Revision 1

Overview

Svartrau is the largest settlement in Vale Sangora and the center of Brencis's vampire-ruled domain. It is the only true city in the game's open world — smaller settlements like Laslea exist as villages, but Svartrau is where the political power, the specialized merchants, and most of the population are concentrated.

Districts

The city is divided into distinct areas. The wealthiest is Silberkreis, which sits closest to Greifberg castle. The name has Germanic roots — "Silber" meaning silver, "Kreis" meaning circle or district — which fits with the region's mining history. Other parts of the city have not been described in detail yet, but the Gamescom demo showed market areas, residential blocks, and public spaces.

Day vs. night

Svartrau changes dramatically between day and night. During the day, it functions as a medieval city — merchants sell goods, citizens move through the streets, and Coen can interact with NPCs, shop, and pursue quests through normal social means.

At night, the city becomes hostile. Vampire patrols take to the streets. Coen's vampiric powers give him new traversal options — Plane Shift lets him walk up walls and across rooftops, Shadowstep allows quick teleportation — but he has to use stealth to avoid detection. Getting caught by guards or civilians while in his vampire form has consequences.

Greifberg castle

Greifberg is the castle overlooking Svartrau, positioned near the Silberkreis district. Based on context, it likely serves as the seat of power for Brencis and his inner circle. The castle has been mentioned but not shown in detail during public reveals.

Role in gameplay

As the only city in the game, Svartrau is the primary hub for shopping, gathering information, and interacting with factions. The developers have said that specialized merchants are only found in Svartrau, meaning players need to return to the city periodically. The city is also where many of the political storylines play out, since it's the center of both vampire authority and human resistance.