Who Is Crake in The Blood of Dawnwalker? Manumit Leader & Romance

Crake is the leader of the Manumits — the human rebellion digging in against Brencis’s court in the Vale Sangora — and one of Coen’s three romance options. Polygon’s romance guide gives away the name behind the alias: his real name is Marat, the rebellion leader Bandai Namco profiles on the official character page.

Who Is Marat, Officially?

The official bio is one paragraph and every word of it matters: “Marat is the leader of a rebellion opposing the vrakhiri. A courageous and charismatic man, he inspires loyalty among his followers but remains deeply cautious of those around him. Constantly on guard and wary of betrayal, Marat trusts few.” That wariness is the shape of his whole arc — a man whose cause needs allies and whose instincts refuse them, and Coen is exactly the kind of ally those instincts were built to refuse: half of the thing the Manumits are rebelling against.

How Does Coen Meet Crake?

Through the rebellion’s own work. Complete The Firebrand — the quest that saves Mert at Stoneward Post — and follow it with Shadows in the Woods. Then he goes quiet: per Polygon, Crake does not reappear until you reach infamy level 4 in the court system, after which the Manumits send a message.

The Full Crake Questline

Polygon maps the chain: Where Loyalty Lies → What Hunts the Night (help him flee the Middens or he dies; asking “Don’t you want to talk about Sara?” and answering “I know what it’s like to lose someone.” moves the romance forward) → What Moves the Dead (optionally say “First, I’ll walk you back to the hideout” to tend his wound) → Distant Shadows (not handed to you automatically — find him in the Svartrau hideout and tell Drogos “I’ll go talk to him”) → A Closer Look (timed; follow him to the cliff south of Svartrau City).

The romance scene’s key lines, per Polygon: “You’re hiding something” or “I’m worried about you,” then “I came here because I care for you,” and when it matters most — “Hey. Nothing you say can change the way I see you.” Kiss him back.

Crake’s Ending: Rise At Dawn, Fall Before Dusk

Siding with Crake’s Manumits is one of the four castle-assault routes in the endings guide: you take Eastridge Outpost to let Catalin Dragosti’s army in, storm Griefberg through the tunnels, and the throne-room choice decides whether Crake survives the assault. The reverse also exists — the deal route lets you betray the Manumits by marking their hideout for Brencis, which is exactly the kind of treachery Marat’s bio warns he trusts few to avoid.

For the shared rules across all three romance lines — who locks what, and who appears in the epilogue — see the romance overview.