Overview
The cathedral in Svartrau is one of the most important locations in the game, both as a story setting and as a level shown during public demos. Chronicler Albertus Taurinus described it as embodying "the wrath God displayed towards sinners", it is grand but foreboding, a building designed to inspire fear as much as faith.
Architecture
The cathedral is a large medieval religious structure near the Silberkreis district. Its exterior is imposing. The interior contains frescos on the walls, some of which hold hidden clues relevant to quests. Beneath the main floor, extensive crypts and catacombs extend underground. These hidden areas are a separate explorable space with their own encounters and secrets.
The crypt of Saint Mihai
The cathedral's crypt holds the tomb of Saint Mihai, the patron saint of the cathedral. According to official history, Mihai was a pagan knight who died fighting a monster and was canonized afterward. The truth is that Mihai was buried alive, and he is still down there, because he is a Dawnwalker who has survived for centuries in the sealed tomb.
Gamescom demo
The Gamescom 2025 hands-off demo played the same quest twice (once during the day and once at night) to demonstrate the dual gameplay system, and both versions were set in and around the cathedral.
The daytime version involved investigation. Coen spoke with NPCs and used the Compel Soul hex to interrogate a corpse (identified by moths gathering above it), following leads to different locations and encounters.
The nighttime version was a stealth infiltration of the underground catacombs using vampiric powers. Coen encountered a murohni called "The Almshouse Monstrosity" and fought another Dawnwalker as a boss.
Pre-vampire history
Before the Vrakhiri takeover, Skender Dragosti ordered his personal confessor Father Florin to lead day-and-night vigils in the cathedral when news of the plague first reached the valley. The prayers did not work. The plague arrived anyway, and Skender eventually fell to the vampires he was hoping God would protect him from.