Characters and NPCs in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Once a miner and farmer in the small village of Laslea Glen, he becomes a human warrior by day and a predatory vampire by night.

Coen is the main protagonist and playable character in The Blood of Dawnwalker. He has 30 days to save his family from a ritual execution at the hands of Brencis, scheduled to take place on the exact day he is crowned ruler of Vale Sangora.

Coen’s father, a former mercenary and miner turned farmer.

My father ... Where do I even start?

He's complicated. He loves us all, for sure, but isn't good at making us feel it. He's the most hardworking man I know, but he may also be the most pigheaded. Life's been hard on him, I get it, especially since mum got worse. But sometimes ... there's just no way to get through to him.

He's taught me a lot, though. Everything I know about sword fighting I learned from him. We worked together in the silver mine, too, before it made me ill.

But his past is a mystery to me. People have told me he used to be a mercenary, but he refuses to talk about it. It's strange - we've lived under one roof my whole life, and yet there's so much about him I don't know.

TYPE: Mortal

Coen’s mother, once cheerful but recently distant and withdrawn.

I remember when my mother used to smile a lot, but that was a long, long time ago. Then life gradually started to take its toll. First Alin's death, then the plague, and finally, the vrakhir takeover ... She withdrew into herself, stopped speaking, eating, sometimes she wouldn't even get out of bed. I hope she'll come back to us one day, but is that even possible at this point?

TYPE: Mortal

Coen’s younger sister, the one you rescued from the plague.

Lunka is my sister. I remember when she was just a toddler, and now ... She's so perceptive and smart, always finding out how to get what she wants. But still, she's just a child, chasing whatever fancy catches her.

And that combination has me worried sick. She can't tell right from wrong, or safety from danger. I'm more of a parent to her now than mum or dad ... and I haven't got a clue how to do it. I don't want to be watching her every step ... But she can't end up like Alin. She just can't.

TYPE: Mortal

Coen’s second sister, nearly a young adult.

My sister Yanna is almost an adult now ... But she's always been mature beyond her years. When my father and I aren't around, she takes care of Mirto and Lunka. Her patience sometimes runs short, but she does what she can.

TYPE: Mortal

Coen’s younger brother, still a child and full of energy.

My little brother, Mirto, could hardly be more different from me. I was a pretty quiet child, while Mirto ... Well, you know. He's just a little ball of fire.

And I can't blame him. Things have never been easy with our dad, and now, with mum's withdrawal ... I'm sure he's dealing with a lot. I just wish I knew how to talk to him. Yanna keeps saying he'll grow out of it - out of the anger and the attitude ... but I worry she's just told herself that so many times that she's started believing it.

Anyway, being a young boy isn't easy. I try to remember that every time he throws a tantrum.

TYPE: Mortal

Brencis is the main antagonist in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Born as Caeso Burrienus Laurentius in 131 AD in the Roman Empire. He is a powerful vampire and the current ruler of Vale Sangora.

Two years ago, soon after the plague started, Brencis and his three vrakhir henchmen stepped out of the shadows. In just one night they killed the knyaz at the time, Skender Dragosti, and took over Vale Sangora.

When Brencis told us he was going to drink our blood and commanded us to drink his, people were terrified. But soon they got used to it.

Today, Brencis rules the valley from Greifberg Castle in Svartrau. He rarely leaves it, except to attend Blood Mass. He is old, there's no hiding it - but even though his body may seem to be crumbling, he is powerful ... and somehow his strength seems only to be growing.

TYPE: Supernatural

Xanthe, she is oldest of Brencis' henchmen.

Xanthe is the oldest vrakhir in Brencis's court, older even than the knyaz himself. While the others rely mainly on their claws and fangs, Xanthe prefers to meddle with her foes's minds. They say she can drive you mad in an instant ... Or even make blood come bubbling out of your ears.

In Brencis's grand plan, she's responsible for turning soldiers into blood guards. How exactly she does that remains a mystery, but it involves a dark ritual that cannot be reversed.

Xanthe watches over the southeastern parts of Vale Sangora.

The boyaress is procuring supernatural advantages for Brencis's army - she conducts bizarre experiments, grows the Blood Guard ranks, and unearths the valley's ancient secrets.

She had lived here for centuries, long before the new knyaz arrived and staged his takeover. What reasons she has to pledge obedience to a vrakhir younger than her - no one knows. It could be simple convenience ... or something far more perturbing.

TYPE: Supernatural

Ambrus is the youngest of Brencis' henchmen, but just as corrupt as any of them.

Just a few years ago, he was a mercenary in Skender's retinue - until he stood up to his liege lord, who then punished him by pouring boiling water down his throat.

