Should I Give The Artifact To The Inquisitor?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: Your character’s roleplay identity favors order, institutional authority, or cooperation with a recognized power. If your protagonist believes that dangerous relics belong in the hands of an organized force rather than wandering adventurers, surrendering the artifact is a coherent and often rewarding choice. This path usually deepens your relationship with the inquisitor’s faction and can lead to unique dialogue, supplies, or narrative recognition later in the game.
• Good fit: The artifact is actively endangering your party or attracting hostile forces you cannot currently defeat. In many games, carrying a cursed or highly visible relic triggers ambushes, corruption, or moral dilemmas that drain resources. If handing it over removes an immediate threat, protects vulnerable companions, or advances a main-story objective, the trade-off is often worthwhile unless you have a strong reason to keep it.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: The inquisitor or their organization has shown signs of fanaticism, secrecy, or willingness to harm innocents. Inquisition-aligned factions are sometimes written as morally gray: effective against chaos, but ruthless in method. If the artifact could be used as a weapon, a source of control, or a ritual component, giving it away may produce worse long-term consequences than keeping it hidden.
• Warning sign: You have not yet explored alternative factions, party opinions, or hidden quest lines. Many RPGs tie major item decisions to exclusive story branches, romance paths, or companion loyalty changes. Handing the artifact over too quickly can close off content you might prefer, especially if a companion has asked you to preserve, destroy, or deliver it elsewhere.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Faction standing and practical rewards. Surrendering the artifact often increases reputation, influence, or material rewards with the inquisitor’s organization. This can translate into better equipment, safe passage through controlled territory, backup in later battles, or unique conversation options that reveal more of the world lore.
• Reduced personal risk and clearer objectives. Relieving yourself of a dangerous object can simplify your quest log, remove recurring ambushes, and move the main story forward. It also fits a pragmatic playstyle that prioritizes survival and mission success over hoarding power.

Cons

• Loss of control over a powerful tool. Once the artifact leaves your inventory, you typically cannot use its abilities, sell it, or leverage it in future negotiations. If the game later presents a problem the artifact could have solved, you may need to find a slower or costlier workaround.
• Potential for betrayal or unintended consequences. Even well-meaning authorities can misuse power, especially in settings where the inquisitor answers to a larger church or empire. Your decision may support oppression, fuel a war, or alienate companions who value independence, magic, or personal freedom.

Decision Checklist

• What do I know about the inquisitor’s true motives? Review prior quests, dialogue, and faction reputation. Look for hints of honesty, extremism, or hidden agendas before you commit.
• How will this affect my companions and other quests? Check whether key party members approve or disapprove, and whether handing the artifact locks or unlocks side content, romances, or alternate endings.
• Can I undo the choice if it goes badly? Make a hard save before the conversation. If the game allows manual saves, create a backup so you can compare outcomes without replaying hours of content.

Alternatives to Consider

If you are uncertain about handing over the artifact, consider keeping it in your inventory until you have more information, which preserves your options while letting you observe how the inquisitor reacts to refusal. Another path is to destroy the artifact, if the game permits, which prevents anyone from misusing it but usually costs you its benefits and may anger multiple factions. You might also give it to a third party, such as a scholarly order, a rival faction, or a trusted companion, depending on which outcomes align with your character’s priorities. Finally, some games allow you to negotiate: ask for proof of intent, demand concessions, or insist on accompanying the relic to ensure it is handled responsibly.

Final Recommendation

Give the artifact to the inquisitor if your character trusts authority, values faction support, or needs to neutralize an immediate threat. Refuse or delay if the faction seems untrustworthy, if companions strongly object, or if you suspect the choice will cut off content you want to experience. Because exact consequences vary widely by game, save before the decision and consult a reliable walkthrough or community wiki if you want to avoid missing major story outcomes. For high-stakes decisions that affect significant time investment or emotional attachment to the narrative, treat this like any complex choice: gather information, weigh trade-offs, and preserve the option to change course.