The Blood of Dawnwalker prologue: the optimal quest order and time-saving route
The opening hours of The Blood of Dawnwalker are built around a simple but punishing rule: there is not enough time to do everything. Nearly every quest in the prologue is marked as time-sensitive, and the game’s day is split into eight time segments, with another eight at night. Quests that consume time show an hourglass icon with a number indicating how many segments they use, while getting caught stealing wastes four whole segments with the guard. Even learning skills at shrines can eat into your schedule, so the order in which you tackle objectives matters more than in most role-playing games.
One player spent 15 hours replaying the prologue several times to map the ideal route, and the conclusion is that some quests are simply skippable. “Someone Needs A Lesson,” which involves stepping between Vasil and his father, offers a glimpse into other people’s home lives but has no bearing on the wider plot. “On The Run,” which tasks Coen with finding Iorgu’s pig, allows him to confront his feelings about bloodshed and the uncomfortable analogy of humans as livestock for the vrakhiri, but there are more pressing matters in town during the prologue. “Into The Den” is not time-sensitive at all, so it can be safely left until after the prologue ends.
The best route through the opening hours begins with the morning quest “Live Bait.” After leaving Coen’s house, players should walk downhill to speak with his sister Yanna, who is standing with Lunka and Mirto. Agreeing to escort them to the river to fish starts the quest, and the key is to avoid wasting time playing tag with the siblings on the way. Scolding them firmly earns Yanna’s appreciation, and there is no long-term impact from the dialogue choices that follow. The four fishing rods are hidden under a bush northwest of Yanna’s position, and they must be placed in the four pole spots along the riverbank. The conversation choices here do not have lasting consequences, though some responses add extra wit to the sibling dynamic. Buried Past: a post-prologue quest with three key decisions
After the prologue, the “Buried Past” quest introduces Coen to Volk, a blind former mercenary and an old friend of his father Pieter. The quest can take many in-game days to complete, as players must wait one day between each conversation, but it ultimately hinges on three decisions: whether to train with Volk, whether to find Pieter’s treasure, and whether to help Volk by completing his optional objectives.
The quest becomes available after the prologue, though it may take a while to stumble upon. Players can optionally speak with the grocer in Maragir Crossroads, who mentions that Coen’s father used to buy alcohol from him before heading into St. Tyna’s Grove, or skip that step and go straight to Volk’s ruined hut northeast of Svartrau City. To start the quest, players must inspect the hut using focus mode. Volk will attack on entry, but whether Coen wins or loses the fist fight, telling Volk that he is Pieter’s son makes the old mercenary friendly.
On the third visit, Volk proposes a sword-fighting training session. Agreeing to it does not change the story outcome, but it does reward Coen with an Artery Strike Manual, a swordmastery skill. The dialogue before and after the fight is irrelevant, and winning or losing makes no difference, though Volk is surprisingly tough for a blind man, so gearing up before the third conversation is advisable.
During that same third conversation, Volk raises the subject of Pieter’s fortune. Coen reveals that his family never had much money, which leads Volk to suspect that Pieter buried his treasure somewhere. Volk asks for Coen’s help, and the player must agree or refuse. If Coen agrees, Volk keeps questioning him until the glade that Pieter and the family used to visit comes up. The quest area is just north of Parlita, and the consequences of the treasure hunt are still being mapped by players who have tested both paths.
The third decision — whether to help Volk by chopping wood, fixing his window, and scaring off local wolves — is spread throughout the quest. These optional objectives take time, and Coen’s family needs him too, so skipping them is a legitimate choice. The game does not force a single correct answer, and the consequences of helping or refusing are part of the broader lesson that the prologue teaches: lives are on the line, and every hour spent on one person is an hour taken from another.
The Blood of Dawnwalker does not announce a release date, and no developer or publisher has been named in coverage of the quest guides. What is clear is that the game’s opening hours are designed to make players feel the weight of limited time, and the optimal route requires accepting that some quests will go unfinished.