As a fantasy RPG, Divinity Original Sin 2 is full to the brim with entertaining side quests. Some provide hefty rewards, others offer insight into the worlds lore — and others simply provide comic relief or a sense of justice amid the chaos. Aggressive Takeover is a great quest for players looking for the latter two.
Found early on in Act 2, players have two options when it comes to this storyline. One is fairly easy and self-serving; meanwhile, the other involves revenge and grants even better loot. Aggressive Takeover is the quest to follow for players who want both bloodshed and treasure.
Talk To Garvan
Before players can acquire the Aggressive Takeover quest, they must first begin the related quest Red Ink In The Ledger. The Godwoken can find this journal entry by entering the Black Bull Tavern in Driftwood and speaking to a weepy, self-pitying elf named Garvan.
Allow Garvan to tell his tragic tale, and he'll relate how his mentor was killed by Voidwoken on their journey, resulting in how their supplies had been lost. To top it off, the waiter won't even bring the poor man any stew. At this point, the player can offer to help Garvan. He'll promise a hefty reward for the return of his supplies.
Head To The Cloisterwood
After speaking with Garvan, head into the woods west of town towards the spot marked on the map, near the westernmost bridge. With decently high Wits, a player or someone in their party will quickly be able to spot a blood trail. Follow it, but be prepared to battle a Dwarven Beastmaster and his pets. (For players having difficulty spotting the blood trail, cast Peace of Mind to increase a character's wits.)
After the Beastmaster fight, cast Spirit Vision to see what happened here. Players will encounter the spirit of Garvan's mentor, Liam, though he's barely comprehensible as he's shouting in rage. Once players can make sense of his sputterings, they'll discover that Liam wasn't killed by Voidwoken at all. Garvan, who was like a son to him, murdered him in cold blood.
Liam will demand that the player bring him Garvan's head. It is here that the quest Aggressive Takeover will appear in the journal. Head back to Driftwood — but first, grab the crate with Garvan and Liam's supplies, as it contains some decent loot.
Killing Garvan
Return to the Black Bull to find Garvan still waiting on his meal. The player can choose to ask him about Liam's death right then and there, but it won't amount to much. Looks like players will need to take a more aggressive approach.
If the Godwoken attacks Garvan in the middle of the tavern, everyone nearby will immediately turn on the party. To avoid a massive bloodbath that renders many quests incompletable, the Godwoken will have to find a way to corner Garvan alone.
The Stew Gambit
Outside the tavern, players may hear someone in distress as they pass by the outhouses. Attempting to speak to the person inside will reveal that they had put some fish into their stew, resulting in some intestinal troubles. This will give the player a recipe for Tainted Stew: all they need is a bowl of regular meaty stew, and a void-tainted fish. The former can be purchased from Lovrik in the tavern; the latter, from the fishmonger in the town square.
Inside, poor hungry Garvan is still waiting for the waiter to notice him, and the players can ask if he's still interested in the house stew. Take pity on the sad little murderer, and choose the dialogue option to offer him the void-tainted meal. After a few bites, he'll rush to the outhouse in a panic, where players can speak to him away from prying eyes.
Confront Garvan
Away from witnesses, catch Garvan as he's coming out of the outhouse. Now, when confronted about Liam's death, he'll go on the defensive. Claiming that Liam was a cheat and a liar, he'll admit that he killed him to try and find his mentor's treasure stash — which apparently didn't exist.
Garvan will then attack the player, but as he is the aggressor, the townsfolk and magisters won't turn against the party this time. Kill the backstabbing trader, and loot his head from his body.
Return To Liam
Head back to where Liam's ghost waits, and deliver Garvan's head as promised. Though still understandably distraught, this seems to bring him a modicum of closure. The spirit departs for the Hall of Echoes, but first, he marks a spot on the player's map. Head for this area (at coordinates X:145 Y:235 to find the treasure that eluded Garvan.
Alternatively, an elven character can choose to eat Garvan's head in order to gain a permanent +1 to Bartering. Liam will not reveal the treasure's location in this case; however, the party can still discover it using Wits when they pass by the coordinates.