To forge powerful legendary weapons and armor in The Blood of Dawnwalker, players must undertake several quests, including the "Forge It Anew" and "Hero's End" storylines. These endeavors require diligent exploration to locate crucial quest items and defeat challenging foes.
Unearthing the Sword Shards
The "Forge It Anew" quest is central to acquiring the epic-tier Restored Sword of St. Mihai and its legendary upgrade. To initiate this quest, players must either explore specific caves to find murals that reveal other locations on the world map, or complete the "A Monk and a Saint" side quest, which provides a broken weapon and an understanding of the need for its shards. Each shard acquisition demands 3x Time Segments.
The first Sword Shard is found by completing the "Do Not Disturb" sub-quest. This involves venturing north of the Maragir Wealds marker, locating a large rock formation, and proceeding into a cavern to defeat a pack of kobolds and retrieve the shard from their nest. Another shard is tied to the "Executive Order" quest, located southeast of Tantari. Upon arriving at a kobold cave, players will find Xanthe's soldiers have already eliminated the creatures. A note indicates their plunder has been moved to a camp southwest of Tantari. This encounter can be managed by luring the guards out of the camp, potentially by provoking wild boars, allowing players to sneak into the main tent and secure the shard.
The third shard requires a journey southwest of Boar's Back, past the Giant's Pawns shrine. Here, a cave serves as a kobold nest, but it is guarded by a Wrongs variant miniboss named Munch-Munch. This enemy inflicts poison with its claw swipes and breath spew attacks, requiring players to block and dodge effectively. Once Munch-Munch is defeated, the Sword Shard can be claimed from the nest.
Assisting Father Florin
Separately, the priest Father Florin can be found in Svartrau City's large cathedral, where he engages in a sermon. He will confide in the player about a scheme, marking his hideout on the map and initiating the "In the Name of the Father" quest. Before proceeding, players can explore the cathedral's treasury. By paying an acolyte 1x Time Segment, players can gain access to the storage room and retrieve a Treasury Key. This key unlocks a building across the courtyard containing recipes for potent balms, the Phial of Xanthe's Blood (which teaches the Blood Surge ability), and a Stone Key.
Continuing "In the Name of the Father," players enter a forgotten temple complex behind the cathedral. Here, they can either agree to Florin's plan, leading to the "Hero's End" quest, kill him to obtain the Ancient Key (which still allows progression), or refuse further involvement.
The "Hero's End" Questline and Legendary Rewards
Assuming players assist Father Florin, they will proceed through "Hero's End" using the Ancient Key. Within the ruins, a chamber with a glowing green pit can be navigated using Planeshift. After defeating Hive Kobolds, the Stone Key can unlock a chest containing "The Hand of Fate," a legendary sword that buffs Witchcraft abilities and restoration.
An optional but important task within "Hero's End" involves inspecting a strange mural in a connecting room. This action unlocks the "Champion of Old" side quest and yields a Decrepit Key. The primary objective of "Hero's End" is to acquire the Ancient Hero's Armor. This involves battling the miniboss Rigoz, the Betrayed Hero, in the main chamber. Loot from this encounter includes the Soul Stigma Manual, a recipe for the Balm of Fortitude, and the Ancient Hero's Armor itself, a legendary chestpiece offering health restoration, Witchcraft damage, and damage against supernatural enemies. A Simple Key found nearby unlocks a shortcut back to the initial area.
Finally, the "Champion of Old" quest directs players to a marked location. After spending 3x Time Segments to enter, players can inspect more murals. Inspecting all murals triggers a fight against the miniboss Erkas the Repenter. Defeating him rewards "Erka's Sword," a legendary weapon that enhances maximum health, critical hit chance and damage, and damage against supernatural foes.
The Uriash Blacksmith and the Sword of St. Mihai
With all Sword Shards collected, players must find the uriash blacksmith northwest of Briar Sloughs. To craft the Restored Sword of St. Mihai, the broken sword and its hilt, acquired through the "A Monk and a Saint" quest, are also required. The blacksmith can then upgrade this sword into the legendary Imbued Sword of St. Mihai. This involves a final trial within a cavernous area accessible by cutting through red vines northwest of the blacksmith's location. After a challenging multi-wave undead encounter, the legendary weapon is obtained, alongside the "Arbiter's Blade" achievement. This weapon provides buffs to Swordmastery cooldown, critical hit chance and damage, and damage against supernatural enemies, with a wide-reaching weapon art.
Completing these questlines provides access to a formidable arsenal, including the Sword of St. Mihai and up to four other legendary items. Players can also gain access to Greifberg Castle via a secret knock sequence revealed by Father Florin after completing "Hero's End."