'Stronger Than Achilles' quest walkthrough in The Blood of Dawnwalker
Should Coen or Anca use the Font of Life?
The "Stronger Than Achilles" quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker sends Coen and Anca on a quest to find the Font of Life. Coen is hoping it will unlock a new power, whereas Anca is looking for a way to erase her troubled past. A bloodthirsty idol will make their mission even more complicated.
Here's what happens when Coen or Anca uses the Font of Life in The Blood of Dawnwalker's "Stronger Than Achilles" quest.
[Ed. note: This guide contains spoilers for The Blood of Dawnwalker, so continue at your own risk! Feel free to follow along or bookmark this page and come back if you get stuck.]
'Stronger Than Achilles' quest walkthrough in The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Blood of Dawnwalker's "Stronger Than Achilles" quest immediately follows "Where Old Devils Lie." Together, these quests form the second stage of Anca's quest line, after "Echoes of Silenced Bells" and "Between the Words." To start this quest, Anca must be alive.
During "Where Old Devils Lie," Coen and Anca find an ancient temple on the far east side of the map. After entering the temple and exploring the first chamber, the quest will end and "Stronger Than Achilles" will begin. Here's what this quest entails:
- Decide whether to enter the deeper ruins immediately, or return later.
- Put your hand in the idol's mouth, or don't.
- Find a way forward when you hit a dead end.
- Decide what to do with the Font of Life.
Beware of the first choice; it may have greater consequences than you'd expect.
Should you leave Anca behind in 'Stronger Than Achilles?'
Entering the deeper ruins in "Stronger Than Achilles" costs six time segments, and you can only do so during the day. You have the option to return later, but if you do so, it is very important to clear the first temple chambers of all monsters before leaving Anca behind. If you accidentally leave a monster alive, you will find Anca's corpse upon your return.
The first group of monsters is on the main path, in the chamber adjacent to where you'll leave Anca (you can't really miss them). The second group, however, is in a side room accessible from the first temple chamber (northwest path).
How to investigate the idol in 'Stronger Than Achilles'
When you're ready to proceed with "Stronger Than Achilles," speak with Anca. Follow the linear path through the temple and defeat the undead enemies. When you enter the circular room, beware that you'll get ambushed by a bunch of wraiths.
When the enemies are gone, investigate the idol. As Anca explains, someone has to place their hand inside the stone idol's open mouth… And it'll likely hurt.
You have three options:
- Let the idol draw Coen's blood: Choose "Alright… Wish me luck" followed by "keep still" to make the idol draw Coen's blood. Anca won't need to help.
- Let the idol draw both Coen's and Anca's blood: Choose "Alright… Wish me luck" followed by "take your hand out." You can't stop Anca from inserting her hand after that.
- Let the idol draw Anca's blood: Choose "Hell no. I'm not doing that" followed by "If you think that's best." Only Anca gets hurt.
If Coen inserts his hand, he'll lose a bit of HP, but other than that, nothing dire happens. Anca will be fine, too. In case you're worried; refusing to sacrifice blood doesn't seem to harm your chances of success if you're trying to romance Anca.
Find a way forward in 'Stronger Than Achilles'
Follow the path and be prepared to face more undead enemies. After a while, you'll reach a large chamber with a broken floor. Anca will ask you to find a way across, but since it's day (time hasn't moved forward yet), you'll have to jump rather than use Shadowstep. Jump onto the platform in the center, then jump to the ledge in the northeast. Circle back to the west to find a gap in the wall. From there, you can unblock the door for Anca.
Feel free to explore the next chamber using focus mode, which is an optional objective. When you're ready, enter the room with the rectangular rock at its center. You will have to fight a fresh wave of enemies when you approach.
Should Anca use the Font of Life in 'Stronger Than Achilles'?
Once the enemies are defeated, you will find the Font of Life in the next room. Here you must make your final decision in The Blood of Dawnwalker's "Stronger Than Achilles" quest. Should you use it, destroy it, or let Anca use the font? Here's a list of options along with their consequences.
- Let Anca use the Font of Life. Anca loses her witchcraft, but that's what she wants, so she'll be happy. Coen won't receive any rewards.
- Let Coen use the Font of Life. Coen unlocks the Font of Life ability on the witchcraft skill tree. Font of Life unlocks passive health regeneration (daytime only). Anca keeps her witchcraft.
- Destroy the Font of Life. Anca agrees it's for the best. You will receive the Ancient Greaves legendary heavy leg armor. Anca won't get her blank slate and Coen won't receive the Font of Life ability on the witchcraft skill tree.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a time-sensitive, narrative RPG where your actions and decisions matter. If you're just starting out, make sure to check out our beginner's guide. After the prologue, you're free to explore Vale Sangora and take on Brencis' boyars however you please, but the freedom can be a bit overwhelming. To help, here's what we recommend doing after the prologue.