Story

Step into 14th-century Vale Sangora, a gothic Carpathian realm gripped by plague and vampire rule. Discover the narrative premise, faction lore, and Coen’s 30-day quest to rescue his family.

The Narrative Premise: Vale Sangora and the Blood Tax

In The Blood of Dawnwalker story, the game is set in 14th-century Southeast Europe within a fictional gothic kingdom called Vale Sangora, located in the Carpathian Mountains. A severe plague ravages the realm, prompting the king to order the execution of all infected subjects. In the midst of this crisis, an ancient vampire named Brencis seizes control of the kingdom alongside his vampiric followers. [source]

To consolidate rule, Brencis absolves human citizens of all previous taxes and obligations, promising them a taste of the undead’s blood that cures the plague. In exchange, he imposes a “blood tax” requiring a few drops of blood from every adult at a monthly gathering. During this ritual, however, the weak and infirm are typically put to death, resulting in widespread discontent under the vampire lords. [source]

The Dawnwalker: Coen’s Plight and the 30-Day Goal

Central to The Blood of Dawnwalker lore is Coen, a young man who fears for his ailing mother alongside his father and siblings. Brencis and his followers attempt to turn Coen into one of their own to make him a willing henchman, but the attempt fails. Coen instead becomes a “Dawnwalker,” possessing both human and vampiric qualities, while the vampires mistakenly believe he died during the transformation. [source]

Brencis abducts Coen’s family and imprisons them in his castle, intending to sacrifice them a month later at the ceremony marking his investiture as Prince. Coen is given 30 days and nights to save his family, with the player able to pursue this goal, seek vengeance against his sire, or forge alliances. [source] [source]

Note: Each day and night is divided into eight time segments. Pursuing and completing quests or plot-advancing activities consumes these segments, whereas exploring the open world does not advance time. [source]

Dual Existence: Day and Night Dynamics

Coen’s dual nature affects quest progression depending on the time of day. During the daytime, Coen retains human traits, creating opportunities to communicate with non-playable characters and pursue non-violent solutions. He can also use witch magic by carving runes into his skin to contact the afterlife and question recently deceased individuals for clues. [source]

At night, this necromantic ability cannot be used because Coen’s vampiric nature causes the carved runic scars to heal. The day and night cycle provides two distinct gameplay loops, featuring different abilities and varying ways to accomplish objectives. [source] [source]

Navigating the Story Section

Explore the narrative components and background details that define the world of Vale Sangora: [source]

Topic	Overview
Vampires	The undead rulers of Vale Sangora under Brencis’s leadership.
Coen	The half-human, half-vampire Dawnwalker striving to rescue his family.
Brencis	The ancient vampire lord who instituted the monthly blood tax.
Time Limit	The 30 days and nights allotted before the investiture sacrifice.

[source]

Related

• Brencis
• Coen
• 30 days and nights
• Vampires