The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Guide

The Witcher series is a game series that is based upon stories of that same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.  The series of stories has generated something of a cult following, and is composed of a series of collected short stories and five novels about The Witcher -- Geralt of Rivia.  The characters in the video game are pretty close to those in the stories, and fans will easily recognize them.

The Witcher stories are a multimedia property, first appearing as books and then being adapted into a movie and a television series, and the video game series of course -- but it is likely the graphic novel series that most gamers will be the most familiar with.

The game that really established the video game series was the now classic 2007 RPG based on Sapkowski's saga called The Witcher that was developed by CD Projekt, but it was not the first game to be made using the series as its subject, it was simply the better one.  One of CD Projekt's first games, reviewers really liked it -- and so did gamers -- and in spite of its rather mature subject matter it was wildly popular with teen gamers.

An Intense Introduction to King Slaying

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is the direct sequel to The Witcher, and was  developed by CD Projekt RED.  While it originally appeared as a PC game, the Enhanced Edition was successfully released for the Xbox 360 console -- and that is the version that this guide is for.

In the world of guide writing there are no games that are more challenging to write for than the RPG -- largely because they are so full of choices.  In the end though, the process generally comes down to providing gamers with a path, and that is what I have done here.  At least part of the excitement that comes with writing RPG guides relates to the need to keep the entire story in your head as you progress, because failing to do that can (and often does) cause the flow of the guide to spin out of control, because it is very easy to lose track of side-quests -- basically it has to be written exactly like it is played, as a deeply involved process.

One of the oddly special aspects present in The Witcher 2 is its ability to appeal to a variety of gaming styles.  When I wrote the guides for Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 the most common complaint that I received in email related to the necessity to read so much in the games -- specifically the need to constantly access the encyclopedia-like updated documentation that was an active element in game play.  The community of gamers who were fans of the series were split almost equally between those who loved that immersive element, and those who absolutely hated it. 

I suspect that the same will be true here, because in keeping with the excellent traditions of the RPG/JRPG the developers made sure to include an absolute treasure trove of supporting information that instantly adds to the depth of game play by introducing players to the story and back-story behind the different characters, places, and historic events of the game. 

Gamers who love that sort of thing are going to be very pleased with this title -- and what is even cooler?  Gamers  who hate it are going to be pleased as well because they can still play the game and get a gratifying entertainment experience while completely ignoring 99% of that content!  In fact the only exceptions are the handful of maps or documents that provide clues to solving specific puzzles, and how cool is that?

As you explore the fascinating world of swords and sorcery that is The Witcher 2 I sincerely hope that you find this guide helpful -- it was written for you mates -- and that you obtain as much pleasure from this game as I did.  It was most excellent.

Notes for Before You Begin

The Witcher II: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition (from here on the game name will be abbreviated as TW2) is a complicated and rich old-school RPG gaming experience that embraces the gaming position that all things no matter how inconsequential are important in a gaming world.  Because of that the game world was constructed to be broad and deep, with many byways that contain common and important items, elements, information, and experiences, put there because this world is meant to simulate a real world, and that is what you find in the real world.  Because of that you are going to want to explore even the most unlikely of locations -- the road less traveled and the well-worn path -- where you will find serendipity in a bottle.

When you tear-off the plastic that seals the game you will have already noticed that it is a thicker and heavier package than that of most games.  The reason for that is that it contains more than simply the game case and discs, and a brief play guide, but an abundance of resources that add to that -- and that are required in order to obtain the full measure of entertainment that the game has to offer.  If you are playing the game you purchased, you know this, but if you rented it -- or bought it used -- you may not have some of these items... 

The contents of a new game include the following items:

-- The Game Case with the two Game Discs and the Original Game Soundtrack CD;
-- TW2 Game Manual;
-- A Map of the Northern Kingdoms on one side, and the Pontar Valley on the other;
-- TW2 Quest Handbook

Of these items the one that you will miss the most if you rented this game is the Quest Handbook, a thick booklet that is packaged on top of the Game Case in its sleeve.  This guide provides a lot of information that the player needs for each of the quests in the game -- information that we are going to include in a different form in this guide by interpreting what we did to solve each quest exclusive of that Guide. 

As you begin what promises to be an epic journey you should bear in mind that the game was made so that two play-throughs are required to obtain the full measure of its entertainment value, because it is a story that is experienced through the eyes of two distinct characters.  But before you even begin playing the first, there are some things you need to know that will make your life oh-so-much easier, and better.  Small pieces of wisdom that were learned the hard way, and are shared here with you so that you can avoid those mistakes and profit from them.  After all, that is the point of a Walk-Through Guide...

So before you begin playing it is a very good idea for you to read the following and take it to heart:

Unlocking the Poker! Achievement is pure luck-based

(I) Difficulty Settings
No matter what difficulty level you choose to play under, you should bear this in mind -- game play in this game appears to take the opposite approach that one usually finds in RPG play in that instead of starting easy and getting more difficult as you progress, like real life it starts hard and gets easier.  Why? 

This is speculation -- you should know that -- but we think that the reason for this is simply because the game was structured to be faithful to the way life actually works.  For many gamers this is a rude and unwelcome thing because it puts them in a position of failing early and often and can feel like they are banging their head into a wall.  The only advice that we can give you is that enduring that difficult beginning is worth it in the long run, because it is the price you pay for gaining access to the rest of the adventure.

We also need to emphasize that it is not a certainty that you will face a frustrating beginning!  Just like real life, it is only as hard as you make it -- which translates to (and we admit we are borrowing from the Boy Scouts here) the reality that the gamer who prepares their way (Be Prepared) by putting out a little extra effort, and gathering the meager set of tools and kit that they can before facing the first serious challenges will do much better, and have a more enjoyable experience than gamers who simply rush blindly forward and fail to take advantage of every edge that they can manage.  Simple but very worthwhile advice mates, and this guide tracks out that approach.

(II) Care of your Inventory
There is a reason that this is the first caution in the list, and you are urged to read this carefully and make it your mantra: Take Care in What you Sell or Use!

Among the many items that you will pick up and hold in your Inventory will be Quest Items that must NEVER be sold, or used in crafting (unless the actual quest calls for the item to be used in crafting), and certainly not dropped. 

Among the items you will find and add to your Inventory are Rare Items -- and you MUST NOT allow these to be wasted, sold, or lost!  Rare Items may be key to an upgrade or for obtaining a highly desirable item later in the story!

JUNK ITEMS -- these are safe to sell, though you won't get much for them -- and you should routinely sell them to clear them out of your Inventory and make room for more items...  They are easily identified and always labeled so you will not have trouble selecting them when you sell, but pay close attention to what you are selling!

Among the many types of items you will be acquiring will be Books, Formulas, and Schematics/Diagrams.  All of which are important, many of which are integral to the story, and none of which you should treat lightly.  You should read EVERY Book you acquire since doing so updates your Journal and provides you with information you may very well find critical later.  Formulas are used for crafting potions and you cannot craft that potion if you do not possess the Formula -- while Schematics/Diagrams are used for crafting Items and Weapons -- and again, are a required element for the crafting!  Take care to be careful here.

Some of the Books are not unique -- meaning you can acquire them from more than one location -- it is OK to sell the duplicates.

(III) Basic Kit -- Weapons and Armor
Among the many items that you will want to make are Weapons and Armor that increase your ability to do damage and your ability to reduce the damage that you take!  But be aware that the process of crafting and having these items crafted for you, as with any really good RPG (and this is a really good RPG) means having the resources that are required -- the raw materials -- for the making of that item.  So, for instance, to make a sword requires a certain number of ingots of different metals (Iron, Silver, etc) and a number of Timber, but also may require Diamond Dust, Teeth, Bones, or Gems, depending on the nature of the weapon...  Because of that you will want to hold on to crafting items for later use...

Potions (the art of Alchemy) naturally requires ingredients, and as you gather them and as you obtain the recipes/formulas for different Potions you will naturally begin to learn what you need to keep and in what quantities...

One thing that you need to remember about weapons and to a certain extent about armor is that they are not as easy to quantify as you might think...  For example a great deal of importance and influence relates to the type of character you are building -- when you examine different Swords assessing them solely by their Damage Rating would be a mistake.  A Sword that has a lower Damage Rating but also happens to have a Magical Enhancement that does a specific type and amount of additional damage will almost always, in the long run, be better than a sword with a slightly higher base Damage Rate that is not imbibed with a Magical added effect.  Take care in what you choose to keep and what you choose to weed away.

An homage to Assassin's Creed?

This is one of the really important bits of advice -- do not assume ANYTHING.  For example conventional wisdom suggests that Trolls are evil and should be slain on sight, right?  Maybe, but in this world they are also potential sources for quests and pretty significant rewards.  There are two Achievements in the game that relate to them -- one for slaying them all, and one for slaying none... Since you will be playing through twice you will have no trouble unlocking those, but bear in mind that one of the Trolls can give you a quest whose reward is one of the better sets of Armor for the first chapter of the game...

You should try to think out your decisions based on what you know, but also based on possibilities.  Just because I chose to take a specific path or made a specific choice does not mean that you have to -- especially with respect to the smaller choices, which you can make as you choose without seriously altering the path or making this WTG any less useful.

(V) The Things You Carry
Certain items are available early in the game that are much scarcer later in the game, and some of those items are things you will need a LOT of.  As a general rule Silver is one, so is Diamond Dust (in fact you should never pass up the chance to buy Diamond Dust because you will need an obscene amount before the end of the game since it is a core ingredient in upgrading Armor, Crafting Weapons, and the like!) and Oil.  There are other items -- we make note of them in the body of the guide -- but use common sense as you play.  If you see something that is a common ingredient in key crafts, that is an item that you will want to stock up on in the short term.

What you carry is limited by how much weight you can pack -- so any items that increase that are good things to possess!

(VI) The Choices You Make. . .
. . . Have very real consequences in the game.  In fact doing certain actions can actually screw you up if you do them out of sequence of a quest!  Because of that you should be careful what you do and when you do it...  We try very hard to help guide you in that respect in this guide -- but when you take actions or do things outside of the guidance here, if that later proves to have screwed up a future quest well, that is what you call a learning lesson!  Learn from it?

(VII) Saving Your Game
If you are a veteran of the RPG genre than you know that playing RPG games is like living in Chicago, where the life mantra is Vote Early, Vote Often!  Well, in game terms that changes to Save Early, Save Often!  And Save before and after you do something major!  And make backup saves if you can!  SAVE!  Really!

Quest Warnings and Notes

Before you read this section be aware that it contains spoilers and information that you are not meant to have.  IF you continue reading, you are acknowledging that.  On the other hand some of this information you need to know...  In the interest of reducing as much as possible the spoilers the following advice consists of hints, not outright exposes of the information related to each of these quests.  Also note that we only include the information you actually need to know or will benefit from knowing in advance...

-- Melitele's Heart --
You will be prompted to offer advice and if you tell him that the medallion is magical but will not protect him, he will end up giving it to you, which is the optimal outcome because it is necessary later in the game...

Brewing five Potions unlocks the Apprentice Achievement

-- La Valette's Dungeon --
There are four possible routes that you can choose to make your way out -- but if you show mercy to Aryan you will find that there is a benefit to doing so...


-- The Troll Quest --
DO NOT PLAY DICE POKER BEFORE YOU DO THIS QUEST!

This quest is EASY to SCREW UP!  Each step MUST be completed in a SPECIFIC order!  Follow these steps if you want to be able to actually complete it:

(1) Read the bulletin for the Troll Quest posted on the Flotsam Inn Bulletin Board
(2) Talk to the Troll
(3) Talk to Chorab
(4) Encounter Dmitri's Henchman at the Inn
(5) Kill Dmitri in the Cemetery
(6) Beat Sendler at the Dice Poker Championship
(7) Deliver the head to the Troll


-- Madness Quest --
This is one of the early points in the game that most players find to be the perfect example of how it is hard at the start and gets easier -- being as how you have to kill Wraiths and they are tough!

Hints:

-- A Silver Sword is required;
-- Taking on a Wraith if you are less than Level 8 makes it more difficult;
-- Saving this quest until towards the end of the first Act so that you are better kitted is an idea;
-- Magic is your friend and Oil is your Sword's friend.  Just saying...
-- There are more than you think...


-- Closing Comments --
Obviously there are many more quests than those above but that is not the point -- we handle those in the guide -- what you see commented above is the information that you need to keep from making the wrong choices.  A more detailed guide for each is contained at the most appropriate point in the guide.

Tutorials

When you begin your first play-through you will have the option of accepting the Tutorials -- if you have never played the game before doing so is a good idea.  Each Tutorial is made up of Tutorial Panels that contain the information you need to read for that Tutorial.  These are dismissed by hitting the BACK Button and can be restored by holding down the BACK Button if you need to consult them again.

The first Tutorial Panel is, naturally, a Tutorial Panel on Tutorials!

Following that is one on Camera and Controls, followed by a Picking Up Loot Panel, and then naturally one for Inventory.  Be sure to read the Tournament Announcement in your Inventory, and then check out that pair of Squire's Boots that has a Magical enhancement. 

After you exit the Inventory you get your next goal and the Journal Update Panel -- to access the Journal open your Inventory and use the Right Trigger.  Head along the path and talk to the character you encounter, adding another quest to your list -- this one to find the herbs you need to brew a health potion.

An important part of the Tutorial is showing you how to use the Witcher's Medallion -- pressing the Left Joystick activates it, and this will show you if there are any useful herbs near you...  The wave it sends out will briefly cause any herbs or items it ID's to glow -- move to them and collect them and, when you have enough, you will get the Alchemy Panel.

Hold the Left Bumper and then enter Meditate, select Alchemy and the Healing Potion, then hit 'Y' to create it and 'A' to accept it and you have completed that portion of the quest!  Now head back to the Knight and talk to him again, giving him the Healing Potion. 

You can ask him what happened or leave -- I chose to ask him what happened though, and learned his story.  He gives you his Arena Invitation as a parting thank you and you continue along the way to the Arena!

Unfortunately the Guard at the Arena Gate is a little freaked when it comes to night visitors, but here is a perfect example to show you the Wait Tutorial!  And to Wait, that really means Meditate of course!  Open the Meditate Menu and hit 'A' to Meditate and then select the time you want (Dawn) and Meditate. 

Now try to open the Gate and the Guard comes back -- have your chat and then confirm that you have an Invitation and be admitted!

Your next Tutorial Panel is for Combat Training -- Left D-Pad to draw your Steel Sword, and right D-Pad to draw your Silver Sword...  Then you are shown how to select your target by rotating the camera, and you then aim at the indicated targets to pass that Tut!  More information on Targeting is provided, and you learn the attacks.

The Tutorial Quest - Rescue of the Knight

After that a lesson in Parrying, Dodging, and Ripostes follows, and information on Vigor (Stamina in other games), so hold the Right Trigger to Block a few times, and then learn how to Dodge, and finally to Riposte!  You are then prompted to hit 'Y' to case the Aard Sign, and then you learn about Critical Effects. 

Next we learn about the Quick Menu and how to set a Sign to it -- LB to open it then we learn about Critical Effects dealt to our character Geralt!  With his Vitality (HP) now low, we need to cast the Quen Sign to heal and focus upon defense.

Next we learn the Axii Sign that lets us temporarily assume control over our enemies -- and once you do that successfully we learn the Yrden Sign -- which allows you to trap! Once trapped we finish off the opponent with an Igni Sign to blast them!

The next lesson is to Quickslot items -- open the Inventory and add an item like a Bomb, Trap, or daggers and lures from your Pockets into the Quickslot... In this case, empty the reward chest in the Arena and then open your Inventory and add the Bombs, Traps, and Daggers to your Quickslot.

You will be prompted to use first Bombs, then Traps, and then Daggers to defeat the next three enemies, and then you will be shown the Tutorial Panel for Character Development -- which is restricted over the first six levels to selections from the Training Path.  After Level Six you will be able to select from the other three paths -- Magic, Alchemy, and Swordsmanship.  You are briefed on Mutagens, which can be used to modify some of your abilities -- and then prompted to upgrade your character by opening the Inventory and hitting the Left Trigger to reach the Character Development Menu.

After you spend your point you are faced with your Final Trial  -- so go claim your rewards from the Chest and then read the Preparing for Combat Panel before opening your menu and then begin combat!  You get match after match until you end up losing -- which is sort of the point -- and then the game suggests the difficulty rating based on how long you lasted.

The end of the Tutorial triggers the opening to the Prologue.

Prologue

Before we begin there is something that you need to know about this game and specifically about the associated personal costs for acting like an asshat to the characters you meet in it...  There is this thing called The Law of Unintended Consequences...  It is a real-life law that basically states that the things that you do can (and often will) come back to haunt you.  This includes the things that you say...  Even the smallest rudeness or misunderstanding can screw up your life, and that is true in this game.

When you are in conversation mode, think about what you are saying and how it makes you appear to the person you are speaking to...  A bit of respect, a kindness, a pleasantry, these are all yours to give and free, so why be rude even if you are feeling put upon?  The answer is to not be, because you never know when the person you are speaking with -- even in a prison -- may reappear in your life later, and having their good opinion of you then?  Well, that bit of politeness you offered earlier can (and often will) pay dividends.  Just like in real life.

Reading the introduction text tells you who you are and what has happened -- and then you get a CS in which you are running through the woods being chased by soldiers calling your name.  The next thing you know you awake in a prison cell, where the guards are playing Dice Poker.  You seem to be their primary entertainment -- and they do like playing with their toys it seems. 

Eventually you get moved to the interrogation room where you are interviewed by Vernon Roche -- here is an opportunity for you to be polite -- so say that you would shake his hands if you could instead of insulting him.  Remember you don't know how important that man may end up being later.

Roche wants to know what happened during the battle -- and he lays out your options -- so you may as well tell him the story from the start with your summons...  The CS plays out for the Day of the Assault at Dawn -- which starts out nice enough with Triss in your bed until you are summoned to the King by a soldier...  The conversation you have with her should be what you think and feel, and as you chat, you get dressed.  Discuss the Dream of the Wild Hunt, and you learn that some of your memories are better remembered than others.

Be sure that you go through the other chat options before saying that it is time to go -- now would be a good time to open the Quest Menu and read up on the three that you have -- then head for your meeting with the King.  There are 50 Orens (money) in the chest by the exit you might want to grab -- then head outside.

If you look around you can find herbs to collect and soldiers to chat with -- one was apparently looking into some issues for you -- and then you will overhear a conversation with Newboy who has a question for you...  Go over to the trio and have the chat with them (it turns out they know you) and you are given the chance to examine Newboy's amulet.  You can also get a little information out of the two brutes if you question them about the Rape?

-- Newboy Chat --

This is an important juncture in the game though even if you mess it up it does not mean that you cannot do the quest it is connected to, it just makes it more complicated if you fail to obtain the amulet from Newboy here.  If you tell him that you don't know what the magic is but you don't think it will protect him, he will keep the amulet but wear his armor in the battle, which will allow him to survive.  If you tell him that it could help him they will proceed with the bet and Newboy will be killed in battle and that is not the outcome we desire here...

However if you tell them that it seems to you that the amulet brings trouble, that will freak them out so to reward you they give you the amulet and THAT is the result that we wanted.  They ask you if you are still in the business of hunting monsters, and give you a little information and then bid you farewell.  You progress the quest Melitele's Heart and are back in control of your character with the amulet in your possession -- well done!

-- Five Training Dummies --

In the right-branch of the path to the west there are five training dummies with a few soldiers at them -- you want to destroy these with your sword because after you have destroyed ten of these dummies you get a bonus to your character under the Abilities Section called Experienced that gives you a 10% bonus to the XP you earn. 

There are two ways that you can do this -- well, really one way, which is to destroy a total of 10 Training Dummies -- of which there are five here in this level, and the others can be found on other levels, but in some inconvenient places...  But considering that what you really want is the Ability Bonus that these can give you, why not get it here so you can take advantage of that extra 10% XP from now forward?  Ah!  But how can you destroy 10 Training Dummies when there are only FIVE here?  Simpatico mates!  Destroy the five that are here, then continue on below and do the Arm Wrestling, then save your game and do the Dice until you win (you will probably be reloading your save if you run out of money you see) and, at the point where you win at Dice, save your game again...

Then reload that save and voila!  The five Training Dummies are BACK!  Now destroy them again and unlock your 10% XP Character Abilities Bonus!  Good on ya mates!

-- Arm Wrestling and Dice Poker --

At the end of the training area you will find a soldier who offers to arm wrestle you -- you can do that if you like...  All that you need to do is keep the marker in the yellow line on the meter to win.  There is actually an Achievement in the game that you unlock for winning an Arm Wrestling Match, a Fistfight, and a game of Dice Poker so you can get that first win out of the way here...  Then nearby him is another soldier by the tent playing Dice Poker, so you can get the other win done here!

If you are going to do this Dice play make sure you save FIRST.  You can lose what little money you have here really easily...  If you get very lucky and roll five-of-a-kind you will unlock the Achievement "Poker!" (30 G) Roll five-of-a-kind at dice poker. 

Note that it is OK to play the Dice game here, but later after the Prologue you need to be careful not to play until you complete the Troll Quest...  But if you do be aware that this is an Achievement that is purely luck-based, and the game cheats in two ways -- the most annoying is forcing one of your dice to land off of the play area, which disqualifies it.  You can literally spend HOURS chasing this one, so use your best judgment?

Unlocking the Eagle Eye Achievement

Discovering the Secret Passage

You will have to wait for the Cat to wear off to really see well up here -- but if you look out the broken wall you will see a party of enemy Elf soldiers near some boats below, and then head up the stairs for a battle and the exit through the wall and up through the graveyard for another battle.  Going inside the building here, you have a fight, head outside into the large courtyard before the gates and have another battle with warriors and a Knight -- and be sure to loot them ALL because on has the key you need!

With the key in hand return through the door you entered the courtyard from and, in the middle of this room spy an iron barred door -- open that with the key and use the wheel inside to raise the gate letting the King and his men inside!  Run to meet with the King and he tells you how valuable you are to him...

This brings you back to the prison with Roche, and you continue the story with the Tailles...

-- It all started with the Tailles --

The CS starts with an encounter with Arthur Tailles -- you have a chat with the priest and Magic the location of the kids from him, then you follow the King and Roche -- here is the thing -- if you fail to act here you can die, and game over because you are about to encounter the dragon again and it can kill you... You need to help the King back to the castle away from the dragon -- and save the King's life yet again.  He asks what he can give you for a reward and you tell him you want to leave -- with Triss if possible, to which he agrees...

Heading up the stairs you get a CS of the children -- who hide from their father -- and then the King has his reunion with his children.  but something is not right here...  The blind monk warns that armed men approach -- and you were probably expecting this bit, right?  The monk...  An assassin... The King...

It is over before Geralt can do anything -- the King is assassinated -- and that explains why we are in prison, eh? 

The assassin looks familiar -- we have seen him kill another King...  he leaps out the window leaving us to face the music...  Damnit!

Roche tells you that you are the only suspect, and not to be freed...  You are to be hanged it seems...  Talking to Roche you tell him that the King told you about him -- and you tell him you are no murderer!  He asks what you would do if you escaped -- and you tell him that you would go after the murderer... 

You learn about Ves -- the woman who is one of Roche's best soldiers...  Roche then shares the contents of a file that he has...  A file that details your death five years before!

He reads you the file and we get a graphic novel vision of the events -- and we finally remember them...  Before he leaves Roche gives you the means to free yourself...

Unlocking the Gambler Achievement early

-- Having Your Escape --

You find yourself back in chains with your two favorite Guards trying to kill time -- there are two ways you can handle this -- either free yourself and deal with the two Guards or annoy and insult them to get them to come to you in which case you automatically take out the first, and then you have a fistfight with the second that consists of a Quick-Time Event (QTE) in which you are prompted to hit the right buttons...  IF you have been following the guide you will have already won the Dice Poker and Arm Wrestling mini-games, and though this is not a Fist-fighting mini-game, it IS a Fist Fight, so as long as you perfectly mash those buttons for the QTE you will unlock the Achievement "Gambler" (15 G) Win an arm wrestling match, a dice poker game and a fist fight.

How cool is that?

Search for kit to use -- there is a blackjack and some gloves over by the rack outside of the cage -- equip those and then carefully sneak ahead putting out the torches as you progress.  Be aware that at certain points there are some small bugs in corners that can cause you to get stuck so stay out of the corners then, right?

There will be a prisoner who starts yelling for the Guards when he sees you that you calm down in a QTE -- after which a pair of guards you will need to take out who arrive looking for the escaped prisoner Aryan.

Work your way through the dungeon looting until you come to the CS of the Guards and Aryan -- you will either find him being tortured (prior to signing the confession) or after being tortured when he fights with the guards...  With respect to gaining the Strong Back Ability (which adds 50 to your carrying capability changing it from 250 to 300) it really does not matter which encounter you have as long as you help him to get to the Oil Storage Room -- because it is carrying him there that unlocks the Ability...

But unlocking that Ability is very important -- and you really want to help him now (trust me) -- so go ahead and take out the bulk of the Guards and then return and help Aryan up, then carry him to the Oil Storage Room where he will open a secret door to a passage that you can both escape through.

While you are helping him to walk you cannot defend yourself, so it is a good idea to go through and take out the Guards before you help him to the exit -- and once you get him there you part company, but your reward for helping him is a bonus to the max weight you can carry ( 50) so it is well worth your troubles!  Aryan will start setting the place on fire, so you should head for the marker and exit before the oil casks begin exploding!

Outside your new task is to get to the River Boat -- but be warned the alarm has been raised and there are Guards about you will either need to sneak past or deal with...  Your call.  The first Guard you encounter is Newboy -- and he lets you pass, but take the time to learn what information he has before you leave... 

Newboy gives you a Book on Dragon Lore -- read that -- then after he distracts the Guards make your way up the stairs and Triss will call to you -- before you head along the bridge to the docks loot the piles of supplies here, then head after Triss to meet up with her and Roche, who thinks you torched the castle on your way out!

Talk to Triss and tell her that you will clear your names -- and Roche backs you up -- then shares the information that he has what little of it there is...  You ask Triss to look at your wounds, so you go below deck and that pretty much ends the Prologue!  You unlock the Achievement "The Fugitive" (5 G) Complete the Prologue.

Act I, Arriving in Flotsam

After the Prologue ends you will get a series of CS's -- a summary and then as the new Act begins, you will get to see more of the backstory on the Assassin of Kings and his new allies, the Elves you are seeking with Roche.  After the CS ends you are on board the boat but you have arrived, and Roche tells you it is time to recon the area.  Triss intends to go with you but, before you leave the boat, search it for a loot item and then loot the supplies stacked up on shore, as there are some useful items to be had here including the crafting diagram for the Witcher's Silver Sword so do NOT miss looting that!

After you finish looting, follow Triss and Roche to learn a little about the area from their conversation, and you will eventually encounter an elf playing a flute.   Here is where you meet Iorveth -- chat with him and you will learn some small facts, and then you are under attack!

Triss casts a spell but it seems it is nearly one spell too many for her constitution and she collapses; while Roche carries her you must defend them from the Elves.  Slowly you work your way along the path to the entrance of the nearby village, where you encounter a Guard who welcomes you -- sort of.  You learn about the execution that is about to take place and get a briefing on what the town has to offer, and then you are back in control.

On your way to the Market Square loot the containers along the path and be sure to read the poster on the building to the left -- it tells of the reward for slaying the Kayran -- when you are happy that you have looted all that you want here, head through the door in the gates and head towards the marker on the map -- pausing to read the wanted poster for Iorveth at the next gate.

When you arrive at the Square it triggers a CS in which you recognize the two being executed -- and you must help them...  Talk to the Guard and with the assistance of the crowd you goad him into attacking you for another QTE -- followed by a second with the Executioner -- at which point the man who actually rules the town shows up, and you have a chat.  Be nice and you will convince him to call off the execution, and he gives a rousing speech to the assembled crowd about the death of the King and their duty to defend the town, which he intended to arm them to do!

