The Night of Horrors is one of the launch build’s strongest mid-game quests because it unlocks Mandrake Ward — a Vampirism perk that saves Coen from death once per in-game night. It is the only way to obtain that perk in a playthrough, and the perk is gated behind eating a mandrake that Lacra offers you in a sunken crypt. The quest also unlocks Mesmerise, a Vampiric ability that requires drinking Lacra’s blood during the optional romance scene.
The quest is part of the Our Rotten Roots questline and only triggers after that quest is complete.
Quest Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Quest giver | Lacra (via Our Rotten Roots follow-up) |
| Starting location | Westridge Outpost Tower |
| Region | Svartrau outskirts |
| Time cost | 6-7 time segments (depends on romance scene) |
| Best time of day | Night (crypt is dark, requires night-vampire traversal) |
| Required quest | Our Rotten Roots (must be complete) |
| Reward | Mandrake Ward (perk, mandatory), Mesmerise (ability, optional), Misery Loves Company achievement |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (undead + hellhound fights) |
Source: PowerPyx quest info box (2026-09-04), Game8 quest data (2026-09-04).
Step 1: Wait One Day After Our Rotten Roots
The quest does not trigger immediately when Our Rotten Roots ends. Wait one full day/night cycle at any shrine, then return to Westridge Outpost Tower. Lacra will have a new conversation ready, and the Night of Horrors will auto-trigger.
This wait is one of the time segments in the budget. Do not skip it.
Step 2: Uncover Kallias’s Secrets
Lacra’s goal in this quest is to uncover anything related to the ancient battle between Mihai and Kallias — two figures from the game’s pre-launch lore drops. The objective marker sends Coen to the southern part of the map automatically. You cannot skip this segment; it is the quest’s framing dialogue.
Step 3: Reach The Roadside Shrine
After the framing dialogue, the objective updates to “Reach the roadside shrine.” This is a free travel step — the shrine fast-travels you close to the crypt. The shrine unlocks as a fast-travel node on the way, which is useful for the rest of the run.
Source: PowerPyx step 3 (2026-09-04).
Step 4: Follow The Wisps (Crypt Approach)
Red wisps guide you through the woods to the entrance of the sunken crypt. This is the launch build’s signature “follow the wisps” hidden-quest pattern — the same mechanic used by Wisp Treasure Hunt: Watermill Hills and the Wisp Treasure Hunt: South Foot. The wisps wait if you fall behind, and they lead you along a path you would not have found by map exploration alone.
Follow them carefully. Do not shortcut through the forest — the path is narrower than it looks.
Step 5: Investigate The Stone Slab, Then The Rockslide
The crypt entrance is hidden under a stone slab and a rockslide. Investigate each one in turn. Each takes about 1 time segment. There are no traps, but the slab inspection triggers the next fight.
Step 6: Defeat The Lizards, Then The Hellhounds
The crypt has two fight phases:
- Lizards at the entrance chamber. These are the lightest of the crypt enemies and can be cleared quickly with Swordmastery combos.
- Hellhounds in the second chamber. These are tougher — they hit hard and have a fire breath attack. Bring at least 2 healing consumables and keep Dodging for the breath.
The crypt has a save point midway between the two fights. Use it.
Source: PowerPyx step 6 (2026-09-04).
Step 7: Explore The Sunken Crypt And Defeat The Undead
The next two chambers are undead-heavy. The patterns are the same as other crypt encounters in the game:
- Swords first, casters second. Undead casters raise skeletons if left alone.
- Light them on fire if you have a Witchcraft burn spell. Burning Blood or Ravenous Flock both work and stun the undead mid-rise.
There are 2-3 undead per chamber, and the final chamber has a miniboss with a separate HP bar. Use the same HP-management strategy as the hellhound fight.
Step 8: Inspect The Sarcophagus And Defeat The Spirits
The sarcophagus in the back of the crypt is the quest’s pivot point. Inspecting it triggers a spirit encounter — three spirits rise simultaneously and chain-lightning if they stay close together. Spread them out before committing damage.
Step 9: The Hidden Cave — The Mandrake And The Mesmerise Choice
After the spirits, Lacra breaks down a wall revealing a hidden cave. Inside:
- The mandrake is on a pedestal in the first room.
- Lacra’s dialogue options appear in the second room.
Take the mandrake. Eating it unlocks the Mandrake Ward perk, which saves Coen from death once per in-game night. There is no downside to eating it — PowerPyx explicitly recommends it.
After the mandrake, Lacra offers the romance scene. The choice is yours:
- Accept the romance scene: Drink Lacra’s blood. This unlocks the Mesmerise Vampiric ability and triggers the Misery Loves Company trophy / achievement. The scene does not affect the ending or other quests significantly.
- Refuse the romance scene: The quest completes normally. You get the Mandrake Ward perk but not Mesmerise.
Recommendation (community consensus): Take the mandrake + accept the romance. Mesmerise is one of the stronger mid-game Vampiric abilities, and the achievement is missable if you refuse. The romance scene is short and does not lock you out of any other quest lines.
Source: PowerPyx “There is effectively no downside to accepting it” + romance option section (2026-09-04).
Reward Summary
| Reward | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mandrake Ward | Eating the mandrake in the hidden cave | Vampirism perk, one free death per night, mandatory |
| Mesmerise | Drinking Lacra’s blood | Vampiric active ability, requires romance scene |
| Misery Loves Company | Drinking Lacra’s blood | Trophy / achievement |
| 2x Skill Points + XP | Quest completion | Baseline progression |
| Lacra follow-up unlocked | Quest completion | Opens the next quest in the Our Rotten Roots arc |
Why Mandrake Ward Matters
Mandrake Ward is one of the strongest defensive perks in the launch build because:
- It activates once per night automatically. If Coen drops to 0 HP at night, the perk triggers, and he returns to fight with a chunk of his HP back.
- It does not consume the death. The “once per night” cooldown resets on day/night transition, so it is essentially a free insurance policy for the entire Vampirism playstyle.
- It stacks with other survivability perks. Combine it with Endless Hunger (more HP segments) and Scarlet Shield (Perfect Block healing) and you have a Vampirism build that almost never dies.
Mesmerise is more situational — it is a single-target crowd-control ability — but it is useful for vampire assassinations where you want to neutralize a single human target without alerting a camp.
Source: PowerPyx “Mandrake Ward” perk description (2026-09-04).
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to wait one day after Our Rotten Roots. The quest will not trigger if you try to talk to Lacra immediately.
- Refusing the mandrake. The quest lets you refuse, but the perk is mandatory-tier. There is no reason to refuse.
- Refusing the romance scene. Mesmerise + the Misery Loves Company achievement are both gated behind the romance. The community consensus is “take it.”
- Skipping the crypt save point. The undead and hellhounds will punish you if you enter at low HP. Use the midpoint save.
Related
- Three Skill Trees Builds - Where Mandrake Ward sits in the Vampirism priority order.
- All Endings and Secret Epilogue - How Lacra’s questline ties into the family-rescue endings.
- Wisp Treasure Hunt: Watermill Hills - The other wisp-following quest in the launch build.
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