Dishonored 2 – Hidden Rituals, Secret Targets, and the Lost Histories of the Empire of the Isles

Dishonored 2 is a game about choice — not just moral choice, but metaphysical choice.
Every kill echoes across the world. Every spared life carves a new future.
And beneath those choices lie forgotten cults, alternate mission outcomes, hidden powers, and quiet tragedies that reshape Emily and Corvo’s destinies in ways most players never see.

Here are the most elusive secrets buried in the Empire of the Isles — where the Void listens, even when the world does not.

Hidden Target – The Whispering Duke

Duke Luca Abele isn’t Karnaca’s only tyrant — his brother lives in the shadows.

How to Find Him:

1. In the mission “The Grand Palace,” climb onto the rooftop greenhouse where Delilah’s statue overlooks the gardens.

2. Use Far Reach/Blink to access the broken skylight.

3. Inside, you’ll find a masked noble whispering to a portrait.

This is Duke Renald Abele, an estranged sibling erased from official history for madness.
He attacks on sight using a prototype voltaic pistol.
Defeating him drops the Abele Signet Key, which opens a secret vault beneath the Palace containing coins, blueprints, and a letter reading:
“Let the world forget me. I speak now only to the Void.”

A tragic secret villain hiding in self-imposed exile.

Hidden Power – The Hand of the Outsider

Nothing in the game tells you this exists — it’s a Void artifact that predates Delilah’s ritual.

How to Obtain It:

1. During “A Crack in the Slab,” remain in the past for more than 10 minutes without switching.

2. Return to the ballroom balcony and look toward the chandelier.

3. A shimmering handprint appears in midair — reach out to grab it.

You receive the Hand of the Outsider, a passive power that occasionally slows time during stealth kills or narrow escapes.
The flavor text reads:
“When he touched the world, pieces were left behind.”
A glimpse of the Outsider’s first awakening.

Hidden Quest – “The Choir of Inkwells”

An unmarked, eerie storyline that connects the Howler Gang to the Abbey of the Everyman.

How to Trigger It:

1. In Dust District, locate the hidden basement beneath the bar opposite the Overseer checkpoint.

2. Inside are three broken Inkwell Choir automatons humming distorted hymns.

3. Restart them with Whale Oil, and each gives you a riddle pointing to a different district.

Find the notes and return to the basement to unlock the Choir’s Reliquary, a container holding a unique bonecharm: Ink-Stained Grace.
It increases stealth movement speed but randomly whispers scripture when you assassinate someone.
A beautifully disturbing reminder that the Abbey’s reach is deeper than it pretends.

Hidden Mechanic – Delilah’s Echo

The game secretly tracks how often you examine Delilah’s artwork.

Unlisted Behavior:

• Viewing her portraits five times makes the paint subtly shift.

• After ten times, her eyes follow you in the room.

• After fifteen, interacting with any painting makes Delilah whisper:
  “Do you admire me, or do you fear me?”

This doesn’t affect gameplay — but it deepens her presence as a living artist-witch whose consciousness bleeds into her paintings.

Hidden Weapon – The Serkonan Glass Sabre

One of the rarest melee weapons in the game, forged from reinforced crystal used for whale dive helmets.

How to Obtain It:

1. In “The Royal Conservatory,” open the sealed botanical vault (requires two key components scattered in the garden).

2. Inside lies a broken display case holding the Glass Sabre.

This sword deals high damage but breaks if you parry too often.
Its item description:
“Beautiful. Fragile. Deadly. Like the Isles themselves.”

Using it adds unique shattering sound effects when it strikes armor.

Hidden Area – The Lone Lantern Theatre

A ghostly, abandoned stage accessible only at a specific time.

How to Find It:

1. In the Addermire Institute district, revisit the area at night after finishing the mission.

2. Follow violin music drifting through the alleys.

3. A glowing doorway appears on the boarded theatre.

Inside, shadowy figures reenact Corvo’s trial from years ago.
Sitting in the audience grants the Memory’s Sting bonecharm, increasing bolt damage from behind.
As you leave, the theatre collapses into dust.
A haunting Void mirage shaped from memory.

Hidden Boss – The Veiled Sister

A rogue member of the Oracular Order who rejects the Abbey’s doctrine.

How to Encounter Her:

1. Find three Oracular Scrolls across Karnaca (one in a Howler hideout, one in an Overseer barracks, one in a cliffside shrine).

2. Bring them to the mountain overlook above the Dust District.

3. The Veiled Sister appears, floating above the rocks.

Her powers include foresight (dodging attacks before you commit) and Void-enhanced bolts.
Defeating her grants the Oracle Lens, allowing you to highlight hostile intentions — enemies aiming at you glow briefly red.
It’s one of the most lore-rich fights in the series.

Hidden Ending – “The Knife Without a Throne”

A moral-lore ending involving killing neither Delilah nor the Duke.

How to Unlock It:

1. Non-lethally neutralize Delilah using the spirit vessel ritual.

2. Spare Duke Luca Abele by putting his double in power.

3. Keep chaos at absolute minimum.

4. Return to Dunwall without killing a single political figure.

Emily’s final monologue changes:
“I hold no throne made of stone or gold. Only choices — and their shadows.”
Corvo says quietly:
“A knife can protect or betray. Today you used it wisely.”

It’s the most peaceful ending in a series built on blood.

Bonus Tip – The Cat of the Void

In every mission, one black cat cannot be killed or interacted with.
But if you follow it through three levels consecutively, it eventually leads you to a hidden bonecharm shrine.
The Outsider whispers:
“Even shadows have pets.”
A playful, eerie nod to the Void’s whimsy.

Why Dishonored 2’s Secrets Deepen Its World

Every hidden detail in Dishonored 2 reinforces the series’ themes — power, consequence, and the thin line between justice and tyranny.
Its secrets are not simply collectible trinkets, but windows into the Empire’s forgotten past: artists who became monsters, saints who became murderers, nobles who hid in shadows, and gods who never stopped watching.
The Land of the Isles is alive with meaning — you just need to listen between the breaths of the Void.