One of the most interesting and unique questlines in The Blood of Dawnwalker happens alongside Lacra as she and Coen search for answers to what happened to Kallias during “The Night of Terrors.” Players will follow some pesky wisps through a series of encounters with undead and spirits, eventually finding an ominous hidden cave.

!!! WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BLOOD OF DAWNWALKER !!!Once inside the cave, Coen and Lacra will do a bit of exploring until eventually they reach a gruesome scene with Kallias, and will be faced with an important decision as well. Lacra doesn’t seem to care much about Kallias’ tragic fate, nor does she seem too concerned with his notebook. Instead, she’s a bit gobsmacked that the two of them happened upon a mysterious and disgusting item on the floor that she insists would be a good idea to eat.

What Happens If You Eat The Mandrake?

If players decide to eat the Mandrake, there are a few interesting consequences that unfold depending on your dialogue choices. For starters, if you want to unlock a spicy romance with Lacra, you will need to eat the Mandrake. Eating it will unlock a series of dialogue choices, and if you “follow” her, drink her blood, and decide to kiss her, you’ll trigger a pretty explicit vampire sex scene, one of just a few you can unlock throughout the game alongside Anca and Crake.

However, you don’t need to pursue this romance in order to receive the benefits from the Mandrake, as the primary benefit of eating it is unlocking the Mandrake Ward ability in the Vampire skill tree. This ability allows you to survive lethal damage once per night, and is relatively useful if you find yourself dying often in Coen’s vampire form, especially at higher difficulty levels.

Whether you decide to romance Lacra or not, you’ll either automatically unlock the Blood Surge ability, or you’ll receive a vial of Lacra’s Blood that can be consumed to unlock the ability.

What Happens If You Don’t Eat The Mandrake?

If you decide not to eat the Mandrake, you simply will not be able to unlock the unique Mandrake Ward ability in the vampire tree, nor will you be able to romance Lacra at all. Eating the Mandrake is a prerequisite to accessing Lacra’s romance, but if you decide not to eat it, you will still receive a vial of her blood, so no matter what, at the end of “The Night of Terrors” quest, you’ll be able to unlock Blood Surge.

You Should Eat The Mandrake (Gross But Fun)

Ultimately, eating The Mandrake is a no-brainer, and there aren’t very many downsides to doing so. Not only will you be able to romance Lacra and see the unique sex scene, but you’ll unlock Mandrake Ward, which is a nice backup option in case you happen to die at any point while in vampire form.

Eating the Mandrake is highly recommended in The Blood of Dawnwalker, and it’s one of several very macabre quests in the game that reward players for choosing the more sinister or gory path.