Conquering Despair: A Guide to Battling The Undying in Veilguard

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, there are several hidden achievements linked to side quests throughout the game. One significant quest tied to the Grey Wardens faction, as well as the stories of Antoine and Evka, is known as In Peace. To achieve this, players must track down and confront the Despair Undying, a unique Despair Demon boss. This particular enemy can only be found by revisiting the site of a pivotal main quest battle while navigating through various side quests in the area.

Despair Undying is easy to overlook and different from other Despair Demons in Dragon Age: The Veilguard because it cannot be vanquished through combat alone. Instead of battling it, Rook must discover a way to restore peace and hope in this troubled land. Here’s how to permanently defeat Despair Undying and earn the In Peace achievement in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Where to Locate Despair Undying

Find the Site of an Epic Battle

Despair Undying can be located in the Hossberg Wetlands in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It only becomes accessible after completing the main quest Fire and Ice and can be found in the Blighted Shallows area, which lies south of the Hossberg Wetlands.

In the center of the battleground where Rook confronted enemies during Fire and Ice, you can find the frozen form of the Despair Undying. Approaching it will prompt an attack, and it will summon undead allies to aid in the fight. Although it behaves like a traditional Despair Demon, it possesses enhanced stats typical of a boss character. Players can engage Despair Undying in battle, but even if defeated, it will cryptically remark on the nature of despair.

How to Overcome Despair Undying

This Boss Can’t Be Defeated in Traditional Combat

As indicated by its name and its enigmatic farewell words, Despair Undying cannot be permanently eliminated through combat alone. This enemy will respawn in the same location every time Rook leaves the vicinity, regardless of how many times it has been disputed. Instead of resorting to battle repeatedly, Rook must seek a different approach to dispel the despair completely. This entails gathering and presenting three azure flowers to the demon’s spirit form to revive hope in the Blighted region.

The first flower is acquired while completing Antoine and Evka’s side quest Something’s Coming in the Hossberg Wetlands. To collect it, interact with the flower situated near the tree in the Sheltered Glade. The other two flowers do not appear on the map and aren’t indicated by quest markers, but their locations are below:

• Located in the Old Crossroads, northeast of the Fast Travel Point and just southeast of the Gate of Parched Hopes in DA: The Veilguard.
• Just east of the Gaspin Manor Fast Travel point at Solitude’s Edge, nestled in a small, easily overlooked cave.

You’ll know you’ve collected all three flowers when you return to Lavendel and see blue flowers blooming around the area.

Once all three azure flowers have been gathered, Rook should head back to the Blighted Shallows to confront Despair Undying, now in its Spirit form rather than as a demon. Approaching the Spirit will not trigger an attack, allowing Rook to interact with it and place the flowers at its feet while inquiring about its presence. The Spirit will speak of hope and will no longer pose a threat in that area.

Rewards for Overcoming Despair Undying

Unlock a Hidden Achievement and Gather High-Level Loot

The primary gratification for conquering Despair Undying is the hidden achievement in Dragon Age: The Veilguard titled In Peace. Additionally, a chest containing valuable loot is located in each of the three areas, along with one of the collectible flowers present in those locations. Specifically, the cave by the Old Crossroads has a chest with a unique armor piece or weapon, while the cave at Solitude’s Edge contains a regular chest that yields random gear for Rook.