Starfield Shattered Space Conflict of Conviction guide: Vaeric’s location and best choice

When your son goes missing, you hire a stranger to find him – and ask them to kill him while they’re at it. At least, that’s the situation in Starfield’s Conflict of Conviction.

House Veth’aal isn’t doing much better than House Ka’ric. Like in The Duel, this house is caught between their duties to religion and family. Viktor, the father of Vaeric and the house’s Elder, wants to punish his deserter son with death, while the rest of the family thinks he’s going too far.

And who better to resolve this family drama than you – a total outsider who’s just joined the Va’ruun.

Where is Vaeric in Conflict of Conviction

Vaeric is hiding in a dwelling called Apostate’s Refuge. Before you can find him, you’ll first have to get intel about him in Herald’s Rest and follow a tracker to hunt him down.

Get information about Vaeric’s location

At Herald’s Rest, speak with any of the NPCs marked with a light-blue marker. You can either converse or persuade them to reveal information about Vaeric. In the end, they all point you to Tane, a mysterious regular who’s supposed to arrive soon. Just give it a few seconds and he’ll sit by the counter.

Speak with Tane and either intimidate him or give him 1000 Credits to get information on where Vaeric is. Regardless of which you choose, he decides to come with you, essentially replacing your current companion.

To the Highlands

Head to the marked location on the map, which is the Highlands. Once you’re near, Tane’s tracker will show you how close you are to the destination. Check the top right screen to see if you’re getting closer or farther away.

Alternatively, just head to the location I’ve shown you on the map above: the Abandoned camp.

All Abandoned camp clues

You’ve found Vaeric’s tracker, but the location seems to be empty. It’s time to look around and hunt for some clues:

• Look for a dead, glowing creature on the floor.
• Look for a tracking device next a bed.
• Look for Vaeric’s Camp Log entry on a table.
• Look for Bloodstains on the floor, just by the tent.
• Look for Footprints on the floor of the digging site.

As soon as you interact with all five clues, a horde of Vortex Horror enemies appear. Make sure you take them down and speak with Tane. At this point of the quest, just follow the map markers until you reach the farm.

All Apostate’s Refuge clues

Speak with Irina northwest of the camp. After some questioning, she sends you north, toward the Apostate’s Refuge.

Here, head to the room on the first floor to the left. Interact with the computer and read the logs. Then, climb up the stairs and look for a log on top of a table.

Head outside, speak with Tane, and Vaeric will appear. Here, you have to make a choice in Conflict in Conviction.

Should you kill or spare Vaeric?

The best choice is to let Vaeric live in exchange for 10000 Credits but ask him for his sister’s Signet Ring.

Though he will protest at first, he’ll eventually agree. When you get back to The Keep, tell Viktor Vaeric is dead and give him the ring as proof.

If you’re not so convinced, let’s explore the other alternatives:

• Kill Vaeric: If you kill Vaeric, you can loot the Signet Ring from him and take it back to The Keep, where you’ll meet a pleased Viktor and a spiteful Vitoria.
  • Let Tane Go: He’s not proud of what you’ve done, but he just goes back to his usual drunk self.
  • Kill Tane: This is a way to punish Tane for being sneaky, but it doesn’t give you many rewards besides his loot.
• Persuade Vaeric to return: You can convince Vaeric to return to his family when you find him in the Apostate’s Refuge. After a mean Persuasion check, he will return – saying he was too impulsive to make this choice. Back at The Keep, he’ll be greeted by an angry Viktor and a relieved Vitoria. This is a happy reunion, but your extra credits are gone.

Regardless of what you do, the main storyline carries on. Most importantly, you gain access to the Armory in Starfield.