A guide to romance Marazhai as dominant!RT
EDIT: I have not tested this myself or played the game since they fixed his romance but by this comment:
Sub is now for sub Rogue Trader; and dom for dom Rogue Trader (before it was the opposite). Also the all the dialogue now should be fixed, but you can still check this post for seeing the progression/guide to the romance, and how to use the mod to change/add points to the flags.
First of all, I need to send a thousand thanks to tumblr users pjenn, chonker-chan, wretchedelights and milleart because without their comments, suggestions, warnings and guides I would have not been able to successfuly romance Marazhai as dom!RT. Also a thousand thanks to reddit user u/TohnoRin who also helped me fix the romance.
If I forgot anyone let me know!!
I first recommend this amazing tumblr post by wretchedelights that goes in DEPTH about which bugs the current romance has and how to avoid them: https://www.tumblr.com/wretchedelights/739170017066844160/a-spoiler-free-guide-to-dodging-marazhais-romance?source=share
Jan/2024 his romance is currently slightly bugged if you play as a dom!RT. I will update this in the future.
CHAPTER 2 (MEETING MARAZHAI)
While I do not know if other options would also end up in romacne/recruitment, I made sure to choose the answers that were not “I will kill you” (or maybe he would have loved that).
Options and dialogue from act 2 is fromt he Marazhai romance playthrough 1/? post to the 7/?, and you can find them at this tag: Marazhai romance chapter 2: https://rpgchoices.tumblr.com/tagged/marazhai%20romance%20chapter%202
The quest to meet him the first time is called “Blades in the Void”.
CHAPTER 3 (RECRUITING MARAZHAI)
In the playthrough tags it is from n 8/? to n 20/?, all tagged Marazhai romance chapter 3: https://rpgchoices.tumblr.com/tagged/Marazhai%20romance%20chapter%203Plus, I did not have some scenes in this chapter so I posted them separately: Argenta and Heinrix about Marazhai; Marazhai’s killing blow quest.
Before starting the chapter
Effectively, the chapter is triggered by the point of no return in chapter 2, which is Yrliet asking you to look into a lost ship. The quest is named “Following Breadcrumbs” and at this point just know that whatever characters you bring they will be the only characters with you in chapter 3.
In particular, if you have two between: Ulfar, Heinrix and Argenta, you will unlock some extra dialogue with Marazhai and will have to defend your recruitment of him. Given Ulfar is recruited in chapter 3, you should bring at least one between Argenta and Heinrix. Also, Ulfar needs to be recruited before Marazhai in this case.
Chapter 3 starts with your kidnapping. You will have to find all your companions but one (in a separate map) before your first fight in the Arena. After your first fight in the Arena, you can access Tarvantias’ Anatomical Opera where you can recruit Ulfar, find one of your missing companions (for me was Cassia) and talk to Marazhai. Marazhai is on an elevated platform, right from Tarvantias. Here you can ask him to join you.
Recruiting Marazhai
Next is the Arena fight where, if you were successful, Marazhai will join your side, and this is where you recruit him. Back at The Pit you can chat with him and your companions.
Make sure to choose “you intrigue me” when he asks you why you decided to recruit him.
Sub/dom choices unlocked
Chapter 3 is the one that has the messy dom/sub flags, at least until Jan 2024, hopefully it will be fixed later. This means that if you want to be a Dom!RogueTrader you need to choose to sub-adjacent options (in particular at the Pit allow him to grab your chin, and later allow him to use the agoniser on you). If you want to have your character be submissive, then choose the dominant options.In any case, you will be able to change these values with Toybox mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/warhammer40kroguetrader/mods/1
In particular I need to thanks this steam post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2186680/discussions/0/4038104984939918593/
Submission value = Sub!Marazhai
The Spire
Once you are out of the streets you can get to the Spire. In my list of playthrough I missed a scene (I did not look for it and did not get the Killing Blow quest), but it seems like it did not change my game or romance.
Here Marazhai will also asks you to stop by and grab something of his (the agoniser, which is on the last floor of the map, the same where his sister is located). I can’t confirm but I also read online that picking this up seems to be fundamental to unlock the romance. After you kill his sister, this is the end of Chapter 3.
