ANCA QUESTLINE · FONT OF LIFE
Stronger Than Achilles Walkthrough
Finish the ruins with Anca, survive the rune trial, then choose one permanent Font reward: daytime regeneration, an Anca epilogue variation, or Ancient Greaves.
Let Coen drink to unlock the exclusive Font of Life perk, let Anca drink for an epilogue variation, or destroy the Font to receive the legendary Ancient Greaves. Save before inspecting the final bowl.
How to start Stronger Than Achilles
Complete Anca’s Where Old Devils Lie quest. Stronger Than Achilles starts immediately while Coen and Anca continue through the ruins, so prepare supplies before telling Anca you are ready to enter. The quest uses 6 time segments and has no separate fail state.
The full Anca chain is Echoes of Silenced Bells → Between the Words → Where Old Devils Lie → Stronger Than Achilles. Most Precious Thing is an optional branch during Echoes.
Complete the ruins trials
- Follow the linear ruin path and clear the first enemy rooms.
- Inspect the idol in the circular chamber beside Anca.
- Put Coen’s hand into the mouth and choose [keep still]. The damage can be healed with food and has no later penalty.
- After the door opens, use the right-hand side room if you want the optional skeleton inspection.
- Defeat the miniboss, then crouch through the doorway behind it.
The ruins run is a fixed sequence, not a checklist you can reorder — each step below opens the next.
| Ruins | Complete | This opens |
|---|---|---|
| Ruins entry | Follow the linear ruin path and clear the first enemy rooms. | This opens the circular idol chamber. |
| The idol chamber | Inspect the idol in the circular chamber beside Anca. | This unlocks the hand trial. |
| The hand trial | Put Coen’s hand into the mouth and choose [keep still]; food heals the damage and there is no later penalty. | This opens the door beyond the idol. |
| The side room | Clear the right-hand side room if you want the optional skeleton inspection. | This is an optional bonus only. |
| The miniboss | Defeat the miniboss, then crouch through the doorway behind it. | This opens the traversal room behind the doorway. |
| The traversal room | Follow the jumps from the right side to the middle platform, cross again, then use the wall ledge on the left. | This reaches the wall opening and the right corridor. |
| The door for Anca | Open the door at its end and push the stone door with Anca. | This lets Anca pass and opens the path onward. |
| The central tablet | Inspect the central tablet and use Astral Communion. | This starts the rune trial. |
| The rune trial | Clear every wave released by the runes. | This opens the next chamber. |
| The stone bowl | When Focus Mode is on, inspect the side painting and the stone bowl. | This leads to the Font of Life reward decision. |
Open the route for Anca
In the traversal room, jump from the right side to the middle platform, cross again, then use the wall ledge on the left to reach the far path. Squeeze through the wall opening and take the right corridor. Open the door at its end so Anca can pass, then push the stone door with her.
The next chamber contains optional statues and inscriptions. When ready, inspect the central tablet and use Astral Communion on it.
Survive the rune trial
Activating the runes releases several waves from the statues around the room. Clear every wave; the trial does not advance after the first group. In the next chamber, activate Focus Mode and inspect the side painting and the stone bowl at the center.
Font of Life choices and rewards
| Choice | Immediate result | Long-term effect |
|---|---|---|
| “I’ll use it” | Coen consumes the Font. | Unlocks Font of Life, passive daytime health regeneration. This perk cannot be obtained elsewhere in the run. |
| “Go ahead” | Anca consumes the Font. | Changes part of Anca’s epilogue; no separate gear reward. |
| “We should destroy it” | Coen and Anca topple the Font. | Rewards the legendary heavy trousers Ancient Greaves. |
All routes still lead to the quest completion conversation. The quest also awards 500 XP, 1 Skill Point and Sins of the Past.
The Font of Life decision is a single permanent fork — match the option to the reward you actually want before you touch the bowl.
| Choice | Immediate result | When to pick it | Long-term effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| “I’ll use it” | Coen consumes the Font. | When you want passive daytime health regeneration on Coen. | This is permanent for this playthrough — unlocks the exclusive Font of Life perk, which cannot be obtained elsewhere in the run. |
| “Go ahead” | Anca consumes the Font. | When you want the Anca epilogue variation instead of gear. | This is permanent for this playthrough — changes part of Anca’s epilogue, with no separate gear reward. |
| “We should destroy it” | Coen and Anca topple the Font. | When you want the legendary heavy trousers. | This is permanent for this playthrough — rewards the legendary heavy trousers Ancient Greaves. |
Finish Anca’s questline
Speak to Anca to leave the ruins, then complete the final conversation at the inn. If you want the romance scene, choose “I meant what I said” followed by “Screw decency. I want you, too.” The romance is optional and does not replace the Font reward decision.
This page stops at the Anca questline — how the Font of Life perk fits a full character build belongs to the skills and builds guide.