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

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!