After that is another brief CS with an invitation to meet the man later and a conversation with the pair of mates you rescued -- then you are back in control of your character once again.  Talk with Triss by the entrance to the Inn and then head inside to chat and see what there is to see -- remember that you need to meet with Loredo at dusk...  And hold off playing mini-games for now...

-- The Flotsam Inn --

This is an important stop off because talking to the bloke behind the counter gives you some, well, important choices!  The first is to access storage -- something you will need since there are limits to what you can carry around with you mates.  The other is trading -- you will want to sell off any Junk you have -- so manage that now and, if you have not applied the points you picked up in the leveling you have done, do that now as well...

You are going to need to learn to manage your inventory right away -- the thing is that there are certain items (mostly crafting items) that weigh a lot but that you may very well need, so storing them in your chest in the Inn is preferable to selling them...  One thing you should NEVER sell is Diamond Dust, as you will need loads of that before you are done since it is used in pretty much every kit upgrade.

Obtaining your Witcher Sword and unlocked the Craftsman Achievement

-- Craftsman's District --

Search around here for more loot and an encounter with a trio of bounty hunters who will insist that you kill them -- so kill them -- and do not forget to loot their bodies right?  Get to see your arrest warrant that way :)

Explore to find the Smithy where you can order up a Witcher's Silver Sword -- which you need!  You probably do not have the Silver Ingots but you should have everything else that you need, so purchase two of those from the Smith and then have him make your sword for you!  Excellent, you unlock the Achievement "Craftsman" (10 G) Hire a craftsman to create an item -- which is nice... 

You will notice that the Smith has a lot of diagrams and other things you may well want to own, but you lack the money to buy them at the moment -- too true...  But we will come back to that.

Up the path from the Smithy there is an Alchemist from Viziman who wants you to help with an experiment...  I really don't know what the long-term effects are for this, but it is a mutagen issue, so it may very well be worth doing...  I chose to do it but YMMV...

When you are done with those errands and you have looted to your satisfaction, head back to the Inn and talk to your mates at the table to get some more back-story, as you have Triss fill them in on the political situation and you follow the chat options for that path.  You answer Dandelion's question about the Dragon, and you learn about Zoltan's wedding or lack thereof...  Finally you fill them in about the King and what happened, and that pretty much wraps up the briefing...

This triggers a CS in which "the beast" attacks the town (what it is is a Kraken but they do not call it that in this game, they call it a Kayran).  You meet the sorceress that battled the beast...  Ask about the monster -- and you learn a little more...  Use the Axii to get them to take their mate into a building, and then Louis Merse chats you up about the Kayran... 

You join forces with Sile and then Triss introduces you properly -- then they have a verbal catfight.  Nice!  You discuss the beast some more and then you explain that you need to look into things, talk to the merchants, then to Cedric, and you will meet with her later at the Inn...

On your way to chat with the merchants you run into a bloke on the docks who offers you a quest to find him a formula -- he is very specific about the formula that he wants -- he gives you the details, and you flag the quest The Scent of Incense for your troubles.  Let's head for this new quest marker back in town now, we can talk to the merchants in a bit...

The Scent of Incense and an Intimidation Achievement 

There is a distrust issue between you and the quest giver, so you end up meeting him at the Market Gate but when you exit you get a CS with Triss in which she tries to warn you off of the Kayran quest...  She knows where Cedric is -- instead of following Triss talk to the bloke who tells you he has to blindfold you.  To advance the quest you have to accept the blindfolding -- and of course it is a trap!

You end up his prisoner but you do end up in his lair.  He shares some information with you and it turns out that the formula you obtained is indeed the one that he wanted.  He gives you the reward that he promised you, and then asks you to let his men blindfold you again so that you can depart -- and that completes the quest!  Good on ya mates! 

Act I, Flotsam Part II

Now before we follow Triss and rejoin the quest The Kayran, instead select the quest The Kayran: A Matter of Price and go talk to the merchants at the waterfront -- by the way you need to re-equip your kit so do that while you are thinking about it :)

After you talk to the merchant -- and get him to double the reward -- switch back to Triss' side of the quest and head for the marker to chat with Cedric the Elf, who you can ask a bunch of different questions.  Starting with asking him who he is does nicely, then who is Moril? 

If you tell him you hunt Monsters he will go into a diatribe about the traps he can make for you -- this is a good line as it prepares the way to have him craft for you, but there is no point in asking about crafting something for you just yet because you do not have the special item that is required...  So set that aside for now and ask him about any Kayran help...

Cedric tells you about a wreck that the Kayran caused -- and suggests that you go look at it.  Follow the trail up into the hills -- have a battle -- and then meet with Triss on the trail.  After you chat she teleports further along and you need to work your way down the terraces of the side-trail to the river, heading towards the marker so that you can have a battle with some monsters and then grab a sample of the Kayran slime.

Triss does some diagnostic magic and learns that there is something wrong with the beast, and that it is dying, but unfortunately not fast enough to help the situation with the town and the merchants.  She does determine that it has mutated and become venomous -- and suggests a potion you should make, giving you the recipe.  The potion requires a special ingredient called Ostmurk -- you can either locate it yourself or ask Cedric.

Before you head off in search of it though, remember that shipwreck?  We should go and take a look at that now, right?  At the base of the wreck you find the body of the Captain, triggering the quest Mystic River -- on the body is a key, and the key opens a nearby chest in which you find the Captain's Log Book.  Read that to learn the story -- you need to find a way to mail the report.

Hunting down the Ostmurk 

If you want to search for yourself -- and you easily can -- read the quest description to learn that the plant grows in dark moist places...  As you work your way through the woods, having battles with the different types of monsters native to the area you will eventually encounter a waterfall that has a cave behind it.  Inside that cave, which is the ideal growing conditions for the Ostmurk, you will find lots of battling and at the very back of the cave, a glowing growth of Ostmurk!

Making the potion completes that part of the quest, and as you exit the cave it should now be full dark, which means it is time to visit with Loredo at his house in town!

-- Back to Town --

Make your way back to the gate and enter town then head for the marker for Laredo's house and go through the outer gate there -- as you start to enter Roche joins you and, after you enter he discovers that Laredo has a Ballista!  Roche wants it to be sabotaged -- and that means that we need a plan...  It seems everyone is partying -- accept the guy guarding the Ballista that is -- and we should change that!

By the wall across the courtyard is the madam of the whores -- talk to her and hire her to be your diversion -- once she has him in the bushes simply walk up and sabotage the Ballista and there you go mates!  Mischief managed!

Now head for the house and you learn that Loredo is busy with Sile -- you head back downstairs and chat with Roche, and a plan forms but is interrupted by a visitor.  He tells you about a part of a trap that is meant for the Kayran -- and he tells you where it is.  He wants to help you to obtain the trap part to speed up getting rid of the Kayran, so hey, bonus!

-- Sneaking into the Garden at Loredos --

The first thing you need to bear in mind is YOU CANNOT BE SEEN!  So before you attempt to sneak through the garden and get the part, save your game. 

The first guard is easy to knock out, just sneak on the right side of the ruin he is on the other side of and, when he turns to patrol back towards the entrance come around the far side get behind him and knock him out!  The second guard is taking a pee so he is wicked easy to knock out.

Now climb the terraced path to the right of the locked gate and watch the patrol pattern of the guard in the garden below.  There is a fourth guard patrolling upstairs who comes to the window every so often you need to be aware of, so make your way to the guard patrolling in the garden and knock him out without being seen from the window above!

Unlocking the Man of the Shadows Achievement 

A fifth guard is on patrol around the far corner so watch his route and when you are happy you know it, sneak behind him and knock him out too.  Knock the last guard out in the rear area of the garden then climb up by the window after you have grabbed the trap part from the chest in the storage area, and then look in to overhear the conversation between Sile and Loredo... 

Backtrack to Roche and tell him what you learned...  Completing that conversation unlocks the Achievement "Man of the Shadows" (15 G) Successfully sneak through Loredo's garden and find the component of the kayran trap.  Well done mates!

Now head up the stairs and meet with Loredo (alone) and he will make a proposition to you...  Hear him out, agree to help and then exit the house -- whether you end up honoring that deal or not this is how you move the story forward and you are going to kill the Kayran anyway mates!  Make sure that you grab your weapons from the chest on your way out -- you are going to need them!

Check your inventory and, if you do not have a Silver Ore go buy one from the Smith BEFORE you leave the area.  You will also need an Iron Ore, 2 Oils, and the Iron Frame of course!  Now return to Cedric and go into trade mode so you can purchase the Kayran Trap diagram -- and once you have purchased that, ask him to craft the trap for you!

When you are talking to Cedric if you have not already done so, ask him for Witcher Work -- he will ask you to check out the old mental hospital -- the quest is called In the Claws of Madness, and it is worth doing if just for the XP but also for another reason...  And since you have flagged it anyway, what do you say we do it now?

-- In the Claws of Madness --

Head to the marker on the map and as you get close you run into one of the missing explorers -- Rupert -- who got out but tells you that his friend is still lost inside.  Fight off the attacking monsters and then head down into the ruins where you will face wraiths...  Now you need to understand that these guys are badasses and if you do not know how to dodge, fight, cast, and use items, they will kick your butt!

What I suggest you do is drink some defensive potions, cast the protective spell on yourself, and lay down some traps before you open the chest and unleash the two Wraiths!  Then kill them as fast as you bloody well can!  Being prepared will help a lot, but you should be at least Level 8 by now and that is high enough to be able to take them on.

Another set of Wraiths awaits you in another smaller chamber -- and after you slay them loot the chest for another set of documents (there is an Achievement connected to these).  Be sure to loot the chest and other items here before heading back along the corridor and talking to the man on the flood out there.  In the chamber down the hall from him to the right of the flames you will find the third pair of Wraiths and the medicine you are looking for.  Killing the Wraiths here can be a bit tricky but if you immediately move into the chamber on the left at the end by the workbench that will cause one to spawn there and the other back at the entrance, which gives you enough time to take them out one at a time rather than being hit from behind by the second one. 

Once you have them dealt with, get the meds and take them back to him and dose him and he will tell you his story.

Unlocking the Librarian Achievement 

It turns out that the pair had more to do with what happened here than was apparent.  When you reach the last room you confront the ghost, who demands revenge.  He wants the hearts and eyes of the two men -- be sure to head to the rear of the chamber and loot the chest here immediately after the conversation with the ghost, as it contains the final set of medical records and, taking those unlocks the Achievement "Librarian" (30 G) Find all additional information about the insane asylum's history.

With that done you have a choice to make here...  Head back and talk to Gridley and you will spawn back at Rupert's location, at which point you have to make the choice of whether to tell them that the ghost wants them dead, or lure them to the ghosts chamber so it can exact its revenge.  If you choose to lure them to the chamber you will go right there, the ghost will have its revenge, and the mission will end with you being rewarded with XP. 

If you tell them that the ghost wants them dead they will come up with a plan to take the ghost Nekker eyes and hearts, but if you do that know that the ghost will not be fooled, and you will have to do battle with it in the flame-ringed chamber!  Be very careful of the flames since they will hurt you, and so will the ghost, so minimize the hurt, yes?

It really does not matter which choice you make here from the point of view of the story since this is the extent of how those two factor into it...  But if you are a good guy you are going to want to try to prevent their death -- though you then have to decide after defeating the ghost whether to let them go or turn them over to Loredo for punishment.  Do what you like, it has no real impact on the rest of the story.  Personally, I took them to Loredo.

Act I, Flotsam Part III

Back at the Inn you can chat up Dandelion to learn about the goings on in town, rumors about the assassinations, and politics.  You can tell him what really happened with you and the King you did not kill, and you can discuss your memories with him.  This is not really part of a quest so much as the story but it gives you more background so it is worth the effort. 

Before we head on to do the Kayran quest it would be a good idea for us to head back outside of the town and search through the woods for some other opportunities for gaining XP -- pick-up battles are available with monsters, and at the end of the path by the broken bridge we can flag the quest Troll Troubles -- which we really REALLY should do now!

Picking up a few more levels and unlocking some useful skills and abilities as a result can only help make our adventures more pleasurable mates!  Really!  Oh and remember to disarm and collect any traps and snares you encounter as they will be useful later!

-- Troll Troubles --

After we speak with the bloke at the bridge who we helped save from Nekkers he suggest that we go have a chat with Chorab -- so let's do that now!  Chorab tells you that there is plenty of work for a Witcher to be found in the area -- telling you to read the board notice by the Inn, but asking you to please leave the Troll be no matter what the townfolks say...  When you ask him about that he tells you that the service it provides is important to them. 

Chorab asks you to help the Troll stop hitting the bottle -- and commissions you to take on that task.

Head back to the Troll's lair and confront him; he demands that you pay to cross and you tell him you are not paying to cross a broken bridge.  To that he reacts in anger and attacks -- bear in mind that we are on one of the two paths that we can take with respect to this quest -- we are NOT killing trolls this time around, but are helping them.  So you battle him until he yields and then you interrogate him about his drinking.

You learn his story -- that his wife was murdered and that is the source of his misery.  Tell him that you will find the murderer of his wife, and in exchange for that he agrees to stop drinking -- he does not believe you can do it mates, but I do!

Head back to town and talk to your mates and the people at the Inn now, and our first stop should be to see Sile at the room on the top floor of the Inn.  After the CS ask her about the use of a Troll head -- she fills you in, and then

Head downstairs and talk to Zoltan to confirm that a Troll's head would be an excellent trophy -- after you arm wrestle him ask about the Troll's head and he will tell you that practically any peasant would consider it an excellent thing to own.  That is your first clue -- so head back outside and start searching for a Troll's head.

While searching through the village you encounter some blokes about to lynch an elf girl -- flagging the quest Malena, which we can do in a bit.

When we arrive at Sendler's house we discover -- to our surprise -- that there is a Troll's head on the wall!  Ask about the head and he tells you that he got it from Dmitri, and that his men hang out at the Inn in the evening...

Obtaining a Troll's Head 

-- Poker Face: Flotsam --

We need that head, and the only way to get it from him is to beat him at Dice Poker...  But when you try to play with him he tells you that he does not just play dice with anyone, you have to prove you are good before he will play with you!  To get him to play you first you must complete the quest Poker Face: Flotsam -- so head to the Inn

While you are here arm wrestle the bloke at the table to flag the quest Bring it On: Flotsam.  Next beat Wilks who is at the same table, then Big Max who is also at the table there.  Beating him has him refer you to one Bartholomew Bargee who you can find later in the village -- so that wraps up this part of this new quest nicely, well done mates!

At the Inn downstairs you must best Casimir and then Bendeck, before playing with Zindrab, which now means locating Einar Gausel, the dwarf bookseller in the Craftsman's District, and besting him.  Winning against Einar Gausel means you can now play versus Sendler! 

You will find Gausel in the house directly across from the Smithy, so head there and have a chat with him first, asking about the non-humans in Flotsam.  He is a book seller so you can trade with him and buy some books if you like -- though if you are working on the 10,000 Oren Achievement you may want to hold off on that, right?

In addition to selling books you can loot some of his stock, and you can have him do your hair for you as it seems that in addition to being a bookseller he is also a stylist.  Excellent!  Now when you have looted to your heart's content (you should find the books The Pontar Valley, The Feudal Society and its Enemies, From the Annals of Mahakaman History, and Vevopatis -- a Forgotten God as well as other non-book loot), you can roll some Dice with him.

Now head back to Sendler for the match with him to become the village champion at Dice Poker hooah!  Bear in mind that you need to carefully position your dice before you roll so you do not throw some off the playing field, right?

You go do that, and win yourself a Troll's Head!  Well you do once you win and tell him you don't want coin that is...  Note that there is also choices for different trap diagrams -- but you need the Troll's Head mates so do not choose them.

Note: if you did this quest BEFORE you flagged the Troll Trouble quest you are screwed.  No head, and no tasty diagram for you!  But of course you did not do that because you paid attention to the guide here, right?

Before you head back to town and the Inn stop by the waterfront here and challenge Bart to an Arm Wrestling match -- you beat him handily, thus completing the side-quest Bring it On: Flotsam.  Well done mates!  Be aware that while the PC version of the game had a bug that allowed you to wrestle him again and again to level and get money, that was fixed in the Xbox 360 version of the game and is not an available bug.

Completing the One-on-One: Flotsam Quest 

-- Back on the Troll --

Now that we have the head, go to the Inn and meditate until it is night time (dusk) and then go downstairs to the bordello level using the stairs inside, and you will encounter one of the henchmen at the fist fights down there. 

Since we are here, and since there is a side-quest to be completed called One-on-One: Flotsam that involves the fighting, go ahead and talk to the fight master and start that quest, then complete the three quests and you complete the quest!

In the corner there is a Monk who has a "relic" that he wants to pass on to you if you are lucky enough -- in this case lucky enough means rolling two pair, so do that and he will give you a clever little bit of advertisement snuck into the game -- basically it is a URL for www.goodoldmonk.com that, if you visit it offers you a discount on some classic games... 

Talk to the people here until you find Dmitri’s man, and then you will have to intimidate him to get him to talk, but once you do he tells you what you need to know, so it is off to the Graveyard mates!  The Graveyard is up on the hillside near the village.

At the Graveyard you find Dmitri with no troubles -- well, other than the fact that you now have a battle on your hands that is -- you must defeat Dmitri and his associates -- if you have unlocked the ability to Riposte this is a great spot to do the three successful Ripostes in a row to unlock the Achievement "Focus" (30 G) Perform three successful ripostes in a row.

After the fight you will need to loot a Letter of Safe Passage and a Key to the Bandit Hideout from their bodies (these will come in handy) and, having managed this mischief, it is time to return to the Troll and give him the good news -- and his wife's head :( 

Note that by obtaining the head you also obtained a Troll's Tongue, which is a crafting ingredient that, though not marked, is actually used in one of the quests, so do not sell or use that, right?

Telling the Troll where the bodies of the men who killed his wife are advances the Troll Trouble Quest, while giving him her head earns you the reward of a diagram for Hunter's Armor, which is one of the better armors you can get so far...  It has 10 Armor and 0.1 weight, and requires x14 Cloth, x16 Leather, and x6 Twine.

A Battle with Dmitri and the Focus Achievement 

Now that we have completed this phase of the quest it is time to pay Chorab a visit and collect our reward from him, right?  Ah but when we talk to him he decides to screw us on the reward!  Well that is what HE thinks mates -- a simple bit of intimidation and a punch to the gut is all that it takes to get him to come across with what he owes and end the Troll Trouble Quest completely!  Well done mates!

Pay a quick visit to the Smithy to have that armor made for you -- it really is better than any you have now and with the enhancements that you have you can boost its AR to 15!  Once you have done that, head back towards the Inn...

Visit the Bulletin Board and read the posted notices -- you can flag the quests The Endrega Contract and the Nekker Contract -- both of which are about clearing away infestation nests and you will want to do them because there is an Achievement associated with that that can be unlocked later when you complete all of the eradication quests in each Act.

Act I, Flotsam Part IV

Now is a good time to wrap up a lot of the side-quests for the area, so start with Fight Club -- wait until night (meditate) and then find King Ziggy outside of the Inn leaning against the wall.  Chat him up and agree to his proposal, then follow Ziggy to Loredo's compound, where you have to leave your weapons outside... 

Do that and head inside with Ziggy and you will end up in the arena behind the house...  Loredo is interested in betting on you it seems -- but hey, money is money, right?  Just before you do the last fight Loredo orders you to take a dive -- I don't respond well to that sort of thing so I told him to go to hell, but if you want you can take the dive and earn extra money for it.  Your call.  Either way that last fight ends the Fight Club Quest!

With that out of the way, let's take care of the Malena Quest -- which by the way is one of those quests where the decision you make potentially changes the story...  Basically you need to investigate the cave they were talking about, and after you do you have a choice to make:

(A) Accuse Malena of working for the Squirrels.  Doing that gets her taken to Loredo and tried.

(B) Accuse her but let her convince you to accompany her to see evidence she claims absolves her -- that takes you to an obvious trap mates...  After the ambush she still gets taken to Loredo and tried for her crime.

(C) Don't accuse her, and then accompany her so she can lead you into an ambush alone... After which she runs away.

Completing the Malena Side-quest 

It is not clear how this factors into the future story -- Malena does not really appear after this in the current game, but there is a chance that she will appear in the sequel -- assuming you let her get away that is.  It is your call what to do, I let her get away, but regardless of the choice that you make, you still get the 125 XP reward.

Head to the cave outside of town on the side where we first arrived from, examine the blood at the entrance and then head down inside, where you battle an army of Nekker as you search the cave.  You follow the blood clues to the body and then examine it to find damning evidence...  There is a fair number of Iron Ore to be looted here and some Silver Ore, so bear that in mind right?

Head back to Malena and talk to her -- you have to decide what you are going to do here, I chose to cover for her and let her lead me into the ambush so she could escape in the hope that it will add something to the sequel but you need to decide what you want to do yourself.

When you are ready to, head to the meeting point by the waterfall in the woods, and she will lead you into the ambush -- kill the elves and she will escape -- so now you must track her down and confront her -- she is actually hiding in the ruins of the insane asylum we were at for the Madness quest before.

Talk to her and choose how she ends up -- I chose Away with You!  And let her escape.

-- The Vermin Quests --

Now that we have wrapped up Malena's mischief, let us partake of clearing the forest of the vermin that infest it!  Start simply by tracking down and destroying the nests and tunnel entrances, fighting a fair number of each type of vermin as we go about it.

With the Nekker you need to find their entrances and use Grapeshot Grenades on them -- so head to Cedric up in his tree and buy the diagram and then make a dozen or so of the Grapeshot Grenades yourself, then head out and find nests and blow them up!

To do that you just need to have the Grenade in your inventory and then hit 'A' on the nest to destroy it by planting the charge.  You may want to pop a Grenade at a group of Nekkers while you are about it to unlock the Achievement "Torn Asunder" (15 G) Kill more than one opponent using a single exploding bomb.

Unlocking the Torn Asunder Achievement 

Battling with the Kayran 

After you speak to the merchant you get a CS with Triss that advances the quest Assassins of Kings -- and you get your reward and complete all of the Kayran quest lines.  Now while we are thinking about it take a look at the Kayran Armor diagram -- there are some special items that are needed for that to be made, as it calls for x14 Robust Cloth, x6 Hardened Leather, x1 Kayran Skin, and x8 Twine.  Now you should have the Twine and Kayran Skin but you probably do not have the other two in the quantities required.

First, save your game -- this is important because you are about to start hitting the merchants and crafters to buy what you do not have off of them to make the armor, and that will be expensive.  Considering that the Hunter's Armor that we have is way better than the Kayran Armor, really all we are doing this for is to unlock the Achievement, so you will want to reload your save after you do that so that you don't waste the money, since you are working towards the Achievement that requires 10,000 Oren...

Once you have all of the ingredients, go to the Smith and have him craft the armor, unlocking the Achievement "Backbone" (20 G) Craft a suit of armor from elements of the kayran's carapace.  Once you have the armor crafted and the Achievement unlocks -- it can take a minute for that to happen so wait until it does -- you can reload your save in order to not have spent the 1,000 Oren to buy all the materials.  Well done mates!  You have added a free 20 G to your Gamerscore!

Act I, Flotsam Part V

It is now time to head towards the barge and Triss.  When you arrive talk to the Guards and convince them to let you talk to the wounded prisoner.  Follow Triss down into the prison barge and you get a CS in which you chat out the strategy -- you cast Axii (as a QTE) and then you chat with the elf and convince him to help you -- ask about the Witcher and he tells you about the Roses of Remembrance and what happened that lead to his being captured.

Using persuasion you can get him to open up -- and that leads to you getting another memory from your lost memories.  Triss convinces you that finding the Roses is important -- triggering The Rose of Remembrance quest -- go ahead and ask her to come with you...

Follow Triss as she leads you through the town to the other side and the forest, keep following her and defend her when she is attacked, and you will reach the entrance to the garden above for a brief CS.  Lead her up and you will have a rolling conversation about Cedric and the Roses -- you eventually reach the Elven Bath ruins, and pick the flower, triggering a CS with Triss as she waxes about the flower.  You give her one and then some opportunists show up to take the statue here...

They manage to completely piss you off and insult Triss so you kill them, but then you get attacked by an elf and you both fall through the roof to the baths below!  You get to see the actual baths and then talk to Triss to trigger the big sex scene of the game -- you suggest that she could use a bath and she heads in that direction (grin).

Because very few games on the 360 contain full-frontal nudity this was quite a surprise for many gamers -- and it is also perhaps one of the best rendered sex scenes ever for a video game.  You have to admit that the backdrop is amazing, and they did do a good job...

While that is going on you get a CS of an Elven patrol -- and they bitch a bit about the way that the humans have screwed up their world -- the sex scene continues in flashes, as the Elf continues to bitch... 

Probably the best done sex scene in a video game -- ever 

Triss tells you that she needs a few days to make the preparations to recover your memory -- and you tell her you will go find Iorveth while she does that.  She tells you to take care -- actually she argues with you about the wisdom of that...  Reassure her that you want her, and then decide how to answer what amounts to her forcing you to make a decision -- clear your name or head on your own quest...

If you choose to drop everything and do your own thing, you will open one path, if you choose to continue to clear your name (not drop it) you open another.  For the purposes of this guide, we are going to choose to continue to clear our names.  That may very well be the right choice but I do not think it was the one she wanted -- but she still backs your play!

She reminds you that she needs a few days -- and then Roche shows up -- before you leave be sure that you loot the chest (use the amulet to make it glow if you cannot find it) as one of the items you obtain is a book on The Wild Hunt that is a quest item. 

Before you leave the baths talk to Roche -- tell him about the notes that you found in the Insane Asylum, tell him about Loredo, and then point out that Flotsam is a good hiding place...  Roche tells you why this area is so strategically important and then you learn something you did not know before.  Remind him that you have to find the King Slayer and he fills you in on what his scouts were doing.

-- A Chat with Zoltan --

Now that we have that out of the way it is time to head back to town and have a chat with our mate Zoltan at the Inn...  You should run through the available discussion options with him as a matter of form, saving the question about Iorveth for last...  When you ask him about Iorveth he fills you in and then you are prompted to follow him to the meeting with the elf.

Zoltan will lead you out of the city into the woods for a short way, and then you trigger a CS in which Zoltan gives the password at your request to elven archers he cannot see -- you talk to one of Iorveth's lieutenants, who you convince to take you seriously by demonstrating your abilities to detect his men.  He instructs you to wait in the clearing -- so follow Zoltan some more and you eventually arrive at the designated meeting place where you trigger another CS in which it becomes obvious that you must slay the Arachas.

Note that along the path there are traps -- some set others sprung -- that you can disarm and collect as you go -- you should do that as they can be useful to you later.  Save your game before you drop down to battle the Arachas since that is the last convenient spot to do a save before you begin a section of CS's and play where saving is disabled.

The Arachas Battle in the Clearing 

Killing the Arachas is pretty straight-forward and between your Sword and magic should be easily done.  Be sure to quickly loot its corpse -- you only have seconds to do so -- before the CS kicks in, and it has some armor and other items on it that are worth grabbing...   Once you have dispatched it Iorveth shows up and after a CS you have some chat options -- Let Zoltan go, Letho wants you dead, and You're a murderer.

Now obviously the third choice is there to start some shit, and whether he lets Zoltan go or not is really immaterial to the story at this point, so the obvious choice is Number 2.  When you tell him Letho wants him dead -- your revelation that his lieutenant is still alive startles him, as he assumed that the elf was already dead.

Asking him about his dealing with the Assassin of Kings gives you a little information that you did not have but might have surmised, and asking the elf what he is fighting for provokes little information -- though asking him what his goal is could give you useful information.  Iorveth reveals his political view -- and you can then ask about the non-humans living in the city...  Who it turns out he thinks very little of!  That leaves you with asking what he plans to do with Letho -- the question as to whether he actually believes what you are saying or not is an open one -- but he does agree to take you to see Lethos, so hey, win-win!

