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This article compiles everything currently known about the world of The Blood of Dawnwalker ahead of its release.
Official announcements are treated as the primary sources, followed by information reported in hands-on previews as secondary sources.
After release, I will revise, update, and expand this article as necessary based on my own playthrough.
A World Where Vampires Rose to Power Amid the Black Death
The game is set in AD 1347. With human society weakened by war and the Black Death, vampires seized the opportunity to step out of legend and become rulers in the real world.
In actual history, the Black Death is generally considered to have begun spreading across Europe around 1347.
The Blood of Dawnwalker can therefore be understood as an alternate-history fantasy that inserts the rise of vampires into a real historical catastrophe.
A Feudal Society That Pays Its Taxes in Blood
The Vrakhiri do not simply slaughter humans. Instead, they regularly collect blood as a form of taxation. In Laslea, every adult must attend the Blood Mass held once every two weeks and surrender their blood.
At the same time, vampire blood can heal humans. Brencis demanded the people’s obedience in exchange for saving them from the Black Death.
The Vrakhiri are therefore both the beings who saved the people of the valley and the rulers who exploited their vulnerability to seize power over them.
Community Bulletin Board #9 – Coen’s Roots | Bandai Namco Europe
The Game’s Original Vampire Lore
According to the developers, they did not simply reproduce existing vampire folklore. Instead, they constructed their own rules for vampires.
- A person does not become a vampire merely by being bitten.
- To transform someone, a vampire must pull out one of their own fangs and implant it into the target’s heart.
- A vampire’s fangs continue growing throughout their life.
- The older a vampire becomes, the more fangs they develop. In the case of Xanthe, they can even pierce through the skull.
- Murohni are beings whose transformation into vampires ended in failure.
- Implanting a fang into an animal can create a monstrosity such as a Psoglav.
The game therefore appears to place considerably more emphasis on constructing an original world inspired by folklore than on directly reproducing traditional legends.
Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of Dawnwalker Begins a Saga Spanning Eras
The Blood of Dawnwalker Interview Talks Time, Combat, Romance | The Outerhaven
Magic
Magic is not depicted as a spectacular beam of light. Instead, it takes the form of ritualistic, occult forces involving blood, heat, and vibrations in the air.
In theory, anyone can use magic. However, the caster must follow precise gestures, formulas, and procedures, and a mistake can even prove fatal. Runes must be carved into the skin to serve as “gates” through which magical power can pass into the body. For this reason, Coen can use magic only during the day, while he is human.
At night, his wounds close, causing the carved runes to stop functioning.
Coen can learn new magic by reading books.
THE BLOOD OF DAWNWALKER – Gameplay Reveal Recap | Bandai Namco Europe
Monsters and the Ancient World
The monsters of Vale Sangora did not first appear with the arrival of Brencis. Monsters already inhabited the forests, mines, swamps, mountains, and ruins of ancient civilizations.
Creatures officially named so far include Murohni, Kobolds, Uriashi, Likho, Psoglav, Tatzelwurm, and Ancient Undead. Intelligent nonhuman peoples also exist and are said to occupy their own roles within the society of Svartrau.
Community Bulletin Board #5 – Secrets of Vale Sangora | Bandai Namco Europe
Community Bulletin Board #7 – Beasts & Monstrosities, Illustrated | Bandai Namco Europe
Plans for the Series
As discussed in my article covering the Dawnwalker Saga, the developers envision a series spanning different eras, regions, and cultures, with The Blood of Dawnwalker serving as its first installment.
The teaser cited in that article even contains a striking scene in which Coen, living in the 21st century, receives blood bags from a delivery driver.
If You Want to Explore the Inspirations Behind The Blood of Dawnwalker
Official materials explicitly state that the landscapes and cultures of Central and Eastern Europe inspired the game’s setting.
The monsters and vampire traditions, in particular, draw upon Romanian and Slavic folklore.
If you are interested in Romanian folklore, check Roumanian Fairy Tales (Amazon).
The officially cited inspirations for the game’s vampires include Dracula, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, True Blood, World of Darkness, and Vampire: The Masquerade.
View Nosferatu (Robert Eggers) on Amazon
For readers wondering just how devastating the Black Death really was, The Black Death, The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Documents is one of the more accessible books on the subject.
Sources
Community Bulletin Board #6 – Creating a World | Bandai Namco Europe
Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of Dawnwalker Begins a Saga Spanning Eras