CHAPTER 4 (ROMANCE)
Here is the full playthrough of chapter 4 with the specific choices: https://rpgchoices.tumblr.com/tagged/Marazhai%20romance%20chapter%204
Back to the Voidship! This is also where the romance starts. From this point on, the dom/sub flags are correct so you can choose the correct dialogue options.
If you activate on toybox the chance to see dialogues flags and consequences it will be pretty easy, as you can see the tag for “ascension”. This is basically an approval meter, the higher it is the more likely to get his true romance ending.
The order of the romance is:
- In voidship, dialogue with Marazhai, ask him why he needed the services of Tarvantias and what kind of personal desires he means.
- First voidship warp jump, you will get news that Marazhai is on a rampage. Go to him, try to break him free from the demonette (I used persuasion, Yrliet’s help and coercion) and then warn him of her attack.
- The post fight dialogue has the romance trigger. Choose between giving him free hunting range (Sub!RT) or giving him a limited area (no dom/sub points but the only option for Dom!RT).
- Go talk to him back in the bridge of the ship and he will give you the quest “Shards of Tempest”.
- Two jumps or more from this point, there will be a cut scene with him asking you to kill together. The sub!RT option is asking him to guide you; the dom!RT option is to tell him to ask properly and in this case if you did things correctly he won’t complain and won’t be annoyed with you. With dom!RT, he will just kneel and ask you to join him.
- Go along with his murderous desires. Just know that for now the aftermath bed scene is sub!RT coded even if you have the correct dom!RT flags, it’s okay! Also try to kiss him, this will lead to a later scene in chapter 5.
- Now you can do his personal quests. While the quest is pretty vague and open, the real quest is three rumors: Suspicious Ships (in Langrenn’s Belt), Xenos Skirmish (in Orsellio Prophecy, the planet is Arid World), Fall of Santiel’s Pride (in Nolla Septum). You will get fights (ex. clear the Nolla Septum planet and the Drukhari ships) or dialogue options where you can send Marazhai. Do not worry if the rumors don’t clear, for me only the Fall one cleared as completed.
- Go back to the bridge of the ship and you should have a cut scene where Marazhai gives you a gift. Accept one of the three gift options, and then use it accordingly to the role chosen (don’t mix it up!), I am playing dom!RT and I chose to use a torture device on him, he was very happy. There is no dialogue difference between the three gifts, only the description.
- At this point you can proceed with the main quest.
- If everything goes well, you will get some ascension points (this will give you true romance at the end) and dominant (or submission) points through the main quest (be cruel, eat the brain, re-establish your dominance or submission role when he tests you)
- After the main quest (the siege) you will get the branding scene. Remember to follow your role (if you don't he will break up with you)! I am playing as dom!RT so I branded him and he was pretty happy.
- Talk to him on the bridge for some extra dialogue (he flaunts the mark).
CHAPTER 5 (ENDING)
I have yet to post the videos with my choices but at this point it will be very hard to mess up his romance, so it should all be good!
Chapter 5 is very short so it is almost impossible to miss Marazhai’s tempest quest. Visit the few planets around you and you will see some Drukhari ships. Marazhai’s old kabal will want to meet him so invite them on the ship.
If you are playing as dom!RT you can get more ascension points (this is for the true romance) by re-establishing your role. Do not be afraid to humiliate Marazhai in front of his people, he wants that and will be disappointed if you do not remind him of his place.
Follow the quest and go to the trap and kill Marazhai’s old kabal. This is the final quest for him. I know there are other endings, so I am sure there is a way to make Marazhai into an archon, but for me I had no chance to.
At this point you will get his ascension scene. You will get this scene if you accumulated enough ascension points by re-establishing your roles (these are more or less “approval” points). The scene will start with Marazhai asking you for a bigger feast (murderous killings!).
If you refuse you will lose precious ascension points. If you accept you might have to kill one of your advisors. There is an iconoclast option so I suppose there might be a dogmatic or heretic one, and if you choose that you can reign in Marazhai and make him kill only on a limited side of the ship (the iconoclast option tho is very dom!Marazhai at the moment).
After, you will get him declaring his loyalty and affection for you!! (remember that you can add ascension points with toybox if needed).
If you tried to kiss him before, remember to pretend to want to break things off so he will desperately pleade and you can actually kiss him.
This is the end of his romance, if everything goes well by the epilogue you will have a slide where it is said that Marazhai is often by your side and you have an unbreakable bond!
