Early in The Blood of Dawnwalker, you face a tense family dilemma: force feed Coen’s mother Esme, or refuse. While your father, Pieter, insists she needs strength to survive the evening’s blood mass, this decision is just roleplay practice. It doesn’t matter what you pick—Esme won’t eat either way.
Should You Force Feed Esme or Refuse in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
You can refuse to feed Esme against her will because no matter what you choose, there are no consequences, and it makes no difference to the story. Esme will reject the food, and Coen will still be sent to Anca to find the herbs for her medicine.
During the Withering Away quest in the Prologue, Esme refuses to eat, and Pieter asks Coen to help him get some food into her. You get three options to respond in the dialogue:
- “Alright. Let’s try.” — Coen picks up the spoon to force feed her, though the attempt goes nowhere. Esme thrashes, knocks the spoon away, and bursts into tears. Pieter regrets forcing the issue, and the food goes to waste.
- “I won’t feed her against her will.” — Coen refuses to force his mother. Pieter grows frustrated and tries to feed her himself, but Esme slaps the spoon out of his hand just as she does with Coen. This is my pick. It avoids the unpleasant, stressed scene between son and mom, and you lose nothing by doing so.
- “She’s gone to mass before.” — An optional dialogue loop that provides context before forcing you back to pick between the first two.
What Actually Decides Esme’s Fate?
Esme needs to be strong because Brencis and his crew drain blood from all villagers during the mass, and he considers thin or weak blood a failure. But don’t worry, your choice at the dinner table doesn’t actually impact her health. Her fate comes down to how you manage the medicine brew with Anca later on in the quest.
- Correct Medicine: If you brew the medicine right, Esme will stay healthy enough to make it through the blood mass. Brencis might still make a snide comment about her being weak, but he won’t do anything to her, so she’ll be safe.
- Incorrect Medicine: In case you mess up the medicine, Esme will remain frail during the mass, provoking Brencis and triggering severe consequences for your family.
Attempts to completely bypass the mass by pleading with Father Florin or Village Elder Zdislav are hard-locked by the prologue’s scripted events. So, the only way to ensure your mother’s safety is to make the correct medicine.
Need help with another decision? Our Dawnwalker guides hub brings together quest walkthroughs, important choices, bosses, builds, collectibles, and useful gameplay tips.
