The Gilded Gauntlet Quest Choices and Outcomes In The Blood of Dawnwalker

TL;DR

• The Gilded Gauntlet is Ambrus’s boss quest and the first major vassal fight in the game.
• You need to complete around 75% of Ambrus’s Court Activities to trigger it in Maragir.
• An optional side quest called The Bittersweet Toast lets you poison Ambrus before the duel.
• The toast dialogue during the duel has four choices — each leads to a different outcome for Iulian Codrin.
• Draining Ambrus’s blood at the end rewards the Scarlet Shield ability and raises Corruption.
• You can invite Ambrus in after draining — he becomes a voice in Coen’s head and helps fight Brencis later.
• Killing Ambrus outright gives no extra rewards.

The Gilded Gauntlet quest choices and outcomes in The Blood of Dawnwalker are some of the most impactful early decisions you will make. This is the first boss fight against one of Brencis’s vampire vassals, and the choices here shape how easy or hard that duel becomes. More importantly, what you say during the toast moment has real consequences for a named character. This guide covers everything — how to start the quest, the Bittersweet Toast decisions, all dialogue outcomes at the duel, and what happens after you beat Ambrus. For a broader look at how this quest fits into the full game, see our complete quest list for The Blood of Dawnwalker. Before you face Ambrus, it is also worth making sure Coen is properly buffed — our guide on The Hedgehog Herb quest covers a permanent health boost you can grab early.

Gilded Gauntlet Quest

The Gilded Gauntlet Quest Details

• Starting Location: Maragir, Maragir Wealds
• Requirement: Complete the Smoke and Ashes prologue quest, then anger Ambrus by completing his Court Activities (around 75% is enough)
• Fail State: None — the quest does not expire even past 30 days. The night-only duel icon is about timing, not a deadline.
• Reward: 500 XP, 1 Skill Point, Scarlet Shield ability (only if you drain Ambrus’s blood)
• Time Required: 1 Time Segment to meet Iulian (optional) + 2 Time Segments to ring the bell and trigger the duel
• Quest Description: It seems Ambrus has tired of my interrupting his plans. I should see what he intends to do about it.

How To Start The Gilded Gauntlet

Complete Ambrus’s Court Activities until his anger meter fills enough to trigger the quest. You do not need to finish every single activity — around 75% is enough. Check his anger level by hovering over his icon in the Court menu. Once he is angry, the quest marker appears on the south side of Maragir village.

When you arrive, you will see a crucified body with your name on the message at its feet. Ambrus is sending a direct challenge to Coen. He wants a duel to the death at a location of his choosing. The longer you wait, the more innocent people in Maragir die. This is the pressure to act, but the quest itself does not fail if you delay.

For context on the Court Activities you need to complete beforehand, check our guide on all Infamy Edicts in Blood of Dawnwalker and the Ambrus Dungeons walkthrough to clear the required activities efficiently.

Should You Meet Iulian Codrin? (Optional – 1 Time Segment)

After the scene at the cross, a woman named Erdene approaches Coen. She works for a man called Iulian Codrin, a servant of Ambrus who knows his master’s weaknesses. She offers to take you to him immediately. This costs 1 Time Segment and opens the side quest called The Bittersweet Toast.

Accepting leads to a plan to poison Ambrus before the duel. Declining means Iulian will insist it is the right thing to do and tell you to come back if you change your mind. You can return to him later and still start The Bittersweet Toast — the option does not close permanently.

The short answer: Yes, meet Iulian. The poison option makes the Ambrus fight dramatically easier, especially on harder difficulty settings. It costs very little time and the payoff is significant.

The Bittersweet Toast – What It Does and Why It Matters

The Bittersweet Toast is the optional side quest that feeds directly into The Gilded Gauntlet. Iulian Codrin has brewed a poison and plans to use it on Ambrus when he proposes a toast before the duel. Agreeing to his plan lets you carry this strategy into the boss fight.

If you complete The Bittersweet Toast, you then have exactly 3 in-game days — 48 Time Segments — to ring the bell and start the duel. If you miss this window, Ambrus notices something is wrong with Iulian and brings a different victim to the duel instead, and the poison advantage is lost.

