Inviting Xanthe’s soul into Coen’s mind is one of the most controversial decisions you’ll make in The Blood of Dawnwalker. When you choose to drain her rather than let her move on, you’ll drag her ghost into the spirit realm of Anachora, where you get the choice to invite Xanthe’s soul in, thus forcing her to hitch a ride in your head for the rest of the playthrough. Doing this gives you dialogue banter throughout Vale Sangora and backup during the final assault on Greifberg Castle, but it also comes with a combat risk in the finale.
Should You Invite Xanthe In in Blood of Dawnwalker?
Yes, you should invite Xanthe in as it’s worth it for the extra story interactions and combat aid, provided you’re prepared to handle a twist during the endgame.
- “I’ll invite you in.” – Xanthe will enter Coen’s psyche and will occasionally give commentary with passive dialogue as you explore Vale Sangora, offer insight into ancient vampire, and will assist a little bit in your fight against Brencis.
- “I’m not taking you with me.” – You will abandon her soul in Anachora to fade away permanently.
Importantly, taking Xanthe in doesn’t deprive you of her physical gear. You still get the Blood Surge Vampirism ability from draining her and can loot the Corrupted Pendant Legendary amulet off her body.
But in the later part of the battle, Brencis can attempt to reclaim the essence of any Boyar living inside Coen’s mind. If he siphons Xanthe, he will turn her blood magic against you for a brief window that will change the course of the boss fight, but the early help Xanthe offers still outweighs the hazard.
How to Unlock the Option to Invite Xanthe In
You can drink Xanthe’s blood by defeating her at night in her Infamy Quest (The Cycle of Love) or by fighting her at Svartrau Cathedral, followed by the scene in Anachora where the dialogue choice appears. Do remember that Coen needs to be in vampire form to drain a Boyar, and that only works after dark. If you beat her during the day, you will only get the basic choice to spare or execute her.
Note: Sparing Xanthe is exclusive to her Infamy Quest and if you kill her early at Cathedral, it will lock you out of the spare dialogue.
What Happens to Chariklea If You Take Xanthe’s Soul into Coen’s Mind?
Don’t worry about Chariklea. Even if you invite Xanthe into your head, it doesn’t affect how you deal with her daughter. Since Chariklea is a human kept alive for centuries through creepy body-part swaps, she’s doomed anyway once Xanthe is dead. Either you give her a mercy kill or carry her to her room, Xanthe won’t hold it against you, and it has no consequences for your decision to host her soul.
