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

Head to the marker on the map and chat with the King, he has his say and you learn about Ballistas -- then the CS continues and you have another conversation opportunity and be honest with the King, then target the shot for the King, before you are told to continue following...  If you properly target the shot (watch the video) you will unlock the Achievement "Eagle Eye" (10 G) Hit Count Etcheverry using the Ballista -- your first Achievement in the game!

The Achievement unlocks after you enter the siege machine and before you follow the King to the top using the ladders.  You get a CS back with Roche in the prison, where he comments on what you have told him...  And then tell the story of the Assault.

-- The Assault --

As the battle ensues you help protect the King and then join in the pursuit of Aryan -- the King asks for your advice and you suggest the Ballista below -- so head down and take out its defenders then you perform a series of QT events in which you do an action (cock the Ballista) and then defend yourself, then aim it, defend yourself, then fire it, smashing the rampart and allowing the King's men to attack the well-defended tower above!

With that mischief managed head back topside and join up at the marker to battle your way to the top of the first tower, at which point you are facing Aryan's forced atop the other tower -- and you volunteer to go up alone and try to talk Aryan to surrender...  Which if you try you will manage to do! 

It is actually important that you convince Aryan to surrender because it sets in motion a desirable future story path here, so save your game and then if you fail to get Aryan to surrender, reload your save and try again until you DO.  Of course after that you get another CS with Roche in which you learn what happened to Aryan as a result of that act of sense...

-- The Dragon --

Now you can ask what happened to the dragon -- Roche tells you -- and then you get to experience your end of that for yourself in the next section! 

A rather lengthy CS plays out and you meet Roche for the first time -- as the King gets a report from him -- and then the dragon shows up!

Basically you need to make your way to the tower ahead and take out the defenders so that Triss can destroy the gate and you make your way through, over the burning bridge and, very nearly, end up dragon food!

At some point in play -- and it may have been the battle to get to Aryan and convincing Aryan to surrender, you will unlock the Character Abilities Persuasion (allows the use of Persuasion in conversations) and Assassin ( 25% damage dealt by attacking from behind).

-- The Monastery --

Back with Roche again you talk about the monastery next -- which begins with a CS of the soldiers reporting to the King at the entrance to the Monastery -- so we head back down into the town to search and if you like, to pick up side quests (that is strictly voluntary mind you).  One such involves defending the townsfolk... 

Also note that in addition to finding herbs and other Alchemy resources you can also enter and loot houses here and it is a good idea as you can find some interesting stuff like books and useful kit.  In a cellar reached by a trapdoor in the floor of the house near the group of captured enemy soldiers you will find a book called The Viziman Uprising that fills in some of the back story so it is worth a read!

As you move through the lower town you encounter some soldiers killing civilians -- which triggers a new quest called Woe to the Vanquishers -- it is in your nature not to tolerate that sort of abuse so helping them is a given.  All that you need do is remind the soldiers that the Dragon will be back to get them to stop and leave... 

You should make an effort to gather herbs here to unlock one of the Achievements -- once you have enough resources to make 5 Potions of the same type in one-go, do that to unlock the Achievement "Apprentice" (10 G) Use Alchemy to brew five potions or oils -- but do not confuse Bombs in that list as they do not count...

As you continue along the road you will encounter a house that has been stuffed with civilians and a soldier about to torch it -- this is the second half of the Woe to the Vanquishers Quest -- stop the soldier from torching them by battling him until he yields!  Now go into the house and tell the civilians that they are free and you complete the quest.

Basically you make your way through the lower town until you arrive at a passage that is blocked by a wagon as you finish a battle -- to get to that area you need to work your way around the buildings until you find the back way in, using your magic to blow apart the door, and as you head into the area near the wagon that was used to block the passage, a trio of soldiers appear out of the well with a ladder leading down into a series of tunnels.  After you defeat them, head down and make your way through the passages -- and kill your first monster here -- either before or after you use a Cat Potion for the first time to see in the dark... 

Eventually you locate the ladder leading up to the inner part of a supply tower in the Monastery...

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.