A Study in Crimson Quest Walkthrough in The Blood of Dawnwalker

A Study in Crimson is one of the most interesting side quests in The Blood of Dawnwalker. It introduces you to Vicho — a Vrakhiri running a curio shop in Svartrau City who needs your help figuring out who murdered his two friends. The quest involves rooftop chases, body investigations, and a boss fight, and it kicks off a three-part questline that ends with a decision that determines whether Vicho lives or dies. This guide walks you through every step.

• TL;DR
• Vicho’s shop is in Svartrau City, halfway between Altenmarkt and the Cathedral Complex — visit at night only.
• Enter through the second-floor balcony using Shadowstep. The front door is always locked.
• Follow Vicho across the rooftops to the jeweller’s house where his friends Eli and Devora were killed.
• Investigate both bodies using Focus Mode, find the Jeweller’s Key, and unlock the hidden container under the stairs.
• Track Simeon to his warehouse, investigate, and fight him in the basement — he has become a Murohn.
• Rewards include the Mercenary’s Amulet, Murohn Blood, Simeon’s Key, and the Recipe for Mortal Blood’s Infusion.
• A Study in Crimson leads into The Good Samaritan and then The Unquenchable Thirst — Vicho’s fate depends on your choices later.

What Is A Study in Crimson?

A Study in Crimson is the first quest in Vicho’s three-part questline in The Blood of Dawnwalker. Vicho is a Vrakhiri — a vampire — who lives secretly in Svartrau City, hidden from both the human population and the Vrakhiri Court. He runs a small curio shop and has been living quietly, but something has gone very wrong. Two of his closest friends — Eli and Devora — have been found dead, and Vicho fears he may have killed them himself during one of his uncontrolled hunger episodes.

He asks Coen to help him investigate. The quest is about more than just solving a murder — it is about a Vrakhiri trying to live with his nature and the guilt that comes with it. Vicho is one of the most nuanced characters in the game, and his questline has real consequences depending on what you do at the end.

The full questline — A Study in Crimson, The Good Samaritan, and The Unquenchable Thirst — is self-contained and not required for the main ending. But completing it earns the Unquenchable Thirst achievement and rewards some excellent loot, including a legendary amulet. If you are working through Svartrau City content around the same time, the Svartrau Cathedral Treasury is another high-value location in the same area worth visiting on the same night visit.

A Study in Crimson Quest Walkthrough in The Blood of Dawnwalker

How to Start A Study in Crimson — How to Find Vicho

The quest starts by finding and entering Vicho’s home. His location is not marked on the map at the start. There are a few ways to learn about him:

• Through Lacra — she mentions there is another Vrakhiri living in Svartrau City during her questline.
• Through Ocha — she can give you a lead to Vicho during The Heart Wants What It Wants questline.
• By exploring — you can find his shop on your own by searching Svartrau City.

Vicho’s shop is located halfway between Altenmarkt and the Cathedral Complex in Svartrau City. It is a two-storey building and his curio emporium is inside. The important detail: you can only visit Vicho at night. He is a Vrakhiri and cannot be out in the open during daylight. The ground-floor front door is permanently locked — always has been and always will be. The only way in is through the second-floor balcony.

How to Get Into Vicho’s Shop

• Wait until nighttime.
• Approach Vicho’s building from outside.
• Use Shadowstep and your vampiric traversal abilities to climb up to the second-floor balcony.
• Enter through the balcony opening.

Once inside, you will find Vicho struggling to resist his thirst for blood. He is in a vulnerable state and asks you to leave quickly. At this point a timed choice appears — it does not matter what you pick. Any answer works here. Vicho is unstable and will accept whatever response Coen gives. Once he collects himself, he explains the situation and asks for your help. Confirm with “Yes, I’m ready” to begin the investigation.

A Study in Crimson — Full Walkthrough

Step 1 — Follow Vicho Across the Rooftops

After agreeing to help, Vicho takes to the rooftops and you need to follow him. Use your vampiric movement to keep pace. He will lead you across the buildings of Svartrau City to the first location — the home of his friends Eli and Devora, who were jewellers. Follow him closely and do not fall behind. He stops and waits at certain points, but staying close keeps things moving.

