The Beast of Balaur Quest – The Blood of Dawnwalker Walkthrough

TL;DR

• The Beast of Balaur is a side quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker located west of Parlita in the Boar’s Back region.
• No quest giver is needed — the quest triggers automatically when you reach the mountain cliffs near the Mount Balaur Shrine.
• You need to track footprints, explore a cave, defeat a hellhound miniboss, and loot a body.
• Then head to Parlita and speak to Ciprian in the northern house to complete the quest.
• Reward: 250 XP — takes 3 Time Segments to finish.
• Bonus: After the fight, you can find the Phial of Brencis’s Blood and the legendary Gladius sword inside the same cave.

The Beast of Balaur quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker is one of those side missions that rewards you far more than expected. On the surface, it looks like a simple monster hunt. But inside that mountain cave near Parlita, you’ll find lore, a powerful weapon, and a rare phial tied to Brencis himself. This guide walks you through every step — from finding the quest to finishing the conversation with Ciprian.

If you’re also working through the game’s other content, check out our full quest list for The Blood of Dawnwalker to plan your 30-day in-game schedule. And if you haven’t read the prologue walkthrough yet, it’s worth a look before diving into side content.

The Beast of Balaur Quest – Quick Overview

• Quest Type: Side Quest
• Starting Location: West of Parlita, near the Mount Balaur Shrine (Boar’s Back region)
• Quest Giver: None – auto-triggers on location
• Requirement: None
• Fail State: Yes – can be lost if the 30-day deadline runs out
• Reward: 250 XP
• Time Cost: 3 Time Segments

The Beast of Balaur Quest

How to Start the Beast of Balaur Quest

There’s no NPC to talk to and no specific trigger item needed. You just need to travel to the right area and the quest begins on its own.

Head to the Mount Balaur Shrine, which sits on the far western edge of the Boar’s Back region, west of the town of Parlita. The shrine is between Boar’s Back and Briar Sloughs, near the path toward Laslo Glen.

Once you arrive and register the shrine, climb the cliffs to the right of the shrine. That climb is what triggers the quest. If the quest doesn’t appear in your tracker, you’re on the wrong side. Get to the right-hand cliffs, start climbing, and “The Beast of Balaur” will show up automatically.

Tip: It’s strongly recommended to do this quest at night. A key section deep in the cave requires the Shadow Step vampiric ability, which is a nighttime power. If you come during the day, you can still kill the boss, but you won’t be able to reach the hidden study room with the Gladius and the Phial of Brencis’s Blood.

Step 1 – Investigate the Mountain

Once the quest triggers, your first objective is to investigate the mountain. The game points you toward the area just northwest of the Mount Balaur Shrine. You’ll notice the surroundings get colder and more isolated as you move up.

The mountain is known to be dangerous. People from Parlita have gone missing here for years. Almost everyone in the region knows someone who went up and never came back. That backstory sets the tone for what you’re about to find.

Step 2 – Follow the Tracks

Once you’re in the quest area, activate Focus Mode (press L2 on PlayStation or LT on Xbox). You’ll see fresh footprints on the ground. These are what you need to follow.

The tracks lead up the left path, going higher into the mountain. Stay on this route and keep following the objective marker. The path is mostly linear, so you won’t get lost. At some point, you’ll hit a low rock obstacle — you need to crouch and crawl through the gap to keep going. Don’t miss it.

Step 3 – Explore the Cave

After crawling through, you’ll reach a cave entrance. Head inside. The objective updates to “Explore the Cave,” and the boss arena is just ahead.

Before going into the deeper part, you’ll notice skeletons scattered across the cave floor. Take a moment to inspect them. They update your understanding of what’s been happening up here and tie into the story of Iancu and the missing people from Parlita.

Then crouch through the hole at the back of the cave to enter the boss arena.

Step 4 – Defeat the Beast of Balaur

The Beast of Balaur is a hellhound miniboss — a large, supernatural wolf that’s been trapped inside this cave. This isn’t a standard enemy encounter. The fight focuses on positioning more than parrying.

