Mert the Miller in The Blood of Dawnwalker is a character who's been placed in the Stoneward Post jail, and while it's not mandatory that you free him if you just want his information on the rebels, there is nonetheless the option to try and break him free. It's not easy though: Stoneward Post is full of soldiers, and they'll take your weapons off you when you try to enter. If you want help breaking Mert free from Jail as part of The Firebrand and Take Back What's Mine quests, I'll explain how to do it here.
How to find the Miller in Stoneward Post in The Blood of Dawnwalker
Your first step is to find the Miller, which can be done non-violently and simply requires some clever manipulation. This process won't free him, but it will allow you to get an audience with him in jail.
- Approach Stoneward Post during the day and speak to the guard on the main entrance. You'll have three dialogue options: visit a prisoner, message for the commander, or to enlist. All of them will gain you access and it doesn't really make a difference.
- Agree to give up your weapons. You won't have to fight anybody yet, so it's safe. Otherwise they won't let you in and it'll go to violence.
- Approach the main stone tower. In front of it, you'll see a woman and a prisoner's brother arguing with a guard. Talk to them to find out that the guards are stealing from prisoners.
- Talk to Yenno, the merchant back by the entrance, and threaten to tell the Commander. He tells you Friedo and Cerbus are his accomplices.
- Go into the stone tower to meet Friedo. Tell him you want to meet a prisoner, and that you know about his deal with Yenno and Cerbus. He'll let you go down and speak with the Miller.
Congrats! At this point you can go down the steps and talk to Mert the Miller through the bars of his cell. If you tell the guard he's going to be sick, he'll leave and give you both the chance to discuss the rebels. That takes up 2 time segments, but you lose those time segments talking to Mert no matter how it happens, even if you slay the guard first.
How to save Mert from Jail in The Blood of Dawnwalker
if you agree to save Mert from Jail, it's not going to be easy, but it is doable. Here's the best way I know of to do it.
- Leave the Jail and come back at night. It's too difficult for most early players to do this during the day, so having your vampire powers will make a big difference. Keep in mind that you'll want to do this early at night, not close to dawn!
- Use your teleport and planeshift powers to stealthily break in. Approaching Stoneward Post from the back, you can climb up the tower and come down through the roof without being noticed by anybody except the guard on Mert's cell. Kill him.
- Get the Prison Keychain. They're upstairs in the same room as Friedo, hanging on the wall. Use Focus to spot them and take them with stealth. You'll need them both to access the downstairs dungeons, and to break Mert free.
- Release Mert. Unlocking the Miller's cell (somehow) takes three time segments, hence why it's important to do this early at night. You don't want to turn back into a human mid-mission.
- Head up with Mert. This is where things get tough - there'll be a boss inside the tower called Rayko the Incorruptible, and once you leave the Tower, you'll immediately be attacked by the nearest guards and their dogs. You'll have to kill them all, so be ready for combat.
- Turn left for the secret entrance. Rather than leave out the main way you came in (with far more guards), head left and around the back of the tower to find a small locked gate. The keys you took from Friedo will also open that gate, so just head out there with him and you're done!
Later on, you can meet Mert in the Almshouse in Svartrau (the major city to the South). Otherwise, the main rewards are the opportunity to loot Stoneward Post (which is a pretty good haul for the early game), and the 250XP gained from breaking Mert free.
Grabbing early game quests? If you're headed to see Anca, check out whether you should throw the notes in the fire in The Blood of Dawnwalker, or if you're starting out, find out how long is The Blood of Dawnwalker here!
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