Every time Coen shakes up the valley in The Blood of Dawnwalker, his nemesis Brencis pushes back. That pushback takes the form of Edicts, punishments tied to your Infamy level that steadily make the world harder to move through. There are nine Edicts in total, one for each Infamy level, and knowing what each one adds lets you plan your purchases, quests, and combat before the valley locks down around you.
Quick answer: Infamy rises through Court Activities and by defeating the three vassals, and each new level triggers an Edict the day after. The effects stack from extra patrols at level 1 up to shutting Svartrau gates at level 9, so buy gear and finish delicate quests before your Infamy climbs.
How Infamy Edicts are triggered
The Court menu opens after the Prologue. Infamy measures how much chaos you have caused against Brencis’s coronation, which is the main story goal. Two things raise it: clearing Court Activities in each vassal’s region, and beating one of the three vassal bosses, which grants a full level each. Clearing Soldier Camps also feeds into it.
Edicts do not hit the moment your Infamy ticks up. They arrive after a day passes in-game, and you see a short cutscene of the Edict being read aloud in Svartrau City. Until then, the Edicts sit hidden in the Court menu, which is why planning ahead matters.
Tip: The soldiers who eventually recognize Coen on sight are not one single Edict. That behavior is the combined weight of the earlier Edicts, especially the ones at levels 4 and 7 that teach commanders and then all soldiers to identify him.
All nine Infamy Edicts
| Infamy level | Edict effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Additional patrols in settlements |
| 2 | Military checkpoints appear throughout the valley |
| 3 | Prices increase throughout the valley |
| 4 | Additional soldiers patrol the roads; patrol commanders now recognize Coen |
| 5 | Fewer people outdoors between dusk and dawn |
| 6 | Further military checkpoints appear; prices increase again |
| 7 | Headhunters appear in the valley; all soldiers now recognize Coen |
| 8 | All soldiers become stronger |
| 9 | Svartrau City gates are shut (climb the walls at night) |
What each Edict changes in practice
Level 1: More patrols in settlements
Extra soldiers start roaming the points of interest you need to reach for quests. That raises combat difficulty, and the sting is worse on higher settings. Nobody knows who Coen is yet, so standing near guards is still safe.
Level 2: Military checkpoints in the valley
Checkpoints spring up beside some waypoints and points of interest. Coen is still anonymous, so the checkpoints are mostly a nuisance rather than a threat. They become a real problem only during quests that involve killing or sneaking.
Level 3: Prices increase valley-wide
Brencis still blames troublemakers for the unrest, so he raises prices across the board and merchant goods cost noticeably more. If you plan to keep pushing Infamy higher, buy anything you want before you cross into level 3, because this hike hurts.
Level 4: Road patrols and commanders who know Coen
Brencis realizes Coen is alive and challenging his hold on the Vale. The new road soldiers cluster near waypoints, and each group has a commander who can recognize Coen. Expect a fight whenever you travel between areas.
Level 5: Empty streets after dark
With fewer people outside between dusk and dawn, night quests and finding merchants after dark both get harder. Save combat-heavy tasks for night and handle talk-based, narrative quests during the day when townsfolk are around. Brencis now suspects Coen is behind his troubles.
Level 6: More checkpoints, higher prices
Nearly every waypoint now has a military presence beside it. Coen can still move around as long as you avoid patrol commanders. Merchants also raise prices a second time, so buying gear and items becomes painful.
Level 7: Headhunters and full recognition
Brencis brands Coen an enemy of the state and sends Headhunters after him. These are tough foes with special abilities that can be dangerous on higher difficulties. On top of that, every soldier can now identify Coen, which makes crossing cities and villages much harder since guards attack on sight.
Level 8: Stronger soldiers
By now you are fighting soldiers almost everywhere, so they get a straight power boost. Enemies gain more HP and hit harder when they connect. Some also pick up special moves, including ranged attacks that can catch you off-guard.
Level 9: Svartrau City gates shut
The gates of Svartrau close, and you can only get in by climbing the walls at night. In practice, this is the weakest Edict, since you likely have several waypoints inside the city already. Moving through Svartrau still becomes a chore as units keep spawning to attack from every direction.
Planning around rising Infamy
Because the price hikes land at levels 3 and 6, the cleanest approach is to stock up on gear and consumables before each of those thresholds. Delicate stealth or dialogue quests are easier at lower Infamy, while combat-focused work fits the later stages when the valley is already crawling with soldiers. Since Edicts trigger a day after your Infamy climbs, you also get a short buffer to wrap up anything sensitive before the next penalty takes hold.
One more consequence sits outside the Edict ladder. When Coen disrupts the vassals Ambrus, Xanthe, and Bakir, Brencis sends an invitation to parley, offering to free Coen’s family and his entire village in exchange for betraying the Manumits. It is a separate lever Brencis pulls in response to your progress, and worth weighing against the mounting cost of every Edict you have already earned.
