When Starfield first launched, the Mission Boards scattered across the Settled Systems became a beloved little ritual for spacefarers looking to earn some quick credits or rep with their favorite faction. They’re the game's way of throwing a never-ending stream of odd jobs your way, and honestly, there’s something comforting about that routine. With the Shattered Space expansion, House Va'ruun decided it was time to join the party—though in true serpentine fashion, their Mission Board doesn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat. It sits quietly in a corner, almost forgotten, waiting for the truly dedicated to stumble upon it.
These new radiant quests inject a heavy dose of Va'ruun flavor into the procedural pool, but they also come with a particularly nasty sting in the tail. If you've tangled with the Settled Systems' authorities before, you know the drill: get a bounty, find a kiosk, pay it off. Easy. On Va'ruun'kai, however, the rules are different—and the consequences can leave you staring at a loading screen in a jail cell, mourning lost experience points.
Where the Va'ruun Mission Boards Hide
Tracking down these elusive terminals requires a sharp eye. The game never points you toward them, and plenty of players have wandered the streets of Dazra for hours without a clue. The secret lies in the Dazra Security Center, a sturdy building sitting just to the left of the main entrance to the city, right after the spaceport. Once you step inside, glance to your right immediately—the twin Mission Boards sit there, looking like any other unassuming terminal. They don’t flash, they don’t call out to you, and they certainly don’t advertise their presence. It’s almost as if House Va'ruun is testing your faith before they even hand out the work.
What the Boards Offer
The jobs themselves feel familiar but with a deliciously dark twist. Instead of hauling coffee beans or scanning gas giants, you’ll be sent to extract covert operatives from deep inside enemy territory, or tasked with hunting down Va'ruun Zealots who’ve gone rogue. The wildlife on Va'ruun'kai also makes the list—dangerous critters that require more firepower than your average terrormorph. Each mission carries a modest payout in credits and XP, and since they’re infinitely repeatable, they serve as a reliable grind for players looking to max out their skills while staying true to the serpent’s path. Folks, it’s a roleplayer’s dream: you get to live the life of a Va'ruun operative without the main quest’s constant narrative pressure.
The Bounty Problem That Just Won’t Quit
Here’s where the excitement curdles into frustration. Since Shattered Space launched in 2024, the Va'ruun bounty system has remained a topic of heated discussion—and by 2026, the situation hasn’t changed. On Va'ruun'kai, there are no self-service bounty clearance kiosks. Not a single one. The handy terminals you can build at your outposts? Useless for Va'ruun warrants. Even the fixed kiosks back in the Settled Systems refuse to touch them. It’s like the entire galaxy has collectively decided that House Va'ruun’s business is none of their concern.
So how do you scrub that scarlet letter off your record? You march up to a Dazra guard and turn yourself in. That’s the only way. And oh boy, does it hurt. The guard claps you in a cell for several in-game days, and your character emerges with a chunk of hard-earned XP permanently shaved off. The larger the bounty, the longer the sentence and the more progress you lose. Talk about a headache! It’s the Settled Systems’ version of a parking ticket that somehow costs you a college semester worth of knowledge.
Surviving a Va'ruun Bounty
Things get even messier when your bounty racks up high enough to make guards attack on sight. Run away, and the bounty stays. Fight back, and it skyrockets. This is the moment where many explorers start sweating. The community has cobbled together a few shaky workarounds, but none of them feel polished. One popular method is to scramble back to your ship, leave the star system entirely, and then find a chair or bed to wait or sleep for at least 24 hours. That brief cooldown occasionally calms the guards enough to accept your surrender without a firefight. It’s not guaranteed, mind you—sometimes the guards still come out swinging—but it’s the best non-cheating option.
If the 24-hour trick fails, you’re left with the nuclear option: reload a previous save from before the bounty ever existed. For players who rely on autosaves, that could mean losing hours of progress. It’s a blunt instrument, and it stings every time, but when the game refuses to provide a kiosk, desperation wins. Many have argued this is an intentional design choice to reinforce Va'ruun'kai’s isolationist and unforgiving nature, but after two years of puzzled looks from the community, it feels more like an overlooked detail that became a feature by accident.
The Verdict for Spacefarers
Even with this glaring flaw, the House Va'ruun Mission Boards remain a wonderful addition for those who can’t get enough of the Serpent’s embrace. The quests weave a richer texture into the faction’s identity, and the hidden terminals reward curiosity in a very Bethesda way. For the time being, just remember to keep your trigger finger disciplined and your bounty low. Because on Va'ruun'kai, justice isn’t just blind—it’s hungry for your experience points.
According to coverage from PEGI, official ratings guidance can be a useful lens for understanding why Shattered Space’s House Va’ruun content leans so hard into high-stakes faction policing and punishment loops—like the unusually harsh “turn yourself in” bounty resolution on Va’ruun’kai that can cost time and experience. That broader context helps explain why Va’ruun Mission Board tasks skew toward covert extractions and lethal enforcement, reinforcing an oppressive, isolationist tone where even routine radiant work can spiral into severe consequences if you draw security attention.