You can choose not to continue from here -- and you should if you have failed to complete the various side-quests if any are outstanding -- but if you have them done (and if you are following the guide they should be at this point) then choosing to continue is the way to go!

Note: you should make a save now, and protect that save so that you can use it to begin the alternate path after you have completed the one you are about to choose, that decision is coming soon!  This is not the decision at the cross-roads, but to avoid a nasty bug in the game you need to be consistent with the path you choose so really this is the beginning of the crossroads decision, and so this is really where you should make your split-save.

No matter what you decide you have to fight Letho after you talk to him and choose your path -- so you should prepare for that battle as much as you can now by being sure to use any Talent Points you have available (if you have not already done so), make sure you have upgraded your armor using the armor upgrades, and applied any weapon upgrades you might have.

You can prep potions but remember that they have timers associated with them, and you should probably select the Sign you plan to use and whatever throwing weapon / bomb you want in the quick menu in advance now.  If you are going to use potions in advance you should wait to use them until Iorveth is bound and you are headed into the Garden for the meeting with Lethos.

-- A Meeting with Letho --

Walk the bound elf to the garden outside of the baths and you encounter Letho -- asking him who he is causes Letho to identify himself to you, and you get the chance to ask him several questions that reveal some of the motivations that guide him.  He knows you, but you of course do not know him...  The past that he reveals to you sounds interesting, but how much is true?

Asking what his relationship is to Iorveth does not reveal much, and asking who Serrit and Auckes are reveals that they are two more King Slayers -- and now we arrive at one of the major decision points in the Act: fight or don't fight?  It really does not matter because Roche and his men attack, and you are forced to decide whether you are going to help Iorveth or not.  He demands his sword -- if you give it to him, you are choosing to follow his path, and if you do not, then you are setting out on the path of Roche.

Letho Boss Battle One-on-One

-- The Decision of the Sword --

For the purposes of the guide we are going to be following Roche's path first, and then coming back after the end of the game and doing Iorveth's path -- if you decide that you want to do it the other way around you will need to skip ahead to the section where we begin Iorveth's Path (that is what it is called) later in the guide, then come back here to do Roche's.  Now you need to make that decision.

Bear in mind that you need to be consistent in the decisions that follow -- there are set ramifications to the decision that you are about to make...

Choice 1: Giving Iorveth his Sword
If you choose to give the elf his sword, he will then escape the ambush, and is later encountered with the Squirrels -- the contention between Roche and Iorveth is used by Loredo as his excuse to begin the extermination plans he has (that you learned about earlier) in Flotsam and this results in a battle between the non-humans and the humans, with many of the non-humans being killed (including the Derae the prostitute, though the Madam Margot survives).

Choice 2: Do not give the Sword to Iorveth
Instead of giving him his sword you end up punching him, and he is captured by Roche and his men (basically you have sided with Roche).  This basically removes Iorveth from the main story path from here on --  Loredo declares a holiday to celebrate your help in capturing the elf, and a different outcome takes place in the town.

The prostitute Derae lives, but Madam Margot ends up commuting suicide both because she knows that her role as Iorveth's informant will be exposed, and I think partly because she was actually in love with the elf...    You get a different set of CS's and the elves obviously now consider you a major enemy, so you can expect them to attack you on sight thereafter.

-- The Crossroads Bug --

In theory the decision that you just made is reversible sort of -- but in reality it is not.  What I mean by that is that the choice to help Iorveth here means you will need to choose to side with the Scoia'tael when the time comes at the Crossroads, and if you side with Roche here, you also need to side with him at the Crossroads -- because failing to do either (to be consistent) can cause bugs to appear in later parts of the game...

Some of the bugs are what are known as "Plotholes" where the CS's and conversations that come after contain facts that are not strictly speaking true, or sometimes possible, but in addition to that there have been reported instances where certain quest elements would not advance because they have a relationship to the decisions that you made.  It is not completely clear that this bears out in the Xbox 360 version of the game in the same way that it did in the PC version, but then I did not test it under the idea of why borrow trouble?  Just be sure that you stick to the decision that you want to make and make it the same at both points.

-- After you Battle Letho --

Roche will come and find you and ask you where the Kingslayer has gone -- you tell him that he got away and that you have to find Triss, and Roche leads the way outside.  BEFORE you follow him you need to go pick up your sword -- remember Letho threw it on the floor nearby the ledge?  You really do not want to leave without it mates.

There is a chest by the exit you can loot some items from including a stack of 15 Superb well-balanced Silver Daggers that are great for throwing at monsters...  When you get topside there is a dead soldier you can loot to get a Special Forces Sword that does 15-22 damage -- that is a point better than the Robust Cutlass that I was using and likely is better than whatever your steel weapon is, so be sure to grab that, right?

Act I, Flotsam Part VI

Follow Roche from the baths back to the city, where a celebration is under way.  You will be offered drinks several times -- if you accept them you get a little drunk and that makes the screen a bit blurred and your play a little confused -- you do not have to accept the drinks, and not doing so will not impact the story.

When you get to the Inn you will find Dandelion, who tells you that Triss went to see Sile -- head upstairs to Sile's room and you will things in disarray!  Examine the dead bodyguard, examine the bed, and examine the hole in the wall to progress the mission -- heading next door to the brothel speak with the prostitute Derae -- who answers your questions.

This triggers a CS in which you play as Triss for the conversation with Dethmold -- as the conversation unfolds you learn a lot about what Sile has been doing, and what Triss did in her room, but you do not learn the details of what happened to either Triss or Cedric.  From what Derae says, it is clear that Margot has something to do with the elven side -- and although you need to find Cedric you also need to find Margot!

Dandelion goes off to find Margot, follow him down into the Inn and then down to the basement, and search the rooms down here until you locate Margot, who has committed suicide!  You can loot her suicide note and other notes as well as some useful items from the room so go ahead and do that, right?  Completing all of these side-quests is really important if you want to manage to level up to Level 35 by the end of the game, so try not to skip any.

Answers from a Dying Cedric

-- Finding Cedric --

Now you head off to find Cedric -- and drinking a Cat Potion helps a lot by highlighting the blood trail taking you outside and into the woods.  After following the trail for a bit you get attacked by a group of elves, and then you follow a false blood trail to some human corpses.  Backtracking you get back on the trail and eventually you encounter Cedric near the waterfall, and before he dies he tells you what happened.

It seems that Triss asked for help and then Letho appeared and kidnapped Triss -- Letho forced her to open a teleportation gate and then forced her to go through first, following after her and thus putting massive distance between you two...  At this point Cedric begins to die, and the forest animals approach.  You have done all that you can here.

Zoltan and Dandelion appear in a CS and you fill them in on what has happened -- they were sent to find you by Roche -- once you cover both chat lines you then have a third, to talk to both sides.  That actually leads up to the Crossroads decision point, but we are already committed to supporting Roche anyway, still...

Before you progress any further in this make absolutely certain that you have completed all of the side-missions that you need to, since after the Crossroads many of them will be automatically failed since you cannot do them after it.   Specifically you should make sure that you have completed the following quests: Melitele’s Heart (see the witch in the village outside the city -- warning!  You have to fight Wraiths for this one!), Little Shop of Dreams (a sort of continuation of the Scent of Incense quest). Those are the last pair of side-quests that you should have outstanding -- and once you complete them you are good to go on the Crossroads side of things!

Head for the marker to reach the HQ, but before you speak to Roche, talk to Vess to get her story, then talk to Roche to exchange information.  He fills you in on Loredo, and Roche tells you in no uncertain terms that Loredo must be dealt with before you can leave -- agreeing with Roche (and you should) flags the quest Death to the Traitor, and progress the main story and quest line as well.

-- Death to the Traitor --

Roche tells you to wait in the back of Loredo's to get ready to infiltrate -- while you are in the HQ you can do a little looting too, and it might be a good idea to hit the Inn and put anything you do not need in storage as well as sell off your Junk and other items you do not want.

Head to the marker after dark to climb the ladder and enter the read of Loredo's compound.  Note that when you climb up the wall and cross over into the compound you may get a notice that the quest Scent of Incense has failed -- this is a bug, the quest that you completed is still completed, not failed.  You did not lose the XP or the money from it, it is simply a bug that marks a completed quest as failed and nothing more.

The gardens ahead have people in them -- a group of guards and what appears to be a merchant who is one of Loredo's trade partners who is trying desperately to find his prostitute who, it appears, has given him the slip.  The thing here is that having him discover you is just as bad as having one of the Guards discover you...  It will raise the alarm and then all of the Guards on the outside are hostile and alarmed, which means you have no choice but to kill or incap them all. 

One approach to this is to stealthily knock-out the merchant, and then slip past the Guards in order to get to the platform and go through the window -- but you may find it much better and easier to kill all of the Guards on the outside (doing so does not alert those inside) as it gets you the key to the Storage Area, which you can then go into and and have a CS with the prostitute that was hiding from the merchant, who gives you a sitrep.  I chose the latter, since it gave me more information and satisfaction in the process (heh).

Once you have that information the quest advances, instructing you to seek out Loredo's Mum -- so jump through the window to get a CS of Loredo snorting coke, then you make your way to the basement, taking out the Guard in the hall, and finally arriving in the room with Loredo's Mum, who at first appears to be cooperating but then throws a fistful of coke in your face and attacks, forcing you to chop off her head!

Once she is dead loot her for the key, and then loot the rest of the room for lots of stuff if you want, and why not?  When you are loot-happy continue on towards the upstairs, where you will trigger another CS in which you see Loredo being all letch.

One of the extra requirements for this quest is to explore both the lower and upper floors -- you can either sneak past the Guards to do that or kill them -- I vote kill them -- and you eventually reach the top floor where you have a battle with and kill Loredo, and in the process rescue Ves!  Did not see that coming...

The final battle with Loredo

After you release Ves check the adjacent room to discover another unwilling breeding project of Loredo's -- Moril.  We have hear of her before, she has been missing you will recall, and thought to have left the region but now we know what actually happened to her! 

When you get to the second floor Moril goes into labor and Ves takes her back up to deliver the baby -- and you get discovered by more Guards!  A battle ensues which you win handily because, after all, you are The Witcher!

After you deal with the Guards here you hear the battle taking place outside -- running out you help Roche's men deal with the remaining troops, and then you speak with Roche and he tells you what happened to him -- a flashback ensues in which you, as Roche, deal with Iorveth -- but it seems Roche cannot complete that battle.

You fill Roche in on Ves and then she appears to show you that the baby is a healthy boy.  The CS plays out, and you learn that Moril has killed herself because of the shame of what happened to her -- then Roche orders the boat to be prepared and you determine what to do with the baby (I would guess that we will be seeing that child again in the sequel, remember the prophecy?).  We get a CS of our party going to the boat, and then the Achievement "To Aedirn!" (5 G) Complete Chapter 1 -- unlocks.

This ends Act I of the story, so well done mates!

Act II, Kaedwen Part I

The next Act begins with Sile and her comrade Dethmold approaching the city with a noble, and the objective to to to the negotiations with the Aedirnian Nobility.  Dethmold is quite the character, what you might call an over-the-top bad guy -- get a load of his evil laugh, whew!

The noble with the party is King Henselt -- and you are actually playing as him for the moment -- and being a King in this particular game is not a healthy thing to be, I am just saying... 

Note that Henselt is not necessarily a bad guy, and neither is Dethmold for that matter, though how much you can really trust Sile is still an open question.  As you progress along the path ahead as Henselt he hooks up with some other nobles whose support he obtains the old fashioned way -- he bribes them, though he only gives them half of what they want and no new titles -- and they accept.

The nobles bring up a touchy issue -- and Henselt shuts them down -- and then the fabled Dragonslayer approaches!  A very Joan-of-Arc looking female warrior, though she talks like an Irish longshoreman!  Dethmold gets mouthy and you have to shut him up -- you listen as the Dragonslayer makes demands of you -- and the King scoffs at her demands.  She demands that you face her in single-combat to settle the issue.  This is a battle you must fight, so do not take the passive way out of it, say "I'll fight!"

The duel that takes place is not really hard, and you easily defeat her, but in the process the King makes the mistake of getting blood on the alter they are fighting before, and a magical force is unleashed boding ill.  As this CS ends we transition to another CS in which our party arrives, with Roche addressing the Guards to try to convince them that you are OK -- but they are not in the mood to be convinced.  The Guards attack but Geralt uses magic to protect himself as he detects the evil that the King has unleashed by getting the Monk's blood on the alter.

Unlocking the Tourist Achievement with Zyvik

We next get a CS that shows what happened at the alter -- complete with zombie soldiers and Wraiths spawning -- and then Geralt arrives!

Basically what you need to do is take out the zombies and then the pair of Wraiths that appear, and once you have done that Dethmold casts a bubble spell similar to the one that Triss cast at the start of the previous Act.  Now you just need to work your way along the path -- staying inside the bubble of course -- until you reach the end of the path.  Stay inside the bubble, try not to get injured too much, because there are no checkpoints here and if you die (unless you make strategic saves which I recommend) you have to restart before the meeting with the nobles.

Once you reach the end of the path where the bright light is you trigger a CS in which the party approaches the gate to the camp, and the King issues orders.  The King assigns a Guard to guide you around -- the Guard offers to show you around, and letting him do that will help you to learn the different areas of the camp which is only to your benefit, and in the process unlocks the Achievement "Tourist" (10 G) Tour the camp with Zyvik.

At the gate Zyvik heads off to do his own thing, telling you to go to the King's tent -- but before you do that now is probably a good time to visit with the different locations that we saw on the tour to sell off our junk and unneeded items (if you are anything like me you are nearly overloaded at this point) -- and then give the entire camp a good looting as that will actually take you quite a ways towards the 10,000 Oren goal!

In addition to acquiring items and money you will also flag quests and discover specialty vendors.  You will also flag some quests, and have some conversations, but before we get too heavy into that let's go talk to the King, shall we?

-- Speaking with the King --

When you arrive at the Royal tent you encounter the Emperor's Envoy -- you can speak with him to learn a little information -- you can persuade him to tell you more, including that the Emperor has an interest in you...  He knows a lot about you, and is tight with his own information, but if you exhaust the chat options you learn he is concerned with an organization of sorceresses.  This is the same Envoy who we met in the Prologue.

After you complete the conversation with the Envoy head into the tent and talk to the King -- he seems to be a lot more relaxed about us now, and asks what it is that we are seeking?  Telling him the truth, that you wish to clear your name, and being as honest as you can will help with your answers.  He asks the question of the hour -- who is behind this plot to kill Kings?  But you don't know the answer.

His concern is not with the Wraiths and the dark magic that has descended upon the region, and he asks you to deal with it.  Will you?  Of course you will!  We have to lift the curse anyway, since it stands in the way of our goals, so bonus!

You should ask about the curse before you leave and get as much information as you can, because he actually knows things that can help you.  Working your way through the conversation options is a good idea.

As you depart Dethmold stops you -- enter his tent and talk to him to learn that he is very happy to see you and to work with you.  He offers his hand to you and then when you shake with him, assesses your handshake.  Strange bloke this one.  Asking about the curse you learn what he doesn't know -- you end up giving him more information than he gives you, that is for sure. 

A long and revealing chat with Dethmold

You tell him about the artifacts that you need -- but Dethmold is no help there -- so you ask about whether or not he knows curses -- and it turns out he knows a lot about this particular type of curse, which is good for us.  He gives us a list of reading materials -- take them -- and then wrap up the conversation options.  Finally you will tell him what you need and what you expect him to do, and then  you flag the quests The Eternal Battle, The Blood Curse, Courage Symbolized, Conspiracy Theory, and you update Prelude to War.  Well done!

As a side note, how cool was that?  Seriously we talked to two members of the aristocracy and a mage, and got a slew of quests and lots of information?  This game is so awesome!  I know I am liking it...

Act II, Kaedwen Part II -- Side-Questing

Now that we have spoken the Envoy, with the King, and dealt with the Mage, it is time to start flagging and completing side-quests just to get them out of the way...  Spend some time and effort looting tents and supply piles for resources and coin, and as you do that talk to the people you encounter in order to flag the odd side-quest or three, right?

Be sure that you stop by Sile's tent and chat her up just to say hi and get what information you can from her...  You cannot get any information from her on the Wild Hunt it seems, which is too bad because I don't know about you but I am wicked curious about that!

Note: If you were wondering about how to access your storage, there is a general supply merchant outside of the camp on your way to complete the Poker Dice quest that has your storage box -- just talk to him to access it.

Note: About leveling...  At this point you have probably picked up two or three additional levels, but since there is no pressing reason to, do NOT apply those talents just now.  You want to build up a bank of Talent Points so that you can take care of some of the Achievements that relate to them but that you might not necessarily want to actually spend points on.  Once you have a sufficient number banked we will return to the subject, but for now, stop using those points!

When you hook up with Zyvik again be sure to learn as much as you can about the battle of three years ago from him.  Milk him for as much information as you can because he has information that will help with several of the outstanding quests.  Once you have all you can get from him, head down to the tents to talk to Dandelion. 

-- Some Side-Quests --

As previously mentioned, side-quests are an excellent way to gain XP and money, and the only way to ensure that you will reach Level 35 by the end game, so paying them mind is a very good idea.

-- Bring it On: Kaedweni Camp -- as with the previous quest we have to beat a succession of wrestlers to take on the local champion.  Wrestle the Blacksmith first, and then the next two opponents then find Adam, who is in the area where the King's tent is.  Talk to him first to exhaust the chat options and then ask him to arm wrestle you -- beating him earns you 100 Orens if you bet the whole enchilada.  You can, if you like, continue to wrestle him after you beat him to pick up the 10,000 Orens you need for that Achievement, and why not?  It is a sure-thing!


-- Poker Face: Kaedweni Camp -- as with the previous quest we have to beat a succession of players in order to take on the reigning local champion.  To start with we play the two soldiers at the crate, and then follow the marker to the next opponent, who tells us that we have to beat Zyvic and Madam Carole first.  Ah, so he is the champ is he?

When you find Zyvic outside the gates you will flag the quest Lost Lambs before you can chat and do the Dice Poker with him.  Carole is out in the area outside of camp, so head for her marker and play her to advance the quest -- and that leaves Lasota, the local Champion for you to defeat!  Head back to the lower camp and into his supply tent and play him -- once you win you can ask for a special item instead of coin and since he has armor kit that is the way to go!  I chose the Tempered Armor Design -- that might have been a mistake, at least from the way he reacted, but there you have it.  Quest is now complete!


-- Little Sisters -- You encounter a soldier being picked on by other soldiers, and when you talk to him to learn what the deal is he tells you about an experience he had in which he saw a specter that caused him to soil his trousers, and as a result he is now a focus of ire in the camp.  If you talk to him to get more information, you can learn the details of the event.  You offer to deal with the Specter -- for a price.

After you complete the above quests it should be getting dark, which is the ideal time to do the two outstanding parts for this quest -- so head to the beach first, where you encounter the Wraiths -- only they actually talk to you!  It turns out that there is another version to this story -- you should check out the facts before you act -- tell them you will look into it, and then head up past the hut to the cemetery to view the three graves.  This is not looking good for Mavrick.

Examine all four graves to advance the quest to The Mystery of the Graves, and then search the house and the area around it, destroying the barrels to reveal the trapdoor.  Go down and you will find some lootables in the Cellar as well as three candles that if you light them in the correct order (left-right-center) will open a secret door.

Inside the secret room you will find a note on the table inside that both advances the Little Sisters quest and flags a new quest, From a Bygone Era.  you have already searched the areas around the house, so it is time to return to camp and speak with Mavrick.  What you should do -- since this story is far from clear -- is ask him for his help with the matter.  He will agree to help and head to the beach.

You should return to the beach at night (making sure it is after 11 PM) and hook up with Mavrick -- save your game before you go into the beach to confront the sisters.  He will tell his side of the story and you believe him, which forces you to battle the three sisters -- do that but make sure that Mavrick survives this battle as otherwise you will not get the rest of the story!

Recovering a pair of Lost Lambs

-- Lost Lambs -- If you follow the path along the river to the beach and then along the beach you will find the pair of missing soldiers, who are convinced that they cannot leave the protection of their circle of ashes which, they say, protects them from the Drowners.  Search the area to  see what clues there are and pay particular attention to the wheel and post in the center.  Examine the coins and candles and take the letters, take a nail from the wheel, then do all of the other examinations before you choose walk away to get the rest of the advancement.

Now chat with the soldiers again, and question them.  You get a fair bit of information from them including their take on the burning.  Once you have all that you needed from them, lead them out and the Drowners will attack.  Killing them allows you to lead the pair the rest of the way off of the beach -- you do not actually have to take them all the way back to the gate -- you will get a CS and they will thank you and part ways, and chances are you will level up from completing this one.  Head back to Zyvik and collect your reward from him.  Good on ya mates!  Another side-quest done!


-- From a Bygone Era -- The letter needs the eye of someone who knows magic, and at the moment the only contact that we have in the area is Dethmold, so head to his tent and ask him what he makes of the thing? 

After you show them to him he asks you where you got them, and then tells you that they describe a dangerous ritual -- and he explains its nature to you.  He offers to buy the scroll from you -- you can sell it to him or not, it is not really clear here what the right move is.  I chose to keep it, and the quest advanced to say "The Notes Were Not Sold. Keep them for Later Use."  That suggests that there may be a later use for them?


-- The Rotfiend Contract -- available on the notice board.  On the way to play Dice Poker with Carole outside of the camp you will meet a merchant named Sambor who has some books, among them The Horrors of War: Rotfiends -- you should buy that and read it to advance the quest and learn that you need to burn the dead bodies around the camp.

Head out around the edges where the soldiers are battling the Rotfiend and start burning corpses.  Be careful while searching NOT to pass through the veil into the disputed area where the specters are, as that is not where the corpses are found.  When you have burned the nine that you need to the quest advances and you can look up Proximo in the camp to collect your reward!  Another quest completed and well done mates!


-- The Path to Vision -- You will find a group of soldiers under attack in the canyon and, after you defeat the monsters and burn the bodies on the ground you will flag this quest.  Continuing into the cuts you will eventually be attacked by Harpies and meet The Visionary -- pay him the 350 Orens he is expecting and he will cooperate with you by telling you what you want to know.

Working your way through the conversation options tells you what he knows, including the actual curse that was said.  You learn the location of the spear, which is the relic-selling Quartermaster back at the camp, and you learn that The Visionary IS the soldier who helped her cast he curse!  Asking about the symbols prompts him to tell you to find Selkirk's Armor.

While he is clearly a nutter, he is a nutter who knows things...  This advanced the Blood Curse Quest and completes The Path to Vision.

Gathering Odrin and his Mates for a Drunken Chat

-- In Cervisia Veritas -- Nearby where you find Mavrick to ask for his help is a drunk soldier yelling for his mate -- talk to him and ask about that to flag this quest.  Exit the camp from the western gate that leads to the small beach, and you will find a half-naked Odrin who is wet, sticky, and confused.

Talk to him -- he insists on telling you his story -- and then you help him back to his mates.  When you get to the gate though the Guards do not want to let you in.  I bribed them, you can try convincing them but bribes work good!

Collect Odrin's three equally drunk mates around the camp and take them to the Canteen and buy them some beer -- and chat with them to learn what you can.  As you exhaust the conversation options you will get an odd varied set of information.  Whether that actually helps you or not, who can say?  Still you do get a lead -- head to the brothel and get some more information...  And that advances Conspiracy Theory and completes this quest!


-- Against the Blue Stripes -- Head to the Blue Stripe camp outside of the gates and, down by the beach there is a fighting match going on.  Chat with one of the people down there to flag this quest, and to begin the Fist Fight challenge.  This is a QTE and, once you beat the first and second opponents, will see you battle with Roche!

You need to not make any mistakes with the buttons when you battle Roche, following which you will find yourself facing a soldier who wants to challenge you.  If you win, you flag a new quest called A Score to Settle that is related to the Coiners and the current quests we have going, as well as complete this side-quest and all is well.  You have completed another side-quest and good on ya mates!

Act II, Kaedwen Part III -- Main-Questing

It seems that there are certain quests that have to be completed in the main quest line in order to unlock some other quest content, including a side-quest called Ave Henselt -- and the Arena as well -- and that quest is called The Butcher of Cidaris.  So let us head there now!

-- The Butcher of Cidaris -- When we were in the midst of getting the drunks to the Canteen we encountered the CS that flags this quest...  Now that we have completed all of the side-quests that we can, it is time to deal with this one.  Head back to the Canteen and speak with the Veteran to learn his troubles. 

You learn about his son and the stupid chance he is going to take in dueling the Butcher -- ah but you can help here -- by offering to help he vows to help you any way that he can.  With that done go talk to Sven, who is right outside of the Canteen.  He is an irritating git but your offer to pair with him in the battle is still a good thing for him.

Your next step is to head to the nearby tent and issue the challenge to Avet -- a cocky SOB who you easily provoke into doing a duo-duel.  Another cocky knight volunteers, so it is all set.  Head back to Sven with the good news.

Assuming you are ready initiate the battle and you will get a CS of the Arena and then the battle commences.  You know you have to kick his ass, right? 

Defending the Honor of Sven vs. The Butcher of Cidaris 

With that mischief managed, head outside and chat with Manfred, who will thank you -- ask him about the coiners and he will ask why you want to know.   Tell him that you just want to know what is going on, and Manfred will tell you the story.  He knows how it all got started, and he tells you.

You already have the information that you needed but he fills you in on the details anyway, and that verifies what you already knew.  But in addition to that he warns you about a particular soldier who we have also heard about, Traut of the magic armor...

After the CS with Manfred you will be approached by Proximo, the King's Arena Master who will tell you about the matches and flag the side-quest Ave Henselt!


-- Ave Henselt! -- This is the Arena side-quest and it is well worth your time to do now, since it will give you some valued XP and unlocks an Achievement as well as some future opportunities for um, well, you will see...

The battles only take place during the daytime, and are not all the same.  First of all they are not QTE but actual fights...  The first battle is with an axeman named Gwydeon who you can simply fast-attack to get to yield.  The second battle is with a warrior in full armor with sword and shield -- who you may want to stun before you beat him into submission. 

The third battle is with a rather large warrior with a huge sword and a supply of throwing weapons.  Your best tactic is to fast-attack to keep him off-balance and get him to yield.  Before you can catch your breath you are forced into a battle with Ves, who it seems has something she wants to prove.  You really really need to beat her until she yields, anything else she will find insulting.

Finishing off Ves unlocks the Achievement "Gladiator" (15 G) Defeat all opponents in the Kaedweni arena.  This does not complete the side-quest Ave Henselt! but does get you an invitation from Ves to visit her back at the Blue Stripe Camp...  Hmmm...  Head there now and speak with her and you will find yourself having wine and, if you play your cards right, in bed with her as well.  Getting her into bed unlocks the Achievement "Heartbreaker" (10 G) Seduce Ves.  And it gives you the chance to see all of her tattoos...  ALL of them.  It also completes the side-quest Ave Henselt! and earns you 50 XP.  Well done!


-- The Blood Curse (Part I) -- now it is time to begin gathering the items that you need that are the focus of the main story, and that means starting with this quest and heading to see the Quartermaster at the Canteen and talking to him about a certain spear... 

As part of the previous questing we have examined the site of the burning of the sorceress, and we spoke with the Relic vendor in the Canteen.  We met with and obtained the information from The Visionary about the Sorceresses execution, so it is time to once again seek out the Relic Seller in the Canteen.  If there are any chat options you have not already covered do that now before you ask about the Spear.

When he starts demanding money simply use the Sign on him to get him to tell you without paying -- he will open up and confirm what you feared.  The Spear is out of our reach for the moment as we have to complete some other quests before we are ready to get to this.

