Blood of Dawnwalker: How To Get Durandal, The Secret Legendary Sword That Can Transform Your Early Game
YOU CAN GET A LEGENDARY SWORD THIS EARLY IN BLOOD OF DAWNWALKER… AND IT LOOKS COMPLETELY BROKEN 😳⚔️
Most players are still using basic swords when they can already be hunting down Durandal — a Level 15 Legendary Longsword hidden surprisingly close to the beginning of the game.
The catch?
Getting it means entering The Cursed Chasm, taking on the Echo, and dealing with enemies that can absolutely destroy an underleveled Coen.
And there’s an even crazier detail…
Players are reporting 234 DPS from Durandal, while ordinary swords around the same early-game area can sit near 100 DPS. That has already triggered a debate: is this an amazing secret reward, or did the developers accidentally put a monster weapon right next to the starting area?
So where exactly is it?
How early can you realistically get it?
And what do you need to do before walking away with one of the strongest early-game swords?
🔥 The Durandal route is here — and you definitely don’t want to miss this one 👇
The Blood of Dawnwalker has only just entered players’ hands, but one early-game discovery is already attracting significant attention: Durandal, a Legendary Longsword that can be obtained surprisingly early in Coen’s journey.
The weapon is hidden inside an optional encounter called The Cursed Chasm, located near the early-game area of Briar Sloughs. Guides published this week confirm that Durandal is a Level 15 Legendary Longsword, making it considerably more powerful than many ordinary weapons players encounter around the opening areas.
That has turned Durandal into one of the most discussed early-game weapons in Blood of Dawnwalker.
For players willing to take on a difficult encounter before they are fully prepared, the reward can provide a major boost. But there is an important catch: the sword is not simply sitting in an easy-to-reach chest.
Getting it requires entering a dangerous ravine, fighting supernatural enemies and surviving The Cursed Chasm.
And according to the early community reaction, that risk may be worth it.
Durandal Is Hiding Much Closer To The Beginning Than Many Players Expect
After the game’s opening sections, Blood of Dawnwalker gives players considerably more freedom to explore Vale Sangora.
That freedom is exactly what makes Durandal easy to miss.
The Legendary Longsword can be found in the Cursed Chasm, in the western/northwestern part of the Briar Sloughs area near the early portion of the map. The location is close enough to the game’s starting region that players can reach it within the first few hours rather than waiting until much later in the campaign.
There is also a way to learn about the location through the Innkeeper in Svartau City. Speaking with the Innkeeper and asking whether he has heard anything interesting can point players toward the story of Knyaz Skender’s men and their lost treasure, activating The Cursed Chasm quest.
Players can also discover the location more organically by exploring the area.
That is one of the more interesting aspects of the discovery: the weapon is not necessarily presented as a mandatory part of the main storyline.
Instead, it rewards players who are willing to investigate what appears to be an otherwise suspicious section of the landscape.
The Cursed Chasm Is Where The Real Challenge Begins
Finding the location is one thing.
Actually taking Durandal is another.
Entering the Cursed Chasm starts an encounter involving hostile creatures and supernatural enemies. The most significant opponent is the Echo, a spectral enemy that can summon additional enemies during the fight.
That is why simply following a map marker and rushing toward the sword can be a mistake.
Early testing reported that attempting the encounter around Level 8 can result in enemies displaying red skull indicators, signaling a substantial level disadvantage. Returning around Level 11 reportedly makes the same encounter considerably more manageable, although Durandal itself is a Level 15 weapon.
In other words, the game appears to be tempting players with an exceptional reward before they are necessarily ready to claim it.
That creates an interesting risk-versus-reward decision.
Players can attempt the encounter early for the possibility of dramatically improving their arsenal, or they can spend more time developing Coen before returning to the chasm.
A Surprisingly Useful Trick: Don’t Immediately Kill Everything
One of the more unusual pieces of advice emerging from early guides involves the wolves encountered inside the chasm.
Rather than immediately eliminating every hostile creature, players can sometimes allow the wolves to engage with the supernatural enemies. The wolves may draw aggression away from Coen, effectively creating an additional distraction during the fight.
There is another reason to keep them alive temporarily.
The wolves can provide targets for Voracious Bite, allowing Coen to recover health during the encounter.
The interaction is not necessarily consistent enough to treat as a guaranteed strategy, but it illustrates one of Blood of Dawnwalker’s broader combat ideas: enemies do not always have to be treated as isolated targets.
Sometimes the environment and different factions of enemies can work in the player’s favor.
That can be especially useful when attempting the Cursed Chasm at a lower level.
Then Comes The Reward: Durandal
Once the enemies have been dealt with, players can search the area and locate Durandal among the scattered remains.
Multiple independent guides identify it as a Level 15 Legendary Longsword.
