If Samin Moro’s opening tasks were about proving you could survive, Zayn de Witte’s mid-chain quests are about proving you can outthink and outmaneuver your enemies. These Dune Awakening Items quests—Calculated Calamity, An Olive Branch, and Cataloguing Defectors—form the backbone of the advanced Mentat storyline. They throw you into sabotage operations, faction diplomacy, and shadowy science experiments that perfectly capture the Mentat’s role in Dune: Awakening.
Let’s walk through each quest in detail, with strategies and preparation tips to help you breeze through.
Quest 2: Calculated Calamity
Zayn begins by sending you to deal with the Mobula gang, a group that’s been interfering in Arrakeen politics. Your task? Gather intelligence, sow chaos, and report back.
Objectives
Interrogate Mobula Members
Travel to The Anvil and Riftwatch to capture and question Mobula operatives.
The interrogation mechanic highlights the Mentat’s cerebral edge—this isn’t just hack-and-slash gameplay.
Sabotage Operations
Next, Zayn directs you to enemy activity centers at The Sweep and Chattel Passage.
You’ll need to plant devices, poison supplies, or otherwise cripple Mobula operations.
Report to Zayn
After the sabotage, head back to the Salusan Bull Bar in Arrakeen and debrief.
Tips
Crowd Control: The Mobula often travel in small groups. Deploy The Sentinel turret to manage multiple enemies while you focus on interrogations.
Stealth Approach: Poison mines and drones allow you to deal damage without pulling entire camps at once.
Plan an Escape: These areas are often contested zones. Have an exit route ready in case other players interfere.
This quest is a real turning point—it emphasizes manipulation and sabotage over brute force, which is exactly what a Mentat excels at.
Quest 3: An Olive Branch
Once you’ve destabilized the Mobula, Zayn pushes you into the world of House politics. This is where faction alignment really matters.
Objectives
Deliver a film recording to a major House leader:
If you’re aligned with Atreides, you’ll deliver it to Thufir Hawat in Arrakeen.
If you’re aligned with Harkonnen, your contact is Piter de Vries in Harko Village.
Why It Matters
This quest underlines that Mentats aren’t just battlefield tacticians—they’re political operatives. The decision of which faction you’ve aligned with affects who you interact with, subtly altering your Mentat storyline.
Tips
Travel Prepared: Getting to Harko Village is riskier than Arrakeen—expect longer treks and possible PvP encounters if you’re delivering to Piter.
Bring Extras: Carry water and spice filters—traveling through desert zones to faction hubs can be a resource drain.
Completing An Olive Branch reinforces your place in the political ecosystem of Arrakis and shows how Mentats operate in the shadows of greater powers.
Quest 4: Cataloguing Defectors
This is where Zayn’s training takes a darker turn. You’ll be asked to assist in human experimentation, extracting information in ways only a Mentat would rationalize.
Objectives
Acquire Tools
Zayn gives you a Blood Extractor and Specimen Bag.
Enter Arctus Cavern (Hagga Rift)
Travel into this underground location, which is crawling with hostile NPCs.
Extract Samples
Use the Blood Extractor on standard enemies to fill the Specimen Bag.
Confront and defeat the Mobula leader inside, then extract their blood as well.
Collect Items
Recover an ID Band and several Ray Amplifiers from the cavern.
Return to Zayn
Report your findings and hand over the specimens.
Tips
Light Source Required: Arctus Cavern is dark—bring torches or a glow-emitting tool.
Crowd Management: The cavern is packed. Deploy turrets at chokepoints and use poison mines to control waves.
Boss Strategy: The Mobula leader hits harder than standard foes. Circle them while letting your turret and poison ticks do steady damage.
Extraction Safety: The Blood Extractor requires a channeling action—don’t use it unless you’ve cleared the area.
This quest is disturbing, but it highlights the Mentat’s pragmatic nature. Cold calculation replaces sentiment—the data is what matters, no matter how it’s obtained.
Why These Quests Define the Mentat Experience
Taken together, quests 2–4 show you exactly what being a Mentat is all about:
Calculated Manipulation (Calculated Calamity)
Political Intrigue (An Olive Branch)
Scientific Ruthlessness (Cataloguing Defectors)
By the time you’re done, you’ll have unlocked new abilities, deepened your connection to Arrakeen’s intrigue, and proven you can think like a Mentat—always a few steps ahead of everyone else.
Final Thoughts
Zayn de Witte’s mid-chain quests are some of the most atmospheric in Dune: Awakening. They highlight not just the Mentat’s skillset, but the very philosophy of what it means to survive as one. You’re Buy Dune Awakening Items no longer the survivalist scraping by in Riftwatch—you’re a dangerous operative entrenched in the politics and science of Arrakis.
