Here it is, fellow RPG romance freaks: the ultimate "I can fix him" companion. I'll walk you through how to romance Lucanis in Dragon Age: The Veilguard whether you've been an Antivan Crow smoocher since Origins or you're just finding yourself particularly drawn to The Demon of Vyrantium.
Lucanis Dellamorte is high up in the Antivan assassin's guild The Crows and was the favored heir of its leader, his grandmother Caterina Dellamorte. At the beginning of The Veilguard, Lucanis has been presumed dead for a year, locked away in an underwater prison by the Venatori and forcibly possessed by a demon called Spite. Lucanis' personal story revolves around getting revenge on the Venatori, coming to terms with Spite, and protecting what remains of his family and guild in the midst of the war with the elven gods.
As for his romance, Lucanis isn't nearly as sour as his scowl makes him look. Though he takes his contracts seriously and appreciates a direct approach, he's not nearly as emotionally constipated as your typical contract killer romance. Lucanis has an Antivan's romantic spirit and isn't afraid to share his feelings.
Here's the shorthand on how to romance Lucanis:
Aside from that, you'll have two key conversations with Lucanis that determine whether you're open to and then committing to a relationship with him.
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In act one, Lucanis will invite you along to a meeting with his cousin at a cafe in Treviso. But first, you'll help him out with a little grocery shopping for The Lighthouse. Before you meet with Illario, you can take an optional quick detour to encourage Lucanis to buy something for himself as well: a wyvern tooth dagger.
When talking with Lucanis and Illario, you get the chance to specify your drink of choice between coffee, hot chocolate, and tea, which Lucanis will remember for later.
To get Lucanis' approval:
After Illario leaves, you have an opportunity to flirt with Lucanis about his description of coffee. Your next dialogue option, about first kisses, won't gain approval so the choice is up to you.
In act two, you'll head to Lucanis' room and find him having another "sleepwalking" episode in which Spite takes over his body temporarily. You won't get any approval from Lucanis while Spite is in charge so speak to the demon as you please. When Lucanis regains his body, you'll be able to debrief with him, express that you do actually want to stay involved with his mess, and almost get a kiss out of it.
Here's what to say to express romantic interest in Lucanis:
Unfortunately Lucanis will pull away at the last second and say he needs to clear his head. Maybe next time, Rook.
The quest Inner Demons in act two isn't specifically a romantic scene, but it does involve digging into a lot of Lucanis' feelings about how others perceive him because of Spite. And importantly, you'll have the opportunity to commit to your romance with Lucanis right after completing it.
To get Lucanis' approval:
Your dialogue choices while inside The Fade with Spite don't seem to affect Lucanis' approval at all, so you can holler into the void at Lucanis in any tone you please.
In act three, you'll get further embroiled in the affairs of The Crows. After completing the quest Inner Demons, you'll return to the lighthouse and have the opportunity to chat with him again. Lucanis will remember your choice of favorite drink from your first outing with him and is planning it as a dessert on his night to cook.
To commit to a romance with Lucanis:
After resolving matters with Illario, Lucanis asks if you'd like to make a discreet exit. As you leave, Rook asks if he's sure he wants to dip out on his own celebration. Lucanis rather seductively says "I have other plans for the evening" which turns out to mean *checks notes* drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen mostly by himself. You do get a chance to tell Lucanis you're happy he's sticking here with you and not immediately running back to The Crows, but there's nothing spicy happening tonight either, sorry.
After defeating the Qunari leader, The Butcher, in Treviso for The Crows, Lucanis will invite you out to another evening at the cafe. This time Spite is your third wheel instead of Illario. There is just no catching this guy alone. None of your dialogue choices here specifically gain approval with Lucanis so take your pick and enjoy staring into the underside of his chin as he looms slightly awkwardly over you.
As you approach the end of the game, you'll have one final night at the lighthouse after killing Ghilan'nain and before confronting Elgar'nan. This is finally where Lucanis gives you the 'I'll meet you in your room later' nod. There's no more approval to be gained here, so just enjoy a night on the Lighthouse couch with your sweet assassin. It's an emotional night, but a tame one—at least what parts of it end up on screen—I was surprised!
This is effectively the cap on your romance with Lucanis, though he will have another quick moment of downtime in the midst of the final battle to express his feelings.
