Smoke and Ashes begins automatically after completing the "Bad Blood" quest. Coen wakes up in the house of Anca, who took care of him after Brencis left him to be killed by the sun - which ultimately did not happen.
Time Segments: Day Phase Change
What happened? I'm alive - but how? Did Brencis turn me or not? And where's my family? I need to find them, and soon.
I need to find out what happened to my family, where to look for them.
Follow Anca. When you reach the center of the village, Anca will stop by the corpse of one of Brencis's soldiers and decide to examine it for clues. Coen will decide to head to his house in search of his family members.
Laslea is sacked, but my house is still standing. Maybe there's someone there - hiding?
Head toward your house. Kill the two dogs you encounter along the way and go inside. Once inside, you must examine several clues: the broken front door, a bloodstain on the floor in the room on the right, a smashed table and Lunka's doll lying on the kitchen floor, soldiers' footprints in the inner courtyard, and a moved bed in your room.
No sign of my family. What I am supposed to do now? I'd better consult with Anca.
Simply step outside the house, and a long cutscene will trigger. During this scene, Anca will teach you a magical trick that allows you to Compel Soul. Thanks to this ability, you will be able to gain information regarding your family.
Anca taught me something - I now know a spell that can make the dead talk. I find it hard to believe... But let's try.
Perform two attempts on the dead soldier. Unfortunately, you will not learn much from him.
Anca will suggest that you obtain an item that held some meaning for the soldier - perhaps then he will reveal more.
Compel Soul
Allows you to speak with restless souls. Use together with objects associated with the dead to obtain additional information.
The dead soldier spoke - but briefly, haltingly. Anca says I need to find objects the deceased man either owned or was looking at as he passed.
Pick up the Brencis's Banner stuck in the ground nearby.
Anca said that those items of importance might make the corpse talk a bit more. Time to see for myself if that's true.
Return to the dead soldier and cast Compel Soul again. This time, you will have the option to use a catalyst.
This time, you will learn much more about where your family was taken and why. You will have 30 days to save them. Together with Anca, you will bury the soldier and talk for a moment. Unless you've already searched Vlad's house, this will launch the next main quest - The Firebrand.
I won't find anything more in Laslea - I need to get out of here.
Head with Anca to the south gate of the city.
My family has been captured - and time is running out. I need to act. First obstacle - the rubble blocking my way out of Laslea's ruins.
To leave the village, you need to clear the rubble blocking the passage. Doing so will change the time of day to night.
Once the passage is cleared, Coen and Anca will split up, and a new quest will appear in your journal - Echoes of Silenced Bells.
This quest will come to an end, rewarding you with 150 XP and two new abilities - Astral Communion and Burning Blood.
Burning Blood
Deals Damage over time to a target.
Astral Communion
Activates dormant magic in places of power scattered throughout the Valley.
My home is destroyed, people I love were kidnapped, and I've been turned into some sort of a monster. Well, great. But I'll make Brencis pay for all this - I'll find a way.
