Upon finishing the main story quest 'The Promised, Broken' in Starfield Shattered Space, you are presented with the choice of which sub-house to assist. Within House Va'ruun, there are three houses that can grant you access to the Scaled Citadel. One such house is House Veth'aal, whose base is situated in The Keep at Va'ruun'kai. Upon reaching The Keep, you can engage with the Ministry of State and the leader of House Veth'aal, Viktor. Viktor reveals that his son, Vaeric, has renounced his claim to House Veth'aal, branding him a traitor and sentencing him to death. To secure House Veth'aal's aid for the main story in Shattered Space, you must locate Vaeric and determine his fate. Here’s a guide on how to proceed.
After your conversation with Viktor, exit The Keep and make your way to Herald's Rest, a bar in Dazra where Vaeric was known to frequent. Here, you need to speak with three NPCs to gather information about Vaeric's location. The first is Bianca Latif, an old acquaintance of Vaeric's who can be found near a railing in Herald's Rest. Bianca is particularly reticent about Vaeric, but you have the opportunity to persuade her to disclose his whereabouts. Similarly, you can attempt to persuade all three NPCs at Herald's Rest to share information about Vaeric. Even if your persuasion attempts fail, the third NPC will inform you that Vaeric had a friend named Tane who might know where he is. Tane is expected to arrive at the bar shortly.
Shortly after, Tane arrives at Herald's Rest, identifiable by his facial and neck tattoos. Engage in conversation with Tane, who reveals that he is not a member of House Va'ruun, providing a common ground for dialogue. After some back-and-forth, Tane offers to sell you Vaeric's location for 1,000 Credits, a straightforward alternative to other methods. Paying Tane reveals that he had placed a tracker on Vaeric, allowing him to locate Vaeric once he escaped. Tane proposes to accompany you outside the city walls to track Vaeric together. Head to the western wall of Dazra, exit through the gate, and the tracking begins.
Tane's tracker operates by emitting beeps that vary in speed depending on your direction. If you are heading in the correct direction towards Vaeric, the beeps will quicken. Conversely, if you move in the wrong direction, the beeps slow down. While you can use the tracker to find Vaeric independently, you can also refer to the map below for precise guidance:
The tracker ultimately leads you to an Abandoned Camp northwest of Dazra. Investigate the camp for clues about Vaeric's current location, as he is no longer at the camp. Here are the clues you need to examine:
After discovering all available clues, you and Tane will be ambushed by Foul Vortex Horror enemies, new adversaries in Shattered Space, all at level 49. These enemies can manipulate energy to teleport themselves and you, necessitating caution. Vortex Horrors possess potent melee attacks and are swift and aggressive. Defeat all three Vortex Horrors to proceed with the quest.
Once the Vortex Horrors are dealt with, speak with Tane and share your findings from the camp. This leads to a more traditional tracking method, attempting to follow Vaeric's footprint trail at the camp's base. Follow the quest markers until you reach a farm. Speak with the NPC at the farm and convince them that you know Vaeric passed through. Use discretion in your dialogue to appease Viktor. The NPC will reluctantly disclose that an injured person passed through a week ago, receiving medical aid before continuing on. You are given a general direction to follow, leading to another quest marker.
At the end of the quest marker, you will find a farmhouse to investigate. Here are the clues you need to discover within the house:
After finding these clues, return outside to inform Tane of your findings, only to be interrupted by Vaeric, who has been living at the farm and tending to animals. During your conversation with Vaeric, you can choose to listen to his side of the story or adopt a hostile stance. If you wish to kill Vaeric, select dialogue options indicating that his father wants him dead. However, listening to Vaeric is worthwhile, as it offers a peaceful resolution that satisfies both parties.
If you choose to hear Vaeric out, you learn that he did not want to engage in his father's politics. Instead, he desired the freedom to chart his own path. He feels a heavy burden for the turmoil he has caused his father but remains resolute in not wanting to be the heir to House Veth'aal. At the end of the dialogue, if you have listened to him, you are presented with three choices:
The optimal outcome for all parties is to allow Vaeric to live but take his Signet Ring to present to Viktor. Persuading him to return home is another viable option but requires a successful persuasion check. There is no substantial benefit to attacking him unless you are playing a character inclined towards such actions in Starfield.
Ultimately, you return to Viktor with either the Signet Ring or Vaeric in tow. You will receive the power grid codes necessary for the main story in Shattered Space and can continue aiding the factions of House Va'ruun.
