Act I: Novigrad

As you wrap up the story and optional quests, missions, and the like, you will be ready to pass over the bridge and into the next new region - Novigrad!

I should probably admit that the massive scale of the game is such that having now completed the discovery of all of the points of interest in No Man's Land and its quests and missions, the prospect of moving on to a new region leaves me feeling like I have made a seriously significant accomplishment. Perhaps even one I can be proud of!

Because rather than simply rush through the game with my focus completely on the story and ignoring all of the side stuff, I can honestly say that I am in touch with the pulse of the land, that I know the side-stories that are a prominent measure of the identity of the peasant-population.... That I know what makes them tick!

Besides a LOT of effort went into creating the environment that is The Wild Hunt and speaking as a veteran of the game's industry having managed the creation of three major web-based fantasy game projects back in the wild and wooly days of the I have some insight to offer.

I can tell you from personal experience that there is no greater point of satisfaction felt by the teams of wizards who create games than to have the gamers not only drink deeply in the alternate reality that they have worked so hard to create, but to know that they appreciate it.

So yeah, it is time to put in the same level of effort for this new region that we put into exploring the previous one - and this new region is a very different one than Velen because it has a largely urban and close-quarters sort of environment that has dangers unique to itself to be revealed and dominated.

So hey - Welcome to Novigrad. Now let's get busy chewing bubblegum and kicking ****! Oh and drinking beer - don't forget the beer!

A check of your Inventory should reveal the following travel Documents:

• Quest Items: Letter of Safe Conduct x2 (Offers License to travel to Novigrad and Skellige Isle)
• Usable Items: Transit Pass (Offers license to travel by bridge to Novigrad)

So with that verified it is time to set out for the City of Novigrad - gateway to the culture of the North!

Welcome to Novigrad

You will recall that one of the first things that we did when we landed in No Man's Land (Velen) was to ride around and collect the locations, changing their "?" to the proper ID for the site. In so doing we often uncovered additional quests and resources - and hey, as that worked rather well in Velen, it will work very well here in the north as well!

So before you go about fully exploring the city, how about exploring all of those locations at least close enough to reveal their names and nature?

It's More Important than it Sounds

The first advice that we give you is to walk around each quarter of the city - doing this not only reveals what each quarter is named, it also reveals all of the interactive NPCs in that quarter. Those include Armorers, Blacksmiths, Herbalists, Innkeepers, Madams, Shopkeepers, and Notice Boards.

Whenever you encounter a Notice Board, go ahead and access it and read every notice, as that will give you a sense of what is going on here and flag any quests and contracts that are available.

Sadly there are not as many interactive NPCs as I was expecting, but then again the ones that ARE here have a certain character and presence that makes meeting them worth it for the most part...

Now all of that is very very important because knowing where all of these are - having their icons on the map - will make your housekeeping tasks so much easier. But there is another symbol that walking around the city reveals that is strategically and tactically necessary AND good - I am speaking of course of the Fast Travel Signs. And there are plenty! in fact it appears that every quarter that borders the outer limits of the city has one!

Now, I am not just saying that the Fast Travel Signs are important because they have an Achievement / Trophy associated with them (they do - it is the Globetrotter (15g) Discover 100 fast travel points one)/ Don't get me wrong, I like Achievements just as much as the next guy... But I am not an AW and I do not play games JUST to unlock them, because I don't need any help advertising the size of my virtual pe... You get the idea.

Things You Will Notice

Thanks to prior experiences in Velen there are NPC behaviors that you will notice and instantly translate in your mind to properly ID what is actually going on there...

For example when you encounter two fellas going at each other with a crowd around them, well that is clearly one of the fistfights for the fighting tournament system.

When you encounter a many in an apron banging away at an anvil with a burning forge nearby you don't have to look at the icons that instantly appear on your radar and full-sized map to know that this is either a Smithy or Armorer.

Equally when you encounter a man (or woman) standing behind a table or occupying a stall with all manner of goods spread about them that this is a Merchant, Shopkeeper, or Trader.

The presence of a line of barrels flowing in place on the water tell you that a Smuggler's Stash is present - that each of those floating barrels will be tethered to the bottom and a large heavy chest by a length of chain and that each chest will contain goods you can use.

Mission: Pyres of Novigrad

Begin the Novigrad Search for Ciri

Flagged automatically as part of the Main Story - Suggested Level: 10

Ciri's trail took Geralt to Novigrad, the largest city in the North. It would take seas of ink to describe the city accurately, so suffice it to say it is the seat of the Church of the Eternal Fire, a bustling port city and a haven for artists... And all sorts of other shady characters.

Yet Novigrad at this time was not the city Geralt knew from his earlier travels. War raged throughout the known world, and rich cities often prove tempting morsels to armies on the march. It was clear at this time that this particular morsel had both Radovid and Emhyr greedily licking their chops.

Within the city, the Temple Guard acted with impunity under the command of a cankerous snot named Caleb Menge and with the support of that terror-spreading band of zealots, the Witch Hunters. Meanwhile, the kingpins of the city's underworld still held much of it in their sleazy grasp.

Finding Ciri here would be like searching for a needle in a burning haystack -- Geralt would clearly need some assistance. Luckily, an old acquaintance of his now lived in Novigrad. Her name was Triss Merigold.

