Revision 1

Background

Coen is the protagonist of The Blood of Dawnwalker and a Dawnwalker — a being stuck between humanity and vampirism. He was born to a peasant family in Vale Sangora as the eldest of four siblings. From a young age, he worked alongside his father in the silver mines, a life that gave him calloused hands, a strong back, and — more importantly for the story — chronic silver poisoning that had seeped into his bones and blood over the years.

He was an intelligent, curious kid who dreamed about seeing the world beyond the valley. But he couldn't bring himself to abandon his family, so he stayed and kept mining. That loyalty to his family becomes the central emotional engine of the entire game.

The turning

When Coen's sister Lunka contracted the Black Plague, the family was desperate. Brencis, the vampire lord who rules Vale Sangora, offered to cure her. Vampire blood can eliminate the plague, and Brencis made it seem like an act of generosity. But the cure came with strings attached. Brencis used it to hold Coen's family hostage, trapping them in a debt they could never repay.

At some point, someone attempted to turn Coen into a full vampire. The process involves a vampire pulling out one of their own teeth and piercing the target's heart with it. Under normal circumstances, this would complete the transformation. But the silver that had been accumulating in Coen's body for years interfered with the conversion. The result was something neither side had ever seen — a Dawnwalker.

Dawnwalker nature

As a Dawnwalker, Coen exists between two states. During the day, he is mostly human. He fights with a sword he learned to use from his father, and he can use hex magic — bloody scars carved into his skin that let him manipulate the battlefield. His health doesn't regenerate on its own during the day; he has to eat food, like any person.

At night, the vampire side takes over. His claws extend, he gains access to vampiric powers like Shadowstep (short-range teleportation), Plane Shift (walking on walls and ceilings), and the ability to bite enemies to restore health. The trade-off is that he must avoid being seen by guards and civilians, and his blood craving intensifies — if it gets too severe, he can lose control.

Motivation

Once the prologue concludes, Coen has 30 days and 30 nights to rescue his family from Brencis and his inner circle. That is the core objective. Everything else — the factions you ally with, the missions you take, the parts of the valley you explore — feeds back into that single goal. You can approach it from dozens of angles, or you can fail entirely.

Combat style

Coen's combat changes depending on the time of day. During daylight hours, he uses a sword with a directional attack system — four directions for attack and parry. He can supplement this with hex abilities like Acrid Dust, Burning Blood, and Compel Soul. He can also fight barehanded, using punches and blocks.

At night, the sword goes away and the claws come out. The combat becomes faster and more aggressive, with Shadowstep allowing rapid repositioning. Biting enemies heals him, creating an incentive to stay on the offensive. The skill system is split across three trees: Human, Vampire, and Shared.

Personality

From what the developers have shown, Coen is not a chosen-one archetype or a professional monster hunter. He is a working-class man whose world collapsed around him. He's resourceful rather than powerful, and his dialogue leans toward practical directness rather than bravado. The fact that he's a miner's son — not a noble, not a trained warrior — shapes how other characters in Vale Sangora respond to him.