Brencis found the dying Ambrus in a dungeon and offered to turn him in exchange for unquestioned loyalty. He didn't have to ask twice.

Today, Ambrus is responsible for collecting, storing and distributing blood - and does his job with unparalleled zeal.

Ambrus's lands stretch across the northern parts of Vale Sangora. He manages the supply chain of human blood for Brencis and his vrakhir allies - from bleeding prisoners to transporting and storing blood for future use.

As the youngest vrakhir in the valley, turned only during Brencis's takeover, Ambrus has a lot to prove - both his competence and his loyalty to his sire. And he loves to make a show of it all, carrying himself with flamboyance and flair.

The odd thing about him is - he seems to still genuinely enjoy the company of humans over that of other vrakhiri.

TYPE: Supernatural

Bakir, one of Brencis' henchmen.

I don't know if Bakir has always been this mad, or if years of feasting on humans have made him who he is. Either way, he's a monster. He doesn't just despise humans - he makes them into his playthings. His Lunar Tournament - the sick games he lures people into taking part in, end every single time in a bloodbath.

Bakir rules over the southwestern parts of Vale Sangora.

The Mad Khan keeps the valley's population obedient and anyone wise enough knows that he is not to be crossed: as an experienced warrior with unabashed enjoyment of cruelty, he makes a formidable opponent.

Bakir oversees handing out the rewards to the supporters of the regime, as well as doling out punishments to dissidents. And every now and then, he makes it into a grotesque game show. It's difficult to say when he's more terrifying - when he wants to kill you, or when he wants to be your friend.

TYPE: Supernatural

It is not hard to guess that Anca is a witch, but she is one of the good ones. She is also a potential romance option in Dawnwalker.

Anca is a herbalist, but she hasn't always been one. For years she served God at St. Tyna's convent. The nun's life wasn't a good fit for her, but the truth is, she's far too clever to be where she is now, either. She speaks Latin, knows things about the world nobody else does ... yet I wouldn't call her happy.

We get along well, though. I enjoy her company, and - for whatever reason - the feeling seems to be mutual.

TYPE: Mortal

Crake is the mysterious and desperate leader of the human Rebellion. His real name is Marat, and he is the only male romance option available in Dawnwalker. He is also one of the potential allies you can recruit for the fight against Brencis.

The manumits have many secrets, and their leader's identity is one of the best kept ones. But, after quite a lot of effort, I managed to find him - even though he'd probably say he let himself be found.

And, though he pretends otherwise, he seems desperate. He's running a tight ship, but also a sinking one. The manumits are outnumbered, hunted down without mercy ... I could help them, and something tells me Crake already knows that.

TYPE: Mortal

Vladimir is a friend of Coen and one of the leaders of the human rebellion against the Vrakhiri. His extreme methods do not sit entirely right with Coen.

Vlad is friends with both me and my father. And since the two of us are as different as night and day, this probably proves that Vlad could be friends with anyone. He's almost twice my age, but the years haven't weighed him down - which is an exception to the rule in Laslea.

Recently he's become somewhat secretive, though. Some say he's in touch with the manumits, the rebels preparing an uprising against Brencis. If that's true, I bet he'll want me and my father to get involved too.

TYPE: Mortal

Mert is a miller who smuggles weapons for the Manumit rebels.

Mert is a miller, and my friend Vlad's cousin. I don't know him well, but it seems he's in league with the manumits, too. Maybe he could help me contact them.

The problem is, I have to be quick about it. Mert was arrested by Brencis's soldiers and is now imprisoned in one of their outposts.

TYPE: Mortal

Iulian Codrin is a heroic nobleman who helps you out by poisoning Ambrus during the duel with Coen.

Iulian is a nobleman, one of the few Brencis spared. He pledged allegiance and became Boyar Ambrus' vassal. This meant Iulian could keep his status and possessions.

But nonetheless, Iulian wishes the boyar dead. He knows, even though officially Brencis disapproves of feeding directly from humans, Ambrus feasts on his subjects whenever he pleases. luilian intends to use that to his advantage, killing his master by poisoning the blood of the vrakhir's next victim.

TYPE: Mortal

Vera is an herbalist who came up with a plan to save Iulian Codrin from the poison used against Ambrus.

Vera is a herbalist. She lives in the swamps, and - as one might expect of someone dwelling in such seclusion - there is more to her than meets the eye. She is also a friend of lulian Codrin's and will hopefully help us carry out his plan.

TYPE: Mortal

Volk is a blind, heavy-drinking ex-mercenary who claims my father secretly supported him in Vale Sangora, sharing entertaining but completely unverified tales of their past adventures.

