In Dragon Age The VeilguardThe romance with Nitka Harding is one of the possible love branches in the game. To start and develop it, you need to fulfill certain requirements, including completing personal quests and choosing the right answer options in dialogues. In this guide, we will tell you how to do this and get the approval of the companion.
Key features of the romance with Harding in The Veilguard
Joining the companion to the squad and requirements for starting the romance
Here is one of the easiest options for starting a romantic relationship in the game. Firstly, Nitka Harding automatically joins the main character's group at the very beginning of the game, that is, you do not have to do any additional actions.
Secondly, there are no special requirements for this character to become Rook's romantic interest, meaning you can start hitting on the girl almost immediately as soon as the opportunity arises.
Tips for Strengthening Your Relationship with Harding
Let's note right away that you don't have to attach much importance to the approval rating, since it is mainly required to increase the level of combat partnership and open additional skill points, that is, you will be able to develop a love relationship with this companion even with low rates of this parameter.
How then to express your love to this young lady? It's quite simple – you need to choose answers with heart icon whenever possible, thereby flirting with the girl and directly showing her your intentions. The picture below shows an example of such an answer. In the section with approvals, we have indicated all the correct dialogue options.
Naturally, you also need to complete Harding's personal quests. In fact, they allow you to advance your romance with her. We will examine this aspect in more detail below.
Developing a Romance with Harding
As we indicated above, this heroine will be with you almost from the very beginning of the game, so her personal quest is also one of the first to be issued – the quest “Unfamiliar Feeling” can be obtained after completing the story missions “Singing Blade” and “Crossing Shadows”. You will only need to visit her at the Lighthouse. During this quest, be sure to say “Want to talk?”.
Important: Regularly visit the Lighthouse after completing story quests and check the map for additional icons near Harding's portrait. They indicate that the character has a dialogue or quest. During such conversations, choose the lines with a heart.
After completing her first quest, you can continue flirting with the scout. After completing the story mission “Something's Wrong” involving the Grey Wardens in Lavendell, talk to her again at the Lighthouse to take on the second quest called “The Waiting Stone”, where you will need to choose the phrases: “You're brooding” and “I don't know, but I'm here.”
Continue to progress through the main story, completing “Bloodbath”, but without taking on the quest “After the Storm” yet. Return to the Lighthouse and talk to Harding again. Be sure to click on the answer “Can I help with something?”, demonstrating to her that you are interested in developing a love relationship without obligations. That's when the inscription “Sympathy” and an icon in the form of a heart will appear under the level of relations with her in the “Companions” section.
When you complete the story quest “Cauldron”, associated with Davrin, you will have the opportunity to complete Harding's third personal quest – “Renewed Connection”. It is during this that a key moment in the development of relations with the girl awaits you. She will begin to feel threatened, and you need to tell her the following:
- “I won't let him take you” – this will force you to continue the romance only with Harding.
All other options will lead to the interruption of the romantic relationship with the intelligence officer. So, having chosen the right answer, you will see a love cut-scene with Harding, and in the “Companions” section near the relationship level the status “In love” will appear. From this moment on, it will no longer be possible to cancel the romance, but you will be able to unlock additional scenes by progressing through the story and completing the heroine's remaining personal quests.
For example, the fourth mission, “Heart of the Titan,” will become available after completing the main quest, “Fire and Ice,” and then you can immediately proceed to Harding's final mission, “Eternal Hymn,” thus seeing almost all possible scenes with her. You can watch them in the video below.
A Gift for Harding
We also advise you to definitely buy a unique gift for the scout. We are talking about the Hinterland Oak, which you can buy in the Black Emporium, located in the Port City. You can do this after completing the story quest “Bloodbath” for 3 Ether Residues.
