You can’t travel far when you first visit the Hossberg Wetlands inDragon Age: The Veilguard. The region opens up once you complete the story quest “Something Wrong,” but several locations are still off-limits.
This includes Gaspin Manor, which you can only visit after speaking to Bastian in Lavendel, and who only speaks to you after you complete “Something Wrong.” Doing so starts the side quest “An Academic Interest,” which unlocks a major part of thisDragon Age: The Veilguardmap.
How to Reach Gaspin Manor
After speaking to Bastian, go east from Lavendel through the blighted tunnels, then turn right. Just past the fast-travel beacon on the far side is a staircase with an archway at the top. A barrier blocks this staircase until you start the quest “An Academic Interest.”
However, there’s more than one barrier keeping you from Gaspin Manor. Venatori have set up a series of red lyrium barriers, and you’ll need to break through them to reach the end of the quest. For this first barrier, turn right and head back outside to the cliff. Open the small chest, then break the four barrier crystals in order.
The next barrier is more complicated,partly because of the darkspawn in the tunnelsand partly because the crystal that’s embedded in the ground will explode every few seconds. Fortunately,you can reset the exploding crystal’s timer by destroying the three crystals that spawn around it.
To destroy it for good, go up the stairs to the left and around to the wooden platforms. Break the crystal over the platform, then the one at the top of the stairs, and finally the exploding crystal. While you’re up here, be sure to jump across the wooden platforms to collect another small chest.
The crystal sequence protecting the barrier continues past the exploding crystal. To continue, head back down the stairs, then go up the passage to the southeast. Damage the four crystals you encounter in order, then destroy the red barrier.
There’s one more barrier between you and Gaspin Manor, and this time the exploding crystal has two sets of barrier crystals protecting it.
Before you continue, there’s a blue barrier at the other end of the wooden bridge. you may disable it with Unbind Wards,then head inside for a Memento and a large chest.
How to Unseal the Cellar of Gaspin Manor
Gaspin Manor is straight ahead after you break the last red barrier, and the manor courtyard is full of Venatori cultists. Defeat them so you may concentrate on the next objective of the quest “An Academic Interest,” which is tounseal and enter the manor’s cellar. Like before, you’ll need to break a series of red lyrium barrier crystals in the right order to get inside.
Even after all that,you’ll still need to use Neve’s Unbind Wardsto open a second seal and finally enter the basement. Once inside, you can find four notes left by Lord Gaspin and the Venatori, all trying to discover the secrets hidden below. To find them yourself, use the lyrium dagger on the elven wall in the back.
How to Beat Consuming Obsession
The biggest danger of the Consuming Obsession fight is the cramped quarters you have to fight it in. It attacks the moment the elven wall disappears, and it reestablishes the blue barrier, which means you have to fight it (and the two Shades it summons) in the cellar.Obsession is weak to necrotic and strong against electricity, while the Shades are vulnerable to cold and resist necrotic.
When you defeat Consuming Obsession, search the chest that appears to get a weapon. You can then enter the elven room it was trapped in to open a large chest and read a note, the Final Missive. Report back to Bastian to get the following rewards:
Where to Find Every Collectible in Gaspin Manor
You only need to visit the cellar of Gaspin Manor to complete the quest “An Academic Interest,” but there’s plenty more to find in this area. You can do so during the quest or come back after you’ve turned it in.
