Infamy: the nine levels, and what each one costs you
Infamy is how hard you have leaned on Brencis' court. Every level hands him another edict, and the valley gets harder to walk through.
Infamy measures how much damage you have done to Brencis' court. Polygon puts it in the Court tab next to the map, which opens after the prologue; GameSpot says your level sits at the bottom of that panel, and each boyar portrait carries an anger meter of its own. G2A calls it bigger than a normal crime system, and GameSpot compares it to a wanted level whose punishments are permanent. The jobs that raise it are on the court activities page.
The nine levels
Each level brings an edict. GameSpot says one arrives at the start of a day, announced by a herald with a scroll; G2A’s guide says a new decree takes an in-game day to come into force, and that the edicts stack rather than replace each other.
| Level | What changes in the valley |
|---|---|
| 1Insignificant | Additional patrols in settlements. |
| 2 | Military checkpoints appear throughout the valley. |
| 3 | Price increases throughout the valley. |
| 4Notorious | More soldiers on the roads, and commanders recognise you. |
| 5 | Fewer people outdoors between dusk and dawn. |
| 6 | More checkpoints, and prices rise again. |
| 7 | Headhunters appear in the valley, and all soldiers recognise Coen. |
| 8 | All soldiers become stronger. |
| 9 | Svartrau City's gates are shut. |
PowerPyx names two tiers: Insignificant for levels 1 to 3, and Notorious for level 4 and above, which is where the gates below sit. Level 9 is not a lockout — GameSpot says you can climb Svartrau’s walls at night, or find openings and damaged sections during the day.
What raises it
- Court activities — 10 kinds of job across the three courts. GameSpot says the vast majority cost 3 time segments each.
- Ambrus’s cellars — 1 segment each, so a third of the price for the same kind of disruption.
- Killing a boyar — worth a full level, by G2A’s account.
- Quests that go against the court — Polygon says ordinary quests raise Infamy when the outcome touches Brencis or his vassals, but sabotage is faster. Eurogamer says the same jobs raise the matching boyar’s anger level.
- Doing only half the job — IGN, on one raid, says Infamy rises less if you leave the blood undestroyed, which keeps your attacks quieter.
What is gated behind it
| What | Needs | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| The silver trader in Svartrau | Level 4 — or the quest Into the Den | IGN and TheGamer give both routes; PowerPyx says he refuses below Notorious and does not mention the quest. |
| A Bulwark Against Darkness, and the Arbiter armour | Level 4 | GameSpot, Rock Paper Shotgun and Polygon. Where the letter reaches you is disputed. |
| Joining the Manumits (Where Loyalty Lies), and Crake's line with it | Level 4 | GameSpot says Notorious fulfils the first step and opens the hideout; IGN says the quest starts earlier but cannot progress until the threshold. His romance sits further down that line. |
| A Deal with the Devil, the final quest | Maximum Infamy | Fextralife and PC Gamer: kill Ambrus, Bakir and Xanthe, then let a day pass. |
At the top
GameSpot says that once Infamy is maxed Brencis asks for a parley, and offers your family’s freedom in exchange for betraying Crake and the Manumits. Fextralife says the message arrives after you use a shrine or otherwise pass the time, and opens A Deal with the Devil. The parley and the fight that follows it are on the bosses page. Reaching peak Infamy also earns the Throne of Thorns achievement.
Lowering it, raising it fast, and the top level
- Can you lower your Infamy in The Blood of Dawnwalker?
- GameSpot compares Infamy to a wanted level in Grand Theft Auto, except that the punishments are permanent, and G2A says it is not a meter you can wait out. The way to keep it low is to avoid what raises it: court activities, soldier camps, boyar kills, and quest choices that go against the court.
- What is the fastest way to raise Infamy?
- Ambrus's three cellars cost one time segment each, where GameSpot says most court activities cost three. Killing a boyar is worth a full level, by G2A's account.
- What level is Notorious?
- Level 4. PowerPyx calls levels 1 to 3 Insignificant and level 4 or above Notorious, and GameSpot and Polygon both put Notorious at level 4, which is where most of the gates sit.
- What happens at maximum Infamy?
- GameSpot says Brencis asks for a parley and offers your family's freedom in exchange for betraying the Manumits. Fextralife says letting a day pass after the three boyars are dead triggers the message that opens the final quest.
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