Approval for Harding
The table below shows all the types of dialogue options that are likely to be approved by Harding. We also indicated in which situations they should be chosen.
| Icon | Description | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| Honest | Use in general interactions with the character. |
| Playful and humorous | Use when having casual conversations with Harding. |
| Sentimental and melancholy | Use in situations where Rook can express empathy for others or take responsibility for his actions. |
What Harding Approves Of
The table below shows all the situations and response options that lead to Harding's approval. Just in case, we've also indicated how this may affect relationships with other characters. The decisions in bold are those that directly affect the romance.
| Quest or Location | Dialogue Initiator | Dialogue | Choice 1 | Choice 2 | Choice 3 | Choice 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The End of the Beginning | Varric | Solas needs someone to show him another way. Give him a reason to change his mind. | This is a mistake. Harding approves, Nev disapproves. | You can do it. Nev approves, Harding disapproves. | ||
| The End of the Beginning | Harding | Either way, one of us needs to stay behind and fight the demons. | Nev, come with me. Nev strongly approves. She gains scars. Becomes unavailable until after Shadow City. | Harding, come with meHarding strongly approves. She gains scars. Becomes unavailable until after Shadow City. | ||
| In the Vise of Entropy | Irelin | We can ask him about the gods. See what they will do next. | Except he's broken. We don't know yet. | We already know enough. We don't know yet. | We need to save the Dalish first. Harding approves, Bellara approves. | |
| City of Shadows | HardingNev (for the Grey Wardens) | Rook? Rook, you're a Grey Warden. You can send him to Weisshaupt as punishment (for Grey Wardens). | We'll save him. Nev approves, Bellara and Harding disapprove. The mayor will eventually join the Venatori. | Leave him here. Bellara and Harding approve, Nev disapprove. The side quest Growing Corruption will open. | Send him to the Grey Wardens (unique to the Grey Warden faction)Nev strongly approves, Bellara and Harding disapprove. | |
| City of Shadows | Bellara | Our gods have returned. Our gods! They are killing those around them and defiling the world. How do we fight them? | Little by little. Nev approves. | Together we will win. Harding approves. | At any cost. Bellara approves. | |
| Singing Blade | Harding | We should have shot him. | We are all to blame. Nev approves, Harding approves. | We need to support each other. No change in approval. | Maybe we should have. No change in approval. | |
| Singing Blade | Harding | Dwarves have never used magic. We can't do it. | This is all very strange. Rook thinks Harding's new ability is strange. | I think it's a gift. You helped Harding accept that her new magic is a gift. | I don't like this. Rook is wary of Harding's new ability. | |
| Singing Blade | Harding | I hope you're right about it being a gift. If I cause trouble, my heart will break. | You're not a problem (Flirt).The development of the romance with Harding. | I trust you.No change in approval. | Just aim well.Harding approves. | I'll be watching you.No change in approval. |
| Shades of Pestilence | Harding | Well, this is Inquisitor Trevelyan. The woman who led us all. | Trevelyan is a nobleman's nameNo change in approval. | Harding knows everyoneHarding approves. | Why are you here?No change in approval. | |
| Shades of Blight | Inquisitor | You have assembled an impressive team, and you have the best chance – perhaps the only chance – to stop Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain | You can rely on me. Harding approves. | That's your problem now. Harding disapproves. | I don't know if we can. No change in approval. | |
| On Tainted or Deadly Wings | NevLukanis | A dragon hunter would have helped in Minrathous, that's for sure. Treviso could use a dragon hunter. That's for sure. | Yes, I know. Bellara approves. | We couldn't have known that. Harding approves. | We'll be ready next time. Davrin approves. | |
| Something's wrong | Bellara | It looks like we're at war. In many small wars. | The gods move quickly.Davrin approves. | This is encouraging.Harding approves. | So we strike back.Taash approves. | |
| Something's wrong | NevLukanis | Yes, I am. | Glad to have you back.Lukanis approves.Nev approves. | Meet… everyone.Harding approves. | Then back to work.No change in approval. | |
| Something's wrong | NevLukanis | I'll stay. | I appreciate it.Emmrik approves. | I appreciate it.Harding approves. | Don't leave again.Davrin approves. Nev disapproves. Lucanis does not approve. | |
