Spoiler warning: This guide discusses prologue quests, characters and choices in The Blood of Dawnwalker.
The opening of The Blood of Dawnwalker gives you one morning to complete activities before mass. The main quest, Withering Away, uses one time segment, leaving seven segments for optional quests and other activities.
There are 13 quests available during this window, but completing every one is impossible. Some take no time, while others consume one, two or even the remainder of the morning. Your decisions do not permanently lock you out of later content, although individual choices can create smaller differences during the prologue.
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Every quest available before mass
The table below has been reorganised as a quick reference. The listed time represents the number of segments normally used by each quest.
- Into the Den: 1 segment.
- If a Tree Falls in a Forest…: 0 segments.
- Enter Not: 0 segments.
- Live Bait: 1 segment.
- Someone Needs a Lesson: 1 segment.
- Dead Drop: 0 segments.
- Bandits’ Treasure Map: Laslea Glen: 2 segments.
- Disturbed: 1 or 2 segments.
- Blasphemy: 1 segment.
- On the Run: 2 segments.
- Deep Down: 1 segment.
- Page-Turner: available after visiting Anca’s hut during Withering Away; it takes 1 or 2 segments, or 2 or 3 when combined with Withering Away.
- Like Father, Like Son: available after gathering Anca’s herbs; it takes 1 segment or the rest of the morning.
Which quests are most worth doing?
You can choose any available activity during the prologue, and none of these decisions prevents you from accessing later content. The strongest reasons to prioritise particular quests are their story choices, introductions to important mechanics, experience and equipment rewards, or the chance to complete them without spending time.
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is one of the best early quests for understanding both Coen’s role and the game’s decision-making. You investigate the theft of a banner from Gremla’s house and identify the culprit. The investigation raises difficult questions about Coen’s motives, while the quest also introduces the Focus mechanic. Your choices influence what happens later in the prologue, even if you decide not to finish the quest.
Deep Down
In Deep Down, you search for Lazar, a missing person from Laslea. It demonstrates how a time-sensitive quest can change depending on when you begin it. The quest also reveals more about a historical figure’s dealings with the Vrakhiri, provides loot and ends with a mini-boss encounter that tests your combat skills.
Page-Turner
Page-Turner becomes available after you visit Anca’s hut during Withering Away. It can consume more time than any other prologue quest, but it offers valuable character development for Anca, one of the game’s protagonists and a potential love interest for Coen. Completing it gives you more time to uncover Anca’s secrets.
On the Run
On the Run begins when Iorgu needs help recovering a lost pig. You use Focus to track it down and return it home. The quest is short in terms of its objective, but it leads immediately to another difficult decision.
Disturbed
Disturbed follows Crina’s attempt to discover who disturbed her late son’s grave. Once you find the grave robber and learn the reason behind the act, the quest presents another moral dilemma. You must decide who to support and whether the son’s belongings should be returned to Crina.
Complete the quests that cost no time
If a Tree Falls in a Forest…, Enter Not and Dead Drop use no time segments. They therefore offer experience and rewards without reducing the hours available for longer activities. Since time is the most limited resource in the morning, these are sensible early targets.
The opening rewards can include experience and equipment, although much of this gear will soon be replaced as you explore further.
Do not begin a quest with one segment remaining
Several prologue quests spend an hour at the beginning or in the middle of the objective. If a quest advances the clock and still has another step to complete, starting it with only one segment left can interrupt your progress. The quest may then fail, preventing you from receiving its rewards.
When you reach that point, consider spending the segment on a skill instead. Sustained Focus is a useful choice because several skills require two activation charges, and improving it early can save time later.
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How to approach the prologue
There is no single mandatory route before mass. Prioritise the free quests first, then select story-heavy activities such as Blasphemy, Deep Down, Page-Turner, On the Run and Disturbed according to the characters and mechanics you want to see. Keep track of the remaining segments, and avoid starting a multi-stage quest when the clock is nearly exhausted.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is built around time-sensitive narrative choices. After the prologue, you can explore Vale Sangora and take on Brencis’ boyars with considerably more freedom, so the morning’s choices should be treated as a chance to shape the opening rather than as a permanently missable checklist.
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