Obtaining the Magic Armor from Traut 

-- Courage Symbolized -- We have already spoken to the people that we needed to to learn where the man is hiding, so there is no need to do any more investigating in and around the camp.  We have a square coin and we have the password, so we need to seek out the prostitute at the bordello outside of the camp.  When you arrive it may be a good idea to speak with the Madam to see if she knows anything useful to you, and when you are satisfied tell her you are looking for a whore, then show her the square coin.

Pick Whistling Wendy and then go inside to meet with her.  Tell her that you want her smile to part the gates of paradise, and she will take you to the secret trapdoor.  Head down and follow the tunnel to the hidden chamber where you will meet with Traut, who basically tells you where to head in.  He tells you about the armor, and you tell him that is what you came for -- but it is over his dead body, literally.

The problem that you have in here is that it is not just Traut you have to battle, but all of the other soldiers here as well, so going right at him will just get you killed from behind!  You will need to do better than that, and speaking as a person who has actually fought with swords for real, I can tell you that having your back to a wall is a really good idea.

Use your Signs as best you can and try to take the supporting troops out first, so you can concentrate on Traut without being back-stabbed.  If you have trouble watch the video above, as it shows how to use the room layout to your advantage.  As far as actually fighting Traut, using Riposte to your advantage is the way to go if you have not yet mastered swordplay.

Once you have finished him off and looted his kit, loot all the other soldiers you killed as there is a convenient merchant right outside who you can sell their booty to for a tidy profit!  The First Rate Temerian Sword is a pretty good weapon and if you do not have anything better I say use it.  One of the things it has is a 4% Vigor regeneration during combat enchantment, which is not a bad thing to have...

Now we need to seek out Dandelion to talk to him, and then Dethmold.  Dandelion is in the lower camp area by one of the soldiers tents, and when you meet him you can ask if the letter you found is his -- it is -- and you explain to him how this move of his is likely to get him killed! 

After you finish that conversation, talk to him about Sabrina if you have not already (you should have) and then head for Dethmold's tent to chat him up.  You should have a lot of different conversation options with him, but start with the ones that are not quest-related, or rather not related to our current quests, so ask about The Wild Hunt, then tell him about Traut. 

Telling Dethmold what you did with Traut and the five other conspirators advances the quest Conspiracy Theory and allows you to collect the reward that was put on their heads, so do that and then tell him that you know how to free the King from his curse.  You fill him in about the Spear and that Iorveth has it.  You learn that Iorveth is here, and on the other side of the mist.  Dethmold tells you that you need to wait until you have all of the artifacts before trying to cross the mist...

Ask if he knows anything new about the curse and he tells you what he knows -- then ask if he has spoken to the King?  You explain that you need the medallion, but Dethmold is unwilling to push the issue initially.  Ask for Magic Powder, and he tells you that the resin required is expensive.  You tell him to get the King to pay him and he capitulates.  He gives you a grimoire to help you with making the protective runes then.

Tell him that you need to go through the mist, and he gives you the white flag of truce that he says should work -- he also gives you armor.  When you get outside you should equip the armor that he gave you -- Zireal's Armor -- and upgrade it since you should have some good upgrades you can use to enhance it!   You can apply 3 Armor Enhancements to it, which should easily allow you to boost its Armor Rating by 6,


-- Getting Ready to Cross Over --

At this point you have pretty much done all that you can in camp and it really is time for you to cross over into the mist and to the other side, where you need to go in order to advance the rest of the quests and obtain all of the items that you need (minus the amulet that the King has).  Before you do that though you should prepare as best you can, which means doing the following:

Visit the Smith and the Quartermasters to see what diagrams they have to sell for better armor -- you have good main armor thanks to Dethmold but as for your legs, feet, and hands?  You can improve them easily.  You should have already unlocked the Achievement for accumulating 10,000 Oren but if you have not, now is the time to do some Arm Wrestling to get that out of the way, because buying the diagrams will NOT be cheap!

So we are assuming that you have already gotten the 10,000 Oren and so you can afford to pay for the diagrams -- at the very least you can have crafted for you a Robust Blue Meteorite Silver Sword -- or whichever color you like, it is your call...

You will also want to replenish your Potion supply making sure you have the ones you need, and your bombs.  Make sure you have throwing weapons, and with that you should be almost good to go save for the following!

Unlocking the Optional Achievements in one Go! 

-- Some Achievement Chores --

At this point you should have at least 8 Talent Points saved up, and as you are going to need to apply them for the coming battles and difficulties we need to address a few Achievements that we just want to get unlocked now, so that they are out of the way and you do not have to worry about them for the future, right?

So again, if you have yet to do so, Arm Wrestle Adam to get 10,000 Oren and unlock the Achievement "Miser" (10 G) Collect 10,000 Oren.

Now using the Talent Points that you have saved up, first save your game, and then open the Abilities Menu and, selecting Swordsman to access its menu, and then apply a point in Guard, a point in Tough Guy, a point in Hardy, a point in Finesse, a point in Invincible, and two points in Combat Acumen and then back out of the menu and wait a moment for the Achievement to unlock, and after about 40 seconds you will unlock "Swordmaster" (10 G) Acquire the Combat Acumen Ability.

Load your save and then open the Character Menu back up and select the Alchemy Tree, and then place one point in each of the following: Synthesis > Specialization: Potions > Harvester > Specialization: Oils > Transmutation > Metathesis > Condensation > and Mutant, then back out to the main play screen and wait a moment and you will unlock the Achievement "Master Alchemist" (10 G) Acquire the Mutant Ability.

Load your save and open the Magic Tree and apply one point in the following: Enhanced Aard Sign > Enhanced Quen Sign > Magic Intensification > Fatal Attraction > Enhanced Yrden Sign > Magical Life Force > and Sense of Magic, then back out to the main screen and wait a moment to unlock the Achievement "Master of Magic" (10 G) Acquire the Sense of Magic ability.

Now you can reload your save, resetting your points, and take a moment to decide what you actually want to spend them on for real...  This is a highly personal choice, but most serious players agree that spending then on a specific tree is a good idea, as that specialization creates a unique set of capabilities for your character...  But that is, as I say, your choice.  You should also seriously consider applying the Mutagens that you want to use, picking the skills you want to apply them to.

Once you decide how you are going to spend the points, and you have spent them, you are pretty much ready to head for the Mist with Zoltan and move the story forward!

Act II, Kaedwen Part IV -- Crossing the Mist

As you exit the upper camp you run into Zoltan, who wants to go with you when you cross through the mist into Vergen.  You explain the magic of the talisman to him, and how it should part the mist to allow you to pass, and he affirms that he wants to accompany you.  Hey!  We will not be going alone on this mission, how cool is that?

A few things to bear in mind while on your way through the mist to the city -- fighting the Wraiths is rather pointless because you do not gain XP in battling them, so really running past them is the way to go.  The lower of the two paths seems to be the easier, so you may want to choose that since they both eventually go to the same place.  You will encounter a group of elves but the truce flag should keep them from killing you.

After you arrive at the city and pass through the gates you will be approached by a pair of guards -- talking to them will add information and advance some of the quests -- if you get confused on your route use your Medallion and it will spawn a guide ball for you to follow.  Once you cross over to the other side of the mist follow the path up the hills (head towards the marker) and you will encounter the elves, who Zoltan will talk to.  They agree to allow you to pass to the town gates.

As you enter through the gates a CS plays out in which you are greeted by the guards -- while it is true that you are in a hurry, be polite and do not insist on being passed on, let them talk and tell their stories -- once you have worked through the chat options ask after the Dun Banner; they mark the location for you where they buried the flag.  Next you tell them that you have to see Saskia -- they are not real wild about that...

Zoltan solves the issue by enlisting, and they will take you to see Saskia now, but go ahead and ask about Triss...  Ask about Iorveth, and then with all of the chat options now taken, you can prompt them to move on, and they mark an escape route out on your map for you.

Switch your active quest to Death Symbolized and follow the path up the stairs and through the tunnels to the forest, cross the river and follow the path to the marker, having the odd battle or three along the way.  When you reach the crypts you will have to work your way through, killing Wraiths as you blow down the walls to search each of the areas inside.

Eventually you will find a copy of a Wild Hunt Investigator's Notes -- read those -- at some point you will unlock the Achievement "The Butcher of Blaviken" (30 G) Kill 500 Foes.  Even if you were only doing the kills you needed to do as you progress this should pop here.

Winning a dead man's quiz to obtain the banner 

When you blow down one of the walls you will get a CS in which you interact with the specter of the Standard Barer of the Dun Banner -- you have a choice here, either kill him or let him quiz you!  I went for the quiz:

Question 1: He is misleading you; tell him he is wrong.  The Tamerians were in the center of the attack not off to one side.

Question 2: Menno Coehoorn is the correct answer.

Question 3: Ceohoorn is dead and you should tell him so.

Question 4: Vandergrift and Setkirk are he correct answer.

Question 5: The priest lead us out of the battle.

Successfully answering the questions earns you the banner and a sword -- pick up the items and leave the Beaver Skin Cap in their place, and that completes the quest.

-- Hatred Symbolized --

Now change your active quest to the Symbol of Hatred one and backtrack all the way to the town and head to the marker, meeting Zoltan in the tunnels.  To get to them you will need to leave town and go past the even encampment then follow the left-hand path through the narrow gorge and through a large arch.  These are really more like mines than tunnels, and they are dark inside, so you may want to drink a Cat Potion...

Expect to be attacked by monsters inside the mines as you work your way to the meeting place -- the mines are a confusing warren but you should be able to find him OK.  Try to avoid the Troll in the mines if you are doing the not killing Trolls Achievement -- Saskia is with Zoltan -- and she is willing to give you the sword to help remove the mist.  You try to convince her to retreat into a more defensible position to protect her people from Henselt but she refuses.

She asks why you are helping the evil King Henselt, and you tell her the truth -- that you are trying to recover your memory -- and she invites you to join her side.  It would be great if we could, but no, we have to go back and lift the mist...

You learn from Saskia that Iorveth lost the Spear to a bloke named Skalen -- so now you know who you have to get it from, and this flags the quest Spear of Destiny!  Well done mates!


-- Spear of Destiny Quest --

Return to the surface using the quick travel option after you complete your talk with Saskia and bid Zoltan farewell, and head back to Vergen.  The bloke you are looking for happens to be just inside the gates -- you may want to save your game by the way -- so head over to him and on the left by the stairs and chat him up.

Here is the deal - he will play Dice Poker with you - if you win you get the Spear, so basically you have to win.  The important thing you need to understand is that this is not a one-off deal.  You can lose as many times as you do, as long as you win once.  This is a standard game of Dice Poker, which you should be pretty good at by now, so just play as you usually do and you should win easily :)

I ended up drawing three Squares on my first roll and he gave up, so it was an easy win -- and once you have the Spear, you advance the Blood Curse quest and complete The Spear of Destiny quest, so good on ya mates!

Did you notice that the conversation included the observation that the bloke may have other items you could win from him?  Beat him again at Dice Poker and he pays you with the Sword of the Warrior Princess Xenthia (OK wow, I thought I was the only fan of Xena Warrior Princess, sweet homage!).

The next win gets you the Wool Coat of a Corporal of the Dun Banner, which he claims is a highly collectible and valuable item.  Unfortunately he does not like losing much, and he tells you he will play no more.  I guess we can live with that -- besides it is time to go!

-- Crossing Back through the Mist --

When you reach the other side you find Roche and his men tending some of their comrades who have been badly mauled.  Roche explains the course of events, and the betrayal that they suffered, and tells you about the woman who came through and the small statue that he could swear looked like Triss...

You tell him you must go into the camp and he vows to accompany you -- when you enter the camp and make your way towards the marker in the upper camp area you exit on that side of the camp only to find a ship sailing away from the shore, and it is clear that you are too late.  You ask Roche if the boat is ready to sail, and you learn that it is but that does not matter -- Henselt has no intention of letting you go until you break the curse!  Roche calms you down by pointing out the basic facts, and you are resigned to resuming the path that you have been following.

Act II, Kaedwen Part V -- Breaking the Curse

When you arrive at the King's tent and begin the conversation Henselt insists that you must proceed immediately to the site of the execution, there to break the curse!  We do not have to run the distance, after the CS we appear there before the wheel, so our focus must now be on how to break the curse with the items that we have so patiently gathered.

The process of breaking the curse is a rigid one and must be followed in the proper order:

(1) Talk to the King and tell him that he needs to draw a protective circle at the site -- he argues with you -- reassure him that it must be so.  You explain in the CS just what he is supposed to do -- including thrusting the spear home.  You explain that specters might appear, and then he reluctantly goes down to the execution site below.

(2) Tell him to go to the Petrified Bread;  he moves to pour the powder as instructed.

(3) Tell him to move to the black candles; he pours more powder in that direction.

(4) Instruct him to move to the Goat Skull; he pours more powder in that direction.

(5) Next he must go towards the Scorched Tree; he does this, pouring more powder.

(6) The next direction is towards the Raven's Corpse; the powder is poured.

(7) The next to last direction is to the Sour Milk.

(8) Finally the last step -- the Pixie Ring.

(9) You then tell him to pour a large even circle around the lines, and he does.  You get another CS of this and him complaining, and then

The Ritual for Breaking King Henselt's Curse 

All that is left is for you to head down and join the King, and then when prompted, to light the fire.  After you do that the Wraiths appear -- it is your job to keep them off of the King while he completes the process of acting out the execution so that he can thrust home the Spear at the proper moment.  Bear in mind that you do not have to kill all of these Wraiths, you just have to battle them and keep them off of the King until he finishes the ritual -- so take your time, dodge, hit, cast, and keep an eye on the King to keep him safe.

Before you light the fire you should prep yourself -- drink any potions you want to, cast the protection Sign, and just mentally prepare for the battle.  Knowing what you are going to do before you do it always helps!

King Henselt delivers the final blow at your prompting and the curses connection to the King is broken.  You explain that the job is not finished, that you have to deal with the specters on the battlefield next, and Henselt promises you the medallion -- after he has had a drink and rested of course -- telling you to meet him in his tent after dark.

We have to hoof it back to the camp now, and when we arrive the King greets us, and tells us of a messenger from Radania -- who tells you about the heir who will take up the crown of Tameria -- the King asks you for information about the girl...  No matter how diplomatic you try to be, the King is not convinced, but before you can go any further into the issue an assassin attacks!

You move outside and defeat the assassins, and the King thanks you but, and this is no surprise, refuses to turn over the medallion as promised.  Dethmold puts in his two-cents, and accepts the orders of the King to use the dark arts to interrogate the dead assassins.

I chose to put in a kind word for Sile -- and then the Assassins of Kings and Faith Symbolized quests advanced, and another level was awarded.

Act II, Kaedwen Part VI -- Assisting Dethmold

Head to the marker where you will find Dethmold inside the tent with the bodies -- he explains what he has planned -- you are going to go inside the dead assassins mind and relive the events leading up to the assassination attempt, but to do that you need a special poition called Gadwall, which you do not have.

Outside of the tent is a merchant named Master Myron who will sell you the diagram for the potion for 111 Oren, but to make it you are going to need some special ingredients -- these are x1 Aether (Drowner Brain), x1 Caelum (Byronia or Green Mold), x1 Rebis (Celandine or Green Mold), x1 Sol (Verbana), and x1 Vermilion (Byronia or Woldsbane) -- you should have everything since these are all common  ingredients...  This guy actually has other diagrams you may want to own so check his inventory while you are there to get Gadwall, right?  I ended up buying all the Formulas I did not already have so cool :)  Once you have made the potion, save, then take the potion, then talk to Dethmold and tell him that you are ready to go!

Sneaking through the camp to unlock the Necromancer Achievement 

-- Entering the Dead Assassin's Brain --

Once you are inside the dreamlike state you have to recreate their actions...  So first listen to what they say to each other, and then do the following:

Part I: Follow the assassins path, killing the Harpies and soldiers you encounter and getting to the hideout;

Part II: Inside the hideout beware of traps as you make your way to a meeting with Letho;

Part III: Sneak through the camp without being detected;

This process is a bit disjointed, for instance you do not have to get through the gate ahead you just need to move from one side of the zone to the other without being seen which is easy enough if you go behind the tents.  You flash to different areas, and then have the big battle in which Geralt kills you and you unlock the Achievement "Necromancer" (50 G) Relive all of Aucke's memories in Dethmold's vision.

Bearing in mind that you learn some damning information in the process -- like the danger that Triss is in and the secret that Sile has been keeping from you...  You also learn the location of Letho's hideout!  Tell Dethmold all and then quickly head for the hideout, where you discover that Sile has beaten you to it and tried very hard to kill the Kingslayer Assassin to prevent him from ratting her out...

The entrance to the ravines that you want to run to is the one that is directly across from the first sizable water spot in the cliff wall as if you were heading towards the beach where you fought the Wraiths...  There are Gargoyle's and a Golem in the caves -- and the traps, remember the traps -- after you kill the Golem talk to the still-living assassin (Sile sucks at killing people) and you will get a flashback of the Wild Hunt!  It seems that this Kingslayer knew you as well, and what he tells you fills in a memory.

After the flashback you return to the here and now to find that the Witcher Assassin is dead.  Searching his body yields a note -- evidently his name is Serrit, and according to the note he is having serious doubts about his outlook on life and his profession (if you read between the lines). 

The quest now advances and you need to head back and speak with Dethmold, and when you do you finally receive the last artifact that you need to put an end to the specter invasion!  Nice one!

You should level up and the quest The Eternal Battle advances.  Earlier following the vision you will have advanced both Returning Memories and The Assassins of Kings, so bonus!  You may as well apply the Talent Point you just obtained now, while you are thinking about it.

Talk to Dethmold and tell him that you are ready to lift the curse to progress to the next stage...

Act II, Kaedwen Part VII -- Eradicating the Curse

BEFORE you embark upon this step you need to be aware of something -- triggering this part of the quest will cause any of the side-quests that are integrated into this chapter to fail if you have not already completed them.  I mention this because if you plan on getting your character to Level 35 by the end of the game in order to unlock the related Achievement you cannot afford to miss more than a handful of the quests (depending on which side-quests you miss that is).  That being the case, it would be a really good idea to verify that you have completed the following side-quests for Act 2 (Roche Path):

-- Against the Blue Stripes
-- Ave Henselt!
-- Bring it On: Kaedweni Camp
-- Little Sisters
-- Lost Lambs
-- Poker Face: Kaedweni Camp
-- The Rotfiend Contract

A green tick-mark all by itself means that the side-quest is completed fully.  A green tick-mark inside a grey-shield means that the quest is conditionally completed, but that there may or may not be elements left undone and, in theory, proceeding beyond this point may or may not cause the side-quest to fail.  You should check the details of the quest to see if there is anything in them suggesting something that you have not completed and complete it if there is...

Bear in mind that there is a known bug in the game that can cause fully-completed quests to suddenly be declared failed.  If that happens do not worry, you did not lose anything, you did not lose points, the quest is still completed even though it says failed, it is a display bug and not an actual issue with the quest itself.

-- The Battle in the Mist: General Notes --

Part of the process of completing all of the half-finished main-quests involves you being possessed by the ghosts/specters of the soldiers you are trying to help put to rest.  When that happens, you are no longer fully a Witcher, which means that you will not have access to some of your Witcher powers, such as Signs, and in some cases any move that is an "enhanced" move (meaning that it is boosted by your Witcher abilities).  Examples of that include dodging and in enhancements to regular combat moves (for instance you can Riposte and block but not with the boosted effects).

The underlying effects of what you are doing are to reverse the intensity of the bitterness that was experienced on the battlefield -- basically you are sort of moderating the defeats all the way around, so that the souls who are in agony and trapped here can find a sort of peace and come to rest.  Yes, it sounds rather odd, but it works!  Just go with the flow, right?

As we pas into the Mist we get a CS of the specters talking among each other at one of the fortifications and it turns out they bitch and argue about the same as a human soldier LOL.  Once you commit and get into the thick of things the battles are not really difficult at first, but you do notice the inability to dodge and the lack of the boosts that you are used to having, that is for sure.

The Draug Boss Battle in the Mists 

-- Battle in the Mist Part I: the Standard --

After an initial small skirmish which is really just to get you used to the idea of fighting as a possessed warrior, the first order of the day is to capture the enemy standard (their staff and regimental colors) and then you are ordered to carry a message to the commander that you are about to be overrun!

As you run along the cut you are being fired on my flaming arrows that arrive in waves -- forcing you to move from barricade to barricade until you get close enough for them to realize that they are shooting at one of their own men (you).  When you report you are told that no reinforcements will be sent -- that you must hold the line on your own.

After the CS plays out you are released by the spirit. 

-- Battle in the Mist Part II: Sabrina and a Draug --

As the previous CS ends you witness the Sorceress Sabrina depart from the battlefield and contact her sisters -- she plans to call down a massive magical attack on the battlefield, and meanwhile you get possessed again, and your new goal is to take out the enemy General!

You follow the path and have a battle before you finally arrive at the location with the General and you switch back to battle as yourself.  You do not actually kill the General, you fight him until he yields, and then a huge Draug Warrior appears, tells you he is your worse nightmare, and attacks.

The battle is basically split between fighting the Draug and being pelted by waves of flaming arrows and flaming rocks.  He is not actually that tough as long as you can get him to walk into one of your traps -- but once trapped you only want to smack on him until just before the trap Sign wears off, and which point you want to back away and trap him again.  Rinse and repeat until you defeat him, and unlock the Achievement "Fat Man" (15 G) Kill the draug.


-- Battle in the Mist Part III: Battle Mage --

With the Draug defeated you take the role of Battle Mage with the orders to lead your men to the King's position -- so head for the marker on the map and you will be pelted by flaming rocks.  The King is close though and you get there quickly.  When you arrive you watch as the King basically ignores the tactical situation while he argues with Sabrina...

The King is very angry -- and we witness the point in which he actually sentences her to death!  It turns out that the real secret here was that the King sentenced her to death for sullying HIS honor, which is so much BS, but there you have it.

You get a graphic novel flashback-slash-summary and then you awaken.

The Sorceress Sabrina's Crime

-- Summary of Your Successes --

At this point you have somehow succeeded in the challenges of fighting as each of the primary specters in order to bring peace to their afterlives -- but the cost of that seems to be oblivion as you pass on into darkness!

A quick check shows that all of the principal quests are still marked with green ticks and grey shields, which means that they are not completely closed out just yet...  The real question though is, what have we learned?

To start with we have discovered that the "crime" that the Sorceress Sabrina actually committed was to sully the honor of the King by using large-scale magic attacks on the battlefield, and in the process robbing him of his glorious and honorable victory there.  Forget that she saved lives, forget that she helped sway the battle, and forget that she may very well have saved the King himself, that is not the point as far as Henselt is concerned.  It was about an honorable victory, not a victory, and he is convinced that she costs him that.

So the Royal Sorceress died because of a point of honor that is summed up as an imaginary slight...  No wonder she was pissed!  No wonder she cursed him!

Act II, Kaedwen Part VIII -- The Aftermath of Curse Breaking

When you awaken confused you find that Dandelion is here -- here being the camp brothel -- and as you collect your wits he fills you in on how he found you, and you then question him, or rather you sort of exchange information... 

You finally recover a memory of Lethos you tell him, and you learn from Dandelion that you drove off the specters, and that Dethmold has gone a little nuts.  It seems that Henselt might have partly provoked the madness, and he certainly made it worse, as between the two of them they are gathering up the soldiers and nobles that they consider disloyal and hanging them.   It seems that a fair number of the nobles failed to back his play, but in spite of that Henselt managed to get the army behind him and has laid siege to Vergen, exactly like you feared that he would.

You ask about the plot and its leaders next -- and Dandelion shares what he knows -- but once you grasp the actual severity of the situation you try hard to convince Dandelion to flee, because of the danger that is posed to him personally by Dethmold due to his actions in writing the political broadside and his spying.  You somehow manage to convince him to run away, but he tells you where the leaders of the plot are meeting (the house on the cliff by the beach).

After Dandelion departs the Returning Memories quest advances, as does the Conspiracy Theory quest.  Now it is time to head for the cliff house!

Henselt and Dethmold take Revenge

-- The House on the Cliff --

Meet the plotters at the house and you overhear the conversation in the CS as you arrive, and you discover that Roche is one of them!  Not only that but they are not exactly getting along and they are universally afraid of Dethmold.    Judging by what they say after you arrive, it seems that Roche was the brains behind this -- when you ask him how he ended up leading this mess, you learn that it was one of Foltest's schemes!

When you ask about doings at the camp you learn that Roche is largely in the dark with respect to that...  Roche urges you to come with him back to the camp to warn the others -- but when you arrive at the Blue Stripes camp it seems it is too late!  The Blue Stripes have been lured into the camp under the guise of a banquet being held by Dethmold.  You run with Roche into the camp only to be attacked by patrols.

When you arrive you find all of Roche's men strung up by their necks and dead, with only Ves surviving!  It seems it was not just Dethmold but the King himself that was behind the orders to execute the Blue Stripes.  The King then abuses Ves... 

Ves warns Roche not to go to the Royal Tent -- telling him it is a trap -- but Roche will hear nothing of it, he wants revenge.   Between Ves and you Roche is talked down, and you convince him to head for the besieged city.  Roche dispatches Ves to the ship to have the crew get it ready.  You comment that it is hard to believe that Ves escaped death at the hands of Dethmold but that just sets Roche off...

The quest Conspiracy Theory is advanced and completed now, and we add a new quest, The Siege of Vergen, to our list!

Act II, Vergen Part I -- The Siege of Vergen

Well clearly things have not gone as planned or as hoped...  The bulk of the Blue Stripes are dead, having been lured to a banquet in their honor and hanged, and it seems that the King and his Mage have gone off with the army to lay siege to Vergen.  The plan is a simple one -- head into the gullies and make your way to Vergen in the confusion of the siege, slipping past the larger groups of soldiers and killing the smaller groups.

Everything starts to go as planned but then we run into a Troll who tells us where to head-in -- she does not want us passing through her territory, and Roche thinks we should kill her!  But if you talk to her you will learn some important information, and besides we are card-carrying members of the Society for the Preservation of Troll Life, we cannot just kill her!  A bit of being nice to the Troll gets us more information, including the fact that Sile has passed through here.  Good one!

The she-Troll wants to go to sleep, so we thank her and continue on to the next marker, where we have to battle some Harpies and other monsters before passing through the quarry here and stumbling upon an enemy patrol attacking a Troll!  Since we are doing the protect the Trolls bit this time around -- and besides we would attack the soldiers anyway, wade in and start taking names and kicking butt!

Rescuing the final Troll for the Friend of Trolls Achievement

After the last soldier is killed the Troll asks us if we saw his wife back up the trail, and we admit that we did, reassuring him that she was OK when we left her.  That is the final Troll in the Troll Trail, and bidding him adieu unlocks the Achievement "Friend of Trolls" (15 G) Spare all trolls in the game.  Good on ya mates!  Well done!

-- The Vergen Mines --

When we arrive at the mines and enter we discover that Dethmold has been here before us, and left some Mercenaries to greet us.  When we go deeper in we find Adam waiting for us, and he sets a full patrol of Mercenaries on us -- after we handily beat them we work our way through the mine taking out the soldiers and Necrophages we encounter, eventually triggering a brief CS in which we encounter Dethmold and Adam together.  Dethmold is pissed!

After you take out Adams men -- and Adam -- you tangle with Dethmold but, as soon as you get close to killing him he teleports out of the chamber.  You get a closing CS with Adam and learn that it was Dethmold behind the Blue Stripes massacre.

You have to decide whether you will kill Adam or let him go -- I chose to let him go in the hopes that it will allow him to appear in the sequel.  He gives you some kit and the quest advances.  Our next immediate goal is to locate Sile!

