The second mission in Starfield Shattered Space is called The Promised, Broken. During this mission, you enter the sacred city of Dazra on the planet of Va’ruun’kai after making your way through The Oracle. After gaining admittance to the city thanks to hearing the words of Anasko Va’ruun, you head up to walk the Serpent’s Path with Inaza Kaisir. Here, you learn some of the backstory of House Va’ruun and what led to the house’s creation. However, at the end of the path, you have to make a choice and pick between four Effigies to honor the house.
Below, you can see which Effigies to select and if they even make a difference in Starfield.
How to walk the Serpent’s Path in Starfield
Before you can reach the Effigy selection in Starfield, you need to successfully walk the entirety of the Serpent’s Path. This isn’t too difficult, but you are offered some additional choices along the way.
The entrance to the Serpent’s Path in Dazra
After entering the Serpent’s Path, Inaza Kaisir speaks to you. They go over a brief history of House Va’ruun and how its founder came to know the house’s god, the Great Serpent. Along the path you stop at various checkpoints where you’re offered a choice to prove your dedication to the Great Serpent.
The first checkpoint is a candle-lit memorial that details how the first followers of House Va’ruun came to be. Here, you can blow out a candle and continue on with the path. Blowing out the candle, and every subsequent choice, is optional.
The second checkpoint allows you to unburden yourself by tossing one of your possessions into a lit brazier next to another memorial. You can easily toss in a junk item to the brazier or simply leave it without unburdening yourself at all.
The third checkpoint allows you to take a leap of faith across a gap with a waterfall. The leap of faith is the easiest checkpoint to pass, as all you need to do is jump one time. However, if you truly don’t want to make the leap, turn right from the memorial and take the metal stairs around the gap.
Finally, the fourth and fifth checkpoints are right next to each other. The fourth checkpoint offers you the chance to step into poisoned water right beneath a memorial, which doesn’t harm you too badly and the poison status effect goes away shortly. Then, the fifth checkpoint is the most brutal, as you have to choose between sacrificing a Groat, a small rodent-like creature, or letting it live. If you sacrifice the Groat, you’ll further prove your loyalty to House Va’ruun. However, you can let it live if you want by simply advancing past the Groat’s area.
Choosing to sacrifice the Groat in the Serpent’s Path
What Effigy should you pick in Starfield?
At long last, you’ll eventually arrive at the spot where you can select an Effigy. A gold haze will appear on your screen as you go to view the four Effigies, which are: Obedience, Strength, Devotion, and Perseverance. You need to pick two, place them on separate altars, and then exit the Serpent’s Path.
The Effigy of Obedience in the Serpent’s Path
This decision determines what your House Va’ruun title will be in Starfield. You can earn one of six titles by selecting two specific Effigies. The Effigy combinations and title names are listed below:
Effigy of Devotion + Obedience = ReverantEffigy of Devotion + Strength = HarbingerEffigy of Devotion + Perseverance = DivinerEffigy of Obedience + Strength = ArmigerEffigy of Obedience + Perseverance = AdherentEffigy of Strength + Perseverance = VindicatorPlacing an Effigy on the altar
Your title doesn’t play a huge role in Starfield Shattered Space, but it’s nice to have a specific title you like for the remainder of the DLC. Once you place your two Effigies on their altars, exit the Serpent’s Path, speak with Inaza Kaisir, and The Promised, Broken mission is complete in Starfield.
Your rewards for completing the quest are the Poison Reforged Va’ruun Schimaz Epic Melee weapon, 12,000 Credits, and XP.
