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!! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK !!
This guide covers the route I personally chose and the outcomes I was able to confirm. Branches resulting from other choices are still being tested.
Shadows in the Woods – Overview
After Mert tells Coen that the manumits have a rendezvous point beyond the bridge south of Stoneward Post, Coen heads there to make contact.
At the rendezvous point, he finds Brencis’s soldiers and a woman being held captive.
Coen rescues the prisoner, Sara.
Sara reveals that she is a member of the manumits and offers to take Coen to their leader, Crake.
Coen follows her, only to walk straight into a trap and be knocked unconscious by Crake and his men.
Despite being interrogated by Crake and Drogos, Coen explains that he has come because he intends to oppose Brencis.
Crake remains suspicious of Coen, but tells him that if he can prove himself an enemy of Brencis, he may be willing to accept him as an ally.
And then he leaves.
…Without even untying Coen from the tree.
Starting Conditions and Location
Automatically starts after completing the manumit-related quest The Firebrand.
Time Cost
1 time segment is consumed when the quest is completed after the final dialogue scene.
Rewards
1,000 XP
Walkthrough
- Head to the rendezvous point beyond the bridge.
- Approach Brencis’s soldiers and the captive woman at the rendezvous point.
- Talk to the captive woman, Sara.
- Follow Sara to Crake.
- Walk into the trap and get knocked unconscious.
- Undergo interrogation by Crake, leader of the manumits, and his lieutenant Drogos.
- Complete the quest.
Key Dialogue Choices
Bribe Brencis’s Soldiers
When rescuing Sara, you can avoid fighting Brencis’s soldiers altogether.
Claim that Sara is your sister “That girl is my sister”, then spend 100 Denarii to bribe the soldiers “Not sure. Maybe these coins hold an answer?”. This allows you to free her without combat.
Talking to Sara
When speaking with Sara, mention Mert and tell her that you want to join the manumits.
She will then agree to take you to Crake.
Crake’s Interrogation
During Crake’s interrogation, I felt that being straightforward was the safest approach, so I chose the following responses:
- “Who are you?” → “I’d like to know that too.”
- “Do you drink blood?” → “I do.”
- Rather than ending the conversation early, list every piece of evidence available to prove that you are on the manumits’ side. Doing so eventually unlocks a new response along the lines of, “After all that, you still don’t trust me?”
With these responses, Crake essentially tells Coen:
“If you mean what you say, become notorious enough for Brencis to take notice of you. Then I’ll consider you one of us.”
In other words, you need to build up your Infamy.
The quest then ends.
Changes After Completion
The manumit quest Where Loyalty Lies starts automatically.
Related Quests
The Firebrand Walkthrough | How to Save Mert and Quest Rewards
Related Factions
Manumits |The Blood of Dawnwalker
Related NPCs
Drogos
Mert
Related Locations
Related Enemies
Brencis’s Soldiers
