Should you Kill or Free Thorne in Mirthwood?

One of the earliest choices you’ll have to make in Mirthwood, other than what to have for dinner, will be deciding the fate of a deserter called Thorne. The consequences might not be obvious, so here’s a look at whether your should Kill or Free Thorne during the A Deserter’s Fate quest.

How to Complete the A Deserter’s Fate quest in Mirthwood

You’ll find Thorne apprehended by two guards during the prologue sequence of Mirthwood, a short ways along the path from your first combat. The quest pop-up will explain he left his post to confront some trespassers, but in doing so left the village open to attack. You will be given 3 options: to kill him, to free him, or to leave the guards to it. The results for each choice are as follows:

• Leave the matter alone: No change.
• Free Thorne: -5 Morality and +10 Renown, but one of the guards becomes hostile.
• Kill Thorne yourself: -10 Morality

While the quest itself presents a moral quandary the in-game effects are negligible, likely due to it taking place during the skippable prologue. The best overall option will likely be freeing Thorne, as this grants you 10 renown and morality in Mirthwood can be easily improved by donating some money to a shrine later in the game. You can also simply flee from the guard should you not wish to fight him. As for longer lasting story consequences, Thorne or the effects of his absence have yet to be felt several hours into the game, so this choice seems to mostly serve as an introduction to the mechanic.

If you enjoyed this guide or found it useful, be sure to check out some of Siliconera’s other Mirthwood guides such as How to Find Clayton’s Hammer or Where to Find the Tools.

Mirthwood is available for PC via Steam.