Blood of Dawnwalker: How I Lost Two Allies in One Playthrough

In week three of RPG Club, our editor fumbles a stealth mission and condemns a vampire to hell, losing rebel support and a key ally before the big Brencis fight.

Ever had one of those playthroughs where everything just falls apart? That's exactly where I'm at in The Blood of Dawnwalker this week. We're three weeks into RPG Club, and with our 30-day deadline to save Coen's family ticking down, I'm chasing every lead to prepare for the confrontation with Brencis. But instead of building alliances, I'm burning bridges left and right.

First up, we visit Lacra, our new vampire ally, to dig through the memories of Brencis' sire, Isbrand. We saved Isbrand earlier, but two years of kobold snacking left him pretty useless. So we dive into his past and witness Brencis' origin story: a mortal Roman soldier turned in Teutoburg Forest, who then tried to reunite with his wife. She chose self-immolation over undeath. Rough. The quest itself is fight-heavy, and honestly, the combat is starting to feel like paint-by-numbers. But I did unlock a nifty ability that lets me pop enemies from the inside-out using their blood—even ghosts. Silver linings, right?

We eventually meet Isbrand's spirit, and Lacra has to decide whether to invite him in. She's bitter, and I stay silent, thinking it's not my call. Big mistake. That awkward silence condemns Isbrand to otherworldly hell. One ally down, and we're only getting started.

Next, I'm hunting down the shards of St. Mihai's broken sword to reforge it. While zig-zagging across Vale Sangora, I smash distilleries and disrupt recruitment to enrage Brencis' court members, Bakir and Xanthe. I also follow a lead on those gruesome golems, which traps Coen in a Groundhog Day-style loop where he relives a day with his family. To escape, I have to dig into his deepest trauma—the death of his youngest brother. It's an essential side quest, and my colleague Jasmine wrote a great feature on it if you want more details.

Then comes the real blunder. Before handing in a tome to rebel leader Crake, I detour to a village to spy on someone. Still thinking about that Home Sweet Home quest, I fumble the stealth and blow Coen's cover. Crake is furious and storms off. When his second-in-command offers to tell me where he went, I misread the room and thought he wanted to be left alone. Nope. Now Crake won't help us fight Brencis. And since reloading is banned in this playthrough, we're stuck without the rebels. Oh, and I'm still carrying that cursed book.

To cope, I reforge St. Mihai's sword and anoint it in a floating orb of blood. It's a beautiful goth Master Sword moment—until it's immediately taken away. One of Bakir's lackeys offers a chance to kill the vampire, but only if Coen infiltrates a nocturnal 'game' where all outside weapons and gear are banned. So now I'm competing in 14th century Fortnite incognito, racing through ruins by moonlight, fighting hellhounds and the undead. No vampiric powers allowed. Just great.

With allies lost and a cursed book in my inventory, next week's confrontation with Brencis is looking dicey. But hey, that's the beauty of RPG Club—no reloads, no take-backs. What about you? Have you ever fumbled a playthrough this badly? Will you be picking up The Blood of Dawnwalker? Let us know in the comments!