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

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!