In the process of helping Glyndwr out with his archery trial you’ll end up getting sucked into an Elven crisis that ultimately results in you rescuing Doireann. Not only is she Glyndwr’s sister and the daughter of the Arborist - functionally the chieftain of Sacred Arbor - but she also tends to the Arborheart, the sacred tree at the heart of the Elven community. Naturally this tree is ailing and you need to seek out a MacGuffin to restore the tree’s vitality. This page will provide a walkthrough for the side quest The Ailing Arborheart in Dragon’s Dogma 2, including info about reaching Bakbattahl in order to find a source of gwyfencha.

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(1 of 3) Talk to Doireann after completing “A Trial of Archery”,

How to Start The Ailing Arborheart - Dragon’s Dogma 2¶

You should be able to start this side quest after completing A Trial of Archery, assuming you rescued Doireann from the Ogre in the Ancestral Chambers dungeon. It may take her a few days to make the transition from quest objective to quest giver, so if she doesn’t give you this quest when you talk to her later in Sacred Arbor, wait a few days. In the meantime, you might as well try to recruit a pawn with the Woodland Wordsmith specialization so you can understand the Elvish language, or give the innkeeper Bunches of Flowers until she gives you the Woodland Wordsmith Tome so you can teach your own pawn how to speak Elvish.

When you have a pawn that understands the Elvish language and enough time has passed, seek out Doireann. You can find Doireann near The Arborheart in Sacred Arbor - eventually she should talk to you and tell you about the Arborheart’s woes, saying they need a substance known to the Elves as “gwyfencha” to restore the tree. If you have a pawn who understands Elvish, they’ll translate “gwyfencha” as “Scalecinder”, a byproduct of Battahli smithing. This is well outside of Doireann’s capabilities, so she’ll ask you to seek some of this Scalecinder out.

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(1 of 2) Most of the difficulty in this quest comes from your need to travel south to Bakbattahl.

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Most of the difficulty in this quest comes from your need to travel south to Bakbattahl. (left), Once you arrive, enter Brokkr’s Smith and talk to Sara, who will advise to you secure an elvish dish called “nutriabh”. (right)

How to Find Scalecinder - Dragon’s Dogma 2¶

The difficulty of this quest is, like many quests, dependent on open world chicanery, RNG, and previous exploration. If you’ve an easy means of reaching Bakbattahl, this is a super simple quest, as your primary objective is visiting Brokkr’s Smithy in the city. This could be as easy as using a Ferrystone to get to Bakbattahl. Of course, if you haven’t reached Bakbattahl yet you’ll need to find a way down there, and if you’re low level (under Lv20 or so) this could be quite a difficult journey. There are multiple ways to get to Bakbattahl for the first time:

• Complete the main quest Feast of Deception, whereupon you’ll be given a Border Entry Permit which will allow you to pass through the gate at the Checkpoint Rest Town. Making the way down the road through Battahl on foot is still a bit of an ordeal - expect to encounter Redwolves, Knackers, Hobgoblins, Golems, Cyclops, and perhaps the odd Griffin on the way down.

• Head to the Checkpoint Rest Town and wait for a carriage to enter town. Jump inside and wait until it crosses the checkpoint. Getting out of the carriage may provoke any guards nearby, so you’ll need to be ready to flee once you cross the border, and you’ll still have to face the perils of the road.

• Take the Guerco Cavern passage. This is the easiest of the two side routes to Battahl, but you’ll have to fight and/or avoid Hobgoblins, Oozes, Venin Harpies, Choppers, Knackers, Lost Mercenaries, and perhaps Phantasms and Rattlers, along with large enemies like a Drake, Golem, and a Chimera. Many of these foes can be evaded, but you’ll still need to fight to get through.

Once you’ve made it to Bakbattahl, the next phase of the quest is simple - enter Brokkr’s Smithy and talk to his assistant, Sara, who is more receptive to your questions than the surly Brokkr himself. She’ll tell you that Brokkr’s smithy produces plenty of Scalecinder as a byproduct, but the dwarf’s hatred of elves prevents any trade, and a gift is out of the question. Fortunately, Brokkr isn’t quite as inflexible as he’d like you to believe, and the way to a dwarf’s heart is through his stomach. The dwarf has a taste for an elvish dish called Nutriabh, and if you were to provide some, you’d end up with the opportunity to score some Scalecinder.

For engaging in this trivial bit of busywork you’ll gain 1,600 XP and this quest will end, being replaced by its follow up [Out of the Forest, Into the Forge].