Just like other side quests in Avowed, Fires in the Mine makes the choices of either stopping or supporting Darle seem right depending on how you look at it within the context of the game. Be that as it may, letting Darle blow up the mine or choosing to thwart his efforts offers its own set of rewards.
Looking both at XP, money, loot, and narratively, here is which decision at the end of the ‘Fires in the Mine’ side quest is best.
Should You Stop or Support Darle in Avowed ‘Fires in the Mine’ Quest?
If you want the best sum of rewards possible in your Avowed playthrough at the end of Fires in the Mine, stopping Darle from blowing up the mine is the ideal choice.
While you can still get a good amount of XP for letting Darle blow up the mine, the combined sum of everything else you get for preventing his plan — XP, money, extra loot, and in terms of story — makes this the better decision by far.
What You Get for Supporting Darle
For supporting Darle in Avowed’s Fires in the Mine and letting him carry out his explosive scheme, you’ll get 1026 XP as you end the mission after talking with Kada and Seyon. You’d normally be entitled to a sum of money as well, but jeopardizing their initiative to mine sulfur as a defense against the Dreamthralls will remove them from that obligation.
You can also try to lie around the how and why you let the mine be blown up, but the outcome will be the same nevertheless. Either way, the relationship between the Aedyrans and Thirdborn will now be additionally strained.
Rewards for Stopping & Killing Darle
After you correctly decide to stop Darle in Avowed’s Fires in the Mine side quest, you’ll first be rewarded 212 XP for the kill, followed by an additional 879 XP after you debrief with the mining officials — making for a total of 1091 XP, 65 more than you’d get for supporting him.
What’s more, compared to the no additional rewards you’d get for supporting Darle, Seynon, and Kada will give you 900 coins for stopping him. Before you leave the mine, you can also loot the following items off Darle’s corpse after killing him:
- Blackwood Branch (Superb Upgrade Material)
- Wild Mushroom Stew (Prepared Food)
- Beetle Pie (Prepared Food) x2
The three food items aren’t a big deal, but getting an extra Blackwood Branch for weapon and armor upgrades is a fantastic additional bonus on top of the coins and a higher amount of XP as well.
The sustained relationship between Thirdborn and the Aedyrans is a nice touch if you care about the world-affecting story elements of Avowed, but putting an end to Darle’s plan is the best choice from a gameplay perspective overall.
Now you know the right choice to make at the end of Fires in the Mine in Avowed, take a look at all 12 Treasure Map locations to easily find exclusive gear. If you have been steadily grinding XP for your godlike, find out what the max level in Avowed is so you know how strong they can get.