Volk is an ex-mercenary and - supposedly - my father's friend. In his youth he might have been a nimble warrior, but today he's old, blind and always in search of a drink.

He claims he came to Vale Sangora after losing his sight, and asked my father for help. My father agreed, found him a place to live and - without anyone noticing - visited him every now and then, providing him with everything Volk needed to survive.

Since my father can't confirm or deny any of this, I don't know if Volk is even telling the truth. But made up or not, his stories about my father and their adventures are definitely amusing to listen to.

TYPE: Mortal

Kostel is a hot-headed young man working with Vladimir.

Kostel acts before he thinks. He's lucky he had a caring mum, Lina, who always took his side whenever things got out of hand, which usually meant him getting into a fight. My father said once, 'the reason Kostel will never change is because there's always someone to get him back on his feet'. I don't know if he was right, but it continued even after Kostel's mum died. Her nephew, Vlad, picked up where she left off, and started looking after the lad - partly because he's family, but also as a friend, I think. Sometimes I get the feeling that Vlad encourages Kostel's rashness instead of reining it in - but for what reason, I don't know.

TYPE: Mortal

Renna hides you from the soldiers and sends you to Stoneward Post to find Mert.

Renna and her husband Mert own a water mill. They used to have two children, but the plague took them both. Renna works a lot - all the time, actually, and there's always more to do. It's even harder for her now, ever since Brencis's soldiers accused Mert of aiding the manumits and arrested him.

TYPE: Mortal

Once you free Sara from the soldiers, she will guide you back to Crake's camp.

Sara is with the manumits. She's young - some might say, too young to risk her life like this. But if you asked her, I bet she'd say she's exactly where she wants to be.

TYPE: Mortal

Albertus is a monk and historian who might have clues about the legendary St. Mihai's sword, though his supposed madness makes his information hard to trust.

Albertus is a monk and historian who might know a thing or two about St. Mihai's sword, the legendary weapon I'm looking for. The problem is that, according to Anca, Albertus has gone mad. Who knows if what he says is of any value.

TYPE: Mortal

Brencis kills Skender two years before the events of Dawnwalker.

Skender Dragosti had ruled Vale Sangora for as long as I could remember. He ascended the throne in 1324, after his father died in a hunting accident. From his very first day, he ruled with an iron fist. He didn't just exploit us all, like his forebears did. He was cruel and ruled entirely through fear.

It took nine years for people to muster the courage to revolt. But even then, he didn't stop. He massacred the peasants at Shrike's Crag, leaving no one alive. From that day on, nobody else dared to oppose him.

Until finally, Brencis did. And many people were grateful for that.

TYPE: Mortal

Father Florin, the opportunistic priest at the church in Laslea Glen.

In the past, Father Florin was Knyaz Skender's personal confessor. Today he is the key figure in Brencis's church, the Blood Covenant. Whatever atrocity the vrakhiri commit, Florin always finds a way to convince his flock this is the way things should be. Most of the time he resides in Svartrau Cathedral, but he often visits villages throughout the valley, celebrating Mass and hearing confessions. He's always known how to keep himself busy, that's for sure.

TYPE: Mortal

Nareh is a Uriash Blacksmith who resides in a remote cabin in northwestern Briar Sloughs.

While hiking through the mountains, I stumbled upon an uriash blacksmith. The place where she lived seemed secluded, even by uriash standards. I wonder what happened to her and why she isn't with her people. Did she choose to live this way, or is she an outcast?

TYPE: Mortal

Leonica, She Who Speaks With the Devil, betrayed Anca and got her expelled from Saint Tyna's over a secret library she now hypocritically explores herself.

Leonica used to be Anca's friend at Saint Tyna's convent. When Anca discovered the secret library there, she told Leonica about it. Leonica lost her nerve and denounced Anca to the prioress, which then got Anca expelled from Saint Tyna's. But this doesn't seem to have stopped Leonica from taking an interest in the secret library after all.

TYPE: Supernatural

Gremla has a problem. The banner she was weaving at Brencis's request went missing.

Gremla is one of the oldest women in Laslea, and one with many talents. She's a skilled weaver, a great cook and knows the history of our village better than anyone. But since Brencis turned up, she lives in constant apprehension. You can tell she despises the vrakhiri, but she thinks it isn't her place to stand up to them. Instead, she tries to placate them so they'll leave Laslea alone. Not everyone agrees with her, but a lot of us do.

TYPE: Mortal

Gavril is working in the field right off the road to Anca's Hut, searching for his missing brother, Lazar.

