You’re standing there. Your armor is gone, replaced by a stiff, itchy red silk jacket that makes your character look like they’re trying way too hard at a gala. The music is sweeping, the chandeliers are glowing, and honestly, you’ve never felt more vulnerable in an RPG. This is Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, the sprawling centerpiece of Dragon Age: Inquisition. It isn’t about hitting dragons with a giant hammer—at least, not at first. It’s about a dance. A literal dance, and a metaphorical one involving some of the most cutthroat politicians in Thedas.
Most people call this the "Halamshiral quest." It’s the moment where BioWare stopped making a combat simulator and started making a high-stakes social thriller. You’re dropped into the Winter Palace during a civil war. Empress Celene is under threat, Grand Duke Gaspard wants her throne, and Briala is pulling strings from the shadows. If you mess up, the Inquisition loses its biggest potential ally. If you play it right? You own the throne.
The Court Approval Trap
The first thing you notice in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts is that little bar in the corner: Court Approval. It’s stressful. If that number hits zero, you’re kicked out. Game over. You’ve failed the social test.
It’s a brilliant mechanic because it forces you to play by Orlesian rules. You can’t just kick down doors. If you’re caught jumping on tables or hanging out in the servants’ quarters for too long, the nobility starts whispering. They’re judging your every move. This is one of those rare moments in gaming where "roleplaying" actually means adjusting your behavior to fit the environment, not just picking a dialogue option.
The secret to keeping that approval high? Don't be too eager. Orlesians hate honesty. When you meet the Empress, you don't bow immediately; you wait for the right beat. When a noble asks you a question, you give a vague, witty answer. It’s about the "Great Game." If you’re playing a non-human character, like an Elf or a Qunari, you start with a massive penalty. The game is literally rigged against you from the start, which adds a layer of tension that a standard dungeon crawl just can't match.
Finding the Scandalous Secrets
While the nobles are sipping wine, you’re basically playing Splinter Cell in a tuxedo. You have to slip away from the party to find Halla Statues and Caprice Coins. These are the currencies of Halamshiral. The statues unlock doors that hide the real dirt—letters, bodies, and evidence of betrayal.
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There’s this one specific moment involving a library and a secret switch that feels like a classic mystery novel. You’re looking for evidence of Gaspard’s coup, but you find something much weirder. The layers of the plot are dense. It’s not just "who is the bad guy," it’s "which bad guy can I live with?"
- Celene: The incumbent. Elegant, but she’s also a cold-blooded ruler who burned an elven "alienage" to keep her power.
- Gaspard: The military man. He’s blunt and honorable in a warrior sense, but he’s also a warmonger who wants to start a conflict with Ferelden.
- Briala: The spymaster. She represents the downtrodden elves, but she’s willing to let the world burn to get her people a win.
Choosing between them isn't about choosing good vs. evil. It’s about choosing a flavor of grey.
The Moral Weight of the Ballroom
Wait. Let’s talk about the actual dance with Florianne. It’s the climax of the social phase of Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. You’re on the dance floor, the camera is swirling, and you’re trying to interrogate a potential assassin while maintaining your rhythm.
This is where the writing shines. The dialogue is snappy. It’s sharp. You realize that everyone in this room is wearing a mask, literally and figuratively. If you’ve collected enough "blackmail" secrets throughout the level—by eavesdropping in gardens or finding hidden ledgers—you can actually end the quest without a boss fight. You can "talk down" the villain.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about standing on a balcony and exposing someone’s crimes to a crowd of judgmental aristocrats. It feels more powerful than any fireball spell. You aren't just a soldier; you're a kingmaker. Or a queenmaker.
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Why Some Players Hate Halamshiral
Okay, let’s be real. Not everyone loves this quest. If you came to Dragon Age for the loot and the skill trees, the 15-minute segments of wandering around looking for 30 hidden statues can feel like a chore. The timer for being "out of bounds" is also a bit of a pain. It breaks the immersion when the game tells you "Return to the party in 10 seconds or lose approval" while you’re in the middle of a serious investigation.
But that’s the point. The pressure is the point. You're supposed to feel like an outsider who doesn't belong in these gilded halls. The clunky navigation and the frantic search for Halla statues simulate the frantic, desperate nature of espionage. You aren't supposed to feel comfortable.
The Long-Term Impact on Your Save File
Your choices here ripple through the rest of the game and even into the DLC, Trespasser. If you force Celene and Briala to reconcile, the ending slides look very different than if you let Celene get assassinated.
Most people don't realize that you can actually have all three of them rule together in a shaky, forced truce. It’s the "best" outcome for the Inquisition’s power, but it’s the most unstable for the world. It’s a temporary band-aid on a gushing wound. That’s the kind of nuance that makes Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts a masterclass in RPG design. It acknowledges that peace is often just a polite way of saying "we’re waiting to stab each other later."
How to Get the Best Outcome
If you’re heading into Halamshiral right now, keep a few things in mind. First, don't use your Halla statues on the first door you see. Save them. There are better rewards—and better plot reveals—behind the doors that require five or ten statues.
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Second, talk to everyone. Seriously. Your companions have unique dialogue here that reveals a lot about their backgrounds. Bringing Sera is hilarious because she hates everything about the palace. Bringing Vivienne is essential because she’s the only one who actually knows how to navigate the social minefield. She’ll even give you pointers.
Finally, listen to the ambient dialogue. Eavesdropping at the designated "whisper" spots isn't just a mechanic to get approval; it’s how you learn what the people of Orlais actually think about the Breach in the sky. It grounds the high-fantasy stakes in a very human reality.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Playthrough
To maximize your influence and get the "Public Exposure" ending (where you humiliate the villain publicly), you need to hit these specific milestones:
- Gather at least 30-40 secrets. Give these to Leliana at her desk in the palace. This builds a huge buffer of "blackmail" power.
- Keep Court Approval above 85. This is easy if you play the "clueless but polite" card during dialogue. If you’re a Mage or an Elf, you’ll have to work twice as hard.
- Find the Elven Locket. This is tucked away in the gardens and is the key to the Celene/Briala reconciliation path.
- Don't rush the final confrontation. Take the time to explore the Royal Wing thoroughly. There’s a lot of lore about the Empress's private life that changes how you view her "innocence."
Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts isn't just a quest; it's a test of how well you understand the world BioWare built. It’s about realizing that sometimes, the most dangerous weapon in a fantasy world isn’t a sword—it’s a well-timed rumor in the right ear.