A Study in Crimson Quest Walkthrough: Find Vicho, Solve the Murder Mystery, and Keep Him Alive in The Blood of Dawnwalker

Quick Answer

A Study in Crimson is an unmarked side quest in Svartrau City that begins when you find Vicho, a Vrakhir vampire struggling with his bloodlust, and investigate a series of strange murders plaguing the city. Complete the rooftop chase, solve the murder mystery, and defeat Doctor Simeon in the boss fight to unlock intel on Lacta, a powerful ally for the final confrontation against Brencis, plus Simeon's Key and valuable crafting recipes. Keeping Vicho alive through the related "An Unquenchable Thirst" questline is critical for securing him as a permanent ally and achieving the best ending.

What You Need Before Starting

• Reach Svartrau City during the main story. The quest is available in the city's open-world section.
• Be at least Level 5-7 with upgraded weapons. The Doctor Simeon boss fight can be punishing if you are underprepared.
• Understand the day/night cycle. One objective requires returning to Vicho after sunset, and the rooftop chase only triggers at night.
• Keep the 30-day in-game clock in mind. Time spent on this quest counts against your timer to save your family, so plan accordingly.
• No prior quest prerequisites are confirmed, but completing early main-story missions in Svartrau City is recommended before seeking out Vicho.

Locate Vicho's Emporium in Svartrau City

Vicho's Emporium has no map icon, which is why so many players finish the game without ever triggering this quest. The quest itself is unmarked until you speak with Vicho; once he gives you the objective to investigate the jeweller's house, standard quest markers will appear on your HUD and compass.

To find the shop, head to the market district of Svartrau City during daytime hours. Start at the central market square and sweep the district methodically, checking every shopfront in a clockwise direction. Vicho's Emporium sits on the eastern edge of the district, identifiable by a faded crimson sign bearing Vrakhir symbols. If you have swept the district twice and found nothing, advance the main story by two missions and return, the shop may be gated behind story progress, so do not assume you have missed it permanently.

When you find the Emporium, enter and speak with Vicho. He will mention strange murders plaguing the city and ask for your help investigating their source. This conversation officially begins A Study in Crimson.

Investigate the Murder Scene at the Jeweller's House

Vicho will direct you to investigate the source of strange noises coming from the jeweller's house. Follow the quest marker to the location and search the interior thoroughly.

Take your time with this investigation phase. Examine the victims' bodies, read any letters or notes scattered around the scene, and inspect bloodstains for clues. Pay special attention to surgical tools or medical paraphernalia, as these hint at the killer's identity. Based on player reports, rushing through this section may lock you out of specific dialogue options later, particularly ones that help convince Vicho to stay alive during "An Unquenchable Thirst." To be safe, examine every interactive object before leaving. If you are unsure whether you have found everything, save your game before exiting so you can reload if needed.

When you finish investigating, exit the house and report your findings to Vicho. During this conversation, Vicho admits he fears he may be the murderer due to his inability to resist bloodlust. This is a key narrative moment about the Vrakhir condition. Choose dialogue options that show empathy rather than judgment to build trust with him. That trust matters later.

Follow Vicho Across the Rooftops After Sunset

The next objective, "Return to Vicho after sunset," requires the night cycle. If the objective stalls, wait until sunset and return to Vicho's location.

Meet Vicho at the designated spot and agree to follow him across the city rooftops. Stay close during this parkour sequence. Missing a jump or falling behind can desync the chase; if this happens, the game restarts you at the last rooftop checkpoint rather than the beginning of the chase, so you will not lose significant progress. You can retry as many times as needed.

The rooftop path leads to a second crime scene. Observe Vicho's behavior closely during the traversal, as it reveals how much he is struggling with his thirst. When you arrive at the destination, Vicho may exhibit signs of bloodlust. Be ready to intervene or talk him down, depending on your dialogue choices.

Confront Doctor Simeon in the Boss Fight

The investigation trail leads to Doctor Simeon, the true culprit behind the murders. He is a human experimenting with vampire blood, and he is far more dangerous than his unassuming profession suggests.

You fight Simeon alongside Vicho as an ally. Vicho draws aggro and deals significant damage, so use the distraction to flank Simeon and land hits from behind. Note that Vicho cannot die during this fight, he will be incapacitated briefly if his health drops, then rejoin the battle, so you do not need to protect him.

