The Changing of the Guard is a side quest in Pillars of Eternity.
- Warning: Accepting this quest means choosing House Doemenel as your faction in Defiance Bay, meaning you can no longer ally with nor perform quests for The Dozens or the Knights of the Crucible.
Synopsis
Speak with Gedmar Doemenel after completing A Two Story Job, and he'll request that you murder Marshal Wenfeld of the Knights of the Crucible, and place a token of The Dozens (which he puts in your inventory) on a nearby altar to frame them for the murder. Before you leave the manor, Abrecan Doemenel tells you not to place the token on the altar so that everyone knows who is responsible.
Walkthrough
- Go to the Crucible Keep in First Fires and wait in the altar (east side of the building).
- Marshal Wenfeld will eventually stop by to pray, where you can then attack him. He casts priest spells and wears heavy armor, but should be no issue for a full party.
- After you've killed Wenfeld, either place the Dozens token on the altar to frame The Dozens, or return to the manor without placing it.
Completing this quest gives The Watcher a bonus talent; The Merciless Hand, and the ability to hire a Doemenel Thief as a hireling at the stronghold for 
20 per day (grants +2 
and +4 
). In addition you can choose a favor from Gedmar Doemenel, either money (10,000) or Misery's End.
Notes
- Accepting this quest bars you from taking The Bronze Beneath the Lake (for The Dozens) or Winds of Steel (for the Knights of the Crucible).
- Completing this quest allows you to get an invitation to the Animancy hearings from House Doemenel.
- Your choice to pin the murder on the Dozens or not affects the end-game slides for Defiance Bay.
Journal
| quests\04_defiance_bay_brackenbury\04_qst_change_guard | ||
|---|---|---|
| ID | Objectives | |
| 0 | The Changing of the Guard | |
| 10000 | Marshal Wenfeld, one of the Crucible Knights, has made his personal crusade to disrupt and destroy Doemenel business activities in Defiance Bay. Gedmar would like him dead, and he'd like the Dozens blamed for the killing. | |
| 1 | Assassinate Eldrid Wenfeld in the Crucible Keep in First Fires. | |
| 10001 | Gedmar wants Marshal Wenfeld dead before the latter rallies the Crucible Knights against House Doemenel. Gedmar suggested that I could find my target alone in the chapel.
Lord Doemenel wants the assassination blamed on the Dozens. He gave me a token from the Dozens to place on the altar in the chapel. | |
| 20000 | Abrecan approached me and asked me not to blame the Dozens for the attack. He thinks his father has been too cautious, and he wants to return to the days when the Doemenel name was feared throughout the city. | |
| 2 | Return to Gedmar Doemenel. | |
| 10002 | Wenfeld is disposed of. Lord Doemenel will want to hear of my success, but he also asked me to plant the Dozens token on the altar in the keep's chapel.
Abrecan, on the other hand, told me not to leave anything linking the assassination to the Dozens. | |
| 20001 | I've placed the token on the altar as Gedmar Doemenel requested. | |
| End states | ||
|
Eldrid Killed Silently | |
| 30000 | Gedmar was impressed that I assassinated Eldrid without alerting anyone. | |
|
|
Eldrid Killed Loud | |
| 30001 | I assassinated Eldrid, but Gedmar was displeased at the collateral damage. | |
|
|
Warned Eldrid | |
| 30002 | I warned Eldrid of Gedmar Doemenel's assassination plot. He rewarded me for my actions. | |
|
|
Blamed Dozens | |
| 30003 | I assassinated Wenfeld and left evidence that points to the Dozens. This should escalate the conflict between the Dozens and the Crucible Knights, just as Gedmar Doemenel intended. | |
|
|
Didn't blame Dozens | |
| 30004 | I assassinated Wenfeld and didn't leave the token from the Dozens. The Crucible Knights will likely suspect House Doemenel for the murder, but this will also earn the clan infamy, just as Abrecan intended. | |
|
Gedmar killed | |
| 30005 | I assassinated Lord Doemenel and turned House Doemenel against me. Whatever's left of it, anyway. | |