Are you hoping to complete A Deal with the Devil in The Blood of Dawnwalker? This is one of the most important quests in the game, though it’s going to take several hours before you even have access to it. Once you tackle it, though, you’ll be presented with crucial decisions that can shape the fates of characters. Our guide has all the info you need, but be ready for spoilers as well.
In This Article
A Deal with the Devil – Unlock requirement
A parlay with Brencis
The crucial choice
What happens if you fight Brencis?
What happens if you betray the Manumits?
A Deal with the Devil – Unlock requirement
A Deal with the Devil in The Blood of Dawnwalker only becomes available once you reach the maximum Infamy level. This means you must do various vampire court activities, such as sabotaging distilleries, ambushing blood transports, freeing kidnapped prisoners, and more. Likewise, you’ll want to eliminate some or all of Brencis’ vampire lieutenants, too.
Upon reaching maximum Infamy, wait until the next day until you get the herald cutscene. You’ll then receive a letter saying that Brencis has invited you to a parlay.
A letter to end a conflict?
A parlay with Brencis
Once the quest appears in your journal, simply travel to the marked location: Shrike’s Crag. Ensure that it’s nighttime and climb up the Scouting Tower. Near the top, you’ll see a brazier that you can light. This action costs 4x Time Segments. Be sure to make a backup save at this stage.
Upon lightning the signal fire, a short cutscene will play. Brencis will arrive with Coen’s father, Pieter, in tow. You have the option to talk to Pieter first–you can also hug him to prove that you’re real and still alive (albeit turned into a vampire).
Brencis will then tell you a little bit about history and of how Shrike’s Crag was the site of a massacre. The previous knyaz, Skender, once killed every peasant who had surrendered to him. He then says that he intends to continue ruling, and that a brewing rebellion fomented by the Manumits must stop.
Brencis will bring Coen’s father along as a show of not-so-good faith.
The crucial choice
In The Blood of Dawnwalker Deal with a Devil quest, you’re given multiple choices on how to respond:
“I just want my family back” and “What do I have to do with it?” – These options lead to Brencis offering you a deal. He’ll free your family, but you have to betray the Manumits. You can then say that “I’ll do it” or “I’ll think about it.”
During the conversation, you’ll also notice at least one option with a sword icon. This will trigger a boss battle against Brencis.
Note 1: Even if you’re considering the deal, you don’t have to go through with betraying the Manumits. You can still tackle other quests and progress through the finale via other means.
Note 2: If you choose any option that doesn’t lead to combat, dozens of Vidmo Specters and Spectral Skeletons will appear all around Shrike’s Crag. Don’t worry because Brencis will be fighting alongside you at this stage. After the encounters, Brencis will take Pieter with him as he teleports back to Greifberg Castle.
You can experience a couple of endings here.
What happens if you fight Brencis?
Let’s say you actually engage Brencis in combat:
You fight Brencis’ humanoid form during the first phase, though you also have to deal with dozens of Vidmo Specter enemies.
Then, upon depleting Brencis’ health, you have to eliminate him while in the hellish realm of Anachora.
Unfortunately, even if you’re victorious here, you won’t be able to celebrate. A cutscene will play showing that Coen’s father was killed while you were fighting Brencis. During and after the epilogue at Laslea Glen, you’ll realize that the rest of Coen’s family is gone, too.
And it really makes sense when you think about it. Brencis’ forces have been holding Coen’s family hostage the entire time. Coen was invited to a parlay, where hostilities weren’t allowed. Coen then attacked and killed Brencis.
The fact that Coen’s Infamy had greatly risen in less than a month–i.e. you’ve killed too many vampire-aligned soldiers–would make the average person think that he’s a bloodthirsty maniac. Killing a lord who has your loved ones, as expected, would lead to the execution of said loved ones.
Coen is all alone now.
What happens if you betray the Manumits?
Okay, so what can you expect if you betray the Manumits in The Blood of Dawnwalker? First, make sure you’ve already completed the Where Loyalty Lies quest so that you’re invited to the Manumit hideout. Then, walk up to the entrance door of the building and mark it with Brencis’ blood.
This leads to a cutscene where Brencis flies through the windows, tossing out a few rebels. He then stabs Crake’s throat with his claws, before thanking Coen with a nod. You then get to experience the epilogue back at Laslea Glen.
Crake meets his end.
That does it for our guide on how to complete A Deal with the Devil in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Again, you don’t need to go through with either of these actions, as you can still change your mind and take the fight to Brencis in his citadel. If you’re curious about how certain events would play out, you can read our spoiler-filled endings and epilogues guide.
