Core goal: Max each boyar's Anger so you can fight Ambrus, Bakir, and Xanthe before Brencis. You do not need all 41 Court activities, just enough to fill that boyar's Anger bar. Recommended order from players who finished it: Ambrus, then Bakir, then Xanthe, so levels match the regions.

1How the Court Actually Works

Open the Court tab. Each boyar has question-mark activities in their territory. Doing them raises Anger. At max Anger their boss quest appears.

Ambrus
Northeast - blood supply
14 activities. Camps, blood transports, prisoner transports, leech collectors, blood cellars, dungeons.
Bakir
West - punishment and tournament
12 activities. Rebel hunters, payoff transports, distilleries, three pillories, and A Mother's Plea.
Xanthe
Southeast - Blood Guard and excavations
15 activities. Recruiters, digsites, abducted-girl activities, artefact transports, mentors, and Home Sweet Home.
The same work raises Infamy. Brencis answers with edicts: more patrols, more checkpoints. Cap one boyar at a time so the clock does not run out. Kill soldiers you run into, they often carry notes that unlock more Court work.

2Ambrus First (Easiest, Earliest)

His region is tuned low. Players treat him as the tutorial boyar.

After the fight: Kill him, drain him, or invite his soul into Anachora. Drain is the popular pick for the Scarlet Shield power spike. You can loot a phial of Ambrus blood in the world and drink it before the fight, some players got Scarlet Shield that way and still fought him later.
Do not wait for a journal ping after max Anger and never go to Maragir. The crucifixion is the quest start.

3Bakir Second (Level 20+)

After: Drain or invite if you want his flying-kick style help later in Anachora. Players mention a post-fight talk about Farkas's brother. Killing Bakir without hearing him out is a common regret.

4Xanthe Last (Level 25+) - Do Not Skip This Warning

The mistake everyone posts about: You can enter Svartrau Cathedral at night via the roof with Shadowstep and kill her early. That feels good and locks you out of sparing her. A spared Xanthe is the one who actually helps versus Brencis. She clears specters and skips her maze. Do not drop in and murder her at the cathedral.
You can go back to Howling Keep after her quest and open locked doors for loot and lore.

5Key Decisions

ChoiceWhat players report
OrderAmbrus, Bakir, Xanthe so levels match the regions
Drain vs killDrain for unique night powers. Invite souls so they show up in the Anachora phase versus Brencis (Ambrus slice, Bakir kick, Xanthe tendrils)
Spare XantheYes, if you want her help at Greifberg. Early cathedral kill means no deal
Ally Ambrus or BakirYou cannot. Only Xanthe has a real spare and ally path
All 41 activitiesNo. Cap Anger per boyar and move on. Time is the real boss
After all three: Wait a day for Brencis's invitation (for example Shrike's Crag at night) if you are on the negotiation line. That is a point of no return. Manual save first. Beating Brencis ends the game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid