A Monk and a Saint is the cathedral quest line in Svartrau, and it is the longest step list among the main quests: 31 journal entries. The journal files it under The thirty days, records Svartrau City for both map and journal regions, and ties a single item to it — the Broken Sword of St. Mihai. The introduction is deliberately vague about where it leads: “The history of Vale Sangora is full of secrets and uncertain records of the past. Who knows – perhaps while searching for ways to save my family and defeat Brencis, I’ll be able to unearth something that will prove useful in the upcoming fight?”
Where the quest sits
The journal’s entries spread across the whole cathedral district: the Middens, where the scribe Albertus is, the cathedral itself, its treasury and library, the courtyard’s memorial stone, a dried-up well, and the crypt below. Brencis is the named figure the journal associates with the quest, and its step list includes fights with Xanthe and with Saint Mihai. Two of the entries point directly at A Dubious Gift, which handles the deacon’s caretaker errand that unlocks the library.
Journal objectives
The journal records these 31 entries, in this order:
- Look for Albertus in the Middens — “Albertus – a crazed monk scribe residing somewhere in the Middens, an abandoned district of Svartrau. Might know more about St. Mihai and his silver sword…”
- Go to Svartrau Cathedral — “St. Mihai is supposed to be buried somewhere underneath Svartrau Cathedral. In a hidden crypt?”
- Find what Saint Mihai’s symbol looks like — “St. Mihai’s symbol marks the entrance to the crypt. But what does it look like?”
- Find Saint Mihai’s memorial stone in the courtyard — “A commemorative plate marked by St. Mihai’s personal sigil – that’s where the entrance to the crypt is supposed to be hidden.”
- Enter the crypt — “Finally! I’ve found the entrance to the crypt where St. Mihai was laid to rest. Hopefully his sword was buried with him…”
- Explore the crypt — “Finally! I’ve found the entrance to the crypt where St. Mihai was laid to rest. Hopefully his sword was buried with him…”
- Pick Saint Mihai’s sword — “Mihai is dead… Only thing left to do is to take his sword.”
- Find Saint Mihai’s chalice in the cathedral treasury — “A chalice that once belonged to St. Mihai? Might be useful. But to get it I must find a way inside the cathedral treasury.”
- Search for Saint Mihai’s symbol on cathedral grounds — “So the entrance to the crypt is marked by St. Mihai’s personal sigil… But what does it look like?”
- Investigate the cathedral treasury — “The cathedral treasury is bound to be filled with many interesting objects… Maybe even some connected to St. Mihai. But how to get inside?”
- Locate the source of the howling — “I heard weird howling noises when I was standing in the cathedral courtyard. Where was it coming from?”
- Explore the bottom of the well — “I heard weird howling when I was standing in the cathedral courtyard. Where was it coming from?”
- Investigate the cathedral frescoes from the scaffolding — “The vrakhiri ordered the cathedral frescoes to be painted over. What do they want to hide?”
- Search the courtyard — “The crypt is not marked on the cathedral plans. Perhaps I should search the courtyard instead?”
- Question people in the cathedral — “If there is a crypt in the cathedral, someone is bound to know something.”
- Defeat Xanthe — “Xanthe, one of the vrakhiri boyars, spotted me in the cathedral. Our short talk quickly turned into combat.”
- Defeat Saint Mihai — “St. Mihai – still alive?! But the centuries of confinment pushed him into madness… Before I could speak to him, he attacked me.”
- Follow the writings on the walls — “Albertus – a crazed monk scribe residing somewhere in the Middens, an abandoned district of Svartrau. Might know more about St. Mihai and his silver sword…”
- Find a way to communicate with Albertus — “Albertus – a crazed monk scribe residing somewhere in the Middens, an abandoned district of Svartrau. Might know more about St. Mihai and his silver sword…”
- Find the key to the treasury — “The cathedral treasury is bound to be filled with many interesting objects… Maybe even some connected to St. Mihai. But how to get inside?”
- Gain access to the cathedral library — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts. The library is closed, but perhaps there’s another way to get inside…”
- Help the deacon find the caretaker — “The deacon promised me access to the library – if I help him find Radu the caretaker first.”
- Find the broken stained glass in the caretaker’s shed — “The broken stained glass depicts St. Mihai – maybe there’s some clue on it?”
- Find the cathedral chronicle in the library — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts. The book is somewhere in the library.”
- Seek information about the crypt in the chronicle — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts. But where’s the book?”
- Bring the stained glass pieces to the craftsman — “The broken stained glass depicts St. Mihai – maybe there’s some clue on it.”
- Find the key to caretaker’s shed — “The broken stained glass depicts St. Mihai – maybe there’s some clue on it.”
- Look for the broken stained glass in the caretaker’s shed — “The broken stained glass depicts St. Mihai – maybe there’s some clue on it.”
- Go to the cathedral library — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts. The book is somewhere in the library.”
- Check the library index to locate the chronicle — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts. The book is somewhere in the library.”
- Use the pulpit to browse through the Annals of the Cathedral — “The Svartrau Cathedral chronicles might have clues regarding the crypt’s whereabouts.”
Before you go
Svartrau’s 15–25 band is the only gate, and the entry list itself is the checklist: keys, stained glass, the library index and the treasury all have to be found before the crypt makes sense. Expect two boss fights on this route — Xanthe in the cathedral and Saint Mihai below it — so bring a full kit. The mid-game walkthrough shows where the cathedral work sits against the vassal arcs, and the Svartrau guide is the location reference.