Have your Dragon’s Dogma 2 Pawns been returning from their adventures with wilted flowers or rotten fruit in tow? If so, you might want to keep a closer eye on them – these so-called gifts may signal a very serious warning.
Per a report from Eurogamer, some players of the sprawling RPG are sending hidden clues to indicate the spread of Dragonsplague, and warn other players of potential dangers if they leave things unchecked.
While resting, players are given the choice to send their Main Pawns off into the Rift, enabling the Pawns to accompany other players as they traverse the world, completing quests and retrieving certain items. Most of the time it’s a beneficial opportunity, because these Pawns will often come back with greater knowledge of the world and its treasures – but unfortunately that’s not the only thing they can come back with.
Dragonsplague is a menacing affliction that can turn even the most kindhearted Pawn into a bloodthirsty killer, and once afflicted there aren’t many cures on the table. Passed from Pawn to Pawn, the illness can have catastrophic consequences for your save.
Read: Dragon’s Dogma 2: How to cure Dragonsplague
While the game should pop up with a dialogue box to alert you of a Pawn’s affliction, it’s easy to accidentally skip through if you’re in a hurry to get back to your game – and this is one warning you don’t want to miss. To combat this, players have found a new way to signal affliction.
When a player borrows your Pawn for their journey, they must select a gift for the Pawn to take back to you – a token of their appreciation. Often these can be useful curatives or components, but canny players are now sending rotten fruit, wilted flowers and broken pieces to signal their Pawn’s afflicted status.
It’s worth noting, however, that sometimes players may give you these items to signal discontent with your Pawn, rather than a life-threatening illness. But given the stakes, it’s worth erring on the side of caution, lest you accidentally level an entire city of NPCs next time you close your eyes.