Alabaster Dawn opens with a prologue that hands you the basics before the main campaign begins. This guide walks through everything a new player should know in the first two to three hours: how the prologue is structured, the default controls, the combat fundamentals you will rely on for the entire game, and the early decisions that shape the first chapter.
What the Prologue Teaches
The campaign opens with The End of the World, a playable prologue that does not put you in Juno's shoes. Instead, you control Dahmon, a leader of an earlier generation of Chosen, alongside his allies during the original arrival of the Nyx curse. The prologue is a guided tutorial sequence: it teaches the basic attack, the dodge, the parry, the charged attack, and the use of healing bulbs against a wave of Nuemera that ends with the boss Inferna Vespa. The sequence ends with the gods abandoning humanity and Dahmon's group falling. The story then jumps forward and shifts control to Juno, the protagonist of the main campaign.
Default Controls
Alabaster Dawn supports keyboard and mouse plus full controller. The default keyboard mapping for new players:
Action | Default Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Move | WASD | Auto-jumping handles small ledges; aim with the mouse for ranged weapons |
Light attack | Left mouse button | Combo strings extend with repeated presses; varies by weapon |
Charged attack | Hold left mouse button | Heavier swing or held shot, used to break enemy defenses |
Dodge | Spacebar | Drains stamina; use to break out of combos and reposition |
Parry | E | Forgiving timing window; a successful parry stuns and sets up counters |
Divine Art | Hold Shift | Powerful elemental finisher, see |
Use healing bulb | F | Standard bulb restores partial HP; massive bulbs restore full |
Switch weapon set | Rebindable hotkey | Mid-combat slowdown lets you change melee or ranged loadout on the fly |
Open world map | Rebindable hotkey | Fast-travel checkpoints unlock as you complete area objectives |
All bindings can be remapped from the options menu. Difficulty is fully customizable: separate sliders adjust enemy attack speed, enemy HP, and overall difficulty, so anyone struggling with a boss can dial down a single axis without flattening the whole game.
Combat Fundamentals
Alabaster Dawn rewards reading enemy attacks and choosing the right tool. Mashing the attack button works on weak enemies, but bosses and elite Nuemera require timing. The four pillars to learn early:
Parry. Tapping E just before a blow lands stuns the attacker and opens a counter window. Successful parries also fill the break meter faster.
Break meter. Every enemy has a stagger gauge above their HP. Repeated hits, charged attacks, and parries fill it; once full, the enemy is stunned for a heavy follow-up.
Weapon switching. You always carry one melee and one ranged weapon. The switch button briefly slows time, letting you pivot to ranged for a flying foe or melee for a charging one without losing the combo flow.
Divine Art. Holding Shift unleashes the elemental finisher tied to your active element. Use it to clear a stunned enemy or break a tough Nuemera's armor. See Combat System for the full breakdown.
From Prologue to Lyhamn
After the prologue ends and Juno awakens, the game guides you to Lyhamn, a small village in Koro Valley that serves as the hub for Chapter 1. Early objectives include:
Reaching Lyhamn and meeting Estera o' Marmis, who introduces the village restoration system.
Helping rebuild key buildings: speak with Penterson the head carpenter for construction tasks, Orlanda the chief farmer for food chains, and Petros the village smith for early gear upgrades.
Gathering Quickwood from the Red Forest in the side quest Branching Out.
Restoring the rice fields in Rice to the Occasion.
Confronting an early Nuemera incursion in Blooming Village.
Climbing Silver Peak in A Sneak Peek, which opens a vista of the wider Koro Valley region.
Early Tips
Prioritize the parry. Bosses telegraph clearly. A parried hit replaces three or four light attacks worth of damage in stagger pressure.
Always carry both ranges. Keep one melee and one ranged weapon equipped; many enemies only become safe to approach after a ranged stagger.
Cook before bosses. Healing bulbs are limited; buff dishes from the cooking system stack with bulbs and add temporary attack or defense.
Talk to Artificers. Artificer NPCs in each settlement craft and upgrade gems for free with Essences. Slot a defensive gem before a hard boss attempt.
Use the difficulty sliders. Lower enemy HP for grinding side content, raise enemy attack speed for boss skill checks. Settings can be changed any time.
Save Anytime is on. There is no save scumming penalty. Save before exploring a new region.
Next Steps
Once you finish the early Lyhamn quest chain, branch into the Trial of Aether dungeon to unlock a new element, then explore north along the Koro Valley road. The Combat System, Divine Weapons, and Elements pages cover the deeper mechanics you will lean on for the rest of the Early Access content.