rest.” The group follows a shallow frozen stream under a stone bridge. A large, fur-covered brute drops off the rocks into the streambed and attacks with swipes, slams, charges and grabs. Hit its legs to knock it down, then climb up to its head while your pawns use ice and lightning.

Once it’s dead, climb the snowy steps past the bridge to a cave in the cliff. The soldiers set up camp there, and it becomes Northwall Campground. Activate the Portcrystal next to the camp so you can fast-travel to Norgan Portcrystal: Northwall Campground later. Take the Climbing Hook from the camp supplies. You can also rest and store spare items before you continue.

A warrior stands by a campfire and tent in a cave as a quest completion notice shows experience gained. — The Stranger in the Snowfield quest is completed at Northwall Campground, awarding 30000 XP and 15000 G.

Wash and the soldiers stop at Northwall Campground. When the objective becomes “Seek the sealed study.”, only you and your pawns continue.

Sealed Study location in North Valgrian Frostgrove

The Sealed Study is underground, north of North Valgrian Frostgrove and beyond Brinerot Grotto. Its entrance is a ruined stone building with a damaged, purple-glowing Riftstone just outside. You can get there two ways. One is a short crossing that uses the Climbing Hook. The other is a longer road on foot through several large fights.

Character with shield walks through a snowy pine forest past a glowing blue rune stone, with a location name at left and a minimap. — A glowing blue rune stone stands beside a snowy path as the location name “North Valgrian Frostgrove” appears on screen.

Shortcut with the Climbing Hook

From Northwall Campground, head northeast toward Putrid Copse in North Valgrian Frostgrove. Look for a gap in the cliff with a wooden tether post at its edge.

Stand in front of the gap and throw the Climbing Hook across. It anchors and creates a rope bridge.

Climb along the rope to reach the snowy plateau to the north. Keep heading northeast through the old stone courtyard ruins until you reach the Riftstone and the doorway that leads down.

Overland route through the frostgrove

Walking the whole way means more enemies, and they come roughly in this order:

Bugaboos drop from the rocks uphill of the camp.
A one-eyed, tusked giant breathes freezing air. Hold “Draw blade (Hold)” on the blade in its hindquarters to stagger it, and climb up to hit its eye.
A Snowfoot starts a “Massive Enemy Encounter.” It is weak to lightning and resists fire. Go for its legs first.
A chimera appears as “Encountered: ???” and has a magick-casting goat head and a serpent tail. Stab the goat head, and back out of its poison fog to heal.

After the Snowfoot, the path ends at a stone fort with a closed wooden portcullis that you can’t open. Go around it by climbing the rocky slope beside the fort. Pass the carcass of a large creature and go down through the broken wooden palisades into the thin woods. At the edge of the cliff, a small stone platform has two short standing stones and some Norgan Ducats. Just past it is the entrance to Brinerot Grotto.

Player with a round shield stands behind a pack-laden merchant in a dim cave, with a talk prompt shown and a companion with a lantern at left. — In a lantern-lit cave in Norgan, the player stands near a heavily laden merchant with the prompt “Hail (Hold to Talk)” and a companion waits nearby.

The first Brinerot Grotto passage is a dead end. Venin Harpies attack inside, and the stairs at the end lead to an iron portcullis that is locked from the other side. Go back out and stay on the outdoor path.

Farther along the outdoor path, you’ll encounter the chimera. Once the fight is over, search the ornate chest in the nearby ruined corridor for spoils. Continue downhill and north to reach the damaged Riftstone beside the ruined doorway.

Entering the Sealed Study

Whichever route you take, you’ll reach the same building. Before entering, activate the Norgan Portcrystal: Sealed Study atop the cliff, since you’ll return here. Pass through the doorway and fight off the two armored warriors that ambush you, then descend the stairs. The “Brinerot Grotto” banner appears once more, and you can find another Climbing Hook on the supply sacks in the passage. This leads into a circular chamber containing three tall carved stone tablets. A cutscene plays; Polyeidus arrives, and the message “You located the sealed study.” appears.

Character standing below a tall rock cliff with a ribbon-like hook anchor at the top and a Use climbing hook prompt. — A prompt reading Use climbing hook appears at a hook point on the cliff top, with the minimap and control hints shown.

Grimoires in the Sealed Study

Grimoires are scattered across the chamber’s desks, floor and shelves. Each one is a book that anyone can read to cast its spell once. Collect them before you go back up.

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

You can also pick up Thunderous Concord, Fulgurous Lord and Igneous Melody in the same room.

How to finish Sealed History after Polyeidus’s research

Polyeidus asks for at least one day with the records, and the objective becomes “Wait for Polyeidus to conduct his research.” Fast travel doesn’t work inside the study. If you try, you get “Eternal Ferrystone cannot be used here.”

Climb the long staircase back up to the surface, where the Sealed Study Portcrystal is.

Let a full in-game day pass. You can rest at an inn or a campsite. You can also Ferrystone to the Norgandian Settlement, sit on the wooden bench outside the thatched house and choose “Doze Off” until night has come and gone. The bench then shows “Polyeidus may have concluded his research,” and the objective changes to “Ask Polyeidus about the results of his research.”

Fast-travel back to Norgan Portcrystal: Sealed Study and go down the stairs to the tablets.

Player with a round shield in a dim stone study with carved tablets, a quest banner, a Hail prompt and a minimap. — In the Sealed Study, the ‘Flight in the Night’ quest update reads “You escorted Ilda to Polyeidus’s quarters,” with a Letter to Dorin nearby and an option to Hail.

Talk to Polyeidus and go through all of his dialogue. He tells you that Lorade Castle lies east of the Mountain Stronghold.

You’ll see three things that confirm the quest is finished. “The rubble was cleared from the stronghold.” appears, followed by “Completed: Sealed History.” Then The Castle in the Ice starts right away with the objective “Find a path leading east through the stronghold.” Don’t wait for a reward, because the quest doesn’t give one.

Forsaken Dominion quests around Sealed History

Sealed History is part of a quest chain that begins with Chilling Tidings. You start that quest by talking to Captain Brant at the Stardrop Inn in Vernworth between 17:00 and 05:59 and choosing “About the new Arisen…” The Castle in the Ice comes after Sealed History and has 19 stages. Finishing it unlocks three side quests in Norgan.

Dragon's Dogma 2 pause menu with a parchment world map, quest tracker and keyboard control guide on the right. — The Pause Menu shows the world map with the active quest Gaoled Awakening, alongside the Items, Map, Quests, Equipment, Status, History, Photo Mode and System options.

Quest	Type	Rewards	Leads to
Chilling Tidings	Forsaken Dominion main	10,000 G, 5,000 XP (Norgan Portcrystal x1 in one outcome)	Sealed History, Seeking the Sage and others
The Castle in the Ice	Forsaken Dominion main	—	Three side quests below
Quilt Me Down with a Feather	Forsaken Dominion side	20,000 G, 50,000 XP, Firebird Cloak x1	Back to the Temple
No Spoils Get Left Behind	Forsaken Dominion side	50,000 G, 80,000 XP	—
Hal’s Treasure Hunt	Forsaken Dominion side	20,000 G, 35,000 XP	—

Chilling Tidings can be lost. It disappears once the world is covered in red clouds, and it is only available until the main quest Legacy is complete. Amos and Polyeidus appear again in The Castle in the Ice, Soul Searching and Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way. Keep the Northwall Campground and Sealed Study Portcrystals active, since the next quest sends you east through the stronghold toward Lorade Castle.