One of the first tutorials you get fromDragon’s Dogma 2mentions that NPCs have schedules and will go do different things during day and night. A good example of an early-game NPC who follows this schedule is Beren, the combat instructor of Borderwatch Outpost.
While Beren spends his days in the outpost training his charges, at night he heads to a remote location to enjoy some solitude. If you can catch him when he’s on his own, you canstart the Claw Them Into Shape quest with Berenthat ends with some very useful rewards for earlyDragon’s Dogma 2.
Where to Find Beren at Night In Dragon’s Dogma 2
During the day, Beren is in the training grounds of Borderwatch Outpost. However, he’s too busy with his job to speak to the Arisen. To start “Claw Them Into Shape,” you’ll need to visit the location at the center of the above map. To reach it,head west from the Outpost to the campfire, go north across the stone bridge, and then turn right andcross the Moonglow Garden. Beren’s tent is on the rise past the glowing flowers.
Once you speak with Beren, he’ll complain about the condition of the soldiers at the Outpost. He wants new weapons for them to use and a fresh recruit who’s ready to learn and grow. Now that you’ve started the quest, you can speak with him at any time when you’re ready to continue.
Where to Get Swords for Beren
Gathering the swords for Beren is the easiest part of “Claw Them Into Shape.” All you have to do isfind or purchase any three swordsin the game. The starting swordsfrom the Borderwatch Outpost shopare good enough, and three of them together only cost around 4,000 gold.
Where to Find Beren’s Recruit
The recruit Beren wants is a little tougher to find, mostly because he’s in the capital city of Vernworthrather than nearby Melve. To reach Vernworth, you’ll need to complete the main quests “In Dragon’s Wake” and “One-Eyed Interloper.”
While in Vernworth, a young man will approach you and mention that he saw you fighting a cyclops. He’ll mention that he’s looking for a good instructor, and if “Claw Them Into Shape” is active, you can tell him about Beren. The player location on the map below is around where you can find Humphrey:
How to Beat Beren in a Duel
When you return to Beren with the good news, he’ll ask the Arisen to fight him one-on-one in a friendly duel. You don’t get to choose whether you want to accept, but you also don’t gain or lose anything whether you win or not. If you meet Beren at night, time will pass and the duel will begin at first light.
The goal of the fight is toknock the enemy out of the ring. In fact, if you attempt to reduce Beren’s health to zero, he’ll stop the duel and get mad at you for taking the wrong approach.
Your best bet is touse an ability or spell that can knock enemies back. If you don’t have an ability like this handy, you may wait for Beren to stagger after using a powerful ability, pick him up, and throw him out of the ring. However, you should keep your distance until then, because Beren will use a swinging sword ability that can hit anyone nearby and throw them dozens of feet away.
After the duel ends (no matter who wins), a soldier will run up to Beren and ask for help with a goblin attacknear a wooden bridge. You may have to fight through a few random monster groups, but you’ll eventually come across the survivors of the attack: the goblins were no problem, but a cyclops appeared and attacked the soldiers. Beren will then tell the Arisen that he expects to be fired, since as a beastren he gets blamed when things go wrong. This ends the quest, but not Beren’s story.
Beren’s Final Lesson
After “Claw Them Into Shape” ends, wait two days and then head back to the Moonglow Garden at night. You’ll find Beren here, along with a few of his formal pupils. He’ll say his goodbyes with you, but then the cyclops that attacked the soldiers will appear and interrupt the farewell. The cyclops is at full health (unlike the one in “One-Eyed Interloper”), but Beren and his pupils are here to provide support. With all their helpand a full party of pawns, you shouldn’t have too much trouble bringing the monster down.
To complete “Beren’s Final Lesson,” you’ll need to wait one more day, then look for Beren by his tent past the garden. Beren will thank you for everything you’ve doneand give you Lifetaker (a greatsword), 4,500 gold, and 1,600 xp. He’ll also mention that he’s headed for the checkpoint rest town inBattahl. If you can find him there, you’ll discover that he’s become a master trainer for the Warrior vocation.
