“The Sorcerer’s Appraisal” and “Spellbound” are a pair of related quests you’ll pick up in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but you won’t know they’re related at first. Both quests involve finding five grimoires and giving them to someone — either Myrddin or Trysha — in exchange for a maister skill. Or making some copies and helping both.
Our Dragon’s Dogma 2 quests guide will show you how to start the quests, where to find all five grimoires, and how to complete both quests, “The Sorcerer’s Appraisal” and “Spellbound,” so you can get both Sorcerer maister skills and the Mage maister skill.
How get into Myrddin’s house and start ‘The Sorcerer’s Appraisal’
When you reach the Checkpoint Rest Town in the west of Vermund, there’s a house at the top of the hill with a locked door. If you try to get inside, a man named Myrddin will come out, be rude, and tell you to get lost.
To get him to talk to you, you’ll have to equip your Courtly Tunic and Courtly Breeches — just like you did to get into Disa’s masquerade ball. Do that, and he’ll invite you inside and then ask you to help him complete his collection of books with the “The Sorcerer’s Appraisal” quest. You’ll get a list of five grimoires to collect for him.
Complete “The Sorcerer’s Appraisal” for him, and you’ll learn the Maelstrom spell.
How to find Trysha and start ‘Spellbound’
Starting “Spellbound” is a bit tougher. You have to find a girl named Trysha in a very out-of-the-way house to the north of Melve. When you reach the house, speak with Trysha and her grandmother, Eini, and then wait for Eini to head outside. When you speak with Trysha again, she’ll tell you she wants to learn magic and give you the “Spellbound” quest.
You’ll have to help Trysha to get the Sorcerer’s Meteoron spell and the Mage’s Celestial Paean spell.
Should you give the grimoires to Myrddin or Trysha?
The simple answer here is: both of them! But how do you do that?
Since both Myrddin and Trysha want the same grimoires, it initially seems like you have to make a choice about which quest to complete. But there’s a way around that (giving one of them forged copies) at Ibrahim’s Scrap Shop in the Checkpoint Rest Town.
How to make forgeries at Ibrahim’s Scrap Shop
Since both Myrddin and Trysha are asking for the same books, you’ll need to head to Ibrahim’s Scrap Shop in the Checkpoint Rest Town and request forgeries of all of the books you find.
Myrddin is looking to complete a collection of books, but Trysha is trying to actually learn magic. You can get away with giving Myrddin forgeries — especially if you give him multiple books at the same time. Trysha, meanwhile, will know that they’re fakes.
Ibrahim will charge you 6,000 gold per forgery, and you’ll have to wait one day each time you request one. That means you’ll end up spending the better part of a week and 30,000 gold for these quests.
Where to find the grimoires for ‘The Sorcerer’s Appraisal’ and ‘Spellbound’
Both Myrddin and Trysha ask you for the same list of five grimoires:
- “Fulminous Shield”
- “Howling Blizzard”
- “Let There Be Light”
- “Nation’s Death Knell”
- “Towering Earth”
You only need to find one copy of each grimoire since you’ll be making copies of (most of) them, but there are two books — “Howling Blizzard” and “Nation’s Death Knell” — that you can find two real copies of.
Beyond that, if something goes wrong, you can get away with only handing over three of the grimoires to each of them and still get (most of) the rewards.
‘Let There Be Light’ location
You can find the “Let There Be Light” grimoire inside Myrddin’s house, but if you just walk upstairs and grab it, he’ll get mad and attack you for stealing. (You can kill him and use a Wakestone if necessary — he’s pretty forgiving after that, apparently.)
Instead, head outside and face the front of the house. Climb the crumbling wall on the right and work your way back to the front corner. Jump from the end of the wall to the balcony and head inside. “Let There Be Light” is in the first room and you can take it without him noticing.
‘Fulminous Shield’ location
The “Fulminous Shield” tome is actually the easiest to find. You can buy it in Melve from the the traveling merchant, Dudley.