Vicho admits during this section that he is not certain he is innocent. He cannot always control his hunger. There is a real chance, he says, that he himself killed them during a blackout episode. He wants the truth — even if it is about him.

Step 2 — Investigate Eli and Devora’s House

Vicho leads you to the jeweller’s house — the home of Eli and Devora. Once inside, activate Focus Mode to highlight all interactive objects and evidence. The investigation covers two floors:

On the second floor:

• Find Devora’s corpse and examine it.
• Read the note found on her body — a scathing letter from a doctor named Simeon.
• Collect the Jeweller’s Key from the area.

In the basement:

• Head downstairs and find Eli’s body.
• Examine Eli’s corpse to get more information about what happened.

Under the stairs:

• Use the Jeweller’s Key to unlock the hidden container tucked under the staircase.
• Inside you will find a Lump of Silver and a Silver Cross. Both can be sold to the Silver Trader in Svartrau City for Denarius. Our Blood of Dawnwalker silver selling guide covers how to unlock that trader if you have not yet done so.

Step 3 — Present the Evidence to Vicho

After investigating the house, return to Vicho with what you found. Show him the letter from Simeon. Vicho recognises the name immediately — Simeon was his doctor and close associate. He had spent a great deal of time with Vicho, learning about what it means to be a Vrakhiri. As Coen presents the evidence, Vicho becomes increasingly certain that Simeon is the one who killed his friends. He believes Simeon became obsessed with immortality and was experimenting on himself using Vicho’s knowledge of vampirism.

Whatever answer Coen gives at this stage, the outcome is the same — Vicho concludes that Simeon is the murderer. The dialogue cannot change this. He then asks you to go with him to Simeon’s warehouse to find out what happened.

Step 4 — Investigate Simeon’s Warehouse

Simeon’s warehouse is the next stop. The front door of the warehouse is also locked — just like Vicho’s shop. You need to access it via the balcony on the upper floor. Climb up using Shadowstep and enter through there.

Inside, activate Focus Mode and investigate the highlighted objects across the warehouse floors. The evidence inside paints a disturbing picture. Simeon was not just learning about vampirism — he was attempting to turn himself into a Vrakhiri using Vicho’s teeth and blood samples. He documented his experiments obsessively. The warehouse is full of evidence of his deterioration and his increasingly reckless methods.

Step 5 — Fight Simeon in the Basement

After investigating the warehouse, head to the basement. This is where you find Simeon — but not the man Vicho remembers. Simeon has transformed into a Murohn, a monstrous vampiric creature, as a result of his failed self-experimentation. The transformation is the outcome he desired, but it cost him his mind and his humanity.

This triggers a boss fight. The fight itself is not especially difficult:

• Vicho fights alongside you during this encounter, which gives you a meaningful advantage.
• Simeon telegraphs his attacks clearly — read his movements and dodge or block accordingly.
• His teleporting ability is the main thing to watch out for. He can vanish and reappear quickly, so do not commit to a long combo if he starts moving erratically.
• Avoid red skull attacks — these cannot be blocked and must be dodged.
• Use Shadowstep to get behind him between his attack strings for easier hits.

After Simeon is defeated, Vicho has a moment of reflection. He recognises that he gave Simeon too much access to his knowledge and his world. He regrets not seeing the obsession building. The conversation is genuinely affecting — Vicho is not triumphant. He is just sad.

Step 6 — Loot Simeon’s Body and the Warehouse Lockbox

After the fight, make sure to do two things before leaving:

• Loot Simeon’s body to get the Simeon’s Key.
• Go to the first floor of the warehouse and find the lockbox there.
• Use Simeon’s Key to open it.

Inside the lockbox you will find:

• Recipe for Mortal Blood’s Infusion — a useful crafting recipe.
• A Letter Found in the Warehouse — read this carefully. It mentions a farmer named Ivo, who defends Vicho’s character and says he always appeared civilised and in control. This letter becomes important later in the questline if you want to uncover the full truth about Vicho.

