Are you thinking of whether you should abandon or spare Isbrand in The Blood of Dawnwalker? This ancient vampire lord has been around for centuries, though he’s been left in a weakened state. Maybe he can aid you in the battles ahead? Oh, and before we continue, please know that this guide contains spoilers.
In This Article
Our Rotten Roots quest guide – Should you spare or abandon Isbrand
Anachora and the Isbrand boss fight
Should you invite Isbrand in?
Our Rotten Roots quest guide – Should you spare or abandon Isbrand
The Blood of Dawnwalker Our Rotten Roots quest is actually part of a very long story arc involving the vampiress Lacra. For starters, you meet her during A Friend Like This. That’s followed by Song of the Mountain, where you travel with her to a hidden Uriashi Village.
She’ll then ask you to help her find Isbrand during Hive and Seek. Your delve deep underground culminates in a massive battle against hordes of kobolds and their larger kin. Once all the hostiles have been eliminated, you can check one of the chests nearby to obtain Isbrand’s Plate, a legendary medium chestpiece that grants maximum vampiric health, claw critical hit chance, claw critical hit damage, and blood drinking restoration.
Get ready to battle an entire horde.
Anachora and the Isbrand boss fight
Coen and Lacra then take Isbrand’s near-lifeless carcass to Westridge Outpost. After a day has passed, you can tackle the Our Rotten Roots quest. It involves diving into Isbrand’s memories, entering a realm called Anachora:
In the third major area, you’ll see a fork in the road. Lacra does not want you to head to the left, as she wants to keep her past a secret. If you continue there, you’ll learn about the grievous harm that Isbrand caused. You can also apologize to Lacra later.
At the end of the sequence, you have to fight Isbrand, with Lacra as your ally. Isbrand has erratic attack patterns, so try to block or dodge his blows if you can.
He also casts Piercing Shriek at a wide frontal cone.
Face off against Isbrand in a hellish realm.
Should you invite Isbrand in?
After the bout, you can decide on what you have to do with Isbrand in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Initially, Lacra will tell Isbrand to beg, as she might want to spare him if you say nothing. However, you can choose the following replies:
“Beg for what?”
“Can I do it instead?”
This leads to two choices:
“I’ll do it. I invite you in, Isbrand.” – This allows Coen to gain Isbrand’s essence or soul.
“I’m sorry. You’ll stay here, forever.” – Isbrand’s soul will be left to rot in Anachora for all eternity.
Will you take pity on the one who sired your nemesis?
If you decide to invite him in, he’ll sometimes speak to Coen, although the voice is only in his head. It’s a cool feature that’s thematic for the game, and it can be done for other vampire lords that you vanquish, too. Oh, and regardless of your decision, you’ll receive the Piercing Shriek ability as a reward.
That does it for our The Blood of Dawnwalker Isbrand guide. Since we’ve already mentioned Piercing Shriek, you might want to know about the best perks and abilities for each skill tree. Likewise, since Our Rotten Roots is part of a story arc, you might want to learn about how you can romance Lacra.
