The Bittersweet Toast Side quest
- Region
- Briar Sloughs
- Missable
- Yes
- Methodology
- Data Methodology
- Author
- Dakota Chinnick
Nobleman Iulian Codrin, a known vassal of Ambrus's, has a plan to tip the scales in my favour when I duel the boyar. It could be a trap, but it might be worth trying.
- Type
- Side quest
- Starts
- Briar Sloughs
- Time cost
- 9 time units
- Time of day
- Day
- Reward
- 250 XP
- Steps
- 35 steps, 18 on the map
The one decision in The Bittersweet Toast is at the brew: finish it the way Iulian Codrin asks and the poison kills him after the duel with Ambrus; add the gland from the lizard that killed Vera (Tatzelwurm Gland, an optional hunt) and he survives it. The ritual, this quest's ending and its reward are the same either way — the gland only decides Iulian's fate in The Gilded Gauntlet.
Show the steps on the mapJump to the endingsSchedule The Bittersweet Toast in the 30-Day Planner
The Bittersweet Toast Walkthrough
18 of the 35 objectives for The Bittersweet Toast are pinned on the map below, 2 of them optional. The numbers on the map match the numbered steps.
How to start The Bittersweet Toast
- StartsBegins in Briar Sloughs.
- Time cost9 time units
- Time of dayDay only
- Can be failedYes — it has a failure ending, so the coronation deadline can take it from you.
The Bittersweet Toast step by step
5 markers cover an area to search rather than an exact spot.
- Meet Iulian by the swampDay & Night
I've agreed to meet Iulian near the swamp. He'll show me the way to Vera's house.
Pinned on the map - Light the campfire1 time unitDay & Night
We agreed with Iulian that I'll light the campfire by the swamp to signal him when I'm ready to go see his poisoner friend.
Pinned on the map — pin 1 - Follow IulianDay & Night
I should follow Iulian's lead.
- Defeat the wolvesDay & Night
We've come across a pack of hungry wolves. I should dispose of them.
- Follow IulianDay & Night
I should follow Iulian's lead.
- Inspect the bodyDay & Night
We found a mutilated body on the path to Iulian's friend's hut. We should see what happened.
Pinned on the map - Follow Iulian1 time unitDay & Night
I should follow Iulian's lead.
- Find out where Vera is1 time unitDay & Night
Vera wasn't home. We have to find her.
Search area on the mapStuck here? Where Vera isVera is not at the hut and is not found alive. Her salamander traps by the stream (step 11) and her tracks in Focus Mode (steps 12 and 13) lead to the ritual site where the lizard killed her. The scroll is not on her body: follow her tracks again to the clearing (steps 15 to 17).
- (Optional) Inspect the hutDay & Night
I should look around Vera's hut and see if I can find anything helpful.
- Discuss findings with IulianDay & Night
I've found out what Vera needed – I should let Iulian know she's after the missing ingredient: salamanders.
- Look for Vera's trapsDay & Night
It appears that Vera went to set up some salamander traps. We should look for her by the stream.
Search area on the map - Follow Vera's tracks using Focus ModeDay & Night
Vera went deeper into the swamp after grabbing the trapped salamanders. We can still see her tracks, we should follow her.
Search area on the map — pin 11 - Look around for Vera's tracks using Focus ModeDay & Night
We have to find more of Vera's footsteps to see which way she went.
- Inspect the bodyDay & Night
Vera is dead – we found her body at the ritual site. Iulian said she might have some vital notes on her, I should check.
Pinned on the map - Find the ritual scroll1 time unitDay & Night
The ritual scroll was not on Vera's body – she might have dropped it while fleeing. I have to find it.
- Follow Vera's tracks using Focus ModeDay & Night
Vera's tracks should lead to where she was attacked. The scroll might be there, too.
Pinned on the map — pin 17 - Search the clearingDay & Night
I got to a clearing in the bogs. I should look around and see what I can find.
Search area on the map - Give Iulian the scrollDay & Night
I found Vera's ritual scroll. I should give it to Iulian.
- Return to Iulian during the dayTime-sensitiveDay
I can't conduct the ritual at night, I must return to Iulian during the daytime to proceed.
Stuck here? The ritual is day-onlyIulian will not start it at night. Wait for daylight, then return to him (step 19) and begin (step 20).
- Start the ritualDay & Night
Whenever I'm ready, it's time to start Vera's blood poisoning ritual.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Talk to Iulian1 time unitDay & Night
I should talk to Iulian.
- Show up for the duel before Iulian diesDay & Night
Iulian's blood is poisoned – I need to show up for the duel with Ambrus before it kills him.
Pinned on the mapStuck here? Do not put off the duelOnce the ritual is done, Iulian's blood is poisoned and the duel with Ambrus in The Gilded Gauntlet has to happen before it kills him. Go straight there.
- Find the lizard's lairOptionalDay & Night
The giant lizard that Vera was after has a lair somewhere in the nearby caves. I might be able to find it.
Search area on the mapStuck here? The lizard's lair (optional)The creature that killed Vera is a Tatzelwurm. Follow the slime trail it leaves to a narrow gap in the rock and the cavern beyond. It burrows and surfaces for an unblockable spit and a ground slam — sidestep the spit, dodge backwards from the slam — and its bites can be perfect-blocked. Its gland (step 24) is the safety ingredient Vera intended.
