Direct Answer
Choice-specific explanations: spare or kill Xanthe, invite Ambrus, defeat Brencis in the prologue, and what happens when 30 days expire.
The Blood of Dawnwalker has seven endings: four standard Brencis outcomes, two early endings, and the 30-day time-out ending. Endings 1–4 are the normal routes and count for the Duelist completion requirement; endings 5–7 are early or failure outcomes. Keep a manual save before the final quest and reload it after each route.
The seven endings
Ending | How it ends | Trophy / achievement --- | --- | --- The Turncoat | Betray your allies and make a deal with Brencis | The Turncoat; In the Nick of Time The Folk Hero | Fight and defeat Brencis alone | The Folk Hero The Patricide | Defeat Brencis with Lacra | The Patricide The Knyazmaker | Defeat Brencis with Crake and the Manumits | The Knyazmaker A Hero They Deserve | Leave Vale Sangora through the western exit | A Hero They Deserve Together Forever | Stay trapped with your family in Home Sweet Home | Together Forever Time Runs Out | Let more than 30 days pass before defeating Brencis | No ending trophy
Save structure for one playthrough
Use this save tree to unlock every ending efficiently:
- Prologue save: give Esme the correct medicine before the prologue clock ends.
- Alliance save: complete the Court Activities needed to defeat Ambrus, Bakir, and Xanthe.
- Character save: finish Lacra's and Crake's personal questlines, but do not start their final ending quests yet.
- Final quest save: after A Deal with the Devil appears, save before speaking to the final-quest NPC.
- Reload the final quest save for endings 1–4, then reload the earlier save for the two early endings or the time-out outcome.
Only the final dialogue determines which standard ending plays. Earlier choices decide which allies, questlines, and rewards are available.
Ending 1: The Turncoat
Defeat Ambrus, Bakir, and Xanthe within 30 days, then advance to the A Deal with the Devil quest. In the opening final dialogue choose “I just want my family back.” and later confirm “I’ll do it.” Do not select the sword option, which starts the fight instead.
Brencis then asks Coen to mark the Manumit hideout. Complete The Firebrand → Shadows in the Woods → Where Loyalty Lies, enter the hideout at night, and mark it to finish the betrayal route. If you already prepared Lacra or Crake, their final quests also offer a last-minute betrayal choice.
Ending 2: The Folk Hero
Complete the three vassal routes, trigger A Deal with the Devil, and choose “Enough. Time to end this.” in the first final dialogue. Coen fights Brencis without Lacra or Crake.
There is also an early independent route into Greifberg Castle: climb the wall at night with Planeshift and Shadowstep, or use the side entrance northwest of Vedera Shallows Shrine. The side entrance can be opened through Father Florin's In the Name of the Father route or with the Side Gate Key from Georghe, the Rabid Duke.
Ending 3: The Patricide
Complete Lacra's route through Midnight Reckoning:
A Friend Like This → Song of the Mountain → Hive and Seek → Our Rotten Roots → The Night of Horrors (optional) → Midnight Reckoning
Start the ending by speaking with Lacra while Midnight Reckoning is active. This sends Coen into the final fight with Lacra and awards The Patricide. The Night of Horrors also awards Misery Loves Company when completed.
Ending 4: The Knyazmaker
Complete Crake's Manumit route through Rise at Dawn:
The Firebrand → Shadows in the Woods → Where Loyalty Lies → What Hunts the Night → What Moves the Dead → Who Pulls the Strings → Distant Shadows (optional) → A Closer Look (optional) → Rise at Dawn
Speak with Crake while Rise at Dawn is active to begin his ending route. A Closer Look awards The Manumit when completed. Some versions also show Fall Before Dusk as the final-ending quest; follow the quest name in the current journal.
Ending 5: A Hero They Deserve
This early ending is available after the prologue. At night, travel west through Briar Sloughs, west of Coward's Path Shrine, and use Planeshift and Shadowstep to climb the broken canyon wall. Enter the open gate and choose “leave the valley forever.” Coen escapes without saving his family or Laslea.
Ending 6: Together Forever
Start Home Sweet Home at the top of Silts Tower. Enter the tower, open the top-floor door, and continue through the looping dream sequence. Normally, inspect the highlighted well during the second enemy group to escape.
For Together Forever, ignore the well and complete four full loops. On the fifth cycle, speak with your family and choose to stay. After the trophy, reload the autosave before the fourth boss if you want to escape the dream and return to free roam.
Ending 7: Time Runs Out
Let more than 30 in-game days pass before defeating Brencis. Waiting repeatedly at a shrine is the simplest way to trigger the time-out. The family-sacrifice scene plays, no ending trophy is awarded, and free roam remains available afterward.
Duelist and completion notes
For the Duelist completion requirement, use one of the four standard endings. The Turncoat route is usually the easiest because it does not require Lacra or Crake's final alliance fight. Endings 5–7 do not satisfy the standard-ending requirement.
Sources and update policy
This guide cross-checks the formal seven-ending breakdown and the current quest list. Dialogue wording, quest names, and trophy behavior should be rechecked after patches and recorded with the installed build number.