Simeon uses ranged attacks and summons minions throughout the fight. Prioritize dodging his projectiles and clear the adds quickly, as they can overwhelm you if left unchecked. His melee swings are telegraphed, so parry them when you can and punish him after his heavy attacks leave him staggered. The fight has two phases: in the second phase, Simeon becomes more aggressive and summons additional minions more frequently. The fight does not end automatically, you must survive and deal damage until Simeon's health drops to approximately 20%, at which point a cutscene triggers and ends the quest regardless of who lands the final blow.

Bring health potions and make sure your weapons are upgraded before this fight. Vicho helps, but do not rely on him alone. If you are struggling, consider crafting or purchasing additional consumables before engaging.

Collect Rewards and Unlock Lacta's Location

After the cutscene, loot Simeon's body for Simeon's Key. Do not leave the area before doing this. If a cutscene interrupts and you exit the zone, you may lose access to the chest in Simeon's laboratory.

Use Simeon's Key to open the chest in his laboratory. It contains:

Speak with Vicho after the fight. He will share intel about Lacta, a fellow Vrakhir vampire plotting against Brencis. This intel unlocks Lacta's location on your map.

If you miss this quest entirely, you can still learn about Lacta by defeating Ambrus in The Gilded Gauntlet questline. However, taking that path means missing the rewards and narrative context from A Study in Crimson.

Keep Vicho Alive Through "An Unquenchable Thirst"

After A Study in Crimson concludes, the related questline "An Unquenchable Thirst" begins. This quest centers on convincing Vicho to stay alive despite his despair over his bloodlust.

The quest progresses through a series of conversations and check-ins rather than a single continuous objective chain. After each major story beat or at intervals of several in-game days, return to Vicho's Emporium to check on him. He will experience moments of despair triggered by his condition; when these occur, use dialogue options that emphasize his value as an ally and the possibility of controlling his thirst. The empathy you showed during the investigation phase pays off here, as Vicho remembers how you treated him when he feared he was the murderer.

Complete any optional objectives that help Vicho, such as finding artifacts or information that give him hope about managing his condition. These objectives appear in your journal when available; completing them is not strictly required, but they improve your chances of a positive outcome.

If Vicho survives this questline, he becomes a permanent ally and can aid you in the final confrontation against Brencis. If he does not survive, you lose a significant combat ally and may be locked out of certain narrative outcomes in the ending. Because the exact requirements for Vicho's survival are not fully documented, save your game before key conversations so you can reload if a dialogue choice leads to an unwanted outcome.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Missing the quest entirely: A Study in Crimson is unmarked until you find Vicho, so many players finish the game without ever triggering it. Sweep the market district systematically and talk to NPCs about rumors.
• Attempting objectives during the day: Several objectives, including the rooftop chase and the return to Vicho, require night-time. If objectives stall, wait until sunset and return.
• Skipping the investigation phase: Rushing through the jeweller's house without examining all clues may lock you out of dialogue options that help convince Vicho to stay alive later. Save before leaving if you are unsure.
• Fighting Simeon without preparation: The boss hits hard. Bring health potions and upgrade your weapons before the fight. Vicho helps, but do not rely on him alone.
• Leaving before looting Simeon: Simeon's Key is on his body. If a cutscene interrupts and you leave the area, you may lose access to the chest with the Plate Reinforced Trousers and the Recipe for Mortal's Blood Infusion.

Recruit Lacta and Prepare for the Final Battle Against Brencis

Use the intel from Vicho to locate Lacta in the world. Her camp or hideout will now appear on your map. Complete her recruitment quest before the final confrontation to secure her as an ally in the fight against Brencis.

Craft the Mortal's Blood Infusion using the recipe from Simeon's chest. This consumable provides a powerful combat buff that can turn the tide in difficult fights.

Revisit Vicho periodically to check on his condition and advance "An Unquenchable Thirst" before the 30-day clock expires. His survival depends on your attention, and his presence in the final battle can make the difference between victory and defeat.

A Study in Crimson is easy to miss, but its consequences ripple through the rest of your playthrough. Finding Vicho, solving the murder mystery, and keeping him alive rewards you with a loyal ally, valuable gear, and the knowledge that you helped a tormented vampire find a reason to keep fighting.

Research Note: The name of the Vrakhir ally introduced in this quest appears inconsistently across community sources, with both "Lacta" and "Lacra" appearing in guides and discussions. The spelling used in this guide reflects the most commonly cited version, but players should verify the name as it appears in their own game.