A Permanent Solution: How to Save Ulpius – The Forgotten City Quest Walkthrough

Welcome to our quest walkthrough for A Permanent Solution, in which we convince Ulpius not to throw himself off a cliff. In order to do so, you’ll need to save Iulia by completing Dying Gasp, so do that first if you haven’t yet done so — also make sure you talk to Iulia until she gives you info on Ulpius (assuming you haven’t yet gotten the quest A Permanent Solution, you’ll know you’re ready to proceed once you get it in your log). To be safe, simply exhaust all of Iulia’s dialog options once she gets up from the bed in the Shrine of Apollo.

How to Get to Ulpius

You can get to the bluff two ways: either from the 4-way arch that leads into the market, or from the Shrine of Proserpina by walking across the top of the aqueduct.

From the 4-way arch(1), head up the stairs (2). Continue up the 3 flights of stairs, then turn right to take a final flight of stairs, and you’ll find yourself in front of a large building. Turn right (3) and cross the bridge, then continue up the stairs there. Go right past the statue pushing the boulder(4), up the stairs flanked by braziers, and up a final flight of stairs. Then turn right and you’ll soon come across two servants (5).

From the Shrine of Proserpina (which is where you first enter the city via the portal), turn right (1) and head up the stairs that lead up to the aqueduct. At the top of the stairs, go around the stairwell and climb the ladder (2) to get on top of the aqueduct. Once on the aqueduct, head across it towards the other side of the city. You’ll pass through a archway and then onto another stretch of aqueduct (3) — continue on the aqueduct and then go up the stairs you’ll eventually reach. Go left at the top of the stairs (4) to once again find Ulpius getting ready to jump.

How to Stop Ulpius From Jumping

Once you approach Octavia and Ulpius, Octavia will stand up and engage you in conversation. It doesn’t matter what you say to her, so roleplay as you like. Once you finish speaking with her, Ulpius will prepare to jump, and Octavia will beg you to stop him. You can’t do anything the first time but watch him jump, so say whatever you like to him.

Once Ulpius jumps, stand where he was standing, and jump down into the pool below. Climb out of the water, and take the key that hangs to the left of the door of the villa. Unlock the door, but don’t leave. Instead, turn right from the door, and head up the stairs there. On the second floor, continue forward until you find a set of locked doors.

Unlock the doors, and Claudia will tell you that you aren’t supposed to be in there. Tell her whatever you want, then turn to your right and look down to find a chest — take the denarii from inside, then run out of the villa and back to the Shrine of Proserpina to reset the time loop. Note that if Claudia blocks your path as you try to escape, you can head either direction from her room to find stairs.

Once you’ve returned to the Shrine and the beginning of the day, Galerius will speak with you once more. Tell him you need him to take care of some things urgently, then send him to save Iulia with the silphium resin. That done, head to the bluff again via the path over the aqueduct. This time, when you talk to Ulpius, say the following:

1. “Is this what Sentilla would want?” (you’ll click through a lot more dialog options after this, but you’ll only have one option each time).
2. “Actually, I do.”
3. “No. You’d be free.”
4. “Of course.”

You’ll then be able to give Ulpius the 2000 denarii he needs, and he’ll run off to buy his freedom.

We hope this guide was helpful! Drop us a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions, and be sure to take a look at our walkthrough or our other guides if you need more guidance in The Forgotten City.