Also important: Ambrus only duels at night. So you need to ring the bell by at least 2 Time Segments before sunrise on the 3rd day for Iulian’s plan to work correctly.

If you skip The Bittersweet Toast entirely, you can still go to the duel location at any time and ring the bell. There is no 48-segment pressure in that case — but you also fight Ambrus at full strength.

All Toast Dialogue Choices and Their Outcomes

If you completed The Bittersweet Toast and arrive at the duel on time, Iulian will be present. When Ambrus proposes a toast and brings Iulian forward, he clocks the looks passing between Iulian and Coen. He then tells Coen to drink first. At this point you get four dialogue options. Each leads to a different outcome.

Choice 1 – “Letting a peasant drink first? What kind of boyar are you?”

Outcome: Ambrus drinks from Iulian and becomes poisoned. Iulian survives the duel. This is the best outcome if you want Iulian to live and Ambrus to be weakened. The poison drains Ambrus steadily throughout the fight — you can literally just dodge for the entire duel and never need to strike a blow.

Choice 2 – “I don’t trust anything you offer”

Outcome: Same result as Choice 1. Ambrus drinks from Iulian, gets poisoned, and Iulian survives. Another clean route to the easiest version of the fight.

Choice 3 – “Gladly! To a juicy slaughter”

Outcome: Coen drinks first, which means both Coen and Ambrus end up poisoned during the duel. Ambrus is still weakened, but so is Coen. Your health will continuously drop until you have just over half of your final health segment remaining. If you drank from Iulian, the poison stays in Coen’s system for 10 Time Segments after the duel ends and cannot be cured — you have to wait it out. Iulian still survives. This option works but comes with real risk if your health management is shaky.

Choice 4 – “I don’t drink from humans”

Outcome: This sounds like the moral high ground, but it backfires. Ambrus suspects something is wrong and drives his claws into Iulian’s stomach, killing him. He still becomes somewhat poisoned from the blood, but because he did not fully ingest it, the effect is much weaker and wears off partway through the fight. Iulian dies and you still face a tougher version of Ambrus. This is the worst dialogue choice.

Summary Table of Toast Choices

• “Letting a peasant drink first?” → Ambrus fully poisoned, Iulian lives, easiest fight
• “I don’t trust anything you offer” → Ambrus fully poisoned, Iulian lives, easiest fight
• “Gladly! To a juicy slaughter” → Both poisoned, Iulian lives, Coen takes ongoing damage
• “I don’t drink from humans” → Iulian dies, Ambrus only weakly poisoned, harder fight

How To Ring The Bell and Start The Duel

Head to the ruined watchtower south of Maragir village. You cannot ring the bell during the day — attempting it gives you an option to wait for nightfall. Rather than wasting time standing around, go do a side quest or pick up a perk and come back once night arrives.

Once it is dark, ring the bell. This immediately costs 2 Time Segments. Ambrus appears 2 time segments after the bell rings. The setup of the duel — whether Iulian is there, whether the poison lands, and what version of the fight you get — all depends on the choices made up to this point.

How To Beat Ambrus – Boss Fight Guide

Ambrus is a fast, aggressive vampire who talks constantly through the fight. He has three core unblockable attack patterns you need to learn. Two health bar breakpoints trigger new phases.

Ambrus Attack Patterns

• Spinning shadowstep slash: From a distance, Ambrus goes into a ready stance, spins with one foot raised, then shadowsteps toward you and brings his sword down in an overhand slash as he lands. Dodge backwards to avoid it.
• Straight shadowstep slice: From a distance, he leans into a shadowstep without spinning, reappears near you, and slices upward in a straight line. Dodge left or right quickly. You can punish him with a combo while he recovers.
• Figure-8 sword spin: From medium or close range, he spins the sword around his sides in a figure-8 pattern while stepping toward you. Dodge repeatedly to maintain distance. If you are fast and very close, you can land one claw strike then dodge left or right twice to exit the spin.

Ambrus blocks regular attacks well. Perfect Blocks followed by a Perfect Riposte are the most reliable way to deal damage. Following a riposte with a claw art attack also works well if your bracers allow it. He shadowsteps away frequently to reset — use lock-on to stop him from appearing behind you.