Entering the city by the secret tunnel we find Zoltan in battle with the enemy and we get a CS with him in which he assesses Henselt's chances.  You try to convince him to abandon the city but of course he refuses... You tell him you are looking for Sile and he gives you directions to the house she is staying in.  Zoltan's parting comment to us is that the enemy has Iorveth surrounded in the Town Hall, and he asks that we help him...

Head in the nearby door and up the stairs to the bridge, where we get separated from Roche.  Basically we have two options -- go to Iorveth's aid or directly after Sile -- if we go direct to Sile that will quickly end the level, but at the cost of some extra XP so why not try to help Iorveth?

-- The Town Hall --

Head outside and along the path past the archers and into the door to the Town Hall, where you can help the elves there defeat the soldiers.  Go to the left into the hall and up the stairs immedaitely to the right inside to encounter Iorveth and help him defeat the soldiers, then get a CS with him in which he is clearly in denial.  You gain a small amount of XP for this and the quest is advanced.

Other than looting there is nothing left to be done here, so continue along the path and battle the Golem -- inside the house that the Golem appeared to be guarding are some crafts loot.

-- Phillipa's House --

With that mischief managed it is time to head for Phillipa's house, where you will very nearly capture Sile -- but she escapes yet again!  This is also where we encounter Hensfelt -- after taking out his men we battle him to a yield -- and he tells you that you have won the battle but lost the war, since he controls the city! 

Roche appears now and plans to kill the King -- you can ask about his rape of Ves, and you can allow Roche to kill him if you want to -- he certainly deserves being killed.  If you stop him you unlock the Achievement "Reasons of State" (15 G) Stop Roche from killing Henselt.

Saving the King unlocks the Achievement Reasons of State

If you chose to allow Roche to kill the King you will get a CS in which you two discuss the deed, and then you fill him in on Sile.   If you choose to save the King you unlock the Achievement and get the same CS.  If you watch the graphic-novel-like CS it is clear that you are not supposed to allow Roche to kill the King, and Garet makes a good point in that killing the King basically accomplishes the goals of the Kingslayers!
  
Either way you will unlock the Achievement "Alea Iacta Est (10 G) Complete Chapter 2 and then you are prompted to put in Disc 2.

Act III, Loc Muinne Part I -- Arriving in the City

The new Act begins with a CS of Dethmold and their plotting for who will rule Temaria and ultimately the world.  Dethmold encases the Princess in a force field to "protect" her, and then we cut away to Geralt and Roche, who are chatting about the Pontar Valley -- Roche is working hard to convince you to heed his view on the issues ahead, and he makes it clear that Dethmold is ultimately his goal.

As you follow the mountain path you encounter some Harpies to kill, and then trigger a CS with Roche who assesses the situation and the plan.  Roche tells you to meet in the main square if you get separated and then the CS ends.  Roche passes by the knights ahead, and you get confronted by the knights, who let you pass because Roche asked them to.  Welcome to a new town!  You know that this means, right?  Side-quests!

Head across the bridge and through the main gates and you will find yourself in a rather dismal place...  The path on the left in the main courtyard leads you to the military commander who you can chat about the situation here -- that is worth the effort -- and once you have done that backtrack and head across the opposite side.

In the area beyond the door you will find a group of bounty hunters here to collect on you -- kill them and then head inside the fortress, where you will find Baron Kimbolt inside to the right.  He fills you in on the New World Order -- which you appear to be not a desired part of -- but you do learn that your name has been partly cleared thanks to the Princess talking.  Up the stairs is the Tamerian Count, who is something of a nutter -- if you draw him into conversation he delves deeply into the sort of coffeehouse talk that you probably were not expecting, but there you have it.

When you get tired of listening to his questionable logic, head to the inner court outside for a CS in which you encounter the soldier that you dueled in the Blue Stripe camp -- a Coiner who holds a grudge -- and you have a QTE fist fight with him.  Beating him completes the outstanding quest A Score to Settle.

Nearby is a female merchant who, in addition to trading will also change your hairstyle...  If you are like me you are overloaded with loot so selling some off is a great idea!  You can ask her about the Wild Hunt, and you should make sure that you purchase the Surgical Tools she has for sale (they are a quest item).

Do not talk to Roche or further the main quest-line just yet, instead talk to the other characters in the area, starting with the ex-herbalist from Flotsam who is in the courtyard here.  Talk to him about The Wild Hunt, and he tells you about a special sword...  The sword is thought to give insight into The Wild Hunt...  Ask him to play Dice Poker in order to trigger the side-quest Poker Face: Loc Muinne!

Exposing the Fraud that is Numa!

Approach the notice board and grab the Gargoyle Extermination contract, The Numa Challenge (Bring it On: Loc Muinne).  So with those now flagged it is time to get the side-quests done -- starting with Numa!  Head to where he is doing push-ups and talk to his barker, who tells you about some special shrooms -- those are a Quest Item so trade with him and buy them now, and then talk to Numa and ask him to Wrestle.

As you would expect this is not an easy bout -- the marker is MUCH smaller than in the past, and harder to reverse if you lose it.  So don't lose it!  You lost it!  When you do you have a CS in which you accuse him of being a cheater -- a potion drinker -- intimidate him into a fist fight and beat him down to get him to stop cheating -- then wrestle him again.  The marker is now regular sized, and you can now handily beat him -- after you do he offers you a bribe to keep your mouth shut about winning.  This ends the quest and scores you 100XP!

Now it is time to play some Dice Poker!  Head to the Inn and play the elves, and then the mages, and finally head back to the Market and challenge Lockhart.  Beating him ends the quest and earns you a tasty reward of your choice -- the design he offers is for a Magic Wrap, which increases Sign Damage...

As you explore the city you will encounter Aryan, who we last saw in the burning castle.  You can get his story...  And his take on what is happening here in the city.

-- Exterminating Gargoyles --

Once you select this second-from-last side-quest (the last one we will flag in the process of doing this one) you discover that you need to learn more about the foe.  You can do that either by killing them, or by finding a book on the subject.  You decide which, and then look for Gargoyles tucked in out of the way places -- one is at the end of the path where the circus types are standing.  Try not to get killed, right? 

Nearby each of the Gargoyle spots is a chamber inside of which are glowing signs and a chest.  You must deactivate the signs to gain access to the chest, and there is a clue at each to help you.  If you have trouble with it, here are the details:

The Runes you will find translate as:

(1) The Rune of Death -- a sort of backwards-F with an additional line.
(2) The Runs of the Animal -- Half-a-Swastika with two extra lines.
(3) The Rune of Time -- Half-an-Hourglass shape.
(4) The Rune of Sky -- A Diamond-Shape.

-- Amphitheater Rune Chamber --
Clue: On the dark sky, The beauty of a falcon’s flight, Faster and Faster.
Solution: (4) Sky, (1) Death, (2) Animal, (3)Time.

When you open the chest you obtain the items and part of the story of the Sword of the Wild Hunt.

To reach the Gargoyles to the south side of the fortress you will need to exit back into the main courtyard through the Temarian Camp and then use the left-hand door (while facing the entrance to the Camp).  In this courtyard you will get a brief CS of the Gargoyles and then they attack you.  The chamber is down the stairs here.

Solving the first pair of Rune Puzzles

-- Southern Rune Chamber --

Clue: Three field mice, Dance in a circle at dusk, Stars are like grain.
Solution: (2) Animal, (1) Death, (3) Time, (4) Sky.

When you open the chest you obtain the items but no additional narration, and the quest advances.

The next chamber is to the northeast side of the map but before we head for that, you should be pretty well weighted down, so it is time to head for the main square and the Eternal Flame Inn to drop off stuff and sell the stuff we do not want or need to store...  There are also some minor side-quest things for us to do in that general area so we will do those as well before we wrap up the Gargoyles!

Head back to the main square in the center of the map and hit the Inn, store what you want to and sell what you do not.  Part of the reward that we collected from the chests for the first two rune chambers are diagrams for Elder Blood Trousers and Elder Blood Boots -- both of which are way better than what we presently have equipped, so while we are here, grab the crafting resources that are required for these and hit Bras of Ban Ard to craft those two for you, and then equip them!

You will find an entrance to the sewers near where you wrestled with Numa.  Head down into those (this is the only path you can actually get through into the sewers at the moment) and you will advance the quest From a Bygone Era by encountering a wisp. 

At the end of the branching area is a chest inside of which is the diagram for the Armor of Ys, which is a quest item you need for Mystic River, but unless you have been killing Trolls you do not have the one key ingredient -- Troll Skin -- that is required to make this, so do not worry about it for this play-through, we will get it on the next.

Head back to the main square and speak with Bras of Ban Ard, and ask about weapons to uncover a mass of chat options -- then ask about Gargoyles if you like, and then the first Manuscript -- he needs some fairly rare items: Endrega Phermones, Nekker Warrior Blood, Bullvore Brain, and a Harpy Egg.  You can access your storage inside the Eternal Flame (the Inn where the bulletin board is) nearby, and you should have everything but the brain, which you can obtain in the sewers, but not just now...

-- Completing From a Bygone Era --

Ask him about the second Manuscript and he will tell you he knows but there is a price -- use the Sign on him to get him to spill the information and he teaches you what you need to know to get past the Wisp!  Now that we have the password, head back to the Sewers and speak the Wisp, and you will need to read the password: Zi Uddu-ya Ia Ia Gat Exa Nibbit Kanpa Gat Uddu-zi.

This opens a portal to the treasure room, where you next have to complete a puzzle -- you did not think it would be easy did you?!  In this case the puzzle is the order that you light the braziers...

Picture the room like a clock face -- the correct order to light the braziers when first entering the room is six-o'clock, two-o'clock, seven-o'clock, six-o'clock.

Solving the Puzzles for From a Bygone Era

The quest will advance, all the Braziers will be lit, and you will hear the door unlocking.  Head through the door and you will encounter the Guardian of the Chamber.  If you ask him what the Artifact does he will tell you (sort of)...  If you tell him that you think you can do fine with the Artifact on your own, he will attack you.  If you told him you are not the Chosen One, he will attack you.  If you say that you need to get out of here you will, but that will pretty much end the quest in failure.

Understand something, this guy is a pain to kill!  But then you are not actually meant to battle him as that only happens if you screw up the dialogue options.   Just say to get started and you can reset your Talent Points if you want him to, which will allow you to re-cast your character...  Once you are finished redoing your points, exit the screen and the portal opens and you can leave!  If you screw up your answers though, you have to fight him, and you do NOT get a respec.  So be careful with your answers, right? 

Oh and you do not have to complete the respec -- once you have reset your Talents you can do it after you leave if you want to, that way you can make a new save first and then if you mess up simply reload it.

-- Fighting the Guardian --

If you screwed up your answers you will have to battle him.

Basically here is how this works -- when you battle him you can only damage him with your Steel Sword -- but he will summon a pair of Gargoyles who you can only damage with your Silver Sword AND when they are summoned you cannot damage HIM.  So basically you have to quickly kill his summoned beasts, then rapidly switch swords and attack him, then rinse and repeat until done!

Once you have killed him loot his body to get the Operator's Staff (a weapon and Quest Item), and then head through the portal but you do NOT get to respec -- so you may want to seriously consider reloading your last save unless you do not want to respec, in which case hey, go ahead and battle him! 

You have now completed the quest From a Bygone Era so good on ya!

Act III, Loc Muinne Part II -- Addressing the Side Quests

-- Wrapping up the Gargoyles --

Now that we have taken care of that minor matter -- and you have completed recasting your Talents -- head back to the northeast section (past where the Harpies spawn) and head into the first side-section on the left as you are headed south to get attacked by the final set of Gargoyles.  After you slay them head down the stairs to the final Rune Chamber.

When you head inside you will be attacked by a Golem -- just pin him in the corner so that he cannot back away from you and beat him to death in a succession of rapid attacks!  With him dead head over and read the clue book --

The Runes you will find translate as:

(1) The Rune of Death -- a sort of backwards-F with an additional line.
(2) The Runs of the Animal -- Half-a-Swastika with two extra lines.
(3) The Rune of Time -- Half-an-Hourglass shape.
(4) The Rune of Sky -- A Diamond-Shape.

-- Northeast Rune Chamber --
Clue: Behold the comet, It is like a wolf in times of scarceness, An evil lullaby.
Solution: (4) Sky, (2) Animal, (3) Time, (1) Death.

When you extinguish the runes in the proper order you advance the Gargoyle Quest -- now head to the chest and loot it to obtain the rest of the Manuscript and the Elcer Blood Gauntlets Diagram. You are instructed to collect your reward from Bras of Ban Ard -- and we need to talk to him about the Gauntlets anyway, so head back and say hello to him and he will grant you 150 XP and you unlock the Achievement "Pest Control" (20 G) Finish all quests involving the destruction of monster nests.

Before you take off, talk to him and ask him to craft something for you and you will learn that the Elder Blood Gauntlets require x4 Cloth, x2 Hardened Leather, and x1 Twine.

If you do not have Hardened Leather in storage you can have him make some for you by trading him x3 Regular Leather and x2 Oil.  Once you have the resources required have him craft the Gauntlets and put them on as they are not only cool looking but they also add 15 to our carrying weight limit, 8% to both Bleeding and Incineration Resistance, and reduce magic damage by 15% -- but they also have an Armor Rating (AR) of 2 which is twice what our other gloves had!

At this point if you have not already done so it is a great idea to equip the Armor of Ysgith and upgrade it with x2 Diamond Armor Reinforcement and x1 Studded Armor Reinforcement as the armor then ends up with an AR of 32, as well as 20 Vitality, 1 Vigor, 50% Reduction of Magic Damage, and 60% Bleeding, Incineration, and Poison Resistance.  It also adds 15% Vigor Regeneration during combat!  That is a sweet set of armor you are wearing mates! 

Extinguishing the last set of Gargoyle Runes 

-- Onwards through the Fog --

Right, so at this point we have completed the following side-quests: The Gargoyle Contract, Bring it On: Loc Muinne, Poker Face: Loc Muinne, A Score to Settle, and From a Bygone Era, leaving just An Encrypted Manuscript remaining.  The quest Mystic River cannot be completed as we are doing the non-Troll-killing run-through this time around, so we will get to that when we reload to do Iorveth's Path.  Of the main quests we have underway For Temaria!, Where is Triss Merigold, and The Assassins of Kings.  Note that very soon we will make a choice that branches the path irrevocably...

To obtain the brain we need to complete the side quest An Encrypted Manuscript requires that we gain access to the main sewers area, and we can only do that by advancing the main story-line quests, so set that mentally aside for the moment.  Open the quests menu and set the active quest to For Temaria!  If you have not already done so, be sure that you read all of the new books to add them to your book of knowledge.

Now it is time to follow Vernon Roche!

Talk to Roche to advance the quest and then follow him to the guarded door, where the soldiers stop you and ask you if you have been granted an official audience?  Tell the guard that you have information about the Kingslayers -- and he tells you everyone knows that would be you...   You manage to convince him to allow you and Roche to pass anyway -- you silver-tongued devil you!

You are now inside the Redanian Royal Encampment -- the area of the map we could not visit before --  and as you follow Roche you have a conversation in which observations are made.  Eventually you end up in an audience with the King, and as the CS plays out and both Roche and Geralt are acknowledged by the King.   The conversation options are very obvious, but try to be polite with him, he is royalty after all... 

There are a number of issues you can ask about -- and you may as well since it might give you information you lack -- and then you reveal Sile's role in the Regicides and he asks you how you know that?  There are three possible replies to this question:

(1) I know thanks to Dethmold's magic
(2) I found out from the dying killer
(3) You have to trust me, Sire (Uses Persuasion)

Each of these has its own built-in downside, but being honest with him is probably best.  I chose to tell him about the Assassins dying confession...  He does not take much convincing -- and he tells you news about Triss!  It turns out that the situation in Temaria is not as sound as you have been lead to believe -- the King tells you that the aristocracy is seeking to carve up the Kingdom of Tameria in to independent stats...  The King's daughter still lives but has been kidnapped.  The King has learned that Dethmold is behind the kidnapping, and that the Princess is here in the city (we knew that but it is nice to have it confirmed).

The King instructs you to rescue the Princess, and then bring her to him so that he can move to solidify her claim to the throne and thus defuse the situation...  You can ask about Aryan (we already know he is alive), or you can ask about Sile...  The King vows to punish Sile and the quest advances as the CS ends.

Follow Roche back outside where you have a chat as you head towards the gate.  Roche makes it clear to you where his loyalties are, and you diplomatically refrain from mentioning that if it is a choice between Triss and the Temarian Kingdom, you are choosing Triss!

Once you are back outside a CS is triggered in which you see a woman being followed -- she bumps into Roche and the followers depart.  He lays into her and she verbally fights back -- Roche is angry that she failed to watch over the King's children, and she is still pissed.  She demands that you escort her to the river so she can take passage out of the region -- and she warns you that there is a traitor in Roche's camp.  Roche tells you to escort her to the river and you agree to help her.  Roche says he will seek a way into the enemy camp while you serve as escort.

Act III, Loc Muinne Part III -- Starting with Brigida

As with many of the quest lines in this story, the smallest of issues often sets you on the trail of a long linked list of quests, and the case of Brigida is just such an event. 

-- Escorting Brigida --

You have advanced the quest For Tameria! and flagged new quests -- Lillies and Vipers, and Crown Witness.  The quest you are on now escorting Brigida is Crown Witness.  As she walks she talks, and you pick up tidbits of information you did not know, but as you move through the camp you trigger a CS in which she explains what her relationship was with Roche.  When you ask for more information she stalls you, and the trip continues. 

You are attacked by a group of mercenaries and then, shortly after, by a pack of Endrega.  Throughout these attacks it is important that you tank for Brigida -- you can see her health bar on screen and you need to ensure she does not get hurt.

Further along the path after you jump down to the next level you will encounter another camp of mercenaries -- killing them without Brigida getting too mauled is a good idea -- then continue along and you will reach the meeting place only to discover that the Smuggler she is to meet is dead.  The Battle Mage from before appears and you take his henchmen and the Battle Mage out, and then you get a CS in which you interrogate Brigida -- you ask her about the Vipers and she appears to be honest with  you -- you ask about Marvel, and she has a low opinion of him.  Her opinion seems to be a little better with respect to Kimbolt -- though clearly she is not his mate.

Eyewitness Testimony of the Royal Caravan Attack

As the conversation bears out she shares the story of the caravan attack.  The caravan was intercepted and diverted -- you get a CS of the event with a brutal set of images.  Brigida admits to running and hiding -- it seems that Boussy may still be alive!  You get the Caravan Captain's orders from her -- she had recovered them from the body -- and she then sets off in the boat alone.  You now have the option of returning to the City directly or walking the path.  You may want to walk the path since it gives you some looting opportunities as well as the chance to gather Alchemy supplies...  Your call.

Up the path are a bunch of Snare Traps you can disarm and collect -- and when you read the orders that Brigida gave you it turns out that they are from Baron Kimbolt!  What is he playing at?  On the way back there is a Nekker Cave you can explore and pick up a few XP in battle inside of, and you should expect to be attacked by monsters on the main path.

After you return to the fortress seek out Baron Kimbolt to ask him about the orders and the children -- as re-entering the city zone completes the quest Crown Witness and triggers the Lillies and Vipers quest.

-- Lillies and Vipers --

I should point out again that if you plan to get your character to Level 35 before the end of the game you really do need to do these side-quests, since they are a really good source of XP...

When you re-enter the fortress follow the center path to the chambers where the Baron is housed -- on the right just before the entrance behind the wooden wall is a drunk Alchemist and you can loot his workroom and obtain the Scribe's Notes (which are a book/quest item), some invisible ink (also a book quest item) and the Note for a Scribe (which again is a book quest item!).

When you step into Kimbolt's chamber you encounter him mistreating some bloke he made an agreement with that he is now failing to live up to -- if you ask who the thug was the Baron tries to play it down and gets rude of you press him on it.  You can ask him what will happen to Temaria and he tells you that soon the issue of rule in the Kingdom will be resolved -- he feels with him wearing the crown of course.  Clearly Kimbolt does not want to see the Kingdom carved up...

When you bring up the orders that he issued, he categorically denies sending the letter, so you point out that the letter has his seal and signature on it.  He demands that you show it to him -- you can demand that he swear he will return it, but hey, this is a Baron, their word is not exactly their bond...  If you hand over the letter he admits that the seal is his but the signature is not, and then he hands the letter back.  He suggests that you speak with his scribe, and offers you a reward for learning the truth behind the forgery.  This advances the quest!

Head out the door and speak with the Scribe, but he is shitfaced, so head inside and after reading the notes you obtained earlier, use the kit on the table in his workroom to test the process first, and then read the notes (menu option).  You may want to save before you do this...

Working out the Solution to Prove a Forgery 

-- The Scribe's Notes --

Light, Quench, Shit, Rinse -- thus you will the facts evince.  To read the truth by lies to form, guano into piss transform.

Step 1: Add burnt lime into the flask;
Step 2: Add water to the flask;
Step 3: Add cormorant guano to the flask;
Step 4: Heat the flask, capture the vapors, and douse them with water (one command).

Now repeat the above process using Kimbolt's letter and you will discover that the paper is orange, not blue, which means it is a forgery and Kimbolt is innocent -- at least innocent of this, anyway...  This step advances the quest, and now you need to talk to the Baron again.

The Baron pays you your reward and then asks you to look into another matter -- Count Linus Maravel -- who has been communicating with the ostensible enemy and, understandably, the Baron would like to know what the contents of his communications are?  The Baron has a high opinion of the Count, and feels that a Witcher is best suited for this mission...  You flag the side-quest The Messenger.

-- The Messenger --

As you are leaving the chamber a soldier appears to report to the Baron that they have located "them" -- who "them" is we do not learn just now.  The Baron orders his man to go do them in...  Hmm...

Well we have other things to do and to worry about just now, so head to the marker on the map and you get a CS of a runner who delivers a message to you from Count Maravel of all people!  This adds the side-quest Pacta Sunt Servanda to your list...

Change the active quest back to The Messenger and head to where Aldrich is standing, and follow him to the next area where he stops.  Talk to him again and he points out the trio passing by, and your quest is updated.  When you head into the passageway though you are expected, and you have to kill the two soldiers while the messenger escapes. 

When you head into the next area he has another group of mercenaries waiting for you -- defeat them and chase after the messenger and you will trigger a CS in which he attacks -- and it turns out that he is a Battle Mage!  Not only that but any time you get close to him he teleports, and throwing knives at him does not work...  What you need to do is learn his teleport pattern and then put a trap Sign down on a spot you know he will teleport to.

Once he is trapped head over and start slicing and dicing!  Rinse and repeat until you kill him then loot his body to obtain 250 XP and Maravel's letter, which is good evidence that the Count is collaborating with Nilfgaard!  He arranged the attack on the convoy!

This completes the side-quest The Messenger and good on ya mates!

Act III, Loc Muinne Part IV -- Uncovering the Conspiracies

-- Pacta Sunt Servanda --

The letter you intercepted confirms that Boussy is dead, and that Dethmold has the Princess.  It also proves the collusion on the part of the Count, and gives you some evidence but not all.  Do not assume that just because you have proven one of the figures guilty that the other is innocent!  Change your active quest over to the Pacta Sunt Servanda and head for the marker to speak with Count Maravel, who will ask you to do a small job for him and investigate the visitors to Baron Kimbolt's quarters!

Kimbolt is being blackmailed -- or so the Count claims -- and we need to talk to the culprits before the Baron has them done in...   When we do that they get mouthy but then Kimbolt's men show up, and you have no choice but to help the mercenaries.

You need to kill Kimbolt's men quickly, before they kill the mercenaries you are helping.  Once you slay the soldiers, the mercenaries tell you about the mission that Kimbolt had hired them for.  While their mission was a failure, the fact that Kimbolt was after killing the kids still makes him guilty of the crime more or less...  You convince the mercenaries to fess up, and peach on the Baron, and NOW you have ALL of the information you need to take to Natalis!

Backtrack to the square and seek out Natalis.  Here is the thing -- if you had only checked on one or the other and then spoken with Natalis, you would only have received 500 XP as part of your reward, but now you can report that both the Count AND the Baron had their own special crimes planned, and that is worth a 750XP reward.  Nice one!

When you arrive at Natalis' chamber, tell him that you know what happened to the Royal Children...  Then accuse both Kimbolt and Maravel, and Natalis will accept the evidence and admits that he cannot act in the way that he would like.  Instead he seeks out Kimbolt and demands that he and his men assist in arresting Maravel.  In exchange for that Natalis offers the Baron clemency for his own crimes.

These events nicely complete the quest Lillies and Vipers, and you receive the 750 XP for your troubles, which should level you up and go a fair way towards the next level as well!  Remember to save your game, and apply your Talent Point.

Assisting Natalis to determine what is Justice

Now is the point in the story where you have to make a choice...  If you go down the entrance to the sewers in the main plaza in the center of the map you will find Roche waiting for you there.  You agree to accompany him and you will work your way through to rescue the Princess and deal with Dethmold.

-- OR --

You are determined to save Triss -- so you head to the entrance of the Nilfgaard Camp where you find the Ambassador, and you overhear him giving orders to the guard there.  You approach him and take him hostage, and use him to gain entrance to the camp...

Act III, Loc Muinne Part V -- Where is Triss Merigold?

You have chosen to save Triss over saving the Kingdom...  Well, I cannot fault you, she is the love of your life, and you are not Temarian after all...  You have to do what you have to do!  So from the central plaza follow the marker to the Ambassador and take him hostage, and use him to gain access to the camp.  You will shortly discover that while he may be a great Ambassador, he turns out to be a lousy hostage!

Renuald appears and takes out the Ambassador, and you then face a battle with a large number of foes -- after you take the first group out your path through the encampment is blocked by the gate being closed, which means you have to find an alternate route up and over!

Head up the nearby ladder and along the walkway, killing the Archers at the far end, then jump down and make your way along the walkway, jumping down twice at the end to drop into the far courtyard.  Above you across the courtyard are a number of foes and a succession of soldiers will drop down off of the far wall to battle you -- kill them all and then climb up to trigger a CS and demand that Triss be freed. 

Regardless of your conversation choices you will end up in a fight with the Battle Mage and some other soldiers because the whole point behind his drawing you into conversation was to stall for time so his troops could arrive!  He tells you that Triss was part of the plot to kill the Kings -- could that be true?  He claims that she confessed -- but remember he is just buying time so probably he is full of crap!

When the battle ensues it would be a good idea to take out the Battle Mage quickly, or the supporting troops, whichever gives you the most trouble.  Once you eliminate them all you end up fighting -- and killing -- Renuald.  After he dies loot his body to obtain the key and then head down the stairs to the dungeons and talk to Triss as you free her.

Saving Triss leads to Many Revelations

She is very happy to see you -- and she has not lost her sense of humor -- ask about the Lodge and you will explain the choice you made...  You ask her frankly about her role in the Kingslayers and she tries to explain to you that she was not calling the shots.  Sile and Phillipa were calling the shots, and they froze Triss out she says.  Sile did not want Triss involved because of her relationship with The Witcher.  She says that they used her...  Do you believe her?  I do!  So I said so.

Triss tells you about the formation of the lodge, and Phillipa's plans to create a magical government -- move your way through the conversation and you will learn what Sile and Phillipa's plans were for the Pontar Valley.  Asking her why she did not tell you reveals that she did not put together the facts until after you were forced apart -- Triss explains that she tried to seek out Phillipa and was attacked when she arrived at her house, and turned into a statue.  It turns out that Phillipa's lover was the attacker, and a Nilfgaardian spy!

Whew!  What a story!

You get the chance to ask for details on many of the previous plot points -- and you should go ahead and do that -- starting at the bottom work your way up through the chat choices, and you will learn what Triss knows about the different issues.  Triss then suggests that you will learn more at the Council and Conclave talks...  Triss is still enthusiastic about the talks as she believes that they will correct much of the problems that the lodge system created.