A Study in Crimson Rewards

Completing A Study in Crimson gives you the following:

• Mercenary’s Amulet — a rare-tier amulet. Solid but not exceptional given the length of the quest.
• Murohn Blood — an epic consumable that restores 200% vampiric health. Useful in a pinch during night combat.
• Simeon’s Key — used to open the lockbox on the warehouse first floor.
• Recipe for Mortal Blood’s Infusion — found inside the lockbox.
• A Letter Found in the Warehouse — also inside the lockbox, pointing toward Ivo’s farm south of Svartrau City.
• Lump of Silver + Silver Cross — from the hidden container in Eli and Devora’s house.

What Comes Next — The Good Samaritan and The Unquenchable Thirst

After A Study in Crimson is complete, Vicho mentions there is another Vrakhiri living somewhere else in Svartrau City. This is a breadcrumb for more content. More importantly, the quest unlocks two follow-up quests that complete his storyline.

The Good Samaritan

Wait a couple of in-game days after finishing A Study in Crimson. The Good Samaritan then becomes available during the daytime in Svartrau. This quest involves continuing to investigate the truth about Vicho — specifically following the lead from the Letter Found in the Warehouse to Ivo’s farm south of Svartrau City. The truth Coen uncovers here is darker than the conclusion of A Study in Crimson suggested. Complete The Good Samaritan to unlock the final chapter of Vicho’s story.

The Unquenchable Thirst — The Vicho Life or Death Choice

The Unquenchable Thirst is where Vicho’s fate is decided. After The Good Samaritan, you confront Vicho with the truth. Save your game before this conversation — the dialogue responses here determine whether Vicho lives or walks into the sunrise and burns.

To keep Vicho alive, choose responses that give him reason to continue — that his condition does not define him, that there is still a life worth living. Choose wrong, and he decides to end his existence by letting the sun take him. That costs 4 Time Segments and he dies permanently.

Regardless of the outcome, you receive the Vicho’s Cross — a legendary amulet. If he dies, it is on a bench on the second floor of his shop. If he lives, he hands it to you himself. Vicho’s Cross provides weapon critical hit damage, damage against supernatural enemies, Activation Charge restoration from perfect blocks, and physical damage reduction. It is a strong accessory regardless of how the story ends.

If Vicho survives, The Unquenchable Thirst becomes an ongoing quest where you periodically bring him blood to feed on. He needs consumables like Vial of Human Blood, Tainted Marrow, Murohn Blood, or Kobold Blood every couple of nights. Missing a feeding window can cost you the quest, so keep blood items in your inventory and respond to quest prompts promptly when they appear.

Tips for A Study in Crimson and Vicho’s Questline

• Only visit at night. Vicho cannot be reached during the day. His front door is always locked. Enter via the second-floor balcony every single time you visit — that is the only access point throughout the entire questline.
• Use Focus Mode throughout all three locations. The jeweller’s house, the warehouse, and the basement all have important objects that are easy to miss without it active.
• Loot the hidden container in Eli and Devora’s house. The Jeweller’s Key opens a container under the stairs with silver items worth selling.
• Read the Letter Found in the Warehouse. It contains a name — Ivo — and points you to a farm south of Svartrau City. This is the lead that drives The Good Samaritan forward.
• Save before confronting Vicho in The Unquenchable Thirst. The wrong dialogue response ends with him walking into the sunrise. One bad answer and he is gone permanently.
• Keep blood consumables in your inventory if you keep Vicho alive. He feeds every couple of nights. Missing the window fails the ongoing quest.

If you are exploring Vicho’s questline as part of a broader Svartrau City sweep, the Where Old Devils Lie and Stronger Than Achilles quests with Anca are also based in this region and well worth tackling at the same time — especially since both award legendary gear and one unlocks the powerful Font of Life passive health perk.

If you want to maximise your skills before tackling the warehouse fight and the Murohn boss, our guide on best skills to level up in Blood of Dawnwalker covers the most useful combat upgrades to have unlocked before entering Simeon’s basement.

Where to Get The Blood of Dawnwalker

The Blood of Dawnwalker is available now on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It is developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.

Frequently Asked Questions