The Witcher 2 Walkthrough Part 28: Baltimore's Nightmare & Suspect Thorak

Talk to the dwarves standing outside of the town hall to initiate the quest Suspect Thorak and receive a new lead on Saskia’s murder. Apparently, Saskia was given a special chalice as a gift before the war council met. This was the chalice for which you found schematics in Olcen’s house! Geralt concludes that the chalice must have been reproduced and laced with poison, so he vows to set off in search of a smith who could craft an exact replica.

As with many of Act II’s quests, Suspect Thorak cannot be continued until you have reached a certain point in another quest. That quest is Baltimore’s Nightmare, so go ahead and proceed with that one now.

Baltimore’s Nightmare should have started for you when you collected the dream crystals during the Hunting Magic quest. Baltimore’s nightmare was locked away by the Harpies inside of a crystal, and using the projection ring you were able to view it. In order to proceed with the quest, head to the east end of town and proceed to the closed gate. Look up on the ledge to find a group of dwarves. Speak to them to get a key to Baltimore’s workshop.

Enter Baltimore’s workshop and loot all of the crafting materials you want before searching the walls. In the back of the workshop you will find a weak wall that can be broken down using Aard. Go into the tiny compartment that your magic reveals to find a key, along with Baltimore’s instructions. On your way out, Thorak will stop you and claim that he heard a rumbling coming from Baltimore’s house. You can either tell him about what you found or keep it a secret. It is recommended that you keep it secret.

Now read Baltimore’s notes. You must follow the clues given in his instructions in order to conclude the quest. The first part of the instructions says, “Start looking at the well, where loud echoes dwell.” You will have to leave Vergen by the main entrance to find the well of which Baltimore speaks. There you will find a charred town with a well in the middle. Read the next hint, which will instruct you to “Take ten paces towards the river, walk left and do not shiver. Meager two tens of paces, pass the gate in my good graces.” Follow the instructions forward and to the left to come across a gate.

The next clue says, “The one that out safety keeps, Go where the crossroads patron sleeps, Every road you need to take, Yet the middle one is safe.” You will see a shrine in front of you, and behind it, sure enough, are three paths. Take the middle path to be safe. At the end of the path you will find a chest containing the Runic Key. The final instructions say, “Should you choose to go right, you’ll soon see someone in plight. At noon this drowned soul points its shadow at your goal.” On the way back, heed the inscription’s advice and take the right path at the crossroads. The path here quickly widens and twists around to aim back from where you came. Keep following the path even as it seems to be leading you back towards the shrine. At the end you will find yourself in a clearing. Search the area to find an entranceway hidden by leaves. Go inside.

Inside of the hidden area, you will find lots of little trinkets. Loot whatever runes and notes you wish and open up the chest. As soon as you open the chest and gather the final notes, Thorak and a group of thugs will make an appearance. He and his two cronies will demand to know what you’re doing snooping around in their business. If you decided to tell him what you were up to in Baltimore’s house, you can hand over the notes, complete the quest, and gain 300 experience points. That is not, however, the ideal solution to this quest at all.

Instead, take Thorak’s challenge and attack him and his bodyguards. This battle should not be difficult at all. After felling the three enemies, loot them to obtain Thorak’s Key. Now you have the means to complete Suspect Thorak. First, however, don’t forget to return to Cecil with news of Thorak’s death. Delighted with the results, he will give you 60 orens, 300 experience points, and a brand new Silver Sword, Gwyhyr.

Now completing Suspect Thorak is a simple matter of finding his house and looting his stuff. Head to the entrance of the town hall and follow the series of caverns all the way through to the other side. Walk straight ahead until you hit a wall, then curve around to the right and up the stairs to reach the entrance to Thorak’s home. Loot the chest next to his bed to find a receipt connecting Thorak to Olcan and proving the pair’s involvement in Saskia’s poisoning. This marks the end of the quest. You will receive 1,000 experience points for discovering the identity of Saskia’s attacker.