The quest advances and your new goal is to lead Triss out of the camp.  When you get outside Triss suggests that you should not arrive at the talks at the same time, that you should split-up.  You agree to do so and that ends the quest Where is Triss Merigold, delivering 2,500 XP your way and a couple of Levels!  The quest A Summit of Mages is now flagged.

Act III, Loc Muinne Part V -- For Temaria! / Of His Blood and Bone

You have decided that saving the Kingdom is more important than saving Triss...  That rescue of the Princess may be what prevents all-out war within Tameria...  I cannot fault your logic here, the needs of the many often outweigh the needs of the few.   Head into the central plaza and descend the ramp to the entrance to the sewers, which as it turns out is where Dethmold has been operating.

When you near the bottom you find Roche waiting for you -- talking to him gets you the prompt asking if you are ready to continue with the mission?  You are, and you say so, and so Roche and you approach the guards below.  They do not know who you are, and are unwilling to allow you to pass, but you can distract them with a Sign and, with Roche's help, take them out and gain access to the sewers at the same time!

When you reach the end of the sewer tunnel you get a CS in which you help Roche up the wall so that he can take the high road while you take the low -- when you both take out your foes you trigger a CS in which you witness Dethmold cast and teleport out.

Head for the marker and you into the next area and battle a large number of foes, with Roche shouting encouragements.  Roche joins you to battle the last few enemy, including a Battle Mage, and then it is time to enter the Ruined Library and seek out Dethmold!

Absolute Justice and Saving the Princess

Entering Dethmold's chamber earns you a CS in which you get to see him popping zits and chatting with his boyfriend -- Roche takes control of the situation, and exacts a terrible vengeance.  You have to see it for yourself -- though it is rather fitting. 

Before you leave loot Dethmold's body to obtain his safe key and then open the safe as there is very nice weapon inside -- the Forgotten Vran Sword!  It has Damage of 50-55 which is way better than any weapon we have now.  We also gain Dethmold's Wand as a bonus...

Head across the hallway outside and free the Princess -- and then you have to make a decision as to what to do with the Princess: give her to Radovid and the Kingdom may remain whole; give her to Natalis and who knows what will happen?  Roche's argument is sound, Radovid seems to be the best choice...

With the choice made all that is left is to escort the child to the noble you have chosen -- as you exit the library you are approached by a squad of Radovid's men who demand that you turn over the Princess.   When you get to the entrance to the sewer you get a CS and unlock the Achievement "Kingmaker" (15 G) Help Roche rescue Anais from teh Kaedweni camp.  The quest officially ends and you receive 2,500 XP as your reward!  That should also give you several levels and most of a third.

You now flag the quest A Summit of Mages.

Act III, Loc Muinne Part VI -- A Summit of Mages

You need to meet with and talk to Roche / Triss before entering the Summit.  Basically it depends upon who you chose to help here -- but the rest of this plays out pretty much the same from your POV...  You talk to your comrade outside and then you enter the Summit Chambers, where you see pretty much all of the viable rulers of the lands assembled.

If you prevented Roche from killing Henselt then when you arrive a knight tells you that he has arrived and taken over.  You get a graphic-novel CS in which the issue is outlined, and then you meet your comrade outside of the Amphitheater and commit to entering.

Inside a CS plays out in which the convergence of the stories you have set in motion plays out.  Henselt makes a speech, some of the other leaders put in their opinion, and then Henselt yields when he learns that the Princess has been taken.  The decision is made, Radovid accepts the Princess and introduces her as his future wife.

The business of the conclave is then promoted, and the mages state their case -- then the Ambassador steps up to speak and presents Letho!  The Ambassador reveals that Letho has confessed, and then Letho confirms this, and the Ambassador outs all of the members of the Sile and Phillipa's lodge.  Before anything can be decided, Radovid orders the arrest of all of the mages and sorceresses, and then Sile calls in her trained Dragon!

The Dragon attacks, killing all of the Royal Guard, and then Sile escapes to the tower.  Follow her and run up the stairs, avoiding the Dragon as much as you can.  When you get to the top of the tower you have a conversation with Sile, who has opened a portal, but what she does not know is that the portal was opened with a false gem -- the diamond she thinks is focusing it is in fact not stable!

Sile reveals more truths to you -- things are not as they seem after all, and Letho has an axe of his own to grind in this story.  Now you have another choice to make: remove the false diamond or leave it in place. 

Showing No Mercy to Sile

(1) Leave the diamond in place -- Sile is destroyed by the portal and you unlock the Achievement "Witch Hunter" (10 G) Leave Sile to die in the unstable portal.

(2) Remove the diamond, saving Sile and unlocking the Achievement "Sensitive Guy" (10 G) Save Sile from dying in the unstable portal.  To pay you back for saving her life, Sile tells you where to find Yennefer.

In addition to the above you also unlock the Achievement "Once Ain't Enough" (15 G) Complete Chapter 3.

The Dragon then attacks through the wall and you have to fight it!  Once you do a certain amount of damage the Dragon temporarily retreats half-destroying the tower.  You climb up to the top and hack away at it until it is very nearly dead, and then you leap on to it and ride it down to the ground where it is impaled on a tree.  You then deliver the killing blow and it dies, unlocking the Achievement "Being Witcher George" (20 G)

You watch some of the mages being put to death, and the King and his army departing, and then you get another CS of Geralt approaching the now mostly destroyed fortress.  He climbs up and is met by Roche, and they talk. 

It seems that Letho is waiting for you in the Camp, so you head in that direction as Roche fills you in on the events you missed.  As you make your way through the ruins you get a CS of a mad sorceress.  When you reach the turn ahead you are attacked by knights but eventually you reach the camp and Letho, who has Triss.  It seems that Letho saved Triss from pretty much everyone.

As you approach Letho a CS plays out and you see that he is who swapped the diamond out of Sile's Mega Scope.  You get a graphic-novel CS in which memories are restored, and

Considering all of the grief he put you through, killing him is perfectly understandable -- and we can let him live when we play Iorveth's path, so let's kill him! 

Giving Letho the Ending he so Richly Deserves

His death scene was pretty dramatic -- you just sheath your sword and walk away, no plans to gloat, not plan to cry.  As the CS plays out you open the gate and Triss and Roche walk through with you as you leave the fortress city for the last time.  You unlock the Achievements "Avenger" (30 G) Finish the game by killing Letho, and "To Be Continued..." (50 G) Finish the game at any difficulty level.

If you choose not to kill him you will unlock the Achievement "Old Friends" (30 G)

Dandelion narrates the ending, telling the story of your legendary life, and you learn that the north manages to join forces and survive.  Naturally the last words Dandelion speaks suggest that a sequel is coming :)

The credits play out after that -- you can exit them by hitting 'B' twice, after which you get another surprise CS...  You should watch it, it is very unexpected.  And disturbing.

Iorveth's Path -- Flotsam I: The Final Flotsam Side-Quests

Now that we have completed the game play for Roche's Path, it is time to go back to our save and load it to just before we started making the irrevocable decisions, and we need to make sure we hit EVERY side-quest, since we came up two-levels short of Level 35 on the first run through... 

So head to the Blue Stripe HQ first thing and you will find a celebration is taking place.  Go into the back room and speak with Ves to get invited to a knife-throwing contest!  As you are throwing at the targets a group of locals come in and accuse the Blue Stripes of desecrating their religious statue.  Roche is in a bad mood and he starts taking it out on the locals -- Ves begs you to do something and a timer starts so you have to decide quickly...  If you do nothing or say it is not your business the side-quest ends right there, but if you try to intercede with Roche it continues -- obviously you want to intercede.

Use persuasion on Roche and he will back down, at which point Ves bitches at you, and then offers you a drink.  Accept it and you sit in on a brief conversation, and then Ves proposes an arm wrestling competition -- everyone against you!  You wrestle Thirteen -- and beat him -- then wrestle Fenn -- who you also beat handily!  Your prize is a sword and lots of drinks...  In fact too many drinks as it turns out, because you wake up wet, sticky, and confused, naked in a field.  Did you have sex with Ves?  You don't know!  Did you have sex with Fenn?  Maybe, but you just don't know!

One of the locals happens upon your hung-over sorry-assed state, and you get him to tell you what he knows, which is that Madam Margot is who you should be talking to!

Reaping the Wages of Booze -- The Hung Over Side-Quest

-- Heading for the Bordello --

When you reach the Inn go inside and then downstairs, and you will find Margot in the room on the right in the bordello (you have to pass through the public room downstairs to get to it) -- you should have looted more than enough Orens to pay her off, and when you do she tells you what she say -- and it is not pretty. 

Hey it turns out you did not get laid, you rode the prostitute!  It seems Ves tried to stop you and that makes her our next destination.  Good lord Witcher, when you tie one on you do not screw around!  We find Ves in the Blue Stripes HQ, and she is actually pretty nice about this -- drunk AND a tattoo!  Woohoo I call that a successful party!

Thankfully she gathered up your kit -- grab it from the trunk and that completes the mission Jung Over and nice one mates!

Now before we forget to do this, head down to the plaza outside of the Inn and talk to the group of women gathered near the herbalist and incense shop to learn that they are concerned that he is selling addictive incense.  Go and chat him up and intimidate him into closing the shop so you close out another side-quest, Little Shop of Dreams.  Good on ya mates!

Now make sure that you have the following Alchemy Ingredients in your Inventory: Troll Tongue, Eye of Aracha, an Endrega Embryo, and some Essence of Death.  If you don't check your storage and if you do not have them there, you will need to gather them from the woods! 

If you are missing anything chances are what you are missing is the Eye of Aracha, which you can only acquire after the meeting with Iorveth -- so let's take care of that now shall we?

-- Meeting Zoltan --

Change the active quest to Assassins of Kings then head to the Inn and talk to Zoltan -- tell him that you know Loredo's plans, and then that you need to talk to Iorveth -- Zoltan will take you to Iorveth, so follow him and you have idle conversation -- when you arrive at the site Geralt detects the elves and urges Zoltan to say the password, and then you have a meeting with one of Iorveth's Lieutenants.

The clearing that you are told to meet them at is actually something of a trap -- there is an Arachas here and it appears and you battle it.  As soon as you defeat it QUICKLY loot its body so you obtain the Eye that is needed for the other quest, and then the CS kicks in and you meet with Iorveth, who speaks very rudely to you.  I asked him to release Zoltan and he mocks that request -- If you tell him that Loredo was right about him, the elven archers kill you -- so don't do that.  If you tell him you want Letho, and then tell him that Letho betrayed him.

Obtaining the needed Arachas Eyes

When Iorveth learns of this treachery and that his colleague still lives, he reacts with anger towards Letho -- good!  You can now use chat options about different subjects -- and you should since it gives you information you do not currently possess.  Clearly Iorveth has a higher goal that he is working towards, he is not simply an anarchist -- when you ask after his goal he gets evasive, but tells you anyway.  Pay attention to his answer because it is the first hint that you get for what is going to come in the sequel to this game.

The plan is simple -- you are to tie up Iorveth and lead him as your prisoner to a confrontation with Letho, who it is hoped will reveal his true intentions.  That will provide Iorveth all the confirmation that he will need -- so you do that, and Letho falls right into the trap, and then

Talk to Letho to learn as much as you can from him -- clearly he knows you -- and you learn that there are more than one Assassins of Kings!  This plan of theirs has far-reaching consequences, and even though you have some sort of personal relationship with Letho, you still feel that you are not exactly mates or anything.  Exhaust the chat options and then tell him that you do not have to fight, which causes Iorveth to act and that is when Roche and his forces arrive!

Once the ruse is up you need to cut Iorveth loose and, when Roche arrives, give him his sword since we are now following the Iorveth side of the story.  At this point Iorveth starts to battle with Roche and Letho knocks Geralt into the baths below, and we have a battle with him that ultimately ends with Geralt being disarmed and Letho escaping.  Note that no matter how close you can come to taking all of his HP you simply cannot kill him, as it is not part of the story at this point.

Letho has his say, and then escapes -- be sure that you pick up your sword -- Letho threw it down on the ground nearby before he left -- because if you do not you will lose it.  You may want to loot any loot that is here as well, and then leave with Iorveth, in the hopes that you can save Triss before Letho gets to her!  (You cannot).

Note that at this point the quest The Scent of Incense may or may not be failed even though you have already completed it.  This is a bug -- if you completed it it is still completed, it just shows as failed here.

You flag a new quest -- Where is Triss Merigold -- and Iorveth departs.  Check your inventory to be sure that you have the Arachas Eyes (as long as you looted its body quickly as instructed you do) and that means you have all of the ingredients you need to complete what is basically the last side-quest of this area.  Ah, but before we do that we have one other minor task to perform...

Iorveth's Path -- Flotsam II: The Final Flotsam Side-Quests

The one minor task that we need to complete before heading back to the village to see the witch that lives in the hut by the water is to visit with the Troll that we previously helped deal with the tragedy of his mates death -- and kill him.  Seriously, we did the save-the-trolls bit last time around, and so if we want to obtain the Achievement for not saving them, he has to die.  Also, we need to obtain a Troll Hide for another quest in Act 3 -- and speaking of that, we need to discuss the whole strategy of crafting resources for a moment.

As you know there is a storage chest in the Inn where you can keep the things you do not want to sell and cannot simply carry on you, since there are limits to how much weight you can carry.  That being the case, you should also be aware that that storage chest exists in all three Acts, and whatever you place in it in one Act will be there in the next.  Are we clear on that?  Good!  Because you should be hoarding at a minimum at least 50 of each Alchemy and Crafting item.  Seriously!  Now some items are rare and you will get nowhere close to 50, but for the common items -- for Alchemy AND for crafting, you should be building up a resource pile mates!

On the subject of crafting -- some resources are easier to get than others.  For example you can find a lot of leather, but not so much hardened or studded leather.  The thing about that is that regular leather can be combined with other resources to make hardened leather, and hardened leather can be in turn combined with yet other resources to make studded leather.  The same goes for the special kinds of cloth, and to a certain extent for resources like Diamond Dust and Oil...  Basically you can, if you have the proper diagram/formula, get a crafting NPC to make you almost anything in the game that you need -- but ONLY if you have the resources!

So from here on out you should be hoarding a stack of at least 50 of the common resources, and all that you can get of the uncommon.  For monster parts, you should really be keeping ALL of them, and putting it into your storage, because later you will find them useful!  Certain things like lumber and iron ore you can sell off the extra beyond 50, but items like cloth, leather, and silver ore, not so much.  They are easily eaten up in the crafting process, so you should hold on to all that you can get.  As far as the alchemy stuff goes, use your best judgment, but if you are thinking that you need to sell that stuff off to get money, stop thinking that!  Later in the game you can get a practically unlimited supply of Orens by simply Arm Wrestling or playing Dice Poker, so do not worry about the money, right?

Oh, you will need a LOT of money -- easily over the course of the entire game you can go through 15,000 to 20,000 Oren just in buying Formula and Diagrams, and having items crafted for you, but you do not need to sacrifice your resources to get it, it will come from rewards and your gambling.

Killing your first Troll

-- Killing the Troll --

Now back on track, before you do this double-check that you have completed the quest Troll Trouble (in case the save you created was somehow prior to that - it shouldn't be) because if you have yet to complete it, that means that there are likely other quests that you have not completed.  If that is the case you should carefully review the previous sections that take place before the split to the Iorveth Path and complete any outstanding quests including Troll Trouble.  Assuming you are on-track and ready to go (Troll Trouble is completed) then you can proceed.

Head for the broken bridge and go down to the Troll, approach him and talk and choose the option "Changed my mind, you need to die."  That will allow you to battle and kill the Troll and, when you loot it, acquire among other important items a Troll Trophy and Troll Skin (the Skin you need to be sure you save). 

Just walking up and taking out the Troll like that may feel a bit cold-blooded, but you have to do it if you want that second Achievement so there you are.  With that minor matter taken care of it is time to head for the Malena's hut near the river outside of the Flotsam walls -- where you will find her waiting for you. 

-- Melitele’s Heart --

When you reach her general vicinity you may notice that your Witcher Amulet (the wolf's head) starts to vibrate -- it is just detecting her magical abilities.  Start the conversation by asking her to trade with you and then buying any Alchemy Formula she has that you do not.  Once you have done that, talk to her again and ask her what she knows about the amulet that you got from New Boy.  While you are here be sure that you purchase a supply of Wolf's Aloe from her (it will come in handy later!).

When she examines the amulet it is clear that she knows something about it that you do not -- she offers to purchase it -- the correct response is that it must be valuable to her.  She gets a little evasive and then you persuade her to open up more.  She explains that it is very likely the powerful artifact known as Melitele's Heart.  Unfortunately it is now cursed -- but she knows a ritual that can break the curse and restore its power...

Since we already have the ingredients that she requested thanks to our preparation, tell her that you want more information about the ritual, and then work your way through the chat options that pop up starting with what is Melitele's Heart?  She tells you what she knows, and then you ask if she can conduct the ritual?  She notes that we have all of the ingredients she requested, so she tells us that if we make up our mind, meet her at the statue at midnight.

Breaking the Curse of  Melitele’s Heart

As there is no time like the present, tell her that you have made up your mind, and then follow her as she leads you to the statue.  When you approach her by the statue you need to talk to her and tell her that you are ready -- Talk about the ritual > I am ready.  Note that you are about to do battle with Wraiths, but you should now be over Level 11 and have decent kit, so it will not be as bad as it might have earlier.  Be sure to use the Axii Sign strategically since that basically takes two of the Wraiths temporarily out of action with one fighting the other, and allows you to focus on the third without constantly taking damage.

You do not really have to kill a certain number, you just need to keep them occupied while she performs the ritual and, once it reaches a certain point, is able to conclude it, thus ending the quest.  You are rewarded with the now curse-free amulet and 125 XP.  Well done!

After she gives you the amulet she departs, inviting you to see her if you need anything in the alchemy line in the future.

Iorveth's Path -- Flotsam III: Where is Triss Merigold?

After you complete the last side-quest head into town and the quest updates as you enter Flotsam.  When you approach the Inn you see that the town has heavy fighting going on, and when you reach the Inn you overhear Dandelion ordering the locals to return to their homes, as now that you have arrived they are in trouble... Remember that unlike the events that unfolded when we assisted Roche, helping Iorveth means fomenting rebellion in the region!

Using your Persuasion abilities and the Axii Sign to try to convince the locals that the elves they are about to kill are innocent -- if you succeed (and you should) you get a CS of the elves leaving and Dandelion briefing you on his take with respect to who set these events in motion.  Ask after Triss and he tells you that he saw her heading up to Sile's room, to investigate the Mega Scope.  Ask how the riot started and he tells you what he knows -- which is that this is a planned massacre planned by Loredo.

When you ask why the guards are not putting down the violence he points out that they have no motivation to do so.  It is time to find Triss -- and Dandelion has the key to Sile's room so bonus!  Follow him upstairs and into her room and you find blood everywhere!  Examine the body of the dead bodyguard, and then examine the bed.  Finally examine the hole in the wall and you have your next update and destination -- the bordello rooms next door.

Interviewing Madam Margot to learn about Triss

When you head next door you find Margot standing over the corpse of Darae, her girlfriend, who has been killed.  Margot tells you her version of what happened, including what she saw through the hole in the wall that looks onto Sile's room.

Triss is confronted by Phillipa and you have the opportunity to ask a few questions -- ask the questions you can and you learn that Phillipa is impressed by the uprisings that are happening elsewhere in the world, and she relates the need to prevent King Henselt from conquering the north.  Asking why Sile is in Flotsam earns you a basic explanation, and you learn why Sile was so interested in the Kayran.

Ask Dandelion who Phillipa is and he tells you -- Dandelion sure is a wealth of information isn't he?  Ask Margot what happened to Triss and she tells you that she does not know, but she actually does know something.  She heard Triss screaming and a struggle, and you learn that Cedric left and was wounded.  She gives you a letter with the names of her lovers killers in it, and you realize that she has been spying for Iorveth!

-- Finding Cedric --

The quests now update and your new goal is to follow Cedric's blood trail to find the elf.  When you get outside it will help you to drink a Cat Potion as that makes the blood trail stand out very well -- after a few false leads (dead civilians) you locate Cedric laying in the grass near the waterfall, and he is clearly dying.

You learn from him that Triss had asked him for help and he killed the bodyguard.  He tells you about Letho attacking and forcing Triss to teleport them away -- and then he tells you about his visions.  He explains that the visions are why he has become an alcoholic, but he tells you that he has had another vision in which it is critical that you recover your memory, because that is the key to solving the mystery of the Kingslayers. 

After that he begins to die.  The forest denizens come to see him off to the afterlife, and he dies.  Soon after that Dandelion and Zoltan appear, telling Geralt that Roche wants him to come, they are about to set off.  Zoltan points out that Iorveth's elves are up to something big as well.  You are about to approach the key point at which you are firmly on one path or the other -- since we have already completed the Roche Path, obviously our destiny lies with Iorveth.  The thing is you can still talk to Roche to learn what he knows before heading to see Iorveth and join his band of merry elves.

Learning what Roche knows before choosing Iorveth

-- At the Crossroads: Talk to Roche --

This flags the mutually-exclusive quests At the Crossroads: Vernon Roche, and At the Crossroads: Scoia'Tael. 

First head back to town and visit the the Blue Stripes HQ; talk to Ves and do any of the chat options you have not previously explored since you are not going to have the chance to do this again.  When you talk to Roche he freaks a little about you cooperating with Iorveth -- and well he should!  If you point out that Iorveth can help, Roche indicates he is not interested.  You mention the Kingslayer's escape and his taking Triss hostage, then tell Roche that Dandelion said he had new information?

Roche tells Geralt about the deal that Loredo has put together -- and Roche is dead set on killing Loredo himself.  Asking what sparked the massacre Roche tells you what triggered it all -- it was actually Roche's fault! 

Now that you have the information that he can provide, tell him you need to do something, and leave the HQ.  This is basically your last chance to do any of the things you need to do in Flotsam before you leave, so if there is any looting you want to do, any crafting, and etc. you need to do it now.

Due to the fighting you cannot access your storage upstairs since the Innkeeper is away, but if you need to access your storage you CAN get to it by going downstairs to the Public Room, where you will find the chest on the floor beside the counter.  You can store and remove items there.  In addition to that, in the corner you will find an item called Margot's notes that you can collect -- and reading them confirms her spying for Iorveth.  Good thing none of Loredo's men found those!

I would suggest that you make a few Grapeshot Grenades, and make sure that you have at least six Swallow Potions, six Rook Potions, and six Cat Potions.  Store the rest of your crafting resources, and if you have not recently done so, read all of the books and papers you have collected.

It may appear to you that all of the merchants and crafters are gone, so there is no one to sell things to, but that is not actually true -- if you go outside the gates near the docks you will find a merchant there you can sell stuff to.

Joining Iorveth at the Elven Ruins

-- At the Crossroads: Joining Iorveth --

When you are ready -- have looted all that you needed to, have stored your kit, and have sold what you need to -- select the Crossroads for Iorveth quest and head to the marker where you will find Iorveth waiting in the Elven Ruins of the Baths above the waterfalls.  When you arrive Iorveth asks after Letho and you have to give him the bad news.

Geralt tells him about the massacre in Flotsam, and then he shares with you his goal -- a goal that is a two-day march away!  Still, you have thrown in on his side, you will just have to accept his leadership for now.  At least you have Zoltan to accompany you, right?  Completing this conversation advances the Crossroads quest and earns you 50 XP, and flags the next quest in the series, The Floating Prison.

Iorveth's Path -- Flotsam IV: The Floating Prison

When Geralt arrives at the meeting place there are quite a number of elves present, and Iorveth tells him what his plan is.  You can choose to go with Iorveth's plan, but it is a complicated one that involves a lot of luck and combat -- instead you can suggest an alternative in which you trick the guards in much the same way that you did Letho.  After briefly considering this, Iorveth decides your plan is better, so you head off towards the gate to Flotsam with him and, just before you arrive you get a brief CS in which you bind his hands.

Moving through the town has pretty much the expected effect, as the locals yell at him and, when you reach the far side where the gate to the dock area is located, one of the guards stops you and asks if he can tune-up on the elf to get some pay-back for his brother who they previously killed.  It is not clear whether saying no will have an effect on the mission -- I chose not to say no, but let him get in a few pokes -- and then Geralt leads Iorveth through the second gate and onto the path leading to the dock where the Prison Ship (barge really) is moored.

As you move along the path it is clear that the area is much more heavily guarded than anticipated, but the guards do not give Geralt any trouble as he leads his "prisoner" towards the barge.  When you arrive you trigger a CS in which Geralt is relieved of his prisoner and then the battle ensues!

Saving the Elven Women from the Burning Tower

You quickly take out the guards on board the ship, and then Loredo appears and warns you that he will torch the tower full of elven women if you sail away.  True to his word Loredo torches the tower, but Geralt is not prepared to allow that situation to stand and jumps from the boat to the docks, intent upon rescuing the innocents...  OK technically that is not true -- you decide whether he does that or lets them burn -- but if you are playing The Witcher in character, you know he will try to save them rather than chase down and kill Loredo, who let's be frank here, with his karma?  Someone will eventually kill him without our help!

Every second counts here, so run along the docks towards the building, taking out any bad guys that get in your way and then, once you are inside, start freeing and releasing the prisoners so that they do not end up being crispy critters!

Cutting them loose is a one-button QTE and there are only three hostages, so quickly release them, and then follow them out the window so you do not burn up in the tower.  Iorveth thanks you for saving the women, and then announces that it is time to go -- and the boat sets sail.  Iorveth tells you about his encounter with Roche -- which plays out as a CS/flashback battle in sepia tone.  How this battle plays out really does not matter in the grand scheme of things, it certainly does not change the story in any meaningful way...  We actually have seen this before, as Roche gave us his version of the encounter when we started along his path.

After you get enough licks in Roche yields, wounded, and what we see is pretty much the diametric opposite of the story that Roche told us before.  Iorveth brags to Roche, and then refuses to kill him, and departs.  How much of that memory is bravado and how much actually happened?  Who can say?   Back on the ship in the here-and-now the final CS of the quest plays out, the sail is unfurled and the ship puts to sea.  The quest is advanced, Act I ends, and we get a narrative from Dandelion as expected.

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Prelude to War

When the game resumes in this new Act, we are on a hill with Saskia and Iorveth and his men, and a conversation takes place between Saskia and Stennis, and we get to listen in.  Saskia is declared a monster or perhaps demon by the Monk that serves as the spiritual adviser to Stennis -- clearly she is not well liked in the same fashion that Joan of Arc was not well liked by the clergy.  More than just distrusted, they want her dead.

In case you missed it you are presently playing as King Hensfelt, and your immediate objective is to go to the meeting with the nobles from the other regions, where you are to negotiate obtaining their support for your intended war!

As you slowly walk forward -- Kings do not run, it is undignified -- you will make your way along the winding path until you arrive at the meeting location, and there you will hear the demands of the nobles, who are a bunch of greedy bastards, and you will only offer them HALF of what they want, plus no new titles!   That's right, you are the man!

Speaking as Stennis, you must answer the King's ultimatum -- clearly you do not want to give up your territory, and just as clearly the King intends to have it.  As you listen Hensfelt speculates on how weak Stennis really is -- is he really seeking a compromise? 

One option is to offer him Saskia -- which freaks her out completely -- but the King seems to like the idea...  Saskia on the other hand is not having any.  She tells the King where to head in, and then the King tells her that he wants the land, the gold, and her.  Hensfelt makes his move and attacks!  No matter how well you do as Stennis, you are not meant to win this battle, you know that right?

Even if you take the King down to a sliver of health you still end up with a slashed chest and Hensfelt still ends up killing the priest and splattering his blood on the alter, unleashing the curse contained within and causing an army of specters and wraiths to attack!

King Henselt Unleashes the Curse

-- Geralt Arrives --

The scene now shifts to Geralt arriving and being greeted by his diminutive Swarven mates.  Zoltan explains to them that your memory is not so good -- and while they seem to know you, you do not know them.  