The weapon has quickly become popular among players because of how early it can be obtained relative to its apparent power.
One Reddit discussion in the DawnwalkerOfficial community specifically highlighted a 234 DPS Durandal and compared it with ordinary swords in the same general region that can reportedly sit around 100 DPS. That comparison sparked a predictable debate among players.
Some questioned whether placing such a powerful weapon near the beginning of the game undermines progression.
Others argued that a single-player RPG should allow players to decide whether they want to use an unusually powerful weapon.
That disagreement is already becoming part of the Durandal story.
Is Durandal Actually “Overpowered”?
The answer depends heavily on how players define an overpowered weapon.
Calling Durandal one of the strongest early-game options is well supported by the current guides. Calling it the definitive best sword for the entire game would be much harder to justify.
For one thing, Durandal requires Level 15 according to current guides, meaning players cannot necessarily equip it immediately after finding it.
That restriction provides an important balancing factor.
Players can discover the sword early, but they still need to progress Coen far enough to use it.
The weapon can also be upgraded, which gives players another reason to keep it in their arsenal. One hands-on guide from Insider Gaming reported using Durandal throughout the game after upgrading it rather than replacing it with another weapon.
That does not automatically make it the best weapon for every build or situation, but it does explain why the discovery has generated so much excitement.
Durandal Isn’t The Only Treasure In The Chasm
The Cursed Chasm also contains additional rewards.
Players searching the area can find The Treasure Map: Silver Cache, which begins the Finders Keepers quest. The cache itself is located elsewhere and leads players toward a cemetery and a hidden treasure location.
Other reported rewards in the Cursed Chasm include Artisanal Bracers, the master-tier Rebel’s Sturdy Coat of Plates, and dinarii.
That makes the trip considerably more attractive.
Players are not simply risking an early-game fight for one sword. The area can provide several useful rewards that can strengthen Coen’s equipment and resources.
The Discovery Highlights One Of Dawnwalker’s Biggest Ideas
Durandal is interesting for another reason beyond its damage numbers.
It demonstrates how Blood of Dawnwalker encourages players to explore outside the obvious main path.
The game places significant emphasis on player choice, exploration and managing a limited timeline. The developers have designed the adventure around the idea that players will not necessarily see everything during a single playthrough.
That means discoveries such as Durandal can feel less like traditional checklist objectives and more like secrets uncovered by curious players.
The sword is also an example of why players should not necessarily interpret the game’s map as a list of things they are expected to complete in order.
Sometimes the reward may be sitting somewhere that appears far too dangerous for a character at that point in the story.
And sometimes that is precisely the point.
The Community Debate Is Just Getting Started
The Reddit response to Durandal illustrates the tension surrounding powerful early-game discoveries.
Some players have questioned why a weapon reportedly capable of producing around 234 DPS can be obtained relatively close to the opening areas.
Others see no problem with it.
Their argument is straightforward: if the game allows players to discover a powerful weapon through exploration and survive the encounter required to obtain it, then the player has earned the reward.
There is also an argument that avoiding Durandal can simply be a personal choice.
Players who want a more traditional progression curve can ignore it, while players who enjoy hunting down hidden gear can attempt the Cursed Chasm.
That flexibility fits naturally with the broader philosophy of Blood of Dawnwalker.
The Best Approach For New Players
For newcomers, the safest strategy is not necessarily to sprint toward Durandal immediately after gaining access to the open world.
The Cursed Chasm can be punishing for an underleveled Coen, particularly when facing the Echo and its accompanying enemies. Current guides suggest that the encounter becomes significantly more manageable once players have gained additional levels.
Players should therefore consider:
Finding the Cursed Chasm early.
Preparing before committing to the encounter.
Watching Coen’s level relative to the enemies.
Using the environment and enemy interactions where possible.
Considering Voracious Bite as part of survival during the fight.
Searching the entire area after defeating the Echo.
Remembering that Durandal itself requires Level 15 according to current guides.
The important point is that discovering Durandal and being ready to use Durandal are two different milestones.
The Bottom Line
Durandal may be one of the most exciting early discoveries in The Blood of Dawnwalker so far.
It is a Level 15 Legendary Longsword hidden in the Cursed Chasm, an optional location that can be reached relatively early in the adventure.
Getting there is easy enough.
Getting out with the sword is the difficult part.
And that may be exactly why players are talking about it.
Rather than handing Coen a powerful weapon through the main storyline, Blood of Dawnwalker effectively challenges players to find something dangerous, survive the encounter and claim the reward.
Whether Durandal ultimately becomes a staple of the game’s early-game meta or simply an entertaining secret for adventurous players remains to be seen.
But one thing is already clear:
If you’re starting Blood of Dawnwalker, there is a very good reason to keep an eye on the Cursed Chasm.