‘Nation’s Death Knell’ location #1
North-northeast of the Checkpoint Rest Town, there’s an area called the Ancient Battleground, which you may have passed through en route to the Sphinx. There’s usually a drake guarding the area, but you can skirt around the edges of the battleground to avoid it (or use the ballistae scattered around to pick a fight).
At the northwest end of the battleground, you’ll find the entrance to a (mostly collapsed) castle that’s full of skeletons. Loop around the inside and watch for a large room on your right. You’ll find a copy of “Nation’s Death Knell” inside.
‘Towering Earth’ location
You can get the “Towering Earth” grimoire from Magistrate Waldhar once you get him settled into the library inside The Gracious Hand’s Vaults — which you do as part of “The Caged Magistrate” quest.
‘Howling Blizzard’ location and ‘Nation’s Death Knell’ location #2
Both “Howling Blizzard” and another copy of “Nation’s Death Knell” can be found in the Waterfall Cave northeast of Melve and the Borderwatch Outpost. It’s a tough cave to tackle — there are a ton of goblins, a chimera, and (eventually) a lich. You have to get through the entire lower level, and then climb up to the second floor. You’ll find a treasure chest containing both “Howling Blizzard” and “Nation’s Death Knell” in a large room. Note that when you open it, you’ll get attacked by a lich.
‘Howling Blizzard’ location #2
Right on the southern edge of the Nameless Village, as you’re entering the town, watch for a woman named Wendy. She’s willing to trade a copy of “Howling Blizzard” for a copy of “Fulminous Shield.”
Take your copy of “Fulminous Shield” to Ibrahim and have a forgery made. Give the forgery to Wendy, and she’ll hand over a(nother) copy of “Howling Blizzard.”
How to complete ‘The Sorcerer’s Appraisal’
If you’re looking to complete both quests, visit Myrddin first to complete “The Sorcerer’s Appraisal.” If you complete “Spellbound” first, he’ll be upset (for spoiler reasons) and won’t help you.
Once you’ve made the forgeries, head back to Myrddin’s home in the Checkpoint Rest Town and deliver them. If you deliver him (at least) three books at once, he won’t notice they’re forgeries. And that’s it.
You’ll receive Myrddin’s Chronicle (which teaches you one of the Sorcerer maister skills, Maelstrom), the Ares Morpho Robe, and 11,000 gold.
How to complete ‘Spellbound’
“Spellbound” requires you to take the (real) books back to Eini and Trysha’s house.
Hand over three of them at once and she’ll give you a Turquoise Ring.
You’ll then get an objective to check on her in a few days time. You don’t actually have to wait that long, though. Head to the campsite just to the west and sleep until the next morning.
When you return, Trysha will be unable to control her new magic. Don’t attack her. Just avoid her spells and keep running around her. Try to stick near the front of the house — your goal is to wait until she’s out of stamina, and then grab her. She can (and will) teleport to the roof over the door and you won’t be able to reach her. If you stay close to it, she’ll teleport elsewhere.
When you see she’s winded, run to her and grab on. After a few seconds, you’ll get a cutscene of Eini in the house caring for Trysha and another objective to check on her in a few days.
Once again, just head to the campsite and sleep for one night. When you return, she’ll be awake and thankful. You’ll receive a Cast Stone staff and a Conjurer’s Jottings that will teach you the (a?) Sorcerer maister skill Meteoron.
Before you leave, speak to Trysha’s grandmother, Eini (not her grandfather, Eino). She’ll give you an Enchanter’s Almanac that teaches you the Mage maister skill Celestial Paean.
For more Dragon’s Dogma 2 walkthroughs, here are all Sphinx riddle solutions, how to get all maister skills, the best order for Captain Brant’s quests, plus how to rescue the caged magistrate, how to reach the Nameless Village, where to find Rodge, how to confront the Arisen’s shadow, and when to attend the coronation.
You can also peruse our interactive Dragon’s Dogma 2 world map.
