Crake (Marat) in The Blood of Dawnwalker: Complete Character & Questline Guide

Crake is not his real name.

He will tell you that himself, late in the questline, in a quiet moment after a battle that went wrong. Marat. The name he had before the rebellion, before the Manumit, before he decided that Crake was someone who could do what Marat could not.

Who Is Crake (Marat)?

Crake leads the Manumit — the human rebellion against Brencis’s rule in Vale Sangora. Where Lacra works alone and Anca works through healing, Crake works through organization. Cells, supply lines, recruits, codes. He is building something that outlasts him.

That is the critical difference between his ending and Lacra’s. Lacra wants Brencis dead. Crake wants to know who rules next.

Crake’s Questline: Full Order

Crake’s chain is the longest optional storyline in The Blood of Dawnwalker — twelve quests, each unlocking the next, spanning Laslea Glen, Briar Sloughs, Boar’s Back, and Svartrau City.

#	Quest	Key Detail
1	The Firebrand	Start in Briar Sloughs after Smoke and Ashes; keep Mert alive
2	Under Watchful Eyes	Surveillance; no major choices
3	Shadows in the Woods	Meet the Manumits: Crake, Drogos, Sara; rescue Sara before time expires
4	Where Loyalty Lies	Requires Notorious Infamy (IV); enter the Manumit hideout
5	What Hunts the Night	Comfort Crake, do not blame him
6	What Moves the Dead	Bandage his wounds; learn his real name is Marat
7	Who Pulls the Strings	Unlocks the Manumit route into the finale
8	Distant Shadows	Optional; tail Ascar, ask about Marat
9	A Closer Look	Optional; romance scene; time-sensitive — complete within the same cycle
10	Rise at Dawn	The assault begins; speak to Crake
11	Fall Before Dusk	The finale; The Knyazmaker achievement

Stalling point: If the chain stops progressing, you have not reached Notorious Infamy (level IV). Complete more court activities against the Boyars to raise it.

The Knyazmaker: Crake’s Ending

Complete his chain, and Rise at Dawn / Fall Before Dusk become available. This is a different final quest from Lacra’s — you assault Greifberg Castle during the day, in human form, with Crake and the Manumit at your back.

The name tells you everything. Knyaz is the title. Knyazmaker is the one who decides who wears it. This ending is not about killing Brencis. It is about what comes after.

Mechanical note: The first phase of the battle takes place during the day. You cannot use vampiric abilities. Invest in human-form skills — sword mastery, witchcraft — for this route.

Romance: Crake Is an Option

Yes. Crake is one of three confirmed romance options. His romance arc is the slowest burn — he does not trust easily, and the game makes you earn it through the questline, not through gifts or flattery.

The romance scene occurs at the end of A Closer Look, after you have listened to his problems and chosen the dialogue option that meets him where he is, not where you want him to be. The scene itself is brief. What matters is what he tells you after — his plan, his fears, his real name.

If you pursue this, keep a save before Rise at Dawn. The finale is a point of no return.

Epilogue: What Happens to Crake

In the epilogue, Crake’s fate depends on your choices. If you completed his chain and sided with him, he appears in the character fates montage as a leader — not just a rebel, but someone building the next thing. If you betrayed him for The Turncoat, he dies. The choices guide has the full branch.

How Crake Fits Your Run

Crake’s route can run in parallel with Lacra’s and Anca’s. The endgame guide recommends completing both ally chains before the final quest — not because they conflict, but because the master save you make before A Deal with the Devil is the key to every ending, and both must be complete for that key to work.

If you are chasing The Knyazmaker specifically, prioritize his chain and invest in human-form combat skills. If you are chasing every ending, prioritize both chains with separate saves before each commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I miss Crake’s questline permanently? Individual quests can stall if Infamy is too low, but nothing in his chain is missable in the way Lacra’s A Mother’s Plea is missable. Keep saves before major choices.

Does romancing Crake lock out other romances? No. The romance is not mechanically exclusive, though narrative consequences exist.

What happens if I side with Lacra instead? Crake does not appear in The Patricide. His fate is determined by whether you betrayed him, not by whether you romanced him.

Is Crake a vampire? No. He is fully human. This is why his ending route requires human-form combat skills and why his rebellion is about human governance, not vampiric succession.