The Blood of Dawnwalker: How to escape Xanthe's trap

The finale of The Blood of Dawnwalker sees Coen infiltrating Griefberg Castle and taking on a host of enemies, but in the midst of all of this fighting is a tricky trap set up by Xanthe that consists of a series of infinitely looping rooms, similar to the repeating sequence in the Home Sweet Home quest.

If you've spared Xanthe or let her into your head, then you've got it easy here. But if you showed no mercy, or encountered Xanthe early in the cathedral of Svartrau and killed her, you're on your own.

This guide explains how to escape Xanthe's trap in The Blood of Dawnwalker, ensuring that you're able to pass through this annoying puzzle and proceed onwards to Brencis. We'll also explain what happens to this trap if you've spared or drained Xanthe.

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How to escape Xanthe's trap in The Blood of Dawnwalker

To escape Xanthe's trap, look at the banners hanging by the doorways in the large library room where you've got to repeatedly fight enemies. You're searching for triangle-shaped red banners that show an eye with tentacles extending from it.

If you're having trouble locating the banners, then hit Focus mode, which highlights their shape. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Rebel Wolves

Once you find these triangular banners, enter the doorway bordered by them. Coen must pass through the doorways flanked by these banners three times for the trap's magic to pass.

With each "refresh" of the room, the location of the banners changes slightly, and sometimes there will only be one banner. Nevertheless, just keep going through the correct banner door, and Coen's dialogue will change each time he passes through, letting you know you're on the right path.

Coen will comment on the increasing difficulty of these enemies with each new cycle of the trap. Three times and you're good to go. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Rebel Wolves

Each time you re-enter the puzzle room, you should also expect to face a series of wraiths and four-legged devil dogs. These enemy mobs will increase with each new rotation of the trap, but hang in there, and keep fighting until you make it out.

What happens to the trap if you spare or drain Xanthe?

To avoid having to deal with Xanthe's trap, just make sure that you spare her while completing her quest The Cycle of Love, or after defeating her early in the Svartrau Cathedral. For more details on this, refer to our guide on whether you should kill or spare Xanthe.

As long as you side with her in this fashion, when you infiltrate Griefberg Castle, the trap will be gone and her Blood Guards will also not be present. If you like the idea of one of Brencis' own Boyars working against him, this might be the route to take!

That's a wrap on how to escape Xanthe's trap in The Blood of Dawnwalker. For more tips, check out our collection of other guides, including the best weapons to get first and the best skills to get first. We also have guides on how to keep Vicho alive, A Bulwark Against Darkness, and Forge It Anew - all worthy quests to undertake as you level up in preparation for fighting Brencis.