Gavril is reliable. If he says he'll do something, you can consider it done. This puzzles many people in Laslea, since Gavril's brother, Lazar, is the exact opposite - to such a degree that some hardly believe they're brothers at all.

TYPE: Mortal

You need to track down Iorgu's missing pig.

Iorgu thinks a lot. He keeps asking himself all sorts of questions, like: What's a rainbow? Do mice really sprout from rotting hay? Why do clouds float? And I don't think he's really looking for answers. He just asks for the joy of it.

That doesn't mean he's some useless layabout. He owns plenty of animals, so he has no choice but to work from dawn till dusk. But he doesn't seem to mind.

TYPE: Mortal

Crina has a problem. Someone dug up her grandson's grave at the cemetery near the church.

Crina is one of my neighbours from Laslea. She looks older than she actually is - in part due to years of working in the fields, but also because she's been struck by tragedy. Her only grandson, Kvet, died unexpectedly from what seemed to be a minor scratch - which then turned into a festering wound. Crina's life fell apart after that. I know what she's feeling and wish I could help her, but I'm not really sure how.

TYPE: Mortal

Vasil is Atanas's unruly son. His father is to blame since he raised him with violence.

In Laslea, Vasil has a reputation. He's not keen on hard work, but does love giving other people a hard time. Me especially, on account of my friendship with Anca. Vasil's father thinks he needs to beat this attitude out of his son, but I'm not sure he's tried any other approach.

TYPE: Mortal

Premysl is the one who stole Brencis's banner, but we shouldn't judge him too harshly.

Premysl is deeply religious. He has always taken the teachings of the Church to heart, maybe even more so than the priests who used to preach them. I imagine that every day under Brencis's rule must be torture for him. Normally, he tries to hold back, but every now and then he'll say something about 'blasphemy' and us being 'lambs ready for the slaughter' - which only adds to the tension between him and the more conciliatory of us.

TYPE: Mortal

Lazar is Gavril's brother. You rescue him from the Ancient Tomb.

Lazar is Gavril's brother ... and that might be the only reason he's still alive. Of the two, Lazar has always been the freer spirit, some might say 'absent-minded' or 'reckless'. But luckily, he's had Gavril, who used to get him out of trouble every step of the way. Oddly enough, I'd say it does them both good. Lazar is free to live as he wants (or maybe the only way he knows how), secure in the knowledge that his brother is watching over him. And Gavril has somebody to look after. It's not my place to judge them.

TYPE: Mortal

Atanas, Vasil's father, faces the consequences of his violent parenting.

Atanas is one of my neighbours from Laslea. He's the sort of man who demands respect simply on account of his age. In Atanas's case, it would be hard to find any other reasons. He's a heavy drinker, and tries to raise his son Vasil mainly by reprimanding him, which only makes things worse.

TYPE: Mortal

The Ancient Undead are guardians of ancient secrets, neither living nor dead.

In many legends kings and heroes of old were buried together with their servants. That way, the servants could remain in their masters's attendance in the afterlife. In the ruins, I stumbled upon atrocities that seem to confirm those tales. A creature I had to fight was neither living nor dead. It used to be a warrior, a protector of someone or something - that I'm sure of. But it had lost all of its humanity long before.

TYPE: Supernatural

The Bear is a tough, aggressive enemy.

Years ago, Gremla's husband went missing. For three days men searched the woods, but found nothing. And then ... I found him in a bear's lair. His left arm was gone, ripped out, nowhere to be seen. His guts were scattered all over the place. The bear had left him like that, half-devoured, and saved the rest for later. It took me another two days to pluck up the courage and tell Gremla ...

Much time has passed since then, but I still believe that - unless there is no other option - trying to fight an angry bear is a terrible idea.

TYPE: Animal

Kobolds are cave-dwelling man-eaters.

When I worked in the mines, I heard people talk about cave-dwelling man-eaters called kobolds. These stories proved to contain more than just a kernel of truth. Kobolds are real - and fiercely territorial. They can be mostly encountered underground, though some - either lost or expelled by their own kin - can be found in the open. Kobolds have many monstrous cousins, known as imps or pookas, who may differ in appearance - but share the appetite for human flesh.

Kobolds may seem witless and ungainly, but don't let it deceive you. They are, in fact, surprisingly smart and agile. They will leap at you, strike and then scatter before you even have a chance to react. Even the most skilled fighter, if alone, may fail to defend themselves against the entire swarm of these devils.

TYPE: Supernatural

Most uriashi still live high up the mountains.

