Mastering the Court: A Guide to Infamy and Rebellion in The Blood of Dawnwalker

In the brutal world of The Blood of Dawnwalker, survival isn’t just about slaying monsters; it’s about navigating a treacherous political landscape. While questing and gear upgrades are essential, understanding and manipulating the court system is key to unlocking new paths to victory – and making life incredibly difficult for the tyrannical Brencis. This guide will break down how to raise Coen’s infamy, enrage Brencis’ vassals, and ultimately fuel the rebellion.

Understanding the Court System

After the prologue, you’ll gain access to the “Court” tab in the main menu. Here, you can track your current infamy level and monitor the anger levels of Brencis’ key lieutenants: Ambrus, Xanthe, and Bakir. Raising their anger levels is crucial for unlocking new quests and opportunities.

Enraging the Vassals: Sabotage Missions

To increase a vassal’s anger, you must complete sabotage missions. These are represented by small diamond icons on their portraits within the court menu. Initially, these will appear as question marks. As you explore the map and undertake quests, opportunities for sabotage will become apparent.

Image: Rebel Wolves/Bandai Namco Entertainment

Be warned: it may take some time before a vassal’s quest becomes available after reaching their maximum anger level. Don’t panic if the quest doesn’t immediately appear in your journal; the enraged Vrakhir will eventually find a way to contact Coen.

Image: Rebel Wolves/Bandai Namco Entertainment

The Price of Infamy

Raising the anger levels of Brencis’ vassals directly impacts your infamy level. As your infamy grows, Brencis will respond with increasingly oppressive edicts, such as “additional patrols in settlements” or “military checkpoints appearing throughout the valley.” While reaching high infamy early can make the game significantly harder, it also unlocks powerful advantages.

Reaching the “notorious” infamy level allows you to join the Manumits, the anti-Vrakhir rebellion. Brencis will become more aggressive, but you’ll gain access to new tools and strategies to oppose him. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

Strategic Court Management

Here are some key tips for effectively utilizing the court system in The Blood of Dawnwalker:

• Synergy with Regular Quests: Some “regular” quests can also raise anger levels and infamy if their outcomes negatively impact Brencis or his vassals. However, direct sabotage is generally faster.
• Variety is Key: You don’t need to complete every single type of sabotage mission to max out a vassal’s anger. Mix things up! For example, with Ambrus, you might intercept a blood transport, clear a blood cellar, and sabotage a leech collector camp instead of just clearing three blood cellars in a row.
• Focus Your Efforts: While you can simultaneously enrage Ambrus, Xanthe, and Bakir, focusing on one vassal at a time will allow you to unlock their personal quests more quickly.
• Ambrus is the Easiest Target: If you hover over regions on the map, you’s see which court member controls that region. You’ll also see a yellow, orange, or red skull next to the region’s name if it’s considered comparatively difficult for your current level (red being the most dangerous). Since Ambrus controls the least dangerous regions, such as Briar Sloughs and Maragir Wealds, sabotaging him is generally easier than sabotaging Xanthe or Bakir.
• It’s Optional! Remember that you don’t have to sabotage Brencis’ vassals. It’s entirely optional. Angering them leads to more quests, but also an angrier Brencis (and a harder game). Weigh the trade-offs carefully.