What is this guide?

Tainted Grail: Conquest has branching story options, which offer permanent and branching rewards and sometime a lack thereof. The best choice is not always the obvious one; the reward for any choice is rarely announced in advance.

At the moment most of those choices cannot changed.

This short guide present you those options so that you can make informed decision where appropriate.

Some choices temporarily prevent completing taking the game to its “100% story completion” until their permanent option is taken.

For obvious reasons this guide is not ideal for a first playthrough.

Finally only the choices are present in this guide. Quests and events preceding are kept to an absolute minimum.

taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com – https://taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com/wiki/Tainted_Grail_Wiki

Spoilers Ahead

Due to the nature of the subject involved spoilers are present. I do try to keep them to a minimum where possible, without making the guide useless or dull.

Permanent choices

 

 

Elderly Archer (“Flame Purifies All”)

Encounter: As himself on the map.

Prerequisite: Recruit the Scientist or Candlemaker

Option 1: Be kind. Tell him to forgive himself which require avoiding the choices “NO PUNISHMENT COULD BE ENOUGH FOR YOUR CRIME” and “NO. YOU DESERVE THE PUNISHMENT.”

This double future rewards and remove HP costs of his base rewards.

Option 2: Be harsh. Choose the options above.

He’ll keep offering his base rewards but without their HP costs.

The Ceremony (“Bad Moon Rising”)

Encounter: Run-Down Windmill
Pre-requisite: Obtain an Invitation (2nd encounter at the tavern fighting the drunk)

Option 1: Choose “Spare”

This allows you to fight bosses encounter on subsequent Run-Down Windmill encounters. The prefered option as they give normal boss rewards and you can’t die from them.

Option 2: Choose “Kill”

This allow you to fight even harder versions of the already hard cultists that you fight if you try to force your way in the first time you enter the Windmill. Only a normal fight rewards and you can die.

The Bard (“World Fixed In Evil”)

Encounter: As himself on the map.

Prerequisite: Complete his quest to return a certain weapon to him then meet him another time.

Option 1: “LEARN A SONG OF FORGETTING”

This sad and harsh option will allow you to remove 3 cards from your deck in future encounters, which is very good.

Option 2: “NO. STOP. I PROMISE I’LL TRY TO FIND YOUR BROTHER.”

Maintain the regular choices on future encounters: A neutral card OR Forget 1 Card. Upon completion the bard will additionally join your village allowing you to pick a song from a list for him to play when you are there.

A Wrinkled Creature

Encounter: As herself on the map.

Option 1: Refuse Graciously

taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com – https://taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com/wiki/A_Wrinkled_Creature

Option 2: Eat

Worst rewards.

Pied Piper

Encounter: As himself on the map.

Option 1: Be nice and patient with him.

Choose the options “WHY WOULD I NEED A WEIRD FLUTE?”, “ASK HIM TO STOP” then “OKAY, I’LL TAKE YOUR INSTRUMENT.”

Reward: Infinitely re-usable flute combat item and taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com – https://taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com/wiki/Pied_Piper

Option 2/3: Fight him, or leave. No Flute. Future encounters will be randomly him running away or attacking you with five rats. The rats grant a high amount of experience.

The Drunk

Encounter: Obscure Tavern

Prerequisite: Do a “Big Sacrifice” at the “Insane Cultists” encounter then use a Tainted Altar.

First, choose the “I KNOW YOU’RE THE ROGUE CULTIST” option followed by “IT SENT ME, YES, BUT I DON”T HAVE TO OBEY”. Then:

Option 1: “Kill”. (Generally preferred or so it seems)

• Tainted Altars offer a new option for a new kind of passive: Tests. Choose from 4 damage/60 max hp/20 armor but reduce by said amount for 5 fights.
• Tavern keep appearing but now does nothing at all (bad).
• Reduce odds of occurance All Mother’s Altar. Presumably increase odds of Tainted Altar appearing.

Option 2: “Spare”.