Most people I know fear the uriashi. And yes, they are intimidating, both much taller and bulkier than us. To make matters worse, they have horns, which - to some - make them look like devils.

But in actuality, they treat people with the same cautiousness and distrust with which we treat them. That's why - despite Brencis's invitation - most uriashi still live high up the mountains and only a few decided to settle among humans. If threatened, they won't hesitate to defend themselves against us. Given their imposing size and strength, it may end up with them snapping a grown man's neck with just one hand.

TYPE: Supernatural

A terrifying encounter with a spike-covered, feral monstrosity raises disturbing questions about failed vrakhir experiments and the total loss of humanity.

I met a creature resembling a vrakhir, but ... feral - with spikes growing out of its body and no glimpse of a human soul in its eyes. It made up for the lack of reasoning with sharp instincts - and an unquenchable thirst.

What was it? A failed attempt at creating a vrakhir? More failed than I turned out to be? If so, then maybe I should consider myself lucky to have retained at least part of my humanity. Perhaps it could have gone much worse.

TYPE: Supernatural

Lurking within the bogs of Vale Sangora, the supernatural Tatzelwurm is a highly poisonous, lizard-like predator that waits underground to launch lightning-fast ambushes on unsuspecting prey.

The swamps of Vale Sangora are a bleak and hostile place, rumoured to be the hunting ground of huge, lizard-like monsters, hiding underwater and in the peat bogs. To make things worse, their numbers seem to be growing - so much so that they started spreading beyond the marshes, into the nearby woods. If that's true, even those who stay away from the swamps have reasons to fear.

And there is, in fact, much to fear. The creatures wait, sometimes for days, without making a single move or sound. But the moment they realise their prey is near, they spring out swiftly, like a lightning bolt. And even if you avoid it, you won't be able to reach the monster before it hides back in the ground - only to emerge somewhere else a moment later and try to kill you again, with relentless determination.

TYPE: Supernatural

ATTACK EFFECT: Poison

The shimmering will-o-the-wisps of the swamp demand offerings of your darkest emotions, rewarding the reckless with either hidden treasures or a swift death.

When I was younger, I heard a story about the will-o-the-wisps, or 'the shimmering lights'. You could see them in the swamps at night - if you were reckless enough to travel there, and if you gave them a gift. But not just any gift. The wisps crave our sorrow, anger, hatred, and regret. Give it to them and they may guide you to treasures hidden in the marshes, left by wanderers who died there long ago ... or they may lead you astray - and you'll join the dead.

TYPE: Supernatural

Vidmo are powerful supernatural entities drawn to sites of mass death, proving to be far more dangerous than ordinary ghosts

These spectral figures - they're rumoured to appear near murder sites and battlefields or around mass graves. That's why people say they're ghosts. Yet they seem much more powerful than the mere spectres from ghost stories I listened to as a child. I don't know if they were ever human, but I'm certain they are something else now.

TYPE: Supernatural

The Undead are slow but highly lethal reanimated corpses that wander aimlessly as soulless shells of their former human selves.

Walking corpses ... mindless, soulless, wandering without a purpose ... Shells of the humans they used to be. They seem slow, but each of their blows may prove deadly. What force brought them back to life? Whose will? And is any dead man at risk of becoming such a beast?

TYPE: Supernatural

The Psoglav is a terrifying supernatural beast resembling a massive wolf with glowing eyes and unnatural fangs, likely spawned by exposure to a cursed environment.

At first glance, you may mistake it for a big wolf. But then you start noticing the weird, unsettling details: the unnaturally long fangs, the glowing eyes, the strange way it moves ... And then there's the howls, low and rumbling, ringing in your ears like the promise of death.

Did nature create such a monster? I doubt it. But how, then, was it spawned? Was there a purpose to its creation? Or did it come to be as a side effect of something else? A wolf or a dog which happened to get too close to a dark, cursed place?

TYPE: Supernatural

A dark tragedy at Saint Tyna's resurrected these plague-stricken nuns into mindless, unkillable monsters that refuse to stay dead.

Something horrible happened at Saint Tyna's. It covered the woods with thick fog and revived the nuns killed by the plague. Even when struck down and seemingly killed, they rise again, raging with fury. Stripped of any trace of their humanity, they have transformed into unkillable, undead monsters, unable to find eternal peace.

TYPE: Supernatural

Resurrected by the same vile magic that plagues humans, these undead dogs remain fiercely loyal and continue to guard their masters' treasures and souls long after death.

Whatever vile magic brings corpses back to life, it doesn't just work on humans. The undead dogs, loyal to their masters even after death, guard their treasures - and their souls - to this very day.

TYPE: Supernatural