Should You Stop or Support Darle in Avowed ‘Fires in the Mine’ Quest?

In Avowed's "Fires in the Mine" side quest, the decision to stop or support Darle impacts rewards significantly. While both choices offer XP, stopping Darle yields superior overall rewards.

Supporting Darle: This nets 1026 XP. However, you forfeit any monetary reward and further strain relations between Aedyrans and Thirdborn. Lying about your actions doesn't alter the outcome.

Stopping Darle: This option provides a total of 1091 XP (212 XP for the kill + 879 XP for debriefing), exceeding the reward for supporting him. Additionally, you receive 900 coins from Seynon and Kada. Looting Darle's corpse yields a Blackwood Branch (a superb upgrade material), Wild Mushroom Stew, and two Beetle Pies. The food items are less significant, but the Blackwood Branch offers a substantial advantage for crafting. This choice also maintains positive relations between the Aedyrans and Thirdborn.

From a gameplay perspective, stopping and killing Darle offers significantly more valuable rewards (XP, gold, and a rare crafting material) making it the superior choice. While the narrative consequences are noteworthy, the gameplay benefits outweigh them.