The Withering Away quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker puts Coen's mother Esme in real danger early in the prologue. She's been weakened by plague, has lost her will to eat, and the vampire boyars are watching. Brew the potion correctly and she survives the Blood Mass. Mess it up, and the consequences are permanent.
What is the Withering Away quest?
Withering Away is a prologue quest that tasks you with obtaining medicinal herbs from the herbalist Anca and brewing a remedy for Esme. The entire questline eats through two to three Time Segments on the time bar, so check your remaining time before committing. Running out of segments mid-quest is a real risk if you're not paying attention.
For a full breakdown of early priorities and how to manage your time in the prologue, the Blood of Dawnwalker beginner's guide covers everything you need before diving in.
How to find Anca and get the ingredients
Anca is located in the southeastern part of Laslea Glen, near the river. Head to her hut to start the transaction.
- Pay 50 Denarius to purchase the ingredients from her.
- Read the Instructions From Anca in your inventory before you return home. This step matters for the brewing choices.
Should you stay or leave Anca's hut?
Before you go, Anca presents a choice that affects your time budget:
What are the correct potion ingredients to save Esme?
The recipe Anca provides reads: "Brew three scoops with water that's hot, but not quite boiling. Give to Esme before mass, then twice daily."
Two choices appear during the brewing sequence. Both have wrong answers that look plausible at first glance.
Blood of Dawnwalker Guide: How to Save Coen's Mother
First choice: what water temperature?
- Use boiling water
- Use hot water (correct)
- Use cold water
The recipe specifies hot but not boiling. Boiling sounds close, but it's the wrong pick. Select hot water.
Second choice: how many scoops of herbs?
- Add one spoonful of herbs
- Add two spoonfuls of herbs
- Add three spoonfuls of herbs (correct)
The recipe is explicit here. Three scoops, no more, no less.
What happens after you brew the potion?
Once Coen feeds Esme the remedy, you can spar with Coen's father to earn the Charge Manual and 100 XP before the Blood Mass begins. That manual is worth grabbing since finding manuals fast is one of the better ways to unlock Swordsmanship and Witchcraft skill tiers early.
What are the consequences of saving or failing Esme?
Esme's fate at the Blood Mass splits into two distinct outcomes based entirely on whether the potion was brewed correctly.
Is it worth saving Esme?
Yes. Keeping Esme alive gives Coen's family a reason to survive as prisoners rather than being eliminated outright. The story consequences extend well past the prologue, and having her alive opens up more options when you eventually work toward rescuing Coen's family from the vampire boyars.
For more on the story, quests, and systems across the full game, browse the complete Blood of Dawnwalker strategy guides collection.