The Heart Wants What It Wants quest walkthrough in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Spoiler warning: This guide covers the major choices and outcomes in The Blood of Dawnwalker quest “The Heart Wants What It Wants”. If you enjoy detailed game guides alongside arcade and gaming news, keep reading for the complete route through Ocha’s dilemma.

How to start The Heart Wants What It Wants

You can begin the quest in either of two ways. Enter the tavern in north-western Svartrau City, or first accept “A Mother’s Plea” from The Elder in Uriash Village.

Speak with Ocha, the Uriashi sitting in the corner. She will challenge you to a fight, but winning or losing does not affect the quest. After the confrontation, agree to help Ocha and Nora.

Your objectives are to find a route into Andrei’s hideout, determine how Andrei dies, and decide whether Ocha remains among humans or returns to Uriash Village. The available approach changes depending on whether you visit the hideout during the day or at night.

Enter Andrei’s hideout at night

At night, use Shadowstep to reach the balcony on the south side of the building. The door there is unlocked. Upstairs, you can find three mementos: a ring, a cleaver and a pendant.

Although all three can be taken, only the ring works with Ocha’s spell. It is inside the box on Andrei’s desk. Andrei’s journals and notebooks, including the one resting on a barrel, provide the clue.

Return to the balcony with the ring and meet Ocha to cast the spell. You can instead take another memento or go downstairs and attack Andrei, but those choices lead to different results later.

Enter Andrei’s hideout during the day

During daylight, speak with either the beggar or Katja outside the hideout to learn more about Andrei.

Katja will provide information for 400 denarii. First mention Nora, ask about Katja’s troubles and offer to help. The beggar charges only 50 denarii, making that the cheaper option.

Next, approach Dragan the Butcher at the entrance and say that you have silver to sell. If you need silver, it can be found during “A Study in Crimson”. Follow Dragan inside and show him the silver. Choose any response except “Just move”, which makes him attack.

Andrei is preparing to cut off a man’s hand. You can intervene by choosing “Leave that man alone”, followed by “I said let him go.” Andrei and his men will attack, forcing you to kill them all.

Alternatively, stay quiet or choose “Leave him alone”, then “Sorry.” This allows the conversation with Andrei to continue. You can maintain the cover story, try to negotiate, or provoke him.

• Maintain the pretence: Say “Here’s what I’ve got.” Later choose “Who wouldn’t be?” or “I don’t trust you.” Then select either “No wonder people don’t want to work with you” or “You know how to handle it.” Nora will create an opportunity to steal a memento.
• Provoke Andrei: Mention Ocha, or later select “You don’t impress me” or “Your threats bore me.” This triggers a fight with Andrei and his men.
• Attack immediately: Mention Ocha and choose “Attack.” This produces the same combat outcome more quickly.

When Nora distracts Andrei, steal the ring. The cleaver and pendant cannot power Ocha’s spell.

What happens if you attack Andrei first?

After his men are defeated and his health is depleted, Andrei will beg for his life and offer a reward. Even if you spare him, he throws a dagger at you. Starting a fight therefore always ends with Andrei dead.

Killing Andrei before the spell is cast skips Ocha’s ritual. She enters the hideout, explains that she intended to become the new crime lord, and finds that plan undermined because Coen has already destroyed the organisation. Ocha will then either return to Uriash Village or travel the world.

How to cast Ocha’s spell

If Andrei is still alive, Ocha meets you after you leave the hideout. The result depends on the memento and your route.

• Night route with the ring: The spell succeeds and only Andrei dies.
• Night route with the cleaver or pendant: The spell fails, leaving you to kill Andrei and his men.

During the day, Nora’s distraction creates another problem: Andrei has not released her. When Ocha asks what to do, choose one of the following approaches.

• “We should stick to the plan.” Open the pig pen to distract the guard and draw the symbol on the window. With the ring, Nora survives and the spell succeeds. With the cleaver or pendant, the spell fails; shout “Stay away from her!” and kill Andrei and his men to save Nora. If you do not intervene after the failed spell, Nora dies.
• “You’re right, no time for finesse.” Storm the hideout with Ocha and kill Andrei and his men. Nora survives.

Choose Ocha’s fate

Meet Ocha at the bridge south-west of Svartrau City. She asks you to catch crayfish from the river, but completing that task does not change the ending.

• Ocha becomes the new crime boss: The spell must succeed, killing Andrei but leaving his men alive. Choose “Do you like the city?”, then “New things can be exciting, sure”, followed by “Our neighbours helped a bit.”
• Ocha travels with Nora: Kill Andrei and all his men. Choose “Why do you want to travel?”, then “New things can be exciting, sure” and “Our neighbours helped a bit.”
• Ocha travels alone: Use the same dialogue as the travelling-with-Nora route, but this is the result if Nora died during failed spellcasting.
• Ocha returns to Uriash Village: Choose “Do you miss home?”, then “Meh, nothing better than homemade food” and “Other villagers just cared about themselves.”

Every ending completes the quest and awards 150 denarius plus the Broad Swing Manual. If Ocha becomes the crime boss, mentioning her when bandits trouble you will make them leave because of your connection to her.

Ocha also becomes a swordmastery teacher. Her location depends on the ending: find her at Andrei’s hideout as crime boss, beside the campfire as a traveller, or in Uriash Village if she returns home.

If you are also completing “A Mother’s Plea”, report Ocha’s decision to The Elder in Uriash Village. The Elder rewards you even when Ocha chooses to remain in the human world.

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