In the somber and foreboding Dark Fantasy realm of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, players will inevitably encounter a multitude of unsettling discoveries. Among these, a colossal lake of blood serves as an ominous "welcoming mat" upon their initial arrival in Avalon. However, this gruesome body of water conceals an even more chilling secret: a hidden dungeon harboring a formidable boss.
Players are strongly advised to meticulously prepare before attempting this challenge. This particular boss is renowned as one of the most difficult encounters in the early stages of the game, making it wholly unsuitable for newly shipwrecked characters at levels 2-3.
Let's begin by pinpointing the location of this clandestine Blood Lake dungeon.
Warning: The following guide contains spoilers for the 'Blood Stains the Circle' quest. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.
To locate the secret Blood Lake Dungeon in Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, players should follow the path from their initial starting point on the beach. After a short distance, take a slight turn to the left. (The alternative path leads to another dungeon known as 'Miner's Tunnels'; for the Blood Lake, players should look in the opposite direction.) Continue moving westward and survey the surroundings for a body of water featuring a large statue at its center.
Direct your attention toward the statue and proceed towards the small beach. The lake will soon reveal a horrific scene of carnage. Deal with the Undead swarming amidst the corpses. If you possess a shovel, you can excavate a hidden chest containing valuable loot. Should you swim to the statue and interact with it by "praying," you will be rewarded with the Blood Transfusion spell.
Next, swim across the viscous, crimson liquid. Then, dive directly behind the statue and continue to cling to the bottom, heading towards a set of ruins that reveal a small opening. A door will be present there; pass through it to enter the secret dungeon. The moment players step into this new instance, they will automatically receive a new quest: 'Blood Stains the Circle.'
It is highly recommended that players be around level 10-12 to attempt this dungeon on Normal difficulty, or approximately level 8 if playing on Easy (Adventure) mode. Naturally, difficulty settings beyond Normal (such as Survival, Hardcore, etc.) will demand an exceptional level of player skill to conquer.
Mallory is the first mini-boss you'll encounter within this peculiar cave. If you approach and engage him in conversation, you can perform various checks using your Strength or Spirituality attributes to glean additional information about what lies beyond the gates he guards. This interaction will also advance the 'Blood Stains the Circle' quest. Regardless of your dialogue choices, the encounter will culminate in a battle, as Mallory will compel you to try and slay him as part of some twisted ritual.
Once the battle commences, it is advisable to stick close to the walls of the room. Lure the boss into circling around the scattered debris and candlesticks; these objects can serve as effective barriers against his attacks. For ranged players, this tactic allows for a relatively easy "cheese" strategy to wear him down. Melee players will face a slightly tougher challenge, but they can employ a similar strategy: continuously circle around him, waiting for him to complete his three-swing combo. After he finishes, seize the opportunity to unleash all your attacks on Mallory to induce an exhausted state.
Upon defeating Mallory, players can loot his body for several interesting items, including the Sword of Parrying +1, the Chestplate of the Last Man, a Cracked Shield +2, and the Face of the Last Man. These are quite decent starting items for a warrior embarking on their adventure.
With Mallory vanquished, the dungeon door will open, granting access to an antechamber featuring a prominent tree growing in its center. This area is rich with valuable loot, which will be detailed next. Ensure you collect all these items, as they will prove exceptionally useful later in your journey:
Once you've finished exploring this room, your next objective is to search around the glowing tree's roots for a passage leading into a maze-like zone. This area, which you'll explore next, demands extreme caution due to the dangerous enemies lurking within.
To prevent significant loss of progress, it is highly recommended to go to the "Game" tab in the options menu, then navigate to "Auto Save Frequency" and set it to the lowest possible interval (3 minutes is suggested, though 1 minute can be chosen for maximum safety). This way, you won't have to restart entirely if you perish during exploration.
The subsequent area of this hidden dungeon is a maze known as the Hall of Trials. This section is heavily influenced by the Wyrdness and is teeming with undead druids and various monsters. Fortunately, the druids are non-aggressive (unless provoked by an attack), so your primary focus should be on the numerous creatures concealed within.
The most notorious enemies you'll encounter here include the Marrowghast, capable of rapid melee rushes and projectile attacks that inflict poisoning, and the Wyrdspirits, which are notoriously difficult to target. Exercise extreme caution to avoid being overwhelmed by these creatures. Refer to the provided image for an overhead view of the maze layout.
It is highly recommended that players equip the Soulstone here and begin charging it by defeating enemies within the Hall of Trials. Once it is fully charged, keep it equipped for the upcoming confrontation with the dungeon's final boss.
In the northern-left corner of the maze, you will find an NPC named Prydwen, who is the leader of the druids. You must speak with him to advance deeper into the dungeon. On the right side of the maze, tucked into a corner, there's a chest guarded by a Marrowghast and a Wyrdspirit. This chest contains the incredibly useful Hexbounce Wand, a unique magic weapon capable of blocking projectiles (including arrows and spells) and reflecting them back at the attacker.
Once you have finished exploring the area, speak with Prydwen. The druid will inform you that the Abomination they created is hidden within a sealed chamber. He will then grant you a seal to activate the blood-gemstone door. At this point, you should mentally prepare yourself for the true boss of this dungeon: The Blood Abomination.
Open the sealed door in the Halls of Trials to descend into yet another pool of blood. After a brief cutscene, the Blood Abomination will emerge from the depths of this crimson goo. Now, you must engage in a desperate fight with everything at your disposal. Here's the most efficient way to defeat this boss:
If you have the Soulstone equipped and fully charged, it will provide a crucial safety net by saving you from death at least once, granting you an invaluable extra opportunity to deal more damage to the Abomination and ultimately defeat it.
Once the boss is vanquished, loot its corpse to acquire the Cursed Bloodblade, a one-handed sword that boosts life steal by 2%. Proceed further into the chamber to discover a chest containing additional items such as potions and crafting materials. Note that the room below is the entrance to the dungeon, so do not drop down. Instead, turn back and return to report your success to Prydwen to complete the quest and receive your final rewards.
Speaking with Prydwen will provide you with the missing pieces of lore regarding the sinister experiment conducted within the druid circle, effectively completing the 'Blood Stains the Circle' quest. As a reward, you will receive the Winged Spear.
This unique weapon significantly increases damage by a substantial 100% when your mana falls below 50%. This makes it an incredibly useful item for a druid summoner build. Such a build allows you to expend up to 50% of your mana to summon creatures, then benefit from the spear's buff to engage in melee combat while your summons overwhelm foes. This is a quite decent build that can carry players far into their adventure before a more specialized setup might be required.
Once Prydwen expresses his gratitude with these valuable rewards, he will unfortunately pass away. The remaining 'undead' druids in the area will remain neutral, so there's no need to be concerned about engaging them. Nonetheless, players should carefully consider the events that transpired within this secret Blood Lake dungeon, as they are intimately tied to the main storyline of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon and will influence an important choice you'll face later in your adventure.