- Defeat the lizard and get its gland1 time unitOptionalDay & Night
If I want to complete the ritual the way Vera intended, I have to kill the giant lizard and gets its poison gland.
- Finish making the brewDay & Night
We have all the ingredients now. All that's left is finishing the brew before we start the ritual.
Pinned on the map — pin 14Stuck here? Finish the brew, or add the glandTwo options, one choice. Finish the brew as it is and Iulian gets the death he asked for once the duel is done. Add the Tatzelwurm Gland without telling him and he lives through the poison. Nothing else changes: same ritual, same ending, same reward.
- Discuss the next steps with IulianDay & Night
I should check in with Iulian and see what we do next.
- Perform the ritual3 time unitsDay & Night
Everything is set and done – now we need to perform the ritual to poison Iulian's blood.
- Light the first pillar using Astral CommunionDay & Night
It's time to light the first pillar.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Light the second pillar using Astral CommunionDay & Night
It's time to light the second pillar.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Light the third pillar using Astral CommunionDay & Night
It's time to light the third pillar.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Defeat the hostile spiritDay & Night
A hostile spirit was drawn in by the ritual. I need to destroy it.
- Light the fourth pillar using Astral CommunionDay & Night
It's time to light the fourth pillar.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Light the fifth pillar using Astral CommunionDay & Night
It's time to light the fifth pillar.
Pinned on the map — pin 14 - Return to Iulian to finish the ritualDay & Night
We're almost there. It's time to finish the ritual with Iulian.
- Defeat the hostile spiritsDay & Night
More hostile spirits have appeared, drawn in by the ritual. I need to kill them.
The Bittersweet Toast rewards
On completion
- 250 XP
Picked up along the way
- Ritual Brew ×1
- Ritual Brew with a Lizard Gland ×1
Show the 2 endings — spoilers
Every way The Bittersweet Toast can end, in the game's own words. Read on only if you want it spoiled.
Which ending you get, and how
One ending and one failure. The choice that players search for — the gland — does not change this quest's ending at all; it changes whether Iulian is alive after the duel.
- Ending 1
We've completed Iulian and Vera's ritual. It's time to end Ambrus, once and for all.
Rewards: 250 XP
How to get it: Recover the scroll, brew the poison (with or without the gland), perform the ritual by day, then go to the duel before the poison kills Iulian.
- Ending 2Failure
I didn't follow Iulian's plan through. I decided to deal with Ambrus my own way.
How to get it: Abandon Iulian's plan and deal with Ambrus your own way, or let the 30 days run out first.
Choices and outcomes checked against the game files and published walkthroughs on September 6, 2026.
Where The Bittersweet Toast takes place
The Bittersweet Toast is a Side quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker with 1 playable version(s). The Bittersweet Toast takes place around Briar Sloughs. The Bittersweet Toast has 35 objectives, 2 of them optional. 18 of the objectives in The Bittersweet Toast are pinned on the world map, so you can see where each step happens. The Bittersweet Toast has 2 possible endings.
See Also
Your Dawnwalker Guide, In-Game
The map, the quests, the skills and the 30-day clock in an overlay — look anything up without alt-tabbing out of Vale Sangora. Free on your PC.
- In-game overlays
- Automatic match tracking
- Desktop-exclusive tools
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The Bittersweet Toast FAQ
Should you add the lizard gland in The Bittersweet Toast?
The gland keeps Iulian alive after the poison; leaving it out lets him die as he asked. It changes nothing in this quest — the ritual and the reward are the same — only whether he survives The Gilded Gauntlet.
Where is Vera's ritual scroll?
Not on her body. Follow her tracks in Focus Mode from the ritual site to a clearing in the bog and search it — the scroll was dropped there.
Why won't Iulian start the ritual?
It can only be performed by day. Wait for daylight and return to him.
How do you complete The Bittersweet Toast?
The one decision in The Bittersweet Toast is at the brew: finish it the way Iulian Codrin asks and the poison kills him after the duel with Ambrus; add the gland from the lizard that killed Vera (Tatzelwurm Gland, an optional hunt) and he survives it. The ritual, this quest's ending and its reward are the same either way — the gland only decides Iulian's fate in The Gilded Gauntlet.
How long does The Bittersweet Toast take?
The Bittersweet Toast spends 9 time units off the story clock across its 35 objectives.
Should I do The Bittersweet Toast by day or by night?
The Bittersweet Toast is only available during Day.
How do I start The Bittersweet Toast?
The Bittersweet Toast begins around Briar Sloughs — start from the first objective in the walkthrough above.
Where do the objectives of The Bittersweet Toast take place?
18 of the 35 objectives in The Bittersweet Toast have a marked location, in and around Briar Sloughs. The numbered map above matches the objective list.
What are the rewards for The Bittersweet Toast?
Completing The Bittersweet Toast rewards 250 XP.
How many endings does The Bittersweet Toast have?
One ending and one failure. The choice that players search for — the gland — does not change this quest's ending at all; it changes whether Iulian is alive after the duel.
Is The Bittersweet Toast missable?
Missable: Yes. On the 30-day clock most quests can time out; the start block of the walkthrough above says whether this one has a failure ending.