Following the prologue of The Blood of Dawnwalker, players are presented with a vast open world and the freedom to pursue any available quest. To make the most of this initial freedom and prepare for Brencis' coronation within the game's 30-day timeframe, a strategic approach to early activities and quests is recommended.
Essential Early Exploration
Players should begin by exploring less dangerous regions, indicated by the absence of skull icons on the map. Recommended areas include Briar Sloughs, Maragir Wealds, St. Tyna's Grove, and Svartrau City. To uncover points of interest within these zones, players can climb and interact with watchtowers, an action that only occurs at night and does not advance time. This process helps reveal useful locations and prepare for further exploration.
Two key abilities are crucial for enhancing traversal: Mercurial Fervour, a witchcraft ability for daytime haste, and Shapeshift, a vampire ability for nighttime sprinting. Unlocking these skills significantly speeds up exploration and can be acquired without advancing the in-game clock.
Increasing a player's corruption level is also a primary objective. By using the Voracious Bite ability to drain blood from enemies, players can unlock new vampire powers. Reaching corruption level 1 is essential for obtaining the Shapeshift ability, but further increases offer more advantages. Players should aim to boost corruption whenever opportunities arise.
Beyond these core abilities, upgrading other skills is advisable. Focusing on universally useful abilities, such as those in the swordmastery tree like Vigour, Endless Effort, and Sustained Focus, ensures that acquired skills remain beneficial regardless of playstyle. Upgrading a few abilities will not impede progress on critical quests.
Recommended Early Quests
Several quests are particularly beneficial for new players due to their location in easier regions or their ability to unlock important quest lines and abilities.
"The Firebrand" begins in Laslea Glen and serves as an excellent starting point, as it leads to numerous follow-up missions. Players should also seek out "A Pilgrimage for Power: Bear Trouble," a short quest that rewards the Ravenous Flock witchcraft ability, useful for daytime area-of-effect combat. Similarly, "A Pilgrimage for Power: Fanatics" provides a second Ravenous Flock Manual.
"Echoes of Silenced Bells," available at the Crossroad Inn on the east side of the map (provided Anca is alive), initiates several follow-up quests that can aid in the fight against Brencis. It is advisable to enhance a few combat abilities before embarking on this questline.
In Svartrau City, the quest "A Friend Like This" begins automatically in an alley north of Svartrau Cathedral. Despite its unassuming start, it branches into a significant quest line. Players can also engage in sabotage missions against Ambrus, such as "Ambrus's Collectors," "Ambrus's Cellars," and "Ambrus's Dungeons." While sabotaging other members of Brencis's court is possible, focusing on Ambrus, who operates in safer northern regions, allows for the earlier commencement of the first Vrakhir quest line.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a narrative-driven RPG where player choices and actions have consequences. Successfully navigating the early game involves balancing exploration, skill development, and strategic quest selection to prepare for the challenges ahead.