The Blood of Dawnwalker Romance Guide: All Romance Options & Paths

In The Blood of Dawnwalker, protagonist Coen can romance three distinct characters: Anca, Lacra, and Crake. The game does not restrict players to a single romantic partner, allowing you to pursue multiple relationships across their dedicated questlines.

How Romance Works

Romance in The Blood of Dawnwalker centers on dialogue choices and quest progression rather than complex hidden affinity meters. The romance system is forgiving: you don’t have to pick the correct dialogue option every time. The general rule is to flirt at every opportunity, choose supportive responses, and accept personal help prompts such as removing armor or treating wounds. Near the end of each character’s questline, you can declare your feelings and unlock the romance scene. [source] [source]

Players are not locked into an exclusive pairing. Coen can pursue all three romantic partners within a single playthrough without failing alternate storylines. Requirements mostly boil down to ‘follow the questline,’ so there are no hidden requirements or obscure influences. While all three characters offer romantic scenes, Anca features most prominently across the main narrative arc and epilogue. [source] [source]

Tip: You do not need to worry about locking yourself out of romance by being friendly to multiple candidates; the game permits romancing all three characters simultaneously. [source] [source]

All Romance Options

Character	Role / Faction	First Encounter	Romance Type
Anca	Laslea herbalist and healer	Main story Prologue	Long-term companion, central narrative focus
Lacra	Independent Vrakhiri vampire	Svartrau City (Night only)	Alliance and romantic connection
Crake (Marat)	Leader of the manumit rebels	Shadows in the Woods questline	Male romance option, faction alliance

[source] [source] [source] [source]

How to Romance Anca

Anca is introduced right away during the prologue in Laslea when Coen seeks medicine for his ailing mother. She is a dedicated herbalist guarding deeper personal secrets, and she assists Coen throughout his struggle against Brencis and the ruling Vrakhir lords. [source] [source] [source]

Not all dialogue options are required, but the following choices include flirting and confessions that strengthen the relationship: [source]

1. Withering Away: Page Turner – During the prologue, visit Anca on the outskirts of Laslea. Agree to stay through the storm and practice Latin. When prompted, insist on the book with the red cover for flirtatious dialogue, then help rescue her herbs and tend to her wounds after the fallen tree damages the shed.
2. Echoes of Silenced Bells – Complete the quest objectives; your final resolution here will not prevent the romance.
3. Between the Words – Brew Anca a tea and choose ‘It’s my pleasure.’ After reading together, choose ‘Always, what do you mean?’ then ‘Your feelings towards me - it’s more than just faith’ for an early confession.
4. Where Old Devils Lie – At the start, choose the white dialogue option ‘Thank you for trying to help me’ and then ‘That’s what you see me as - a friend?’ After looking at the map, choose ‘Who knows what else I have in store for you.’ At the mountain pool, choose the white option ‘Something troubling you?’ and then ‘I care about you.’
5. Stronger Than Achilles – Insert your own hand into the hole; afterwards choose ‘Better me than you.’ When Anca reveals her desire for The Font, choose ‘I’d do anything for you’ and then ‘I love you.’
6. Let Anca use The Font – While romance is possible either way, letting Anca use The Font leads to additional dialogue and her happiest outcome.
7. Complete the romance at the inn – After Stronger Than Achilles, return to the inn. Choose ‘I beg to differ’ (or ‘I meant what I said’), then ‘Let’s do something fun for once’ and ‘Screw decency, I want you, too’ to trigger the kiss and romance scene. [source] [source] [source] [source] [source]

Note: While other romanceable characters can appear in the epilogue, Anca is the one who will always appear and gets the most screen time. She is framed as the canonical romance, while Crake and Lacra are more one-night stands. [source] [source]

How to Romance Lacra

Lacra is the only Vrakhiri romance option, though her vampire status doesn’t mean she’s aligned with Dawnwalker’s big bad. Quite the opposite: Lacra has her own reasons for hating Brencis and is willing to find common ground with Coen. [source]

You first locate Lacra in Svartrau City. You can get the quest by defeating Ambrus in The Gilded Gauntlet and reading the note on his corpse, or by helping Ocha become boss in The Heart Wants What It Wants and then going to see Vicho in A Study in Crimson. Because of her vampiric nature, Lacra can only be encountered at night. [source] [source] [source]

1. A Friend Like This – Fight Lacra in Svartrau. Spare the Uriashi captive; this choice won’t affect romance.
2. Song of the Mountain – Time-sensitive. After A Friend Like This, rush to start Song of the Mountain as soon as night falls. You can handle the Uriashi village peacefully; Lacra’s romance remains available.
3. Hive and Seek – Complete the quest; dialogue choices don’t affect romance.
4. Our Rotten Roots – After waiting a day, speak to Lacra to begin. During the path split, you can go left to learn more about her past, but if she’s angry, apologize later; romance still possible.
5. The Night of Horrors – Complete this before Midnight Reckoning to avoid locking out. At the end, when she shows the mandrake: eat it, follow Lacra, drink from her wrist, and kiss her. [source] [source] [source]

Warning: Important point of no return: After completing Our Rotten Roots, wait one day and speak with Lacra again. You will receive The Night of Horrors and Midnight Reckoning. Complete The Night of Horrors first, or you won’t be able to romance Lacra anymore. [source]

How to Romance Crake

Crake, also known as Marat, is the mortal rebel leading the manumits against the Vrakhiri Court. He is the confirmed male romance option for Coen. Crake is initially distrustful, so you must prove your allegiance to the cause by taking down Vrakhiri forces. [source] [source] [source]

1. The Firebrand – Start this in the prologue by saving Vlad or investigating his house in Laslea if he dies. Speak to Mert at the end to start Shadows in the Woods.
2. Shadows in the Woods – Meet Sara in the woods, then Crake for the first time.
3. Reach infamy level 4 – Crake will ask you to become notorious. Once you reach infamy level 4 in the court system, the Manumits will send you a message and continue the questline.
4. Where Loyalty Lies – Join the Manumit rebels. You can also start by going straight to the hideout in Svartrau, but you’ll skip some scenes. If Vlad survived, you can do the short Old Friends, New Friends quest.
5. What Hunts the Night – You can have your first intimate sharing moment with Crake when hiding in the ruined house.
6. What Moves the Dead – Save Crake from the Murohn, walk him back to the hideout, help remove his armor, and patch him up. He gives you Distant Shadows.
7. Distant Shadows – Follow Askar in Tantari; when soldiers trouble him, save him.
8. A Closer Look – After reporting back, meet Crake outside the city. Choose ‘Hey. Nothing you say can change the way I see you.’ He’ll attempt a kiss; back off, then choose to kiss him back to seal the romance. [source] [source] [source]

Note: To get Crake to appear in the epilogue, you must complete the final quest Rise at Dawn, effectively following the Manumit questline through to an ending. You can still hear about his fate otherwise. [source]

Related

• Coen
• Anca
• Lacra
• Ambrus
• Brencis
• characters