The "Buried Past" quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker offers players a significant moral choice regarding the character Coen's relationship with his father's old friend, Volk. This quest becomes available after completing the game's prologue and can be initiated by speaking with the grocer in Maragir Crossroads or by directly inspecting Volk's ruined hut northeast of Svartrau City. Upon entering the hut, Volk will initiate a fight, but identifying yourself as Pieter's son will de-escalate the situation.
The "Buried Past" quest unfolds over several in-game days, requiring players to wait a day between conversations with Volk. The core decisions revolve around whether to train with Volk, whether to help him find Pieter's treasure, and ultimately, whether to assist Volk with his personal matters.
Training and Treasure
Volk will eventually offer Coen a sword fighting training session. Accepting this offer does not alter the quest's overall outcome but rewards players with an Artery Strike Manual, a swordmastery skill. Winning or losing this sparring match has no narrative consequence.
Following the training, Volk will inquire about Pieter's fortune, leading to a choice: agree or refuse to help find the treasure. If Coen agrees, players must travel to a quest area north of Parlita. Following a trail southwest from a lookout point in the forest, and using a shovel found at an old campfire, players can unearth Pieter's treasure. The reward for this is Pieter's Garb, a piece of legendary light chest armor. Afterward, visiting the Maragir Monastery will reveal details about Pieter's treasure. Returning to Volk with this information leads to him asking Coen to come back the next day, setting up the final decision regarding helping Volk.
Refusing to search for the treasure prompts Volk to ask Coen to return the following day. Upon his return, Coen will be attacked by soldiers, after which Volk confesses his betrayal. Players can then choose to fight and kill Volk, or spare him. If spared, Volk will be found dead in his hut on a subsequent visit. If Coen fights and kills Volk, players can loot Volk's Sword and 200 denari from his body.
Assisting Volk
To fully help Volk, players must exhaust all dialogue options during their conversations to unlock optional objectives. Rushing through dialogue may cause these opportunities to be missed. These optional tasks are spread across multiple visits and require significant in-game time.
On the first visit, players can choose to chop wood (one time segment) or get rid of wolves (two time segments). The second visit allows for gathering feverfew by the riverbank (two time segments, plus another for preparing ointment) or giving Volk slivovitz (no time cost, but requires acquiring the drink). The third visit involves boarding up the bedroom window (one time segment) and finding Volk's knife on the roof (no time cost, but requires inspecting a pile of vomit and asking Volk about it).
Completing all these optional objectives is crucial to achieving the "you helped Volk" outcome. Failing to complete even one or two, such as chopping wood or providing slivovitz, may not be enough to trigger this specific result.
Outcomes of Helping Volk
If Coen successfully helps Volk by completing all optional objectives, upon the final visit, Coen will find two dead soldiers and a note from Volk. Volk explains that he refused Brencis's order to betray Coen and has left, leaving his sword behind. However, a closer inspection using witchcraft on a corpse in the garden can reveal the full truth: Volk initially planned to sell Coen out but changed his mind due to Coen's assistance.
If Coen does not help Volk, the outcome mirrors that of refusing to search for Pieter's treasure. After the soldier attack and Volk's confession, players must decide whether to fight him. Sparing Volk leads to him being found dead later, while fighting and killing him yields a sword and currency as a reward. The game's time-sensitive nature and player choices emphasize the impact of these decisions on the narrative.