Is there an alternative to mounts in The Blood of Dawnwalker? I explain how fast travel works and which abilities can help Coen move through the Sangora Valley much faster.
First things first: There are no mounts in The Blood of Dawnwalker. You can’t buy a horse, ride other animals, or unlock a mount later in the game. Instead, you’ll need to rely on Coen’s supernatural abilities to get around. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck moving at his regular running speed for the entire game, though. There are several ways to travel faster – including an ability that lets Coen transform into a wolf. Below, I’ll explain every option for getting around the world more quickly.
How Fast Travel Works in The Blood of Dawnwalker
The wayside shrines scattered throughout the Sangora Valley serve as fast travel points. Once you’ve discovered a functioning shrine, you can use it as a fast travel destination from then on.
The shrines are clearly marked on the map, but you’ll need to visit them before you can use them. Active shrines are shown with a blue icon on the map, while undiscovered ones appear gray.
To travel, go to a shrine, interact with it, and select Fast Travel from the menu. You can then choose any previously discovered shrine on the map as your destination.
This means you can’t simply open the map from anywhere in the world and teleport directly to a shrine. You’ll first need to reach a fast travel point.
You Need to Repair Destroyed Shrines First
In addition to regular wayside shrines, you’ll also come across destroyed shrines. These can’t be used for fast travel right away. Investigating one starts a small quest that may require you to follow clues, defeat enemies, and recover the shrine’s missing heart.
Only after restoring the shrine will its functions become available. It’s well worth doing in the long run, because shrines aren’t just fast travel points. You can also unlock abilities and change the time of day there.
- Tip: Activate or repair shrines whenever you happen to pass one. The more extensive your fast travel network becomes, the less ground you’ll have to cover on foot later.
Does Fast Travel Use Time?
Fast travel itself does not consume any of your valuable time segments. Regular exploration doesn’t make the clock tick continuously either. Time only passes during certain activities and decisions, which the game marks accordingly.
Be careful with destroyed shrines, though: Restoring one may involve an activity that does consume in-game time. As with other quests, keep an eye out for the hourglass icons.
Mercurial Fervour: How to Move Faster During the Day
During the day, Coen is human and can’t use his vampire abilities. Even so, you don’t have to settle for his regular sprint speed. After completing the “Stronger Than Achilles” quest (guide), Coen gains access to Sorcery.
In the Sorcery skill tree, you’ll find the Mercurial Fervour ability. It grants Coen “Haste” and slows down the world around him, making his own sprint significantly faster.
The first rank costs just one skill point, making it a worthwhile investment even early in the game. To unlock higher ranks, you’ll need to find the corresponding instruction manual. Once you’ve learned the ability, simply press the sprint button to activate it. Upgrade it as soon as you can – it’s well worth it.
Unlock Wolf Form: How to Move Especially Fast at Night
At night, you gain another alternative to a mount: Coen simply turns himself into a wolf. For this, you’ll need the vampire ability Shapeshift. You’ll find it in the Vampirism section of the ability menu, and the first rank can also be unlocked for one skill point.
Again, all you need to do is start sprinting and tap the sprint button one more time. Coen automatically assumes his wolf form and moves through the landscape much faster. The ability only works at night, since Coen can’t use his vampiric powers during the day.
You can upgrade wolf form later as well. Further progression of the vampire ability depends on Coen’s Corruption level. You can find more details in my beginner’s guide to The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Shadowstep, Claw Ride, and Plane Shift Help You Take Shortcuts
Coen’s vampire abilities don’t just make him faster at night. They also change which routes you can take through the world. A mountain, wall, or building that forces you to take a long detour during the day can sometimes simply be bypassed at night.
The most important traversal abilities include:
- Shadowstep: Allows you to teleport quickly over short distances, helping you cross gaps or reach elevated positions, among other things. Upgrade the “Shadowdweller” perk to increase its range.
- Planeshift: While running up walls, this lets Coen transition across vertical surfaces, such as moving from a wall onto a rooftop. Upgrade the “Dimensional Reach” perk to reduce Stamina consumption.
- Claw Ride: Allows Coen to descend from cliffs or walls without taking damage.
Why Exploring at Night Is Especially Worthwhile
If you’re exploring larger areas for the first time, nighttime offers several advantages. Shapeshift lets you cover long distances quickly in wolf form, while Shadowstep, Claw Ride, and Plane Shift help you bypass obstacles and take more direct routes. As a result, Coen is considerably more mobile at night than he is in human form.
For pure exploration runs, it can therefore make sense to scout large, unexplored areas at night and discover as many shrines as possible along the way. Once you’ve built up your fast travel network, you can move between regions much more conveniently later on.
More Guides & Articles on The Blood of Dawnwalker
- The Blood of Dawnwalker Walkthrough: Echoes of Silenced Bells – Quest Guide
- The Blood of Dawnwalker: Anca Romance – All Dialogue Choices for the Best Outcome
- The Blood of Dawnwalker: Mihai’s Sword Location – How to Complete “Forge It Anew”
- The Blood of Dawnwalker Guide: Vicho’s Quest Doesn’t End With “A Study in Crimson”
- No Mounts in The Blood of Dawnwalker: How to Get Around the World Faster Anyway
