The Blood of Dawnwalker Story and Characters Guide

In The Blood of Dawnwalker you play Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker — human by day, vampire by night — with 30 days to save his family from the vampire lord Brencis. The story unfolds in Vale Sangora, a valley in 14th-century Europe torn apart by war and the Black Death. It is the debut RPG from Rebel Wolves, the studio co-founded by The Witcher 3's game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, and the first chapter of a brand-new dark fantasy saga that launched September 3, 2026.

The Setting: Vale Sangora in a Dying Century

The official premise is blunt. Fourteenth-century Europe is swept by bloody conflicts, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. It is a moment of weakness — and that is all they needed. The vampires walk out of the shadows and claim what they have been denied for centuries: freedom, and the power that comes with it. Other creatures of the night follow their lead. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same.

Vale Sangora itself is a mysterious region in the heart of the Carpathians. It is ruled by Brencis and his clique, who forced the people into submission with a cruel bargain: vampire blood has healing properties, and in plague times the promise of health and safety bought loyalty. Under the new regime, the valley's old ways are fading — and Coen must carve his own path through what remains.

Who Is Coen? His Roots in Laslea

The official Community Bulletin Board #9 devoted a full issue to Coen's roots. He is a young man already tested by the harshness of the world, born and raised in Laslea, a secluded village that lived under the human lord Skender Dragosti — until the Black Plague swept through and brought heavy losses to its people.

Coen dwells in the hills of Laslea with his parents and three siblings. As the eldest, he quickly had to take responsibility and help support the family, always keeping a watchful eye on his younger brother and sisters. As a child he worked alongside his father in the silver mines — a harsh experience that left lasting marks on both his body and his spirit.

He is not a simple farm boy. In secret, Coen studies Latin, quietly nursing a dream of one day leaving his current life behind. When he becomes a Dawnwalker, the transformation puts his values and resolve to the test. It never shakes his determination to protect those he loves.

The transformation changes what he is, not who he is: he now possesses the powers and weaknesses of both worlds — and he will have to learn his newfound powers to save his family, whether swinging his sword, wielding forbidden magic, or using his vampiric claws. The path ahead is sure to be bloody.

Coen's Family: Pieter, Esme, Yanna, Mirto and Lunka

• Pieter, the father, is a former mercenary with a troubled past he rarely speaks of. Strict and emotionally distant, yet protective, he taught Coen the basics of swordsmanship.
• Esme, the mother, has always put her family first, often at the expense of her own well-being. Since Brencis rose to power, her condition has worsened drastically — she no longer speaks, eats or sleeps properly.
• Yanna, the second oldest, is mature beyond her years and keeps the family united whenever Coen and Pieter are away, caring for the two youngest.
• Mirto, once a quiet child, has grown increasingly restless as his parents became emotionally absent.
• Lunka, the youngest, is bright and perceptive. She struggles to tell right from wrong, and she and Coen share a particularly strong bond.

Then the vrakhiri came, took over, and captured the family. Coen now has 30 days and nights to prevent their execution by the vampire monarchy. One story beat already matters: Brencis gave his own blood to heal Lunka from the plague — blood that heals humans, with long-term effects the developers tease with a "but who knows?"

The Villains: Brencis, His Clique and Bakir

Brencis is the tyrannical vampire lord at the center of the story — the sovereign who deposed the valley's human lord and now waits for Coen at the end of the road. He rules from Greifberg castle, which sits close to Silberkreis, the richest district of the city of Svartrau. His retinue includes the oldest vampires in Vale Sangora, each responsible for ruling one region of the valley.

He is not alone. The story trailer introduces characters who will each play a key role in Coen's history — some as allies, others as enemies. Among the confirmed antagonists is Bakir, a vampire brought to life through motion capture by former UFC champion Jan Błachowicz, whose combat experience gives every push, cut and strike authentic weight and realism. The showcase also introduced Xanthe, the oldest vampire in the valley.

The regime's grip on the valley is physical, too. The vrakhiri — the force whose takeover cost Coen his family — move through Vale Sangora in transports, and the launch achievement list includes Delivery Delay for destroying eight of them. Sabotage is story here, not filler: the developers have shown how player actions shift the balance of power across the valley.

How the Story Unfolds: A Narrative Sandbox, Not a Main Quest

Rebel Wolves describes the game as a narrative sandbox. There is no conventional difference between main and side quests — the difference is how you decide to weave Coen's story. The structure has been compared to Fallout 1 and 2: a clear goal, and total freedom in how to reach it.

You can rush the villain's castle immediately — the challenge will simply be immense. The official showcase even demonstrated a boss, the ancient vampire Xanthe, who can be beaten at the very start of the game by a determined player, or left until Coen returns stronger days later. Every action and inaction shapes the world, and with 30 days on the clock, you will not have time for everyone.

Or as the official press material puts it: Coen will forge uneasy alliances and face brutal conflicts, carving his own path in a world where every decision shapes both story and gameplay.

Day and night reinforce the structure: two different gameplay loops with distinct abilities and mysteries, per the official site, so the same story beats play differently under sun and moon. How each thread finally resolves is TBC — not officially confirmed yet.

The Big Question: Your Soul or Their Lives

The official tagline is "The world needs what it fears." Underneath the vampire fantasy sits the moral question the site states outright: fight for your humanity or embrace the cursed powers to save your family — and ask yourself whether your soul is worth the lives of those you love.

Game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz sums up the invitation: "We can't wait for the moment when players step into Vale Sangora and come face-to-face with Brencis and his vampire clique." That question follows you through every quest, every feeding choice and every alliance.

The official recap's parting line doubles as the saga's thesis: prepare yourself to become the fear the world needs most. The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first installment of a new dark fantasy action RPG franchise — built on Unreal Engine 5 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment — so however Coen's first 30 days end, the story of Vale Sangora is only beginning. This story guide is expanded with quest walkthroughs and spoiler-tagged story beats as official information becomes available.

(Sections marked as unconfirmed are updated as more information becomes available.)