The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone - Evil’s Soft First Touches - Toad Prince

After purchasing the expansion, you will see a new main quest appear in your menu, titled Evil’s Soft First Touches. This quest, as well as all other quests, contracts, and treasure hunts pertaining to the Hearts of Stone will be indicated by a blue exclamation point to the left of the quest.

Begin this quest by travelling to the Seven Cats Inn just southeast of Novigrad. Once you’re there, check the notice board outside the Seven Cats Inn for some new contracts. A man will walk up to post a monster contract on the board. Turns out there’s something lurking in the sewers, and a man named Olgierd von Everec wants it gone. Proceed to check the notice board and snag a notice called Contract: Monster in the Sewers, as well as a few other notable posts.

Head to the nearest signpost, and Fast Travel to another signpost outside of Novigrad to the northeast. Hop on Roach and begin riding toward the objective marker at the Garin Estate to go see Olgierd von Everec about the contract. This area will feature some new locations and additions to the environment that you may wish to note on your journey to the estate.

Approach the estate, and you will be led inside by the folks living there. Upon entering the manor, you will meet a group of individuals who may help you find Olgierd. Converse with the group and choose dialogue as you wish. Depending on what you choose to say, you may have to engage in a fistfight with one of the Wild Ones first before heading upstairs.

Speak with Olgierd about the contract, and discuss a reward if you wish. When finished, exit the house. As you leave, you’ll be stopped by a woman who will offer you a secondary quest. Accept it if you wish, and then continue toward the signpost outside the estate to Fast Travel to Oxenfurt.

When you arrive at Oxenfurt, head toward the objective marker. In the center of the marketplace, you’ll find a well where a band of musicians are usually located. Enter the Oxenfurt sewers via the ladder leading down into the well.

Once at the bottom, begin to search the sewers using your Witcher Senses. Prepare to fight off several handfuls of drowners as you make your way through the sewer corridors. Near the first door, examine a drowner body to discover that it was killed with slash wounds.

Move forward until you encounter a silhouette, triggering a cut scène. Talk to Shani and find out what she knows about the monster in the sewers. After some brief conversation, follow Shani and go to the spot where the monster attacked Shani and the Redanian soldiers.

Shani leads you to a large grated wall nearby. Search to the right using your Witcher Senses to find a loose rubble spot at the corner of the wall. Use your Aard sign to break through the wall, and head into the next corridor. Move toward a lit torch on the ground at the far left side of the corridor, triggering another cut scene.

Don’t drop down just yet. First, you must find the key to the lower level of the sewers using your Witcher Senses. Turn around from where you found the torch, and locate a body in a small corridor on the opposite wall. Now head back to the tunnel to drop down to the lower level. There’s quite a few more drowners down there that you’ll have to fight off, so prepare yourself accordingly.

Continue to search the lower level of the sewers using your Witcher Senses until Shani arrives. Proceed to examine the body to discover that the monster has a fondness for alcohol. Another Oxenfurt drunk, perhaps?

Keep searching the tunnels with Shani in order to find the monster’s lair. When you reach a wooden doorway, head through and walk to the end of the corridor to trigger a cut scene.

You’ve finally found the monster’s lair. Prepare to kill the monster, who happens to be called the Toad ‘Prince’. The Toad Prince tends to stay near the center of the lair, using his long tongue to lash out at you. It will also launch sticky, poisonous mucus blobs in your direction. As you move toward the Toad Prince, it will leap into the air and slam straight down, so make sure you move out of the way in time. If you have a Northern Wind bomb, you can chuck it at the monster to freeze him in place, allowing you enough time to get close and make as many strikes as possible.

After you defeat the monster, there will be a series of cut scenes. You’ll eventually end up in a new location, and will meet another familiar character. After a series of events, Geralt wakes up on a beach in the company of some mysterious handlers. When you regain control of Geralt, you can choose to either defeat the Ofieri warriors, or run away until you’re clear of the captors.

Make your way to Yantra to meet Master Mirror at midnight at the crossroads beneath the willows, meditating if necessary to change the time of day. When he appears, he proceeds to carry on a conversation with Geralt about Olgierd. Answer the dialogue options as you wish, and agree to help. Then, head off to go see Olgierd at the Garin Estate.

Approach the estate to trigger a cut scene. Choose the dialogue as you wish when speaking with the Wild One. Keep in mind, however, that depending on the responses you choose, you may need to engage in combat. Continue through the conversations, gleaning as much information as you can.

As you prepare to leave the estate, speak with Master Mirror once more to get a few tips for the quests ahead. After Geralt and Gaunter part ways, the quest concludes.

Continue with The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone - Dead Man’s Party, or return to USgamer’s The Witcher 3: Hearts of Sone Walkthrough and Guide.