Journey to Grofheim | Chapter 4 The Banner Saga Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Most important moments of the journey
The caravan will soon reach Marek location. I strongly recommend staying here for longer time ("Let the caravan take their time" and then "Let them continue the task"). Although it means spending 3 days at the altar, it will pay off because you'll get a powerful artifact Godscale. This item adds armor points and makes enemies to focus on the character who wields it, so it would be good to equip one of giants with the artifact.
If you do not have any supplies or they are almost out, make a decision to leave Marek immediately by the third option in the list (Leave now, before this gets out of hand).
In the next stage of the march the caravan will notice a group of giants (Varl), chased by monsters. Soon you'll be forced to fight the battle, which is counted as war actions. Choose the tactics depending on strength of your and hostile armies (if you didn't lose to many people, the best tactics would be probably Formations). After starting the battle pay attention to very powerful Stoneguard Colossus, focusing your attacks on this monster and watching out for his shield bashes (it is not recommended to place several characters next to him).
After fights the conversation will start automatically, between Rook, Krumr and Fasolt - a giant who was travelling with another caravan. The way Rook reacts to rude and disrespectful statements of other giants doesn't really matter. Since your caravan will learn about destroying Grofheim, a new plan will be prepared and actual target will be change. The new one is Einartoft.
Additional events
Soon after leaving Wyrmtoe the caravan should notice a group of peasants surrounded by bandits. You can act here in three ways:
- Accept the bribe from bandits and ignore peasants (Accept the offer) - You'll obtain 20 units of Supplies, but caravan's morale will get worse.
- Attack bandits to protect peasants (Back away from these people or die) - You'll have to fight a battle with bandits but this shouldn't be too demanding for you (watch out for better warriors and quickly get rid of archers). As a reward you'll obtain of course Renown points. In addition you'll get 22 units of Supplies and mentioned peasants will join the caravan (Clansmen).
- Ignore the conflict between bandits and peasants (What's going on here? and then don't get involved at all) - This is the worst option, because although the morale won't change, you won't get any supplies.
If, as a result of the decisions that you have made earlier, Ekkill joined the caravan (as its rightful member or as a prisoner) an event concerning Rook and Alette will start. If you want to learn why Alette is in a bad mood, you should select the "Ask here what's going on" or the "Sit quietly beside her" option, thanks to which you will learn that she has been talking to Ekkill a lot recently. You can:
- Suggest Alette that she shouldn't trust in everything Ekkill told her ("Don't trust that man" at the end of the conversation).
- Forbid Alette to contact Ekkill ("I don't care what he says, stay way" at the end of the conversation).
- Try to confirm Ekkill's version (the "Confirm Ekkill's story" option) with Onef this is possible only if Onef is traveling on the caravan). You can then ask Onef to keep Ekkill away from Alette (Tell Onef to keep him away from Alette), ignore this issue (Let the issue drop) or meet up with Ekkill (Confront Ekkill).
- Meet Ekkill ("Threaten Ekkill immediately" or "Confront Ekkill"). During the conversation with Ekkill you can forbid him to contact Alette (Just stay away from her), suggest keeping away from Rook's business (I know what you're doing. Keep out of my business), suggest that Rook knows his daughter (I know my daughter) or kill Ekkill (Never should have brought you along). The most radical is, of course, the latter option.
If you do not want to get into topic then at the very beginning of this event you can choose the option "Give her some space", so Rook won't talk to Alette at all.
The caravan might encounter heavily wounded giant (Varl). Possible options are:
- Leave him with supplies and meds and go away (Leave food and medicine and walk away) - Giant will join the caravan next day and you'll gain 10 Renown points.
- Offer him help (We can help if you want it) - Giant will react with aggression.
- Send caravan members to heal the giant (Try to have healers tend to his wounds) - Giant will react with aggression, killing two female caravan members (Clansmen).
- Leave him alone (Abandon the varl and move on).
Other similar event refers to finding much frozen girl. In this case you can act in 3 ways:
- Transferring the child to treatment, without stopping the caravan (Keep moving, but let the healers tend do her). Unfortunately, the girl cannot be saved and, as a result, the caravan's morale will drop.
- Stop the caravan and send the girl to healers (Stop the caravan for a rest and tend to the girl) - She will be healed but you'll use some supplies.
- Stop the caravan and search for survivors (Stop and look for other survivors) - You won't find anyone and use some supplies.
The caravan may bump into outlaws. It is a good idea to ask why they were driven away (the "What are your crimes?" option), to learn that they have perpetrated several thefts and killed several people. You can then let the people join the caravan (Join us, but you'll be watched) or send them away (Send the outlaws away). If you have selected the first variant, you will gain 10 Fighters, but they will betray you later into the journey and you will lose quite an amount of your supplies. If you have selected variant two, you will not gain new Fighters, but you will also lose some of the supplies but, you are not going to lose as much, as in the case of the first variant above.
If you let Oddleif to train other caravan women during the journey to Wyrmtoe, you'll learn now that she made it. It is best to encourage Oddleif to recruit more people (Encourage Oddleif to train even more archers), so 25 female clan members (Clansmen) will be transformed into 25 new warriors (Fighters). The option of passive watching the "transformation process" is somewhat less attractive. Despite the fact that in this case you'll gain also 25 fighters, you'll unfortunately lose 35 clansmen instead of 25. I definitely do not recommend the last option (I'm having second thoughts, Oddleif), because you'll make your relation with Oddleif worse and you won't get any new warriors.
During the journey you can encounter an event connected to a competition for a best poem. You can react to it in four ways:
- Join the crow and cheer competitors (Join the crowd and cheer on the competitors) - The effect of this will be to improve the morale of the caravan.
- Say that you should stay watchful (We need to stay vigilant) - The effect of this will be to worsen the morale of the caravan.
- Ignore competition (Ignore the poetry contest and keep an ear out for danger) - No change in caravan morale.
- Present your own poem (Join in with a verse of your own) - The effect of this will be to improve the morale of the caravan.