The "Heart of Valor" side quest in *Avowed* presents players with a poignant dilemma at its climax, involving Keipo and the precious Leviathan Heart. As the story unfolds, Chiko discovers their uncle's plan to use the heart to end his life due to his affliction with the Dreamscourge. Additionally, Keipo's narrative about the Leviathan, initially thought to be a full truth, is revealed to be partially a fabrication to shield the painful truth about his partner Umpara’s death. This revelation opens up various paths your decisions can take, each leading to different outcomes and rewards.
The most significant narrative branch in this quest revolves around the decision of whether to hand over the Leviathan Heart to Keipo. This choice not only influences the story's direction but also determines the unique loot you'll receive at the end of the "Heart of Valor" side quest. However, with the right dialogue choices, it's possible to secure all available gear without compromising on the emotional narrative.
Should You Give Keipo the Leviathan Heart in Avowed?
It is strongly recommended not to give Keipo the Leviathan Heart at the conclusion of the "Heart of Valor" side quest in *Avowed*. This decision paves the way for you to collect all the possible loot without exposing Keipo's secret to Thirdborn, thus preserving hope within the settlement. To achieve this outcome, you must uncover and read Keipo’s Weathered Journal, located near the curved stone structure where you found the Leviathan Heart.
Let's first explore the base rewards for each decision path before delving into the specific dialogue choices that enable you to maximize your rewards.
Reward for Giving Keipo the Leviathan Heart
By choosing to fulfill Keipo's dying wish and handing over the Leviathan Heart, you will receive Umpara’s Spear, a unique weapon that was once the keepsake of his fallen partner. This exceptional quality +1/3 weapon boasts the following stats and abilities:
| Physical Damage | 88 |
| Stun | 84 |
| Stamina Cost | 13 |
| Critical Hit Chance | 6% |
| Ability #1 | Deadly Mechanism: Power Attacks launch a poison dart |
| Ability #2 | Strike the Heart: +25% Critical Hit Damage |
Reward for Not Giving Keipo the Leviathan Heart
Opting not to give Keipo the Leviathan Heart and then engaging in the correct dialogue with Chiko will lead to you receiving the Stormdancer armor set. The set includes various pieces, each with unique stats and abilities, detailed below. Additionally, you can choose to keep the Leviathan Heart as a Unique Trinket item, which provides a +20% Attack Damage boost at the cost of slowly draining your health.
| Stormdancer Armor Piece | Quality | Damage Reduction | Additional Damage Reduction | Maximum Stamina | Maximum Essence | Ability #1 | Ability #2 |
| Stormdancer’s Scale | Exceptional (+1/3) | 15% | 35 | -25 | -35 | Sheltering Gale: 5% chance to avoid ranged damage | Shock-Proofed: +30% resistance to Shock Accumulation |
| Stormdancer Gloves | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Item Bonus: +10% Ability Cast Speed | Thundering Blows: Power Attacks deal 5% bonus Shock Damage |
| Stormdancer Boots | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Item Bonus: -10% incoming Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage | Static Charge: +10% Shock Damage for 10 seconds after dodging |
| Stormdancer Ring | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Sky-Mother’s Protection: +10% Shock Damage | N/A |
To acquire these armor pieces, you must select the following dialogue options when Chiko mentions, "I’m sorry my uncle is sick…":
- “Uh…about that. He’s not just sick. It’s the Dreamscourge.”
- “He wanted to die before he turned. He was trying to keep you safe.”
- “There *is* one way. We just stopped him from doing it.”
The third option is crucial, as choosing incorrectly will cause Chiko to leave upset, denying you the Stormdancer armor pieces.
How To Get All the Loot in Heart of Valor
To secure every piece of gear available at the end of the "Heart of Valor" side quest in *Avowed*—the Leviathan Heart, Umpara’s Spear, and the entire Stormdancer armor set—without exposing Keipo's secret to Thirdborn, follow these specific dialogue choices in order when speaking to both Keipo and Chiko, after finding Keipo’s Weathered Journal:
Talking to Keipo
- “We need to talk. Now.”
- “Come clean. Chiko told me you want to end your life.”
- “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if you had the Dreamscourge.”
- “I’m sorry. I can’t give you the heart.”
- “I respect your choice. But I can’t be a part of it.”
- “Listen. I…I know what happened to Umpara.”
- “And? Why didn’t you tell the truth?”
- “That’s why you really trapped the ruins. So no one would find out.”
- “No. The truth would do more harm than good.”
It's crucial to discuss Umpara’s fate last; otherwise, you won't receive Umpara’s Spear upon refusing to give Keipo the Leviathan Heart.
Talking to Chiko
- “Don’t worry. It’s right here with me.”
- “He wanted to take his own life with it. Chiko stepped in to prevent that.”
- “Let me hold onto it. I’ll take it far away and keep it safe.”
- “[Lie] No, that was all.”
- “Uh…about that. He’s not just sick. It’s the Dreamscourge.”
- “He wanted to die before he turned. He was trying to keep you safe.”
- “There *is* one way. We just stopped him from doing it.”
If you decide to give Keipo the Leviathan Heart and receive Umpara’s Spear, you can still acquire the Stormdancer armor set from Chiko by revealing Keipo's affliction with the Dreamscourge and choosing the last two dialogue options mentioned above. However, this path requires you to expose Keipo's secret about Umpara to Tira Nui Hajime, which will be revealed to Thirdborn, leading to a loss of hope in the settlement and forfeiting the Leviathan Heart.
By following our precise sequence of dialogue choices, you can secure an all-powerful set of armor, a unique spear, the Leviathan Heart as a trinket, and maintain the emotional balance in this bittersweet scenario, all without having to compromise on one reward for another.
Now that you're aware of the optimal choice to not give Keipo the Leviathan Heart at the end of the "Heart of Valor" side quest in *Avowed*, you might want to explore all the achievements in the game and how to unlock them. If you're looking to build a new character, consider how to respec in *Avowed* to redistribute your Ability Points effectively.
