Gothic 1 Remake Lares — the Mercenaries’ gatekeeper
Gothic 1 Remake Lares: Find Him, Join the New Camp & What You Give Up
Lares is the one man who decides whether you ever wear Rogue colours — and the wikis split the answer across half a dozen stubs. This is the whole Gothic 1 Remake Lares problem in one place: where his cave is, how to slip past the guard Rosco, the three-of-five odd jobs that earn admission, what he pays you, and the choice you can never take back once you join the Rogues.
The 30-second join
How to join the New Camp in Gothic 1 Remake — the Lares formula
Every Gothic 1 Remake Lares route follows the same shape: get past his door guard, clear three of his five jobs, hit level 5, and report back for your Rogue armour. The facts below are the spine of it — the sections after fill in each step.
- Who he is
- The Rogues' leader who alone decides Admission to the New Camp — nobody joins the Mercenaries' faction without Lares' word
- Where to find him
- Inside the Mercenaries' cave, down the very first path on your left as you head downhill, with stairs up to his shack — not the cavern's back, where most players look first
- The guard at his door
- Rosco (some guides write Roscoe) blocks the way in — you get past by showing Mordrag's ring, naming Mordrag, or charming him
- How you start with him
- Reach Lares and he sets you his odd jobs — selling a guru's swampweed for the Herb Merchant is the first, with four more to choose from
- The admission bar
- Clear at least 3 of his 5 quests and reach level 5, then report back — Lares welcomes you and the admission quest completes
Finding him
Where Lares is — and getting past Rosco
The first wall every Gothic 1 Remake Lares search hits is simply reaching him: the cave layout fools people, and a guard named Rosco stands at his door. Here is the route in, and three documented ways through that door.
Lares holes up inside the Mercenaries’ cave. Head down the very first path on your left as you walk in and downhill, then take the stairs up to his shack — not the back of the cavern, where most players waste their first lap. The full layout of the camp around him is in our New Camp guide.
His door guard, Rosco, will not let a stranger through. The comfortable key is the ring you take from escorting Mordrag west — name Mordrag, show the ring, and Rosco steps aside.
Show Mordrag's ring
The ring you take at the Mercenaries' gate after escorting Mordrag is your password — tell Rosco that Mordrag sent you and he stands aside. The cleanest pass, and the reason the Mordrag escort is worth it.
Carry Ian's supply list
Pick up the List of Requirements at the Old Mine during Diego's Test of Faith and Rosco waves you through to Lares — the same list then doubles as one of the five admission quests.
Charm the guardSingle source
Cast a Charm scroll on Rosco and walk in for extra XP over simply talking past him. One guide sources the scroll from a Swamp-camper's cigarette errand by picking scrolls as the reward.
The odd jobs
Lares' five quests to join the Rogues
Once you reach him, Lares sets the work. These are the five Gothic 1 Remake Lares quests that count toward admission — clear any three, with their pitfalls flagged so you do not redo a step.
A Piece of the Pie
Take a Swamp Camp guru's swampweed, sell it around the colony, and bring Lares 400 ore nuggets.
Watch for: The weed comes from a Swamp Camp dealer — guides name him Baal Isidro or Baal Kagan, so see the Baal guide for who's who. You keep none of it; all 400 ore go to Lares.
A Few Drops Too Much
Clear the drunkard Rayk out of the lake tavern for the Rice Lord — fight him or talk him into leaving.
Watch for: Talking Rayk out spares you a brawl you may lose at low level; the Rice Lord pays either way.
Up to His Neck
Track down the Rice Lord's missing foreman, Bran.
Watch for: Bran's body is in the basement of Silas' tavern — search the cellar, not the rice fields.
Something the Matter?
Get Ian's supply list at the Old Mine via Diego's Test of Faith, then hand it to Lares instead of Diego.
Watch for: Giving the list to Lares — not Diego — is what counts toward admission; it also gets you past Rosco on the way in.
The Raid
Ask Lares for an assignment, then meet Wedge and his raiders on the road between the Old Mine and the Old Camp.
Watch for: This is a real fight, not an errand — save it for last, once you've hit level 5 and geared up.
One of the five worth singling out is Up to His Neck: it sends you after the Rice Lord’s missing foreman, who turns up dead in the flooded cellar of Silas’s tavern. If you pick that job, the find-Bran walkthroughcovers the underwater route in and whether to hand the Rice Lord the axe for extra ore. One of Lares’ men, the bandit Shrike, also factors into Gorn’s hut quest A Roof Over My Head— beat him for a free Sting Mace, but don’t kill him.