Iorveth asks after Saskia and you are told that they are up talking to the King, and then Geralt detects that something has gone very magically wrong.  As you watch the sun goes blue and dark, and then Iorveth decides that you two should head up to the meeting.

You shift back to a CS of Hensfelt retreating from the ghostly attacks and then Geralt arrives -- kill specters until the two Wraiths arrive and then kill them to trigger a CS in which you save Saskia and Stennis, and the quest advances.  You need to follow the sorceress Phillipa's familiar form down the mountain, staying inside the bubble of protection and killing any specters who enter that Phillipa does not herself slay.

As you battle your way down the path Wraiths will appear at several points, blocking Phillipa's path -- you need to kill them and their servants in order to proceed -- so do that.  When you get to the bottom you meet and speak with Phillipa, and you must convince her that you are not a threat to her or the King.  Saskia speaks for you, as does Zoltan.  Saskia asks that you accompany the group, because she believes that your presence is necessary for dealing with the curse.

Saskia wants all of the commanders -- including Phillipa and Geralt -- in the Council Chambers of Vergen for the meeting.  You are greeted by a Dwarfish official who sets you up with a place to crash and welcomes you to Vergen.  This is a very different Vergen than the one we knew from the previous play-through!  For one thing it is not in flames :)

-- Arriving in Vergen --

The end of the conversation advances the main quest...  Basically Prelude to War is completed, The War Council is flagged, and you also flag the quest Bring it On: Vergen.  You should have picked up a few levels getting here, so you have Talent Points to spend.   Since there is no timer running and we can pretty much do as we please here -- baring leave the area of course -- we may as well explore and see to some of the side-quests...

So begin by exploring the area and do a little looting, spend some time talking with the different NPC's and you will encounter a pair of Dwarfish Dice Poker players inside the Vergen Blacksmith's Quarters as you are looting who will offer to play you -- which flags the quest Poker Face: Vergen.  You need to beat this pair to play the better higher ranked players anyway so why not?

Outside of the Blacksmith's Quarters with the Dice players is a dwarfish blacksmith whose specialty is weapon making -- who also happens to he the champion Poker Dice player, but you cannot play him until you beat the next two.  What you can do is trade with him and ask him to craft items for you -- and in the trading department take note of the fact that among the Diagrams he has a Harpy Trap, some Rune Diagrams, but more important than that, Meteor Ore Diagrams.  I am particular to the Robust Blue Meteor Silver Sword, but your mileage may vary on that...

You can buy the Diagram for the Robust Blue Meteorite Silver Sword from him, and its damage of 29-33 and 7 Sign Damage makes it a particularly formidable weapon indeed -- in fact it is what I used for almost all of the game play in the first play-through once I had obtained it!  The thing is it has a pretty hefty resource list, requiring x1 Diamond Dust, x1 Amethyst Dust, x6 Iron Ore, x8 Silver Ore, and x2 Blue Meteorite Ore.  Of those ingredients the Silver is likely to be your weak spot, but bear in mind that the inventory of each merchant and crafter tends to restock every other day or so...  So you can always buy what he has and then meditate so he restocks, right?

One-on-One: Vergen Fought Out

-- The Vergen Inn --

When you arrive at the Inn near the center of town you will find that it is very much like the Inn in Flotsam -- there is a Bartender behind the bar (technically I suppose he is really the Innkeeper) and you can trade with him, play Dice Poker (this is your next opponent for the Poker Face side-quest so you may as well challenge him now), and access your Storage Chest through him.  In fact you should probably access Storage now and transfer all of the wonderful crafts and alchemy loot you have been picking up to put it into safe keeping!

In the far corner there is a group of fighters fist fighting -- head over and say hello and the organizer will explain the rules to you -- and you battle Young Zin and advance the side quest One-on-One: Vergen.  Your next opponent is Stel Placeholdern followed by Percy of Woodham and that completes the side-quest One-on-One: Vergen! 

As you complete the side-quest a stranger shows up and challenges you to fight --  this flags the side-quest A Score to Settle -- Sir Silgrat turns up and challenges you!  This brother of the hero Seltkirk things he can make his reputation by beating you -- of course he actually has to beat you to do that...

The bet is two sacks of gold -- and when the fight quickly ends with Geralt the winner, Silgrat is both humiliated and angered that in beating him you failed to kill him.  You point out that you are no murderer and he vows to exact revenge against you for destroying his honor...  Looks like you are going to face this bloke again later, eh?

If you want to you can continue to fight in the ring but as the maximum bet you can make is just 35 Oren this is not going to make you rich :)

-- Visiting your Inn Room --

Head upstairs to the room at the end of the hall to visit your chambers and complete this half of the main-quest The War Council.  Against the wall is your storage chest, so in addition to speaking the Innkeeper downstairs to access it, you can access it in your chamber as well!  That makes sense if you think about it...

Head to the second marker to the meeting chamber to hear the leaders in Vergen talk out the issues in a lengthy CS, talking about the blood curse that Henselt unleashed.  Phillipa points out that the Mist has stymied Henselt's army, but the Mist is also a threat to Vergen.  Geralt offers his advice on how to deal with the specters of the Mist.

Phillipa points out that Geralt knows a lot about lifting curses, and suggests that he is the ideal person to look into and break the curse.  She appoints a researcher, and then reveals that artifacts from the warriors who died in the battle three years before must be sought -- magical objects that are linked to the phantom warriors. 

Saskia demands that all present cooperate with Phillipa and Geralt.  She then takes a census of the forces within the city walls, at which point Iorveth puts in an appearance.  Saskia introduces the elf and you discover that he is even more hated than you are!

Saskia is something of a fan of Iorveth, and defends him from the accusations of the others -- she points out the underlying reality of the fight that Iorveth is waging and why his presence in the city makes complete sense now.  Saskia makes it clear what she wants, and simply presumes that all of the others will fall in line -- and they do (for the most part).

A Dastardly Villain Strikes Saskia with Silent Poison!

When Saskia takes a drink to celebrate it turns out that the cup she drank from was poisoned!  Someone has assassinated the Girl General (or nearly so)!  Saskia is dying -- Phillipa tells you that to save her you are going to need Royal Blood and Herbs.  She tells you what she needs: Purple Foxglove and an Elven Rose of Remembrance.  You mention that Triss has one of the roses, and it seems that the other ingredient can be found down in the mines below the city.  Getting Royal Blood is easier than it sounds, since you do not actually need a King's blood but simply someone who has the blood of the nobility flowing in their veins. 

Finally she tells you that she needs power -- and you get an homage to the Hobbit spoken by Iorveth LOL -- and that pretty much wraps up the CS.

-- An Explosion of Quests --

After the CS ends with Phillipa you unlock the following quests:

-- Subterranean Life
-- Hunting Magic
-- Royal Blood
-- The Eternal Battle
-- A Matter of Life and Death

You also update the continuing quest "Where is Triss Merigold!" as well.  Bear in mind that you still have the side-quests Bring it On: Vergen and Poker Face: Vergen outstanding.

If you are concerned about getting to Level 35 by the end of the game you can always go outside of town and kill monsters -- in particular Harpies are plentiful, but remember that the higher your level, the less XP you earn for each kill, I am just saying...  If you plan to farm Harpies to gain a level or two now would be a good time to seek out the Bulletin Board and flag the quest The Harpy Contract, and maybe even seek out the assistant Blacksmith fellow and have him make you a Harpy Trap or two just for the fun of using them?

Once you have that all arranged as you prefer go out and kill some Harpies -- I will wait for you...  Really, it is not a problem, go ahead...  No, seriously. Go!  Alright, sorry I wasn't yelling, really...  OK, fine, sorry pookie -- feel better now?  Good!  Now go kill some Harpies why don't you?

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Wrapping up Side-Quests and Gaining Some Levels

On your way past the main gate you will trigger a CS in which the Mist is being discussed in an announcement to the populace before the gates are officially re-opened following the meeting -- this is a good thing since they were locked before and there was no way for you to go out and hunt Harpies until they were officially unlocked, so yay!

There is a set of stairs heading down to the Inn Level of town (a level below right in front of the main gates), and if you go down them right now you will meet an elf named Ele'yas who it seems has been waiting for an opportunity to speak with you...

He tells you about the mysterious death of some of the men in his command -- you can ask him questions to learn more about the deaths -- whether it is only men, where the bodies were discovered, and what state the corpses are in.  You cannot examine the bodies yourself because they have been properly buried and to do so would outrage the families of the slain -- in fact information is light here, but you can ask about the reward, which Ele'yas confirms there is one!

Tell him that you will do what you can and you flag the side-quest "With a Flickering Heart" as a result -- good on ya!  Another mystery to be solved!  Now if we just had a Brunette and a Redhead, a large talking dog with his ginger owner and a blonde football player we would be set!

Before you head inside the Inn or use the Bulletin Board head back up the steps and take a left (the right path when standing with your back to the main gates and facing the Inn), and head up the hill and bear a little right, and you will find three or four people standing before a hovel up the hill...  This is the local Rat Catcher and his mates, who in addition to being rather creepy also offers to craft traps for you...  You can play Poker Dice with him if you like.  In addition to crafting traps (he has Diagrams for them for sale) he also sells lures and bait, and grenades if you need any.  You may want to purchase the Formula for the Dragon's Dream Bomb as that is a rare one to find, and it is only 89 Oren...  He also has the Formulas for Devil's Puffballs, Flares, and Stenchbulb, all of which are somewhat rare.  While they can be had elsewhere the Rat Catcher has the Diagrams for making the different Meteorite Ores -- so if you have the spare Orens you may want to buy those as well, or not... Your call...

-- The Vergen Bulletin Board --

Located to the right of the entrance to the Inn down at the lower level of town directly across from the main gate is the Vergen Bulletin Board, upon which you will find the following posted items:

-- Harpy Contract
-- Harpy Queen Contract
-- Proclamation of Closure of the Mines
-- Baltimore Considered Dead Notice
-- Investigator Needed

Every notice save for the Investigator Wanted one are posted by Alderman Cecil Burdon -- and that is who will be paying the rewards mind you -- while the investigator want ad is simply a restatement of the facts that Ele'yas has already shared with us...  We have already accepted his mission (With Flickering Heart) but take the notice down anyway...

Now head into the Inn and empty your pockets into your Storage Chest, sell off any Junk or unwanted items, and then head for the main gates!  I decided to come with you since we will be doing the Harpy Contracts and I want to watch you kill Harpies...  By the way, the best way to learn about them is to kill them, so since you were planning on doing that anyway...

When you are accessing your storage with the Innkeeper make sure you ask about sources of Power in the area, as he gives you some good hintage... 

A Grateful Elven Girl thanks you for her Rescue!

On the way out of town after exiting the gate pop into the alcove on the left just before the end of the walls to run into a familiar elven girl that we last saw (and rescued) in Flotsam.  She offers you precisely what you think she is offering -- and considering how long it has been since we got busy with Triss... And considering that we need a video to illustrate this part of the guide... And considering you know, we have never done it with a pointy-eared chick before... Well... You get the idea!

After you have sex with the elven girl make absolutely bloody CERTAIN that you speak with her again right away, because in addition to sending you off with a Happy Ending, she hands you the key to the locked mine entrance that is below -- a key you actually need if you want to go inside, which I assure you that you most certainly do!  How cool is that?  She thanks you in the best way elven women know how, then she gives you the key to a mine!  The only way that this could get better is if she gave you a magic mug that constantly refilled itself with Sam Adams Winter Ale, I am just saying...

-- The Outer Quarries --

Basically what we have here when we take the left-branching path down the slope is a very large open-pit quarry that is the start of the extensive Royal Mineworks for the region.  Once they get down to the bottom level here, the mines branch out in a series of horizontal tunneled paths with vertical shafts running off of them.  You can access the horizontal tunnels but not the vertical shafts, and while some of the entrances are unlocked, others are locked up tight.  Fortunately you have a key that you got from the Elven Girl -- but that is not important at the moment, since we are not heading into the mines just now, but rather our interests lay outside of the mines, and specifically in the open pit quarry, which appears to be heavily infested with Harpies!

When you approach one of the burned-down houses in the burned village you will advance the quest With Flickering Heart due to your encountering the distinct and pervasive smell of sulfur -- this is a bad sign because as a Witcher you know that this particular smell, when present near a burned out dwelling, is usually the sign of the presence of a Succubus -- a creature that is thought to be mythical by many but that you know is actually real!  The smell is the only trace however, so you know that while they may have been here before, they are not here now.

A quick check of your Witcher's Encyclopedia refreshes the details of that particular beastie in your mind -- they are a female demon that appear in dreams and who usually take the form of a very attractive and impishly sexual human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse.  Repeated intercourse with a succubus is known to result in deterioration of physical health and even death, and the beasties are known to set fire to human dwellings after they finish off a victim in order to cover up their presence... 

It may interest you to know that the word is derived from Late Latin as succuba (strumpet), from succubare (to lie under), which is itself constructed from two words: sub (under) and cubare (to lie), and is commonly used to describe both the idea of and the actual manifestation of the supernatural female demonic being.

-- Don't HARPie on Me, Man! --

Our primary goal is to discover as much information about the beasts as we can, and we accomplish that goal by killing them.  A lot.  Eventually you will acquire the information you need and the quest will advance, then you will kill the number required and the quest will advance again.  In theory at that point you can end the quest by seeing the Alderman and collecting your reward, but we actually have other goals in mind here, so yo stay and continue to battle them. 

On your way down the slope before turning left and passing through the large arch that marks the entrance to the quarries you encounter a large mixed group of Dwarven and Elven warriors, and the elves make sure when you speak to them that your position (that THEIR position) with respect to you is clear...  Crystal clear. 

The path forks ahead, and if you take the right-fork you arrive at a clearing in the center of which is a Troll.  Hey, we kill Trolls!  We are a Witcher, which by definition is a Monster Slayer -- and Trolls are monsters!  So let us slay this Troll!  Gah!  The Toll makes it less easy by talking -- would have been nice if he had not told us what he is cooking in his soup.  Sheesh! 

Before you kill him talk to him to learn about the humans who fell from the sky and you gather useful intelligence from the Troll about Triss.  After you get all of the information you can from the Troll it is time to kill it, advance the quest Where is Triss Merigold! and then backtrack to the fork in the path and take the left-hand path, which leads to the top of the Old Quarry. 

Trapping Harpies with a Harpy Trap or Four

Check out the buildings and you will meet a hermit who is interested in a certain list of monster items and flags the side-quest "A Sackful of Fluff" that calls for you collecting and turning in Harpy Feathers -- specifically a bag of 12 Harpy Feather Plumes.  Hey, bonus, we were going to kill them anyway, right?  Right!

Each of the Harpies that you kill has, in addition to some Oren, the possibility of the following loot items on its corpse:

-- Cloth
-- Harpy Claws
-- Harpy Eyes
-- Harpy Feathers
-- Harpy Saliva
-- Harpy Trophy
-- Leather
-- Power Mutagen
-- Twine

Note that if you are not aware of it, each Monster Trophy is an item that is equipped in the Trophy Slot on your person (the left hand slot) that offers you whatever magical protection or ability with which it is endowed.   For example the Harpy Trophy is endowed with 4 AR, while the Troll Trophy is endowed with 9 Damage.  Other Trophies have multiple endowments -- for instance the Gargoyle Trophy has 7 AR and 20 Health, while the Werewolf Trophy has 1 AR, 10 Health, 9 Damage, deals 1% damage to Humans and adds 1 power to all Signs.  Obviously that one is a rather rare Trophy...

Your first run through the quarry should score you enough Harpy Feathers to allow you to return to Elthon to collect payment for the first dozen.  After you turn in the 12 Plumes Elthon asks you for 60 more -- which is easily doable.  Heading back into the quarry you should feel the Witcher Medallion telling you something and, when you scan the area using it, it shows you objects.

-- Destroying Harpy Nests --

The thing is, remember the Harpy Traps I suggested that you have crafted for you?  Right, well you actually need them for this quest, which is why I suggested that you get them made! 

The strategy here is very simple really -- start out by having 8 or 9 Harpy Traps on you (technically you only need 7 but you want some fudge room in case you mess up and lay more than one trap at a time which happens easily).  When the Harpies attack place ONE traps and listen to hear them get it snapped onto them, at which point you need to retreat so that they end up returning to their lair, which as you probably figured out is out of your reach from the ground.

Once they return to their lair the trap will detonate, taking out the Harpy AND their Lair, at which point the counter on the quest tracker will increment.  Well done!  Now rinse and repeat three more times for the Old Quarry and you have completed this stage of the quest.  You cannot complete the second stage and destroy the last three Harpy Lairs until you can reach the area where they are, which happens when you are working on doing the Magic Powers quest -- which we will do soon.  For now be happy that you have part one completed, and go back to killing Harpies so we can obtain the feathers that are needed for the collection quest we have hanging.

-- A few Words about Grinding Levels --

If you were following the guide through the Vernon Roche play-through you are doubtlessly aware that we failed to reach the cap (Level 35) on that play-through largely due to a failure to project the level at the conclusion of the game.  There is no point in making that mistake twice, but fortunately the Iorveth Path has a much easier time of it with respect to farming XP in the game. 

There are several approaches that you can take, the first being relying upon the side-quests and main story-line missions to provide the XP needed.  We saw how that worked out last time, so it is an idea to go with the second option, and that is to take a more affirmative approach, starting with farming XP from mobs.

We touched upon this briefly previously but now let's deal with it explicitly, shall we?

Levels in the game are simple enough -- when you start out you have zero XP, and when you reach 1,000 XP you ding Level 2.  Add another 1,000 XP and you get Level 3, and so on and so on.  The point being that levels are predictable since they basically require the exact same amount of XP and that does not change.  What does change is the percentage of XP that you receive for killing the same mobs over and over.  The higher your level, the less XP you earn. 

Fortunately for us we do not actually have to grind out a high level, all that we really need to do is ensure that you attain Level 20 prior to completing the side-quests and story-line missions in Vergen from this point forward.  That means grinding three levels since after Saskia is poisoned you should be at Level 17 and some change.  That just means working the grind to Level 20, and that is not as bad as it sounds, really -- especially considering that we end up doing the grind in a target-rich environment!

So, basically, what we want to do is take out the Harpies in the quarry, and then run up to the gates of the town using the shortcut that our elven lover provided us with in giving us the key (that key opens the doors between the entrance to the mines and the locked door right next to her merchant stall!

Completing the grind from Level 17-and-change to a firm Level 20 will take you about 1-hour, if you do it persistently and refrain from finding out things to do ;)

The Secret Mystery of the Harpy Feather Collector Solved

-- 60 Harpy Feathers --

While the goal is to reach Level 20 without using any of the quests to get there, we are not including the Harpy Feather Collection side-quest simply because it is convenient to follow that path towards grinding out the levels...

The most expedient method for resetting the spawn points quickly would be to move your character out of the general spawn area (up the mine passageway to the gates path) then save your game and then load that save.

When you turn in the bag of 60 Harpy Feathers he smiles at you and implies that while you did a great job you are very near being finished!  Just another 8 plumes and the job is done; the mischief is managed!  The pillowcase is stuffed!  The French Maid is... Ah, you get the idea!*/
After you delivered the final sack of feathers you do not complete the quest -- odd -- but if you meditate a couple of times and then return to the hut you find him... Dressed... In a big... Chicken Suit?  Offer him the last feather noting that you do not need it, then comment on the weather and he makes small talk with you, the whole time ignoring the elephant... Err... The chicken in the room!

When you end the conversation you immediately get a notice that the quest is advanced and then completed.  Whew!  Well that was a strange one, right?

Now to meditate and kill Harpies until we level up! I don't know what is more disturbing about this, the fact that the man created a chicken suit, or that the quest was originally DLC that was added to the game after it was published on PC?

-- Mystic River Quest --

As you work your way through the narrow cuts in the mountain and what passes for passes you stumble  upon a shipwreck that is far away from the water!  Clearly at some point these passes were well flooded but now the ship is high-and-dry!  Buried on the inside of the split-open section of the vessel is a clue you need to find -- a set of notes from the treasonous sorcerer Eyla Tarn, and in addition to the notes you find ancient Smithing resources as well as a note that reveals the location of a treasure chest beneath the streets of Loc Muinne that leads to the Diagram for a set of Vran Armor!

This find completes the Mystic River Quest for this Act!

Further into the cuts you find a group of mercenaries attacking a Troll --  agree to help them kill the Troll and you unlock the Achievement "Trollslayer" (30 G) Kill all the Trolls in the game.

You over hear the mercenaries discussing their mission objective -- to capture Letho -- so ask them about him and they tell you that Sile dispatched them to hunt him down and kill him as well as anyone who is with him!  Not good news as it suggests that Sile wants Triss dead...  You suggest that they surrender to Saskia and they argue (this is Adam you are meeting) -- and he listens to reason and agrees that surrendering to Saskia is probably the best move.

Killing the she-Troll earns you Triss' bandana and an update to the quest Where is Triss Merigold!  Well done!  After you finish leveling up to Level 20 head to the next section!

Actually before you do that there is something we need to discuss -- the order that we are doing these quests in...  You have the bandana and, naturally your first instinct may very well be to go and see Phillipa (for some reason I keep thinking of her as a Sabrina, go figure) -- but that would be a BAD idea.  Why?  Because when you talk to her you will trigger a CS in which the townsfolk have attacked Stennis and that sets into motion a shift in the story line that causes the quest we will be doing next to fail.  Nobody likes a failed quest mates, so do yourself a favor, be a winner!

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Continuing with Side-Quests

Having picked up some levels and advanced several quests it is time to head back to town and work on wrapping up the side-quests that we have outstanding, so first thing we should do is set the Bring it On quest as our active and then arm wrestle with Yarpen, Zigrin, and Sheldon to finish that off,
but when we reach their table at the Inn and try to talk to them about arm wrestling it triggers a conversation that advances the quest Subterranean Life! 

This side-tracks us for a bit as we agree to go into the mines with them to solve the issue of what is killing miners that caused the Alderman to close the mine, and to obtain the poison plant that is at the lowest level that will help in finding a cure for Saskia.  When you enter the mines you will obtain keys and journal entries from three different bodies found as you explore, and you will trigger the quest "Hey, Works on in the Mines!"

Completing that new quest requires you to seal up the three openings to the ancient caves from which the monsters are emerging, and is easily accomplished as you work your way to the bottom of the mine and obtain the plants.  Once you have the plants and have sealed all three openings, head to the Alderman's house by following the marker and you collect your reward, as well as some interesting information. 

As you are leaving his house DO NOT head up the stairs to Phillipa's house, because that will trigger a story split that will cause one of your current quests to fail.  Instead carefully head back along the path down and work your way back to the Inn, where you can finally arm wrestle with Yarpen, Zigrin, and Sheldon, completing the side-quest Bring it On: Vergen.

If you have not already done so, set Poker Face: Vergen as your active quest and play those last two matches to close that one out, and pick your Meteorite reward and get the mini-tute on that type of ore as a result.  Now we are ready to set the quest With Flickering Heart as our active, which prompts us to head to the Catacombs to search them.

Finding your way to the gate that leads to the north side of the city can be tricky, mostly because Vergen as a city has a very confusing layout, and when that is combined with the awful map that is available can (does) cause even the best of gamers to end up running in circles, and failing to find the exit.  Here is the thing you need to remember -- when we were here following the Roche path we did almost all of our activities in the area of the outer gates.  We did very little inside the inner gate.  Are you starting to get the hint here?

Locating the Evidence in the Catacombs

The secret tunnel that we used to get to the north side and the Catacombs on the Roche Path?  It is on the left hand side as you approach the outer gates from outside the city, and up the right-hand stairs if you are exiting the city!  So head to that set of stairs, up and then to the right and follow the path, and you will quickly find yourself where you actually want to be -- in the tunnel that leads to the river!

After you emerge you will notice a group of warriors standing not too far away from the exit -- those are bounty hunters, and they are not here to tell you that you have won the lottery!  After you kill them -- good job by the way -- you need to head across the river and towards the Catacombs, taking out any monsters (and odd forest people who think you have pretty lips) as you go!

-- The Catacombs --

Entering the Catacombs, what you need to do is search the bodies that are laid on the shelves here, wrapped in cloth.  When you find the body with the evidence you are seeking you will use the Surgical Tools quest item that I pointed out you should buy earlier from the merchant to remove the evidence -- a metal splinter -- and take that as well as the poetry book you find.  Bear in mind that there is a chance for a Wraith to spawn with each body you examine.

You need to uncover each corpse, search, and examine it, and move to the next, fighting any Wraiths that spawn.  On the first corpse with a lit candle near it you will find a Wild Hunt Investigator's journal -- read that. 

The next corpse with a lit candle is a fresh one and you will need to examine it using the specific choices to find a book of poetry underneath it when you roll it over.  When you examine the rest of the body because you have the Surgical Tools on you, you clever devil you!  You remove the metal fragment as evidence.  You then summarize the facts and finally you advance the quest, with your next goal being to speak with Dandelion about the poems. 

You can head to talk to Dandelion now, or you can finish exploring -- your call!  Exploring may mean some extra XP though...  In the next area you uncover the Standard Bearer of the Dun Banner, who died carrying the flag!  Deceiving him by saying you served in the Dun Banner is a choice - you have gathered enough information to bull your way through this.  For example you know that Temaria was in the center of the ranks, not on the side, so he got that wrong.

The Chief Commander was Menno Coehoorn, and Coehoorn is dead...  Tell him that Vandergrift and Seltkirk are the pair, and when he asks how you escaped, this time around you tell him that Bighorn took you prisoner...  Having proven that you are a fellow Dun Banner member, he allow you to take the Banner and his Sword.  Good on ya!  Well done!   Move to the stone and pick up the items and you complete the quest Death Symbolized!  The sword that you just obtained is better than the one you have, so you should consider equipping it...

Bedding a Succubus

Back at the Inn you speak with Dandelion -- he will either be in the public room or, more likely, upstairs in his room.  Go to him and tell him you found his scribblings, and he thanks you for finding his lost poems...  You ask for his help in luring out the Succubus.

Head to the gate and then meditate until Midnight, then head to the burned village and you will play as Dandelion, who needs to compose a new verse -- there is a timer running so you need to do this relatively fast...  The verse is below:

If our bodies could a song compose
My heart would inquire of your hands pale and fine
If they’d grasp it gently, to hold like a rose
Or treat is as a morsel upon which to dine

Once you complete it the Succubus appears -- but before you rush to judgment bear in mind that everything here may not be as it seems...  If Dandelion goes down into the Succubus' Lair, he acquires a unique experience and Geralt gets to save him.

Head inside and talk to the demon and you will learn that she has not been killing any of her victims!  Something is not right here, according to the Elf it has been killing them, but then there was that metal fragment...  Succubus do not use knives or swords, you know that...  Further conversation reveals that the elf that hired you is actually the murderer!

Head back to the Inn and talk to Ele'Yas to confront him, he denies everything of course, so you accuse him and he tries to deny it still.  Go to Iorveth's house and talk to him, tell him what you know and show him the evidence and he looks into it.  It seems that Ele'Yas has gone on the run, and you have nothing left to do but to speak to the Succubus. 

When you approach her lair you get attacked by Ele'Yas --  after you kill him (you have no choice) you talk to the Succubus and you have a choice to make -- learn what it is like to bed a demon, or not.  I of course, being an inquiring mind, had to see what it was like...  If you decide you would rather preserve your honor and not get all demon-sex then just pass and watch the video above since it does not change the game either way -- but if you do sleep with her she leaves you a present in a box by the bed, and then takes off, and you complete the quest.  Nice one!

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Hunting Magic

Now we set the active quest to Hunting Magic and we can visit Phillipa's house without having to worry about the visit failing the quest that we just finished...  When we arrive we witness her apprentice giving her a backrub and have an uncomfortable conversation about that, and then work our way through the available chat options.  We learn a little and Phillipa tells us to talk to the townsfolk to learn about the places of magical power.  Excellent!