What to Expect in the Fight

• The Beast uses wide sweeping attacks. Don’t get greedy at close range.
• Watch for telegraphed lunges — it rears back before it charges.
• The arena is enclosed, so positioning matters a lot. Stay mobile and don’t get cornered.
• It’s best to come to this fight with full health and stocked supplies. Rushing through the surrounding region without clearing threats first is a common mistake.

Once the beast is dead, loot the corpse. You’ll pick up Psglov Claws and a Hellhound Pelt.

Then look around the arena. There’s a sarcophagus in the room containing the Reliable Battlesword (140 DPS) — a solid early upgrade if you’re running something weaker. There’s also a body on the ground worth inspecting. Examine it to find A Letter to Iancu, which updates the quest journal.

Step 5 – Find the Hidden Study Room (Optional but Highly Recommended)

This step isn’t required to complete The Beast of Balaur quest, but it’s absolutely worth doing — especially at night.

Go to the back of the boss arena and look for a raised ledge. Use your Shadow Step ability to climb up it. If the prompt doesn’t show up, you’re there during the day. Shadow Step is a nighttime ability, so come back after dark if needed.

Once up, follow the passage until you reach a study room filled with books, scrolls, and maps. This was once a hideout connected to Brencis. Here’s what you can grab:

• The Gladius – Legendary Shortsword (220 DPS, fast attack speed, strong vs. human enemies) — found in a chest in the study room.
• Phial of Brencis’s Blood – Legendary Consumable that unlocks Piercing Shriek in the Vampirism tree and raises Coen’s corruption to Level 2 — found on the table next to the altar.
• Unholy Fervour Manual – A useful skill manual.
• Recipe for Yrakhiri Attunement
• Scribble-Covered Map
• Faded Orders

Note on the Phial: Drinking it permanently raises corruption. If you’re keeping corruption low for a specific playthrough, hold onto it and just take the Gladius. The trip is worth it either way. For help with skills and ability upgrades, see our guide on the best skills to level up in Blood of Dawnwalker.

Step 6 – Go to Parlita and Speak to Ciprian

With the letter in hand and the cave cleared, head back down the mountain to the town of Parlita.

Once in Parlita, go to the house on the north side of town, right next to the Parlita Shrine. Inside, you’ll find a man named Ciprian. Talk to him and tell him what you found in the cave — specifically, that you discovered the body of his friend Iancu.

This conversation uses 1 Time Segment (the full quest costs 3 Time Segments total). After speaking with Ciprian, the quest is complete.

Quest Reward

• 250 XP
• Quest closure and journal update
• (Optional bonus) Gladius Legendary Sword + Phial of Brencis’s Blood from the cave study room

Common Problems and Fixes

• Quest won’t trigger: You need to climb the cliffs to the right of the Mount Balaur Shrine, not just walk around the mountain base.
• Can’t get past the ledge after the boss: You’re probably there during the day. Shadow Step only works at night. Come back after dark.
• Path seems to end early: Look for the low rock obstacle and crawl through it. The route is linear once you get past it.
• No Gladius in the study room: The sword is in a chest, not on the shelves. Don’t confuse it with the altar — the phial is on the separate table nearby.
• Quest failed: The 30-day countdown can lock you out of side quests if you leave them too late. Prioritise The Beast of Balaur early.

Planning your time well matters in this game. Our how long to beat Blood of Dawnwalker guide can help you figure out how much room you have left on the in-game clock.

More Side Quests in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Once you’re done with The Beast of Balaur, there’s plenty more to explore. Here are some quests worth doing nearby or around the same time:

• The Highland Grave Quest – great rewards including the Ring of Quick Strikes
• The Cursed Chasm Quest – another atmospheric side mission with strong loot
• Night Terrors Quest – a night-time mission worth doing while you’re already active after dark
• A Hero’s End Quest
• Finders Keepers Quest
• Lost Blood Quest
• The Hedgehog Herb Quest
• Letters to Lunka Quest
• Forge It Anew Quest
• Echoes of Silenced Bells Quest

You can also browse the complete quest list to see what else is available before your time runs out.

Where to Buy The Blood of Dawnwalker

You can pick up the game on the following platforms:

• PlayStation Store
• Xbox Store
• Steam (PC)

Frequently Asked Questions