The point of no return
What joining the New Camp through Lares costs you
This is the question the wikis leave hanging behind every Gothic 1 Remake Lares search: swearing to him is a one-way door. You belong to one camp only, so here is what each pledge opens — and shuts for good.
- New Camp (via Lares)
- Join viaLares' 3-of-5 odd jobs + level 5You gain the Rogues and the Water Mages chasing the ore-free dream — and give up the Old Camp and Swamp Camp admission lines for good.
- Old Camp
- Join viaPledge to Gomez and the Ore BaronsSwearing to Gomez closes Lares' door — the Mercenary admission line is off the table once you serve the Ore Barons.
- Swamp Camp
- Join viaWin the Baal Gurus' favour for Cor KalomPledging to the Sleeper's cult forfeits both the Mercenary and Old Camp routes.
Compare the three side by side in our camps overview before you commit — the Old Camp’sore-baron order and the Swamp Camp’s Sleeper cult both close the moment you take Rogue colours. If you are still weighing factions, lock the decision against the rest of the run’s one-way choices in our quest planner.
The payoff
What Lares gives you — and the raid that earns it
Clear the bar and the Gothic 1 Remake Lares reward is real kit, not just a title. The toughest of his jobs, The Raid, is the one most players save for last.
- Bandit's Dress (Rogue armour)
- Lares hands over the Rogues' starter armour the moment you're admitted — your first real faction kit, free with the membership.
- The Rogues' camp opens up
- Trainers, the Rogues' fence and the Water Mages' questlines all become available once Lares counts you as one of his own.
- Admission XP bonusSources differ
- Early guides disagree on the exact reward — reports run from 1,000 to 1,500 XP — so this page quotes no single number. Expect a sizeable lump either way.
The Raid sends you to the road between the Old Mine and the Old Camp to back Wedge and his raiders — a real fight, so come at level 5 with armour and a weapon you trust. Once Lares signs you in, the Rogues’ fence Sharky and its trainers open up like any other faction perk.
Quick answers
Gothic 1 Remake Lares FAQ
Where is Lares in Gothic 1 Remake?
The Gothic 1 Remake Lares location is inside the Mercenaries' cave: take the very first path on your left as you head downhill, then the stairs up to his shack. Most players miss him because they search the back of the cavern first — he is near the front, behind his guard Rosco.
How do you join the New Camp in Gothic 1 Remake?
Reach Lares, take the odd jobs he offers, then clear at least three of his five quests and hit level 5. Report back and the Lares admission quest completes. The Gothic 1 Remake Lares questline is the only route into the Mercenaries' faction — there is no shortcut around his approval.
How do you get past Rosco to reach Lares?
Three ways: show Mordrag's ring (or just say Mordrag sent you), carry Ian's supply list from the Old Mine, or cast a Charm scroll on Rosco for bonus XP. The ring is the cleanest pass, which is why escorting Mordrag pays off before you ever meet the Gothic 1 Remake Lares gate.
What do you give up by joining the New Camp?
Joining the Gothic 1 Remake Lares faction means picking the Mercenaries over the other two for good — swearing to Lares closes the Old Camp's and Swamp Camp's admission lines. You can only ever belong to one camp, so weigh the Rogues against the Ore Barons and the Sleeper's cult before you commit.
What does Lares give you for joining?
Admission hands you the Bandit's Dress, the Rogues' faction armour, plus access to its trainers, fence and Water Mage questlines. There is an XP bonus too, but early Gothic 1 Remake Lares guides disagree on the figure (reports of 1,000 vs 1,500), so treat the exact number as unconfirmed.
Do you have to do all five of Lares' quests?
No — the Gothic 1 Remake Lares bar is any three of his five jobs plus level 5. A Piece of the Pie, A Few Drops Too Much, Up to His Neck, Something the Matter? and The Raid all count, so pick the three that suit your level. Save The Raid for last, since it is a genuine fight rather than an errand.
Keep exploring
More Gothic 1 Remake guides
Gothic 1 Remake Guide
Ready to earn your Rogue colours?
With the Gothic 1 Remake Lares path mapped, the rest is legwork: slip past Rosco, clear three jobs, hit level 5, and take the Bandit’s Dress. See how the Mercenaries fit the wider faction picture, or plan the chapter around it first.