Among the options that you had to chat with her about you flag some more quests -- one of which you have already completed, the Death one -- and when you ask about Triss it leads to an encounter with the locals who have formed a lynch mob!

-- Royal Blood --

The intervention we need to perform is the result of the quest Royal Blood being advanced -- immediately head to the palace and trigger a CS in which Dandelion and your mates appear.  Iorveth shows up and you listen as the people make their complaint...  Iorveth has a plan, and tells you to question everyone you think might know something.

Dealing with the treachery of Stennis

Speak to the different groups here to flag the quests The Walls have Ears, and then you get a confrontational CS in which each side makes its case.  You contribute what you know, the crowd listens, and then the argument continues.  Basically they want you to take a side -- the thing is that allowing them to kill Stennis actually helps you, since you are able to get his blood for the cure.  If you protect him you will later learn he actually was behind the poisoning, so there you go, killing him is justified...  So let them tear him apart :)

You collect the blood sample after the peasants kill Stennis, and then you chat with Iorveth for a bit, before and that completes the quest Royal Blood.  Now let us revert to the quest Hunting Magic.

-- Back on Hunting Magic --

Note that while we are doing this quest we will also be wrapping up the Harpy Hunting Quest as well.

A few of the people we should speak with are the Inn Keeper and the Alderman Cecil, both of whom have interesting information for you on the subject. 

When you talk to Cecil you can learn a lot more about the past than just where the magic is -- exhaust the chat options, and then head for the stairs by the outer gate so that we can return to the north woods.  When you cross the river head towards the marker and we will enter the area -- which also happens to be the Harpy Lair!  So before we go hunting for the artifact now would be a good time to change the active quest to the Harpy Hunting one, and lay some traps!

This is a great area to hunt for Herbs in, but eventually you will grow tired of that and want to proceed to the Harpy Lair, so head back towards the entrance and the river and take the path up the hill to the left, following it around until you reach a point where you need to jump across.  Jump, battle the Harpies, then jump again, and you will find yourself battling a second and much larger group of Harpies. 

Head into the ruins now and you will find a Crystal there -- take that and you advance the quest Hunting Magic!  Now return to Phillipa's house and find her beating on her girlfriend -- yeah...  I don't want to know...  Note that before you can do that you are forced to advance the quest Where is Triss Merigold -- you have no choice but to let that play out, but when it does talk to her again and choose to tell her you found the magic crystal. 

Give the object to her, and she tells gives some new information and then you will learn that the object you found simply is not powerful enough!  Darn!  But do not lose hope, as she has a plan...  After she shows you Cecil's dream on your way out be sure to talk to her girlfriend -- who you are supposed to ask about the Wild Hunt;   she is seeking the notes you already have -- and the conversation continues.

Work your way through the chat options to exchange information with her, and you will learn a few things you did not know about the Hunt.  You learn one idea for why the Wraiths abduct the young, and you learn that contrary to what she said to you, Phillipa does have an opinion about the Hunt...

Did you get lost trying to find her house?  I always get lost trying to find that part of town... Odd.  I always forget that you need to go through the orange door...

Killing the dream-stealing Queen of the Harpies

-- Onwards to the Quarry of the Harpies --

You need to seek out Cecil and convince him to give you access to the quarry that is infested with Harpies -- this is by the way where you will want to use your Harpy Traps mates -- but when you ask him he refuses to open the gate for you.  He explains that his grandfather locked the gate for a reason -- the dreams that are stored therein.  He has a solid reason for refusing to do it -- but you persist -- and you have no choice but to use what you know about him from his dream that you found.  Blackmail it seems is not above you, and his reaction suggests that the dream is true, because he agrees to open the gate for you. 

Geralt agrees to bury the dream, and you advance the quest Hunt for Magic and flag a new related quest, The Queen Harpy Contract.  Excellent!

-- Into the Quarry of the Harpies --

Head to the marker on the map at the bottom of the first quarry and you will find that you can go through the gate to the inner quarry where you will now place traps to complete the trapping of the Harpies and the first Harpy quest.

With the final trap sprung you work your way through and trigger a CS of one of the Harpies placing a crystal -- and that triggers a CS of the moon and events you are not supposed to know about!  A dream of one of the Kingslayer's men.  You witness the events in the dream that is really a memory and it tells you something you did not know -- and advances the quest Assassins of Kings.

After the dream ends take the crystal and the Queen and her mates will attack you.  DO NOT allow yourself to be surrounded here or you could easily die.  Try to keep your back to a wall and fight them one at a time if you can, and eventually you will beat them all.  Loot them and then use the projector to view the dreams you have collected -- you already saw Letho's dream so you can skip that one.  Instead place the Blue Crystal into the projector and you will see one of Iorveth's dreams.  Since I don't speak elven I have no idea what was being said -- but that is ok.  We need to search the area for additional crystals now.

A red crystal is nearby and it contains a dream belonging to the Dragon we fought in the Prologue -- small world this.  The green crystal contains the dream of a Peasant, and the silver crystal contains the dream of Baltimore's Dream.  This flags the quest Baltimore's Nightmare, and completes the quest Hunting Magic and scores us a level-up!  Sweet! 

-- Wrapping up some Loose Ends --

Now there are more than a few loose ends for us to wrap up, so let us begin that progress before we are trapped in the main story and have to progress, shall we?

First, flag the new quest Baltimore's Nightmare and head back to Vergen -- when you reach the right area (it is near the Alderman's house) you will know it because you will trigger a brief CS.  Talk to the Dwarves by the forge and ask if he made a goblet?  Talk to him again and ask about Baltimore, then ask how he vanished? 

Head to the workshop and look around and you will find a weak wall -- blow it down and take the key and directions from the chest.  As you are leaving the runesmith stops to ask if you found anything?  Tell him that you did not find anything...  There is something suspicious about him and after the conversation you update the quest Suspect Thorak!

Read the direction to learn what they say, and then while you are here head to the Alderman's house.

-- Turning in some quests -- head to the Alderman's house and chat with Cecil, tell him that you killed the Harpy Queen, and you get your reward.  Tell him that you destroyed the Harpy Nests, and you get another reward.

-- With that bit of mischief managed, it is time to follow the directions that Baltimore left -- so head to the main gates and then to the burned village, where you will find an old well...  From there head down the path to where it splits and you will see a large stone arch to the left, and as you follow that path you come to a place where the road forks at a statue.

First go straight into the quarry and you will find rocks with runes carved in them that your amulet detects as you work your way along until at the end of the trail you find a small path leading up and at the end you search and find a clue -- the key -- that advances the quest!

Discovering Baltimore's Secret Lair

Now backtrack to the fork and the wooden statue and follow the right-hand path (left coming out of the quarry) to the shipwreck.  Here you will need to meditate until noon and you will see that the shadow of the stump of a mast points to a thick stand of bushes, behind which is a concealed door to another workshop!

Inside you will a sword and some runes, and then Thorak shows up to confront you!  They attack and you have no choice but to defend yourself and kill them, and when you loot their bodies you find a clue that advances the quest Suspect: Thorak and Balitmore's Nightmare. 

Now head back to Vergen but before you visit with the Alderman to report this, go up the slope to Baltimore's old place (now Thorak's old place heh) and search it for the chest that the key you found on his body fits into.  Inside you will find an important clue that relates to the poisoning of Saskia...  This completes the quest Suspect: Thorak, so head across the street to the Alderman's house and talk to him, showing him Baltimore's notes and that completes the quest Baltimore's Nightmare!  Good on ya!  Note that this fails the quest The Walls Have Ears (it is a deal where you do one or the other and not both).

That wraps up all of the side-quests and extra stuff and puts us squarely back on the main story path, so it is time to resume the quest Where is Triss Merigold?

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Where is Triss Merigold?

According to Phillipa the only option that we have is to go through the mist to the other side, where the answers to this question are laying.  Before you begin this journey it is time to look to our kit a bit -- first you have acquired a special sword as part of your rewards for the quests that we finished called Gwyhyr so let's examine it for a moment:

Gwyhyr (Rare)
Steel Sword
Damage =  30 to 40
Vitality 20
Damage Reduction on Block 30
Stun 8%
Bleeding 20%

Already that is a very nice weapon and way better than anything we presently have for our Steel Sword Slot...  But it is not enhanced yet, and we can enhance it three times!  If we were to enhance it with a Fire Rune that adds an Incineration bonus, extra damage and resistance to Incineration, and then enhancing with a Moon Rune adds 4 to Damage Bonus to Signs.  Finally if we enhance it with an Earth Rune for the third and final boost, we end up with the following sword:

Gwyhyr (Rare)
Steel Sword
Damage =  31 to 42
Vitality 45
Resistance to Incineration 20%
Damage Reduction on Block 30 5%
Incineration 10%
Stun 8%
Bleeding 20%
Damage bonus on Signs 4

Now that is a pretty slick Steel Sword and should see us through most of the rest of the game!  Well done!  We already have a good Silver Sword, and as far as the armor that we have goes, if you have been upgrading whenever you obtain a better piece you have the best that you can have, so check your potions to see if you need to replace any, store your extra crafting and alchemy items in your storage chest, and then it is time to head for the mist!  Be sure to save your game tho...

-- Into the Mist --

After you cross onto the Battlefield Phillipa's familiar shows up to guide you -- stay inside the bubble of protection and follow the familiar owl until the Wraiths trap it, then kill them to release it and continue to follow it.  The familiar is again trapped by Wraiths and you again kill them to free it, and then you arrive at the other edge of the Mist and pass through and her familiar disappears, its duty done.  Phillipa appears and tells you she can go no further without risking Dethmold sensing her presence...  She will wait here for you.

Look on the short dead-end path above the fire to come upon a body with a set of orders from Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen on it -- they command the troops to look for and capture Triss!  Now head back to the fire and follow the main path to where you will trigger a CS at another body, and as you are examining the body after you find a small statue Roche shows up!

You can tell Roche what you like, what you tell him does not really impact the story or how he acts towards you -- the point to this is that you and he are both seeking the same thing.  He tells you that you need to sneak through the Nilfgaard camp, and he suggests that you can use either caves at the whorehouse, or sneak through the camp...  The thing is if you use the caves you will miss out on unlocking an Achievement -- so sneaking through the camp is really the way to go here...

Sneaking through the lower camp to unlock Black Ops

-- Sneaking Through the Nilfgaard Camp --

If you have any trouble with this please watch the video embedded above.  The only problem that most gamers have is actually finding the correct path to follow -- but once you find the jut of the Visionary you can follow the video and be aces mates!

We will do this by the numbers:

(1) As you proceed following the cliff walls you will find an entrance into the cuts that will lead you to the Visionary's hut -- you will battle Rotfiends on the way -- you can chat him up if you like...   After you do head into the larger opening and follow the path to the end where you come to a jump point that you can use to get down to the beach below -- this is the entrance to the back beach area and the only way into the camp you can take that will unlock the Black Ops Achievement.

(2) Jump down and then across, and then down to the beach.  Head around the bend and climb up off of the beach to the camp level, where you will encounter a drunk soldiers exiting the Canteen tent on the left.  Wait for them to move away and then carefully make your way along the right side and douse the torch in front of the tent across from the canteen and back away until darkness descends. 

(3) Ahead you will see more soldiers on the left -- wait until their backs are to you and sneak across the road and along to the next tent intersection, where you move between the tents to the wooden barricade wall, follow that to the gate and go through.

(4) Carefully make your way to the opening at the other side and wait for the patrol to pass, then turn the corner and follow the wall to the fight area, pausing halfway down to allow a soldier to move away, and then you will encounter a cook who you deal with via a QTE and cast a sign on to make him forget you. 

(5) Follow the wall loosely (you do not have to move away from it to go between tents from the QTE as you can actually fit through) so just douse the torch at the corner and then follow the wall until you reach the next gate and pass through it.

(6) On the outside you will find a guard on duty.  Knock him out by sneaking up behind him and then make your way along the path until you reach the entrance to a tunnel, at which point you will unlock the Achievement "Black Ops" (20 G) Sneak through the lower camp without raising the alarm.

Well done mates!  Good on ya!

-- The Secret Tunnel --

As you make your way through the tunnel to the other side just before the marker you will notice a short dead-end path that, when you go over, you sense magical danger -- there is a Golem here and he is worth killing because in addition to the XP you get for the killing of him in a chest you can loot is the Armor of Ban Ard, which is way better than what you presently are wearing if just because of its magical properties.  What I chose to do was to apply the Steel Plate Enhancement, and Dwarven Armor Enhancement, which gave me the following:

Magical Armor of Ban Ard
Armor Rating: 20
Vitality: 50
Reduction of damage from magic: 2%
Resistance to Incineration: 24%
Resistance to Bleeding: 24%
Resistance to Poisoning: 24%

Now while it is true that I lost a few points on the resistances than made up for by the increased AR and Vitality.  It is your call whether you do this but I recommend it.

-- Captured --

You should bear in mind that you are actually supposed to get caught here, that is how the story plays out, so do not freak when it happens.  You are taken to see the Ambassador as a prisoner.  You can tell him that you are looking for Triss -- he tells you what he knows. 

You then get a memory flashback in which you recover your memories of the battle that the Ambassador spoke of and what followed, as well as the Hunt, and then a monster hunt with a Manticore.  You see yourself following the Hunt and then you are back in the tent with the Ambassador.

The Ambassador tells you what he has planned -- and then has his men take the figuring you found -- which as it turns out is actually Triss!  It seems that the Ambassador was behind what happened to Triss -- and now he plans to use her to identify the sorceresses who plotted against the emperor. 

You are taken out to be executed -- and then Roche appears and saves you!

Being Roche's prisoner - making your way through the camp

Roche and Ves are battling the soldiers but you need to take out the mage.  What I did was place a trap that was easy to see -- the Harpy Trap works -- which gives you something to use as a center for dodging, and then whenever the mage cast protect on himself I would dodge back and forth to avoid his fireballs until his protect wore off then attack him, rinsing and repeating until he was dead.  Then I took out the rest of the soldiers.  Simpatico.

Do not forget to pick up the trap when you are done, and loot everything so you recover your kit...  Roche fills you in on what has been happening, and Geralt tells him he must return to Vergen.  Roche will take you back through the camp as his prisoner.  Before you talk to him to start that process, save your game.

As you make your way through the camp you MUST avoid officers -- basically the lead man in any patrols and the guys standing by the tents.  If you get spotted by them you die in a hail of arrows -- so don't do that, right?  You can not just head straight to the marker without stopping because a patrol appears -- what you can do is move forward until Roche says "Faster Cur!" then wait while the patrol ahead moves towards you and then to your right, and then proceed to the marker where you get a CS of Roche talking to a guard.

That gets you out of the camp and advances the quest Where is Triss Merigold!  Well done Mates!  From here head back to the marker to meet with Phillipa and she will talk to you before leading you through the Mist again, and back to Vergen.

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: Back in Vergen

Back in Vergen now, head for Phillipa's house co confront her girlfriend Cynthia, who it seems is a Nilfgaardian plant!  When you arrive you get an interesting CS with Phillipa and Geralt looks for the Rose and it is missing -- or not!  Phillipa find it and that completes the ingredients that are required -- and you advance the quest A Matter of Life and Death, and complete the quest Where is Triss Merigold for this Act. 

Give all of the ingredients to Phillipa and she will make the antidote and give it to Saskia, who recovers fully!  Actually the cure looks worse than the disease...  At least until the Rose is applied heh...  Anyway the Virgin Warrior recovers and offers Geralt a reward -- the last item that he needs, the sword that Saskia owns.  She asks you why you are helping her, tell her what you like -- and she thanks you again and gives you the sword, thus completing the quests A Matter of Life and Death and Hatred Symbolized and advancing the quest The Eternal Battle. 

At this point we need to talk to Phillipa again in order to obtain the last two items for lifting the curse, but before you do that check your quests if you have not been following this guide, because after this point the side-quests that relate to his Act will fail if you have yet to complete them!  If all is well, then talk to her -- she gives you the items you need and tells you to head for the battle...

-- About the Tattoo --

You may be wanting to have her remove the Tattoo -- the problem with that is that if you did not obtain Wolf's Aloe previously -- it can be had in the village outside of Flotsam it seems -- you cannot have her remove it.  But if you followed this guide you bought some!  So you can have her remove it if you like.

Breaking the Curse

-- The Battle --

Basically this is a self-guided event as you will be possessed by each of the four specters and you will complete their special struggle, after which you will turn the tide of the battle!  Each has a CS and each has a clear goal -- you start out needing to capture the flag by slaying the standard bearer, then you need to deliver a message to the commander by running through your own side's fire to reach the officers -- you go from cover to cover to do this.

You get a CS that depicts the messenger reporting, and you learn that there will be no support for the Dun Banner in this battle.   Sabrina tries to influence the tactics and fails, then acts on her own, and in the process betrays the honor of the King!  We see her gather her forces and begin to cast the magical weapon that nearly wipes out both sides of the battle, and then you learn that it really was a betrayal that took place, and not an accident!

You now get a CS of a Jamaican Warrior and you are possessed, and need to battle your way along the path in order to battle the enemy General.  Once beat into submission you battle the monster-sized General who you defeat by casting trap Signs and then damaging while he is trapped.  Take cover when he calls for Archers or Trebuchets, and rinse and repeat as needed.

Finally as the warrior monk you simply need to lead the men into the light to end the battle -- the message is delivered, Sabrina is confronted, and you resolve the battle the way that you needed to in order to break the curse!  Well done Mates!

A CS follows in which more memories are recovered by Geralt -- cool that -- and you learn a little more about Letho and Geralt's story, and it turns out it is related to The Wild Hunt!

Then you wake up and find yourself in Phillipa's quarters, where she tells you that she rescued you after you broke the curse.  Good on ya Geralt!

You report the events, and she confirms that the curse is gone, and then you talk about Henselt -- and then you sort of explore the sorceresses motivations.  She tells you that Henselt's Army is near and the attack is imminent, and you advance the quests Vergen Besieged and Returning Memories, and complete the quest The Eternal Battle.

Iorveth's Path -- Act II: The Vergen Besieged

As you talk to Zoltan the enemy begins their attack -- you need to defend the outer gate and to start that process head up on the rampart and trigger the Dwarven defensive mechanism that unleashes boiling oil onto the attackers and then rejoin with Zoltan, and you will perform a strategic retreat to the second gates, where you will then defend against two waves of attackers who are trying to come over the walls using ladders.  You can make very effective use of your Signs here -- Aard can be used to literally blow them off of the wall!

Eventually you will learn from Saskia about a weak spot in the city defenses -- a secret tunnel that you did not know about but that the enemy just may.  Joining Saskia you head there and find that yes, indeed, the enemy knew about this way in, and you do battle with a fairly large force -- once you defeat them, you will find yourself battling that bastard Dethmold!  There is a surprise here and I am not going to ruin it for you...  Either here or in the video.

Trapping King Henselt for Victory

After you finish in the caves and chat with Saskia you rejoin Zoltan and again defend the walls, blowing the enemy back, until you are joined by Iorveth's forces and you need to fight your way to the gate controls to close the gate and trap Henselt!  With Zoltan you make your way to the gate and he closes it -- the King is trapped and surrenders and the battle is over for the most part.  Well done!

Pretty much all of the outstanding issues with Henselt are resolved in the lengthy CS that follows, including dealing with Dethmold.  After Saskia and Phillipa depart Iorveth voices his suspicions and you follow them -- when you find Phillipa and Saskia escaping through a portal that the sorceress has opened.  You search the rooms and find some damning evidence, and this pretty much ends the Vergen part of the story.  You now need to go with Iorveth to Loc Muinne, where you will pick up the story and the trail of your love!

Oh yes, and you will need to change discs :)

Iorveth's Path -- Act III, Part 1: Arriving in Loc Muinne

We begin with a CS of the Ambassador talking to a sorceress seeking assistance with reversing the spell on Triss.  He tells his sorceress Assire to reverse the spell and she agrees to try -- throwing the statue in the water, Assire casts her spell and Triss is restored, a bit the worse for wear.  Once she has served her purpose the Ambassador executes Assire, and then takes Triss prisoner.   This officially triggers the quest For a Higher Cause, and you regain control of Geralt.

You have a choice to make coming up, but for now you need to follow Iorveth as he leads you to an entrance that he knows about that will bypass the knights guarding the main path and gates ahead.  You could go say hello to them I suppose, but they will want to kill you when you do -- your call?

The path you follow with Iorveth includes fighting the odd Harpy or three, and at the end of it, you will battle an Arachas and some Endrega and then emerge into one of the outer courtyards, where you are attacked by Gargoyles.  After you defeat them continue to follow Iorveth and he will lead you through the town where you will encounter some troops who you learn the location of Phillipa from by overhearing them talk.

Freeing yourself from Jail

Remember I said you had a choice to make?  You can either try to find her by going through the sewers yourself, or you can allow yourself to be captured, which is a fast track to reaching her.  You decide which way to do it -- sewers or captured?   Getting arrested really is the quickest way to find her, and once you end up in the cell you are disarmed it is true, but you still have your magical abilities mates...

After the conversations play out you need to quickly burn through your bonds using your magic -- do it too slow and you die -- getting arrested is easy, just move through the town until you are arrested -- you should put up a good fight, no reason for them to think you are just giving up, but they will arrest you and take you to the prison, and there you will find Phillipa -- just before her eyes are put out!

Talk to her to learn what you can, and then watch as she is punished by the King -- and after that you have to decide what to do...  Here is the thing, you may want to go to rescue Triss -- and you can do that, but first make a save and then choose to save Phillipa, which will send you down a path of quests that will lead to unlocking the Achievement "Spellbreaker" (15 G) Help Iorveth find the dagger needed to free Saskia from the spell that holds her.

The Ambassador decides that you need to die -- though the King was going to allow you to live...  You need to get free and take out the guards and then deal with the Ambassador once and for all!  After you deal with the guards talk to Phillipa again and learn what you can, then agree to help her (sort of).

-- Into the Sewers --

Leading Phillipa into the sewers, Iorveth appears and deals with the guards, so you can pass.  Once into the sewers you get a CS with Iorveth, in which you learn about the spell from Phillipa and how it can be lifted.  You hand Phillipa over to Iorveth so you can clear the way ahead of monsters.

Do not allow the monsters to surround you or they will quickly kill you -- fight defensively and you will be OK.  Be sure to allow time for yourself to heal before spawning the next group of monsters -- no reason to fight with a handicap... 

Obtaining the Dagger

When you reach Phillipa's house go ahead and take out the Gargoyles who are guarding the main room first, and then when you take her upstairs you get a CS in which you discover the chest with the dagger.  But it is magically protected -- you need to go downstairs and get the notes that show which candles to light and in what order -- head down and check the notes, you want the combination in the middle -- you light the candles and then Iorveth releases Phillipa to cast the spell and she betrays you!

You have to battle the Guardian of the Chest to proceed -- and keeping it off-balance seems to help a lot!  Once you defeat it you get a CS with Iorveth and once you exhaust your chat options with him, he heads on ahead and you unlock the Achievement "Spellbreaker" (15 G) Help Iorveth find the dagger needed to free Saskia from the spell that holds her.  You should also unlock the Achievement "Guru" (50 G) Achieve character level 35 -- if you have not already unlocked it that is...

Iorveth's Path -- Act III, Part II: A Summit of Mages

When you arrive at the amphitheater you get a brief CS with a disgusted noble, followed by another regained memory, and then you speak with Iorveth who has already taken care of the guards before you enter, at which point the Ambassador shows up with Letho, and everything pretty much plays out the way it did the first time we experienced this part of the game...  Though different.

The important point is that the CS plays out and then you once again climb the tower towards a battle with the dragon -- confront Sile and then decide whether she lives or dies -- I let her live so that Geralt learns about Yennefer.  Once you get past that decision, you head to the roof and battle the dragon, then ride it down to the ground, but this time instead of killing her, after a long conversation you walk away, unlocking the Achievement "Dragonheart" (15 G) Spare or save Saskia.

Resolving your relationship with the Dragon

Having dealt with the issue of the dragon you return to the town and finally confront Letho -- now since this was my last play-through and since I plan on playing the sequel whenever it is released, and assuming that allowing Letho to live will make a difference, I let him live.

That pretty much wraps up the game -- you can play it through on the higher level if you like to unlock one of the last Achievements and there are two that you need to play the Arena (this is outside of the main game) to unlock as well.  But hey, great job getting this far mates!  Well done!

Achievements

There are 50 achievements in the game worth a total of 1000 G.  Only one of them is difficulty based while the bulk of the secret Achievements are secret to protect plot and story lines.  Here they are in no particular order:
 
To Aedirn! (5 G) Complete Chapter 1.
Alea Iacta Est (10 G) Complete Chapter 2.
Once Ain't Enough (15 G) Complete Chapter 3.
Apprentice (10 G) Use alchemy to brew five potions or oils.
The Butcher of Blaviken (30 G) Kill 500 foes.
Craftsman (10 G) Hire a craftsman to create an item.
Focus (30 G) Perform three successful ripostes in a row.
The Fugitive (5 G) Complete the Prologue.
Gambler (15 G) Win an arm wrestling match, a dice poker game and a fist fight.
Gladiator (15 G) Defeat all opponents in the Kaedweni arena.
Guru (50 G) Achieve character level 35.
Journeyman (10 G) Achieve character level 10.
Last Man Standing (15 G) Survive your 30th fight in the Arena.
Madman (100 G) Finish the game while playing at the Dark difficulty level.
Master Alchemist (10 G) Acquire the Mutant ability.
Master of Magic (10 G) Acquire the Sense of Magic ability.
Miser (10 G) Collect 10000 Orens.
Mutant! (30 G) Enhance abilities using mutagens at least five times.
Perfectionist (15 G) Kill 10 foes in a row without losing any Vitality.
Pest Control (20 G) Finish all quests involving the destruction of monster nests.
Poker! (30 G) Roll five-of-a-kind at dice poker.
Ricochet (10 G) Kill a foe by deflecting his own arrow at him.
Swordmaster (10 G) Acquire the Combat Acumen ability.
Threesome (15 G) Kill three foes at once by performing a group finisher.
To Be Continued… (50 G) Finish the game at any difficulty level.
Torn Asunder! (15 G) Kill more than one opponent using a single exploding bomb.
Tried-and-True (10 G) Survive your 5th fight in the Arena.
 
-- Secret Achievements --
 
Artful Dodger (30 G) Cut off a tentacle using the kayran trap.
Avenger (30 G) Finish the game by killing Letho.
Backbone (20 G) Craft a suit of armor from elements of the kayran's carapace.
Being Witcher George (20 G) Kill the dragon.
Black Ops (20 G) Sneak through the lower camp without raising the alarm.
Dragonheart (20 G) Spare or save Saskia.
Eagle Eye (10 G) Hit Count Etcheverry using the ballista.
Fat Man (15 G) Kill the draug.
Friend of Trolls (15 G) Spare all trolls in the game.
Heartbreaker (10 G) Seduce Ves.
Intimidator (15 G) Intimidate someone.
Kayranslayer (10 G) Kill the kayran.
Kingmaker (15 G) Help Roche rescue Anais from the Kaedweni camp.
Librarian (30 G) Find all additional information about the insane asylum's history.
Man of the Shadows (15 G) Successfully sneak through Loredo's garden and find the component of the kayran trap.
Necromancer (50 G) Relive all of Auckes's memories in Dethmold's vision.
Old Friends (30 G) Finish the game by sparing Letho.
Reasons of State (15 G) Stop Roche from killing Henselt.
Sensitive Guy (10 G) Save Síle from dying in the unstable portal.
Spellbreaker (15 G) Help Iorveth find the dagger needed to free Saskia from the spell that holds her.
Tourist (10 G) Tour the camp with Zyvik.
Trollslayer (30 G) Kill all the trolls in the game.
Witch Hunter (10 G) Leave Síle to die in the unstable portal.