• Tainted Altars now heal 40 HP after a one-time fight with cultists.
• Can fight the Drunk at the Tavern for his repeating encounter in the future (as before). The reward for those fights is 2 runestones and 2 items.
• Presumably the inverse of the previous option as far as spawning altars go.

 

Temporary choices

 

 

Bullying the Merchant

Encounter: The Marketplace

Temporary Option 1: Gain 100 gold. This amount is modified by the usual difficulty bonuses, etc. Can be repeated on every future encounter. Has no negative implication and the money taken doesn’t have to be paid back at all; option 2 will pay for itself.

Permanent Option 2: Invest to unlock better store options. Best to do this in the medium/late game when money is no longer an issue.

The Ghost Shop (“Til Death Do Us Part”)

Encounter: Ghost (Town)

Pre-requisite: Recruited the Ghost at the Tavern

Temporary Option: Do not take up his quest. You can still gamble normally. This will prevent him from repeatedly appearing on the map for his bad encounter which only gives a handful of Wyrdstone.

Permanent Option: Take up his quest. Beside the encounter noted above, after completing his quest you will be able to buy his Neutral Card for 75 gold: Mystic Gamble (Gain 50% damage or 25 Armor for 3 Turns)

A Squire and his Gold

Encounter: As himself on the map.

Pre-requisite: Rescuing the Master-At-Arms from the Cursed Broch

Temporary Option: On repeated encounters the Squire give you the option of either trading any runestone for a passive giving +25% to Gold Acquired or 75 gold for free.

Permanent Option: Talking to the Master-At-Arms and starting the quest “Semper Fi” will stop the previous encounter from continuing. On completion of the quest gain the option to buy Tactic Mastery for 75 gold (Discard all card. Draw as many card and reduce their cost by 1.)

The Confident Priest’s Journey (“With Madman’s Faith”)

Encounters: Confident Priest, All-Mother’s Altar

Temporary Option: Accept to do her Quest (Faith, by “taking pity on her”). Do not complete it. You can pray a few time (6?) at the altar to strengthen it, if you want, taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com – https://taintedgrail-conquest.fandom.com/wiki/All-Mother%27s_Altar#Faith

By choosing this temporary option the Confident Priest will keep appearing on the map, gifting you either 3 Healing Potion or Legendary Card: All-Mother’s Blessing (Create 100 Barrier, 2 Charges) at the cost of a fight.

Permanent Option 1: Complete her quest and tell her to abandon her journey.
She no longer appears on the map. No bonus over what you normally get by blessing the altar.

Permanent Option 2: Complete her quest and tell her to continue her journey.
She appears on the map but does absolutely nothing. No bonus. Worst option.

Note: The Altar remain updated based on how many times (if any) you prayed at it following the beginning of the priest’s quest.

The Candlemaker and The Jester

Encounter: Candlemaker (Town)
Pre-requisite: Buy an upgrade from the Candlemaker then start his quest giving you the Candlemaker’s Amulet.

Temporary Option: Do not complete the quest. Fight the Jester endlessly in the Wyrdness for some loot and roughly 400 experience each time.

Permanent Option: Complete the quest. Gain the option to buy Burning Light for 75 gold (Neutral Card. -10 armor per candle section section filled for the fight. Up to -50 armor)

What if I…?

Random stuff somewhat related to the guide.

Q: …avoid the Armorer’s quest to keep Silence from appearing?
A: Silence appear anyway, she can’t be avoided that way.

Q: …I rob an All-Mother’s Altar?
A: You’ll be cursed and unable to heal until the end of this one run. Can be removed by the Seamstress for an heavy fee and the New God for free if you side with it.

Q: …I don’t/can’t feed “the protector” with 50 bloods?
A: Needs to sacrifice at the blood altar a few times to make up for it. Best to be avoided.

Q: …try to force my way in the Windmill?
A: Infinite fights with very tough cultists. Fights give roughly 75 gold.

Q: …I either tell the truth or lie to the Scientist about her Master?
A: Same result, different dialog.

Q: … I help or leave the man being buried alive?
A: As above.

Q: … I do anything with the runestone after completing Futark’s quest?
A: As above.

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