Revision 1

The prologue introduces Coen's family, the Blood Mass, his transformation and the escape from Laslea. Its opening errands have a limited time budget of their own. The main thirty-day rescue window starts after Smoke and Ashes, when the rubble at the village gate is cleared.

Opening sequence

All Good Things

Follow Lunka north through the forest, climb the ledges and crawl through the gap. Continue through the cave and the ice passage. The soldiers provide the first combat tutorial, followed by a dream version of the night form and Shadowstep. Follow Lunka to the church to wake from the nightmare. The reward is the Minor Mending Ointment recipe.

Withering Away and Esme

Take the clothes and book from the bedroom chest, chop firewood in the backyard and add it to the stove. Collect the sword from the storage room. Pieter provides 25 denarii for the herbs. Anca's hut is southwest of Laslea beyond the centre shrine, beside a stream.

Anca supplies the herbs whether Coen pays 50 denarii, bargains for 25 or cannot pay. When the storm starts, accepting her Latin lesson costs 2 segments and starts Page-Turner. Refusing costs 1 segment and closes that quest for the run.

Back at home, prepare the medicine with hot water and three spoonfuls of herbs. Boiling or cold water, or one or two spoonfuls, produces the wrong medicine and Esme dies at the Blood Mass. Read the recipe before beginning the brewing conversation. Withering Away grants 100 XP; completing the optional Page-Turner lesson adds 100 XP.

Training and the Blood Mass

Follow the path beside the house to Pieter at the ruins. Winning or losing the sparring match has the same outcome: a Charge Manual and 100 XP. Choosing to wait with him spends the remaining opening budget and begins Sacred Covenant. Leaving instead spends 1 segment and allows more errands.

The opening daytime budget is limited. Attacking a non-hostile villager can cause arrest and consume the remaining time, skipping directly to the Mass. Finish the medicine and any desired errands before waiting with Pieter. At the church, speak with villagers if desired, then sit beside the family. Esme's medicine and the Blasphemy decision determine which villagers survive.

Bad Blood and Vladimir

After the mine ambush, follow the blood trail to Kostel. Feeding on him is scripted even if Coen resists. Escape using Shadowstep across gaps, feed on rats, defeat the kobolds and learn Planeshift on the wall and ceiling. Clawride down outside instead of jumping from the cliff.

The soldiers outside can escort Coen directly to Brencis, saving a segment but preventing Vladimir's rescue. Fighting them leaves the detour open. Keep more than one nighttime Health Segment if a voluntary dialogue choice is needed; critical hunger can force a bite.

At the fork toward Laslea, take the uphill southeastern path to Vladimir's burning house. Defeat the soldier and Vrakhiri Banneret for 250 additional XP. Feeding on Vladimir kills him and removes later content. Brencis normally defeats Coen and advances the story; winning both phases instead produces an early ending.

Smoke and Ashes

Follow Anca back to Laslea and equip gear before approaching the dogs outside the house. Investigate the broken door, Lunka's toy, table, windows, blood in the storage room, backyard footprints and bed. Return to Anca to learn Compel Soul.

The dead soldier initially needs a catalyst. Take the yellow banner near the burned house and use it when casting again. On Steam from Hotfix 1.0.4, investigating the rag is optional. Clearing the gate costs 7 of the quest's 8 segments and ends the prologue. Optional tasks such as The Firebrand can be handled before clearing it so their time does not come from the main rescue window.