| The Siege of Weishaupt | First Guardian | That's an order, Guardian! | Oh, dear. I tried to talk. Lucanis, Davrin, Taash, Nev, and Harding all approve, Bellara and Emmrik all disapprove. The First Guardian will appear again in the quest “The Unholy and the Lost” and will be insane. | Let's be reasonable. Lucanis, Davrin, Taash, Nev all disapprove, Bellara, Harding, and Emmrik all approve. The First Guardian will appear again in the quest “The Unholy and the Lost” and will remain sane. | ||
| Fire and Ice | Harding | Arlathan, right? Help the Veilwalkers? | Let's start with the basics. Emmrik approves. Nev approves. | What about the Wardens? Davrin approves. | Arlathan makes sense. Bellara approves. Harding approves. | |
| Blood of Arlathan | Nev | Just when you think the tide is in your favor, it turns back. | We can't let Thedas fall. Harding approves. | This is why we will win. Lucanis approves. | The job remains the same. Davrin approves. | |
| Blood of Arlathan | Taash | So we have help again. | What about the Venatori? Nev approves. | Any ideas? Harding approves. | What about the Veilwalkers? Bellara approves. | |
| Blood of Arlathan | Harding | I'll let her know. | Well fought today. Bellara approves, Taash approves. | We survived again. Nev approves, Harding approves. | Be ready to go. Lucanis approves, Davrin approves. | |
| When plans come together | Rook | She knows this corruption will not end as long as the gods live. | We will leave soon. Harding approves, Nev approves, Emmrik disapproves. | We will take the time to prepare. No change in approval. | ||
| An unfamiliar feeling | Harding | (Laughs) It worked! It worked! That was a great idea, Rook! (If you chose “Just Relax and Enjoy”) | It's nice to see you happy. (Flirting)Develops a romance with Harding. | It was you.No change in approval. | Please, I guess?No change in approval. | But can you do it again?No change in approval. |
| An Unfamiliar Feeling | Harding | I could protect those who matter. Sighs (If you chose “You are protecting someone”) | Want to talk? (Flirt)Develops a romance with Harding. | Don't blame yourself. No change in approval. | Look what you did! No change in approval. | You can't save everyone. No change in approval. |
| Waiting Stone | Harding | Oh. Hello. | You're thoughtful. (Flirt)Develops a romance with Harding. | Want me to keep you company? No change in approval. | This oracle was strong. No change in approval. | Shake yourself. No change in approval. |
| Waiting Stone | Harding | I'd like to know what to do next. | I don't know, but I'm here. (Flirting)Develops a romance with Harding. | Be careful in the future. No change in approval. | Focus on work.・No change in approval. | |
| Renewed Connection | Harding | It's like my mind is telling itself a story and it's doing a terrible job of it. | Exactly. No change in approval. | I dream I'm nakedHarding approves. | Ignore it. No change in approval. | |
| Renewed Connection | Harding | There's something glowing red just out of my sight. I know it's coming for me, but I don't know how I know it. | Is there anything I can do to help? Show romantic interest in Harding (no obligation to romance). | I understand what it's like to not sleep. Blocks a possible affair with Harding. | Try a drink before bed. Blocks a possible affair with Harding. | Hit it. Blocks a possible affair with Harding. |
| Renewed Connection | Harding | It's pulling me out. Pulling me down. | I won't let it take you. Start an exclusive affair with Harding. | Don't do what it wants! Blocks a possible affair with Harding. | I will go with you. Covers a possible romance with Harding. | It's a trap.Covers a possible romance with Harding. |
| Heart of a Titan | Harding | And now the world will remember! | Remember who you are.You convinced Harding that the Titan's wrath cannot overcome her true heart. | Honor the Titan's Wrath.You convinced Harding to respect and accept the Titan's wrath. | ||
| Beacon | Harding | They don't remember. No one remembers. We don't even know what we've lost. | You're cute when you're focused. (Flirting)Pushes ahead with Harding. | Am I at the wrong time?No change in approval. | I don't get it.No change in approval. | This doesn't make sense.No change in approval. |
| Lighthouse | Harding | I am. We are. This. And that. Here. And there. Now. And always. | I like the way you feel.Harding approves. | I see. As you say. No change in approval. | This doesn't help. No change in approval. | |
| The Lighthouse | Lucanis | Then she sides with Elgar'nan instead of him. Betrayal. | I understand Mythal's motives. Emric approves, Davrin approves, Bellara disapproves. | No wonder he was angry. Bellara approves, Harding approves, Nev disapproves. |
That's all the information you'll need to know to start and progress the romance with Harding in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
