You definitely want to save Coen’s mother in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Esme was once protective of her four children. Unfortunately, due to the plague that ravaged the region and the arrival of the vampire boyars, she has since lost her will to live. She barely eats, causing her to weaken considerably. Now, it’s up to you to ensure her survival, lest the vampires find her existence no longer necessary.
Withering Away – The quest to save Coen’s mother
To save Coen’s mother in The Blood of Dawnwalker, you must complete a prologue quest called Withering Away. It involves getting the ingredients and instructions from the herbalist, Anca, and then making the correct brew.
Note: This whole process requires two to three Time Segments in the Time Bar, so make sure you have enough to spare before the day ends.
How to get the ingredients from Anca
You can find Anca in the southeastern part of Laslea Glen. Meet up with her by the river, then chat with her inside her hut.
- Pay Anca 50 denarii to buy the items.
- “I really have to go” – This costs 1x Time Segment. Coen leaves with the items.
- “Gladly. I’ve missed it too” – This costs 2x Time Segment instead. It leads to a short but sweet moment where Coen bonds with Anca. It’s worth seeing if you plan on romancing Anca later on.
How to make the correct brew
Of course, you still need to brew the potion if you want to save Coen’s mom in The Blood of Dawnwalker:
- This process costs 1x Time Segment.
- Before reentering your home, read the Instructions From Anca in your inventory.
- After the cutscene where Coen starts making the brew, pick “use hot water.”
- Followed by “three scoops.”
- Coen will feed Esme the stew, which contains the medicine.
Note: After this, you can spar with Coen’s father to receive the Charge Manual and 100 XP.
Esme’s fate
When night falls, the Blood Mass begins. Esme’s fate will be drastically different depending on whether or not you were able to cure her.
- If you neglected this objective or you didn’t follow the brewing instructions correctly, Esme will continue to remain ill. The vampire boyars will notice her ailment and they’ll rip her apart.
- If Esme was able to drink the potion, she’ll still look weakened, but the vampires won’t discard her immediately. She’ll live, albeit as a prisoner, along with the rest of Coen’s family.
Depending on your actions during the prologue, Esme will either perish instantly or survive as a prisoner.
That does it for our guide on how to save Coen’s mother in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Past this point, it’s up to you to rescue Coen’s parents and siblings. Oh, and if you want to retry various missions, you can check our prologue priority quests guide. Also, if you think you’re ready, you can even rush Brencis’ castle to finish the campaign early.
