Dawnwalker Firebrand: Kill the Soldiers? Save Renna & Mert
Should you kill the soldiers at Mert's Mill? The exact choice that keeps Renna alive, the day and night openings, and where to send Mert afterward.
This page synthesizes the attributed sources below. It does not present another outlet's test as our own; unresolved player reports stay provisional.
Yes—kill the soldiers at Mert's Mill if you want Renna to survive. She dislikes the decision, but sparing them causes the soldiers to kill her while she helps rescue Mert. After freeing Mert, tell him to escape with Renna to the Svartrau Almshouse so you can find him there later.
Choice spoilers and the short answer
This guide reveals the central choice in The Firebrand and its consequence for Renna. Make a manual save before approaching the mill if you want to watch both versions.
Despite Renna's request, killing the soldiers is the protective choice. Her immediate disapproval is reversible; her death after sparing them is not.
Reach the mill without wasting the opening
The scene changes with the time of day. During daylight, Renna stages a broken-cart distraction and asks Coen not to kill the soldiers hiding in the barn. At night the group sets an ambush; the dialogue option claiming “I'm Mirto” can prevent the first exchange from becoming a fight.
Either route leads to the same decisive question. Loot and prepare before committing, because the safer story outcome still requires combat at the mill.
Kill or spare the soldiers?
Kill them. If Coen honors Renna's request and leaves the soldiers alive, they later catch her during Mert's rescue and kill her. If Coen eliminates them, Renna survives even though she is angry about the decision.
No verified long-term reward compensates for sparing them. The choice is framed as respecting Renna's wishes, but the tested downstream state makes killing the soldiers the clear outcome-focused route.
| Mill choice | Renna's reaction | Later result |
|---|---|---|
| Kill the soldiers | Renna is upset | Renna survives the Mert rescue |
| Spare the soldiers | Renna approves initially | The soldiers kill Renna during the rescue |
Where should Mert go?
After Mert is free, tell him to leave with Renna and head to the Svartrau Almshouse. This preserves the pair's safest known route and moves Mert to a location you can visit later.
The Firebrand overlaps directly with Under Watchful Eyes, so complete the prison escape carefully and do not treat the rear exit as a failed objective—the game accepts it.
Confirmed versus provisional
The Renna consequence and Almshouse destination are independently reproduced in launch walkthroughs. The daytime and nighttime openings are also corroborated.
Exact time-cost variations are not consistent enough across early reports, so this guide does not promise a precise segment total. Check the confirmation prompt in your own journal before advancing time.
Frequently asked questions
Should you kill the soldiers in The Firebrand?
Yes. Killing them upsets Renna but keeps her alive; sparing them causes the soldiers to kill her during Mert's rescue.
Can Renna survive The Firebrand?
Yes. Eliminate the soldiers at the mill before continuing the rescue.
Where should you send Mert?
Tell Mert to escape with Renna to the Svartrau Almshouse. He can be found there later.
Can you avoid the first fight at night?
The dialogue option claiming “I'm Mirto” can talk your way through the nighttime opening, but it does not remove the later soldier choice.
Should you kill or spare the Firebrand soldiers?
Kill them at the mill: Renna is upset, but she survives the Mert rescue.
Official sources establish releases and documented features. Independent walkthroughs corroborate routes; community posts only show reported behavior. The article above combines these sources into an original answer, table or decision route and marks uncertainty where the evidence does not agree.