The courtyard of St. Tyna’s convent is full of undead nuns that cannot be permanently killed, so fighting your way across it is not an option. Anca will not follow you to the library until the path is genuinely clear, which means either removing the sisters from the route or opening a door that bypasses them entirely. There are two reliable ways to do that during the Echoes of Silenced Bells side quest in The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Quick answer: Take the Monastery Keys from the wooden shack at the north end of the courtyard, then either hand The Relic of St. Tyna (inside the locked sacristy) to Brencis’s Officer at the infirmary window, or climb the bell tower and ring the Chapel signal to send every nun inside to pray. Either result clears the way, and the objective consumes 3 Time Segments.
The objective opens after Anca leads you upstairs through the refectory to the prioress’s study. Step onto the balcony and look at each point of interest she calls out, and you will unlock the optional objectives for the infirmary, the bell tower and the chapel. The cross behind the prioress’s desk works as a shrine if you want to spend perks first, and the south side of the balcony has a route down to ground level.
Monastery Keys location and what they open
The game never marks the keys, so most players stall here. Head to the far north side of the monastery, past the courtyard, where a small wooden shack sits against the wall near the chapel and the dormitories. The key ring hangs on the wall directly ahead of you when you open the door.
Getting there without a fight is the only real challenge. At night, vampire form lets you move along the rooftops and drop down beside the shack, skipping the sisters completely. In human form, hug the outer wall and keep your distance; the nuns have very short sight lines, so sneaking past them is manageable.
The Monastery Keys unlock nearly every side door in the convent, including the sacristy and several storage shacks worth looting. They do not open the infirmary’s front doors, which is why that building needs its own solution.
Route 1: Trade St. Tyna’s Relic for infirmary access
The infirmary connects to the library through an upper-floor corridor, and Brencis’s soldiers have barricaded themselves inside. They will not open up for nothing, but they do keep their word once you meet their price.
You can also keep the relic. Tell the soldiers you will not hand it over and they come out to take it by force, which is a straightforward fight against three men. Killing them opens the same door and leaves the trinket in your inventory, which matters if you are building around Witchcraft.
Note: visiting the chapel first is optional. Inspecting the mural and St. Tyna’s body lets you Compel Soul for a hint about where the necklace ended up, but it costs an extra Time Segment and the relic is findable without it.
Route 2: Ring the bell tower Chapel signal
The bell tower is attached to the chapel, and the nuns still respond to the old signals out of habit. Ringing the bell before you know the code does nothing useful, so pick up the instructions first.
Bell signals and what each one does
| Signal | Tolls | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel | 3 | All nuns file inside to pray. Courtyard and library are clear, and Anca can pass. |
| Infirmary | 4 | The nuns break in and tear the Brencis soldiers apart. Raises Infamy, and you must ring again to move the nuns before you can use the building. |
| Dormitory | 5 | The nuns gather on the west side of the courtyard but stay outside. Does not clear the path for Anca. |
Save before you ring. The Infirmary signal permanently removes your chance to hand the necklace to Brencis’s Officer, since the soldiers will be dead.
Which route to take
| Route | What it needs | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Relic and infirmary | Monastery Keys, a trip to the sacristy, and a short conversation or a three-man fight | Works at any hour. Keeping the relic gives you a Witchcraft trinket; handing it over avoids combat. |
| Chapel bell signal | The Campana Loquitur book and access to the top of the bell tower | Fewer steps, but the climb is far easier at night. Ignoring the soldiers means they ambush you as you leave the convent. |
If it is daytime and you would rather not burn a Time Segment waiting for night, the relic route is the more practical choice. If you already have the bell instructions and vampire abilities available, the Chapel signal is the faster clear.
How to confirm the path is clear
Once the route is genuinely open, the objective flips to Return to Anca. Head back to the prioress’s study and speak to her, tell her you have found a way through, and she will follow you. Calling Anca to the library is what spends the 3 Time Segments attached to this objective.
From there she leads you into the library and the next objective asks you to push the bookcase aside, which opens the catacombs and moves the quest forward.
Common reasons the path stays blocked
- You rang the Dormitory signal. The nuns move to the west side of the courtyard but remain outside, so Anca still refuses to cross.
- You rang the Infirmary signal and stopped there. The sisters are now inside the building; ring a second time for the Chapel or Dormitory to move them out before using the upper corridor.
- You tried the infirmary doors with the Monastery Keys. Those doors stay locked regardless, and the back window is the only way to start the negotiation.
- A nun spotted you. Aggroed sisters block you from entering buildings until you break line of sight or deal with them, and they cannot be killed for good.
Whichever route you use, the soldiers do not simply disappear. Skip them entirely and they turn up near the end of Echoes of Silenced Bells to demand the relic, leaving you the same choice between handing it over and a fight, only at a less convenient moment.
