Should you seal the Duke in the tomb in Mina the Hollower?

Whether you should put the Duke in the tomb in Mina the Hollower seems like a given. Putting a live person in a tightly sealed tomb generally leads to less-than-positive outcomes for them. He’s awfully insistent, though, and there is something rather good in it for you. Just bear in mind there will be a small consequence later in the game.

Below, we explain whether you should seal the Duke in the tomb in Mina the Hollower and what happens when you do.

Where to find the Duke in Mina the Hollower

It’s easy to miss the Duke entirely if you’re focused on clearing the Queensbury Crypt and moving ahead. He’s in the Ancestral Chamber section — the third major part of the dungeon — just outside the hall that leads to the boss fight. When you enter the screen with two mummy-like monsters and a red carpet leading up, ignore that. Instead, destroy the tombstone in the bottom left corner, and proceed left.

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

You’ll end up in an area with an Underlab entrance out of reach and a barrier that requires two plasma vials to remove. The Duke is on the other side of the chamber. Unblock the barrier, and make your way up the rope and across to the other side. The Duke asks to accompany you, though he won’t help in combat. If he takes damage from enemies or the giant spike rollers in the next room, he’ll run around in a panic and won’t follow you again until you walk into him.

It’s a bit of a nuisance, though you’ll unlock that Underlab at the end of the path, which is an excellent respawn point for the upcoming boss fight.

Take the Duke to the end of the dungeon. He’ll linger outside the boss arena while you deal with the Duchess and then rejoin you in the chamber after that with a request. Note that bringing the Duke this far is the only way to enter the locked room to the left of the Queensbury Crypt exit.

Should you seal the Duke in the tomb in Mina the Hollower?

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

He wants to be with his beloved forever and asks you to put him in the family crypt. If you do, you get the Proto Spark trinket, a highly useful item that brings you back from death once your health reaches zero, without you having to lose a spark. The Duke does eventually die, though.

You don’t get the trinket if you just walk away.

Sealing the Duke unlocks an additional scene later in the game, though it’s just extra storytelling and makes no change to anything else in the game.

[Ed note: We discuss spoilers for Mina the Hollower below, so don’t scroll below this image if you don’t want to be spoiled!]

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

After you restore all six spark generators and return to the Radiant Manor, Lionel and some of his followers list all the bad things you’ve done on your journey, including burying the Duke alive.

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

Rude.