Who should use the Font of Life?
The last decision in Anca's questline, at the bottom of the temple in Stronger Than Achilles. Three lines of dialogue, three outcomes: a perk only Coen can have, a clean slate only Anca can have, or a pair of legendary greaves nobody else gets. Here is what each one actually gives you, and which suits which build.
3
choicesCoen, Anca, or nobody.
0 or 6
segmentsFor Stronger Than Achilles, start to finish.
2
legendaries on the wayRunic Enchantment always; Ancient Greaves only if you destroy it.
The three choices
Coen uses it
Dialogue: “If it's alright with you, I'll use it.”
The Font of Life perk appears in the Witchcraft tree: passive regeneration of Coen's human health during the day, for the rest of the game. There is no other way to get it.
Anca: She does not get what she came for but is not too upset, and the romance is still open. If Coen also refused the statue trial, you may miss some flirting, nothing more.
Anca uses it
Dialogue: “Go ahead. Make what you will with it.”
Nothing mechanical. The carvings vanish from her skin and she can give up witchcraft. You get extra dialogue about her fresh start, and possibly unique epilogue scenes.
Anca: Arguably the happiest ending for her character. Not required for the romance.
Destroy it
Dialogue: “We should just destroy it.”
A niche opens with the Ancient Greaves, legendary heavy trousers: Witchcraft ability damage, Activation Charge restoration from blocks, passive Activation Charge restoration, magical damage reduction. Nothing else in the game drops them.
Anca: Neither of you gets anything from the Font, and the romance continues.
Getting there: Where Old Devils Lie
Back at the Crossroads Inn after Laslea, a quest called Where Old Devils Lie appears; return to Anca after about a day once she has deciphered the writings, look at the eastern points of interest on the map, and travel there with her. The ancient door only opens for someone covered in runes, so she paints them on Coen. That is the Runic Enchantment, a legendary chestpiece with no armour value and no weight: magical damage reduction, damage against supernatural enemies, Witchcraft ability damage, and lifesteal on attacks.
Stronger Than Achilles, step by step
You can leave Anca at the temple and come back later — if you do, kill everything inside first.
Down the stairs, through the undead
A lone zombie in the first hallway, two more you cannot avoid in the next room, then follow the torches as they light to a room with two zombies and two undead hounds. Anca fights; you do not need to protect her.
The circular room and the statue
Vidmos attack in the large round chamber — mobile and aggressive, so let Anca pull some of them. Then the first trial: put your hand into the statue and it is slashed. Pick "Alright... Wish me luck" and then keep still. You can let Anca do it, but she blacks out and Coen feels a coward. The damage is not permanent; eat something before moving on. Coen puts his hand in three times in total.
The Fallen Hero
A mini-boss with little health. Horizontal and vertical sword strikes to parry, and one close-range unblockable where he swings both swords in front of him: dodge to either side, which lands you beside him for free hits.
The gap, and the confession
A cutscene at a huge hole: Anca reveals she means to use the Font on herself. For the romance, answer "I'd do anything for you" and "I love you" here; it is reportedly referenced later. Then jump right to the central platform, follow the blood trail left, shimmy the wall, jump to the stairs, and slip through the crack at the back. Clear the rubble so Anca can rejoin you, and look at the hidden chamber of paintings and sculptures in Focus Mode if you want the backstory.
Guardians of the Font
Read the tablet, perform the incantation, and waves of ancient undead come, about a dozen. Each kill takes a piece off the boss bar. Fight two or three at a time, use Anca as the lure, and use Broad Swing for the crowd. When the waves are done a bigger, harder-hitting version of the same warrior appears; same moves, so parry the basics and side-dodge the unblockable. There is a chest in this last chamber with a Soul Stigma Manual.
The Font
Through the newly opened doors. Inspect the two murals — the Font runs on blood and black magic — and then pick one of the three lines above.
Who should drink, and what the choice changes
- Who should use the Font of Life?
- Coen is probably the safe pick: the daytime health regeneration may be the biggest boon, and it stacks with the Runic Enchantment's lifesteal. Destroy it if you run an Activation Charge build, where the Ancient Greaves may be exceptionally strong — or, next to other legendary gear, nothing special. Anca is mainly a story choice.
- What does the Font of Life perk do?
- It is a secret perk in the Witchcraft tree, unlocked only by having Coen drink. It regenerates human health passively during the day for the rest of the game.
- What are the Ancient Greaves?
- Legendary heavy trousers found in a niche that opens only if you destroy the Font. Witchcraft ability damage, Activation Charge restoration on blocks, passive Activation Charge restoration, and magical damage reduction. They may also carry a high armour stat. Whether they are worth losing the perk for depends on your build.
- Does the choice affect romancing Anca?
- No. You can complete the romance whatever you choose. Letting her use it is arguably the happiest ending for her and gets you extra dialogue, while refusing the statue trial and taking the Font yourself may cost you some flirtatious lines. The romance is sealed back at the inn afterwards.
- How much time does Stronger Than Achilles cost?
- Zero or six segments. Where Old Devils Lie, the quest before it, costs five or four.
- Does the Echoes of Silenced Bells choice matter here?
- Only in the story. Giving Anca the notes in Echoes of Silenced Bells may come up again later in her questline and colour how you feel about this choice. Neither option reportedly changes whether you can romance her.
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