First Health Breakpoint – Scarlet Shield Phase

Once Ambrus drops past his first health bar breakpoint, he starts using his Scarlet Shield ability. A diamond-shaped shield indicator appears below his health bar and the bar turns grey. Striking him while this is active heals him instead of dealing damage. Stop attacking and keep dodging until the ability ends on its own.

Second Health Breakpoint – Teleport Flurry Phase

When he drops past the second breakpoint, Ambrus glows blood red and begins teleporting around you in rapid succession, striking from multiple angles and sometimes appearing to split into two positions at once. Focus entirely on defense during this phase. Wait for him to return to his normal attack patterns before engaging again.

Poisoned Fight (If Iulian’s Plan Worked)

If Ambrus was successfully poisoned before the duel, the fight changes completely. He slowly loses health on his own and occasionally doubles over in pain. You can dodge through the entire fight without landing a single blow if you want. His health will deplete to near zero on its own, then the ending cinematic triggers. This is the most forgiving version of the fight by far.

End of Fight Choices – Drain or Kill Ambrus

Once Ambrus’s health drops near zero, a cinematic plays and you get a key choice.

Choice A – Drain Ambrus’s Blood

Choosing to drain Ambrus grants you the Scarlet Shield ability — the same red shield he used against you. If you already found a Phial of Ambrus’s Blood in the world and consumed it, this increases the ability by one level instead. Draining also raises your Corruption level by a couple of points, and it transports Coen to Anachora, the vampiric spiritual realm, where Ambrus begs for mercy and asks you to invite him in.

Should You Invite Ambrus In?

If you invite Ambrus in, a part of his soul remains inside Coen’s mind. He becomes an occasional inner voice, offering snarky commentary on choices and quests as you play. More practically, he will assist you during the final confrontation with Brencis. There is no downside to inviting him in and it does not affect which ending you get. If you are interested in building toward specific endings, see our guides on how to ally with Xanthe and The Cycle of Love quest for the later vassal encounters.

Choice B – Kill Ambrus

Killing Ambrus outright ends the quest immediately. You do not get the Scarlet Shield ability from this route, but you can still unlock it later by finding and consuming a Phial of Ambrus’s Blood, which occasionally appears in the game world. Killing him yields no additional rewards over draining, so the drain option is generally the better pick.

What Happens To Iulian After The Duel

The fate of Iulian Codrin depends on the toast choice you made and whether you added a Tatzelwurm Gland during The Bittersweet Toast quest.

• If Iulian survived and you added the Tatzelwurm Gland: He has pointed words for Coen after the fight. He is alive but not exactly grateful.
• If Iulian survived without the Tatzelwurm Gland: The poison still ran through him during the plan. He makes it through but is worse for wear.
• If Iulian died (choice 4 — “I don’t drink from humans”): You can walk to his body after the fight and choose to bury him. It costs 1 Time Segment, has no objective tied to it, and nothing tracks it in the journal — but the option is there if you want the closure.

Key Tips For The Gilded Gauntlet

• Always do The Bittersweet Toast first. The 1 Time Segment cost to meet Iulian is nothing compared to the fight advantage the poison gives you.
• Pick dialogue Choice 1 or 2 at the toast. Both lead to the same result — Ambrus drinks, gets fully poisoned, and Iulian lives. There is no reason to pick Choice 3 or 4 on a first playthrough.
• Do not miss the 48-segment window. Once The Bittersweet Toast is done, the 3-day clock starts. The duel happens at night, so plan accordingly — do not spend all your remaining time on other quests and forget to ring the bell.
• Use the bell waiting time wisely. If you arrive during the day, do not just stand there. Go knock out a nearby activity and come back when night falls.
• Stop attacking during Scarlet Shield. Hitting Ambrus while the shield is active heals him. Just dodge and wait for it to drop.
• Drain rather than kill. The Scarlet Shield ability is genuinely useful against later bosses. Bakir and Xanthe are tougher — see our Ring quest guide for Bakir and the Pilgrimage for Power quest to prep for what comes next.
• Save before ringing the bell. This lets you reload and try different dialogue choices or approaches without losing progress.

Frequently Asked Questions