Dawnwalker The Heart Wants What It Wants: Best Choices

How to pick the ring, avoid fighting Andrei, choose Ocha's future, unlock the Vicho lead and collect the Swordmastery reward.

Quick answer

Enter Andrei's house from the balcony at night and take the ring—not the pendant or cleaver. Open the pig pen to distract the guard, draw the hex on the window and let the spell kill Andrei. At the river, encourage Ocha to remain in the city with Nora if you want the Vicho lead; every ending still awards the Broad Swing Swordmastery manual.

Quest and outcome spoilers

This route reveals Andrei's fate and Ocha's possible futures. Save after meeting Ocha and Nora at the Altenmarkt tavern, then keep a second slot before choosing a memento in Andrei's room.

The ring plus the window hex gives the broadest follow-up: no direct duel with Andrei, Ocha can remain with Nora, and the city outcome opens a lead for A Study in Crimson.

Start the quest and reach Andrei

Find Ocha at the tavern near Altenmarkt market, win the fistfight and speak with Nora upstairs. At night, vampire movement lets Coen enter Andrei's upper floor from the balcony.

A daytime social route also exists: question the beggars, mention selling silver and bring the required silver. The balcony is the cleaner route if you want to avoid extra errands and expense.

Choose the ring

Inside the upstairs room, inspect the ring, pendant and cleaver. Take the ring. Choosing another memento or going downstairs too soon turns the scene into a fight with Andrei.

If conversation is required on your route, the cooperative responses are the ones recognizing that his work is illegal, calling his approach smart and acknowledging that he knows how to handle it. Keep the manual save because dialogue order can vary with entry route.

MementoResult
RingCorrect item; preserves the spell route
Pendant or cleaverWrong choice; leads toward a confrontation
Descend without the planAndrei fight becomes likely

Complete the hex plan

Return to Ocha and tell her to stick to the plan. Open the pig pen to pull the guard away, then draw the hex on the marked window. The spell makes Andrei kill himself without Coen dueling him directly.

Meet Ocha and Nora by the river afterward. The conversation determines whether Ocha returns home or builds a future with Nora in the city.

Best Ocha ending

Encourage Ocha to stay in the city if you want the most useful gameplay follow-up. She and Nora take over the operation, Ocha teaches Swordmastery and supplies the Vicho lead connected to A Study in Crimson.

To steer toward that result, ask whether she misses home, say new things can be exciting and note that the neighbours helped. Favor homemade food instead of excitement if you want Ocha to return to the Uriashi settlement.

Ocha outcomeHow to steer itGameplay result
Stay with Nora in the cityFavor change and opportunitySwordmastery plus the Vicho lead
Return homeFavor home and familiar lifeOcha leaves the city
After Coen kills AndreiCity stay is more limitedNo equivalent crime-boss route

Rewards and edge cases

The Broad Swing Swordmastery manual is awarded regardless of Ocha's final destination. The Vicho lead is tied to the city route after the hex outcome, which is why ring → pig pen → window → stay is the recommended chain.

Early guides agree on the major branch states, but minor dialogue wording may differ with previous choices. Follow the intent of each answer rather than expecting every line to appear verbatim.

Frequently asked questions

Which memento should you choose for Andrei?

Choose the ring. The pendant and cleaver lead toward a fight instead of preserving the hex plan.

How do you avoid fighting Andrei?

Take the ring, tell Ocha to stick to the plan, open the pig pen and draw the hex on the window.

Should Ocha stay with Nora or go home?

Encourage Ocha to stay with Nora for the most useful follow-up, including the Vicho lead and Swordmastery training.

Do you always get the Broad Swing manual?

Yes. Launch walkthroughs report the Broad Swing Swordmastery manual regardless of Ocha's final destination.

Sources checked

Facts are linked to first-party publisher, developer, or storefront pages. Launch-watch details remain labeled until an official listing or reproducible retail-build test confirms them.