Dragon Age: Inquisition – Unlock The Tiniest Cave Hidden Side Quest

There are so many side quests in Dragon Age: Inquisition, it can be difficult to find and complete them all. The open-world is rather large, with dozens of quests, codex entries, and unique items in each area. Some side quests are hidden, like The Tiniest Cave, a hidden side quest in the Emerald Graves that can pay off in a big way once completed. The quest only opens if a player can manage to find a tiny cave near a rock formation east of Direstone Camp, making it one of the most overlooked points in the game.

The quest is not very long or complex, and there are no enemies to fight, which can be a refreshing change from some of the heavier points in the game. As a reward for completing the quest, players earn 242 XP, 80 Influence, about 250 Gold, and a unique helm not found anywhere else. For completionists and players looking for an interesting Easter egg to justify a new playthrough as the wait for Dragon Age 4 continues, here’s how to unlock and complete The Tiniest Cave quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Unlock The Tiniest Cave Quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition

When traveling to the Emerald Graves, the party should choose the Direstone Camp location as their access point. This is the closest fast travel location to the cave. They’ll need to head east from camp across the Rush of Sighs river and find a large mural.

Tucked away behind some bushes near the mural, the player will find a rock formation in the shape of a cave. They need to have their Inquisitor jump on the top of the cave until a piece of dialogue is triggered. This takes about 50 jumps on average, with some playthroughs requiring more and some requiring fewer jumps.

The dialogue is different for every player, but once it’s heard, the player should have their Inquisitor and party run away from the cave, then back to it to trigger a new line. They will need to continue running back and forth until they hear the line, “Need more! More. Have to be ready.” The quest will then activate in the Journal.

Bring Crystal Grace to the Tiniest Cave in Dragon Age: Inquisition

The “more” the voice is referring to is Crystal Grace, a plant found almost exclusively in The Hinterlands. Players will need to place 10 Crystal Grace on the cave to complete the first part of the quest.

Sometimes, a bug prevents the quest from activating if the player has more than 10 Crystal Grace in their inventory at the time. Should this happen, players should consider upgrading a potion, tonic, or grenade to use up the excess in a productive way.

Once the player places the offering, the voice will say, “The stairs! The stairs that go down. Way down. Way, way down. I’ll be there. You’ll be there.” The quest completion noise will sound, and the quest will be marked as complete. However, to earn the hidden reward, players will need to make one more stop, way, way down.

Find the Cave in Emprise du Lion in Dragon Age: Inquisition

The entity in the cave provides a clue to the player to seek a cave with a long set of stairs. The player will need to take their party to Emprise du Lion near Suledin Keep. If they have already captured the keep, they can fast travel there. If not, they will want to land at Tower Camp, the closest base. Technically, they do not need to have captured the Keep prior to this quest.

On the south side of Suledin Keep, players will find a tunnel near the fortress’s base. They’ll need to approach the tunnel from the south side and travel through it. To the left (west) of a Veilfire Brazier at the tunnel’s entrance, the player will find the entrance to a secret area. They’ll want to look closely, as the entrance is behind a fake wall, making the area seem impassible. To get around the wall, players will want to look for the area that’s slightly different in color and use the fallen wood nearby to climb to the entrance.

Once players enter, they will see a long staircase going down. At the bottom of the stairs, they’ll find an unfinished platform containing a single chest. Looting that chest will reveal the reward: Ardent Blossom. This is a level 22 helm in the shape of a flower crown that provides 39-41 armor and increases Sunder when hit by 24%. Even for players who won’t use it, or who play dwarf or Qunari and can’t wear it, it’s worth almost 1000 Gold when sold, making it well worth the effort of finding it.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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