When you arrive in the square you experience first hand what it means that the new church and religion called the Church of the Eternal Fire controls the city - and what its policies are. First hand at least as an observer - and what you see? It is not pretty.

Note that while most of the fixed merchant NPCs have icons that can be seen no matter where you are on the map, some only appear when you are near them. For example the banker and some armorers and smiths will only appear if you are near them.

When you arrive at her house you find a pair of criminal types looting and you confront them - but what you want is information, not justice - the pair tell you what they know if you ask right - just as you are getting somewhere the Temple Guard shows up and you deal with a real hard case who warns you that he is watching you...

You have two clues to follow - beggars and thieves - huh, I wonder if Cher is here somewhere?

You can do both - but before you do that head inside and search for clues - and loot man - this stuff will just go to the Temple otherwise! Plus the Rose of Remembrance is actually a Quest Item...

As you depart you witness a theft and then after the CS completes you follow the Thief - as you trail them you will trigger a CS interaction with a beggar who will deny knowing anything about the Grove, Continue to follow the Thief to the destination to trigger another CS, after which you head over to that door, the Thieves goal having been completed.

You can either go find the beggars to learn the password, or go to the door and pay your way in. You will be asked to surrender your weapons - but that is okay, a Witcher is not just a swordsman!

As you arrive at the King's chambers you see that Triss is there! Excellent!

The King soon educates you on the situation here and in the city - and then you follow +Triss while she does some errands... This automatically flags the Side Quest: The Nobleman Statuette but you should already have that Quest Item if you have been doing Side Quests and the like here. If not, you will.

After you leave the Grove you fill Triss in on why you are there, and then continue to follow as she leads you to a shop where she does some business - but it seems that the package she was coming for was dumped in the harbor near the crane.

Once you are in the sewer you need to use your Senses to locate the switch for the secret passage - you may need to kill a Drowner first. Once you have the passage open, follow Triss.

She leads you to the place where the parcel probably went into the water, and you need to go out there and find it! There are two chests you can loot near the boat piece where the parcel is located - so grab that loot then the parcel and take it back to Triss.

After you give it to her you need to follow her again, as she leads you to yet another meeting which turns out to be a minor job... Placing rat traps. Huh... With the three traps in place Triss does her thing and then you have a long conversation.

As the job completes the merchant comes in with the Guard - yep, he turned you in! Defeat them and then it is time to seek out that jerk and collect your pound of flesh! Which in this case is double the fee!

That pretty much wraps up this quest - Triss needs to go but she puts you on to what might be a food lead - and tells you how to find her if you need her...

Objectives

• Travel to Novigrad

• Visit Triss in her house

• Talk with beggars about the King of Beggars

• Look for thieves on the main square and carefully follow them.

• Meet the King of the Beggars

• Follow Triss

• Find the secret passage using your Witcher Senses then open it.

• Follow Triss

• Find the lost parcel using your Witcher Senses

• Give Triss the parcel

• Follow Triss

• Place Rat Traps around the warehouse - use your Witcher Senses to guide you 3/3

• Tell Triss you've completed your task

• Talk to Triss after she activates the spell

• Leave the warehouse

City Walkthrough, Flagging, and Starting Quests

In the corner of the square where you encounter the burning CS is where one of the banks is located - step inside and you can quickly convert all of the non-Crown coins you have collected into Crowns. This is a good thing mind you - as it makes them useful to you!

Advice for the Second Chat Walkthrough

Talking to NPCs: While your first run through the town is meant just to locate and mark the interactive NPCs and Fast Travel Points as well as other spots of interest and not to actually talk to them (which can relate to quests) once you have completed your walk-through of the city proper, it is time to repeat the process, but this time talk to EVERYONE.

Go through EVERY chat and dialogue option that is available.

Quest Items: When you ARE going through the chat and dialogue selections be sure to check what the NPC has for sale and, in particular whether or not any of the items are flagged as being required for a Quest. It never hurts to buy Quest Items early mates - it can make completing a quest very easy and fast :)

Gwent Cards: Another item to look for in the inventory of NPC merchants and Innkeepers is Gwent Cards. Even if they are duplicates of cards you already have it never hurts to have them, especially the neutral cards which can be played in multiple decks.

Treasure Maps and Witcher Maps: In addition to the above there is a chance that a merchant may have a Witcher Map or Treasure Map - the former leading to the location of a Witcher Diagram, the latter leading to the location of a Hidden Treasure.

Food Items: You can often find reasonably priced food items - and it is worth picking those up for later when you need them in combat. Just saying.

Repair Kits: As a general rule I say you should have at least 5 or 6 of each type on hand for when you need them. Because you NEVER need them until you NEED them!

Playing Gwent in Pickup Games

Gwent: Many of the NPCs you encounter will be able to play Gwent with you. Not all of them are going to be NPCs that are part of the Gwent Quests - keep that in mind.

But some of them actually will apply to the various Gwent quests. In that case what you might want to do then is BEFORE you do the second walkthrough of the city with the goal of speaking to everyone, open your Quest Journal and examine the following quests:

Gwent: Playing Innkeeps -- for this quest you need to play a specific NPC called Stjepan. So before you start widely talking, head to his location and marker and play and win his card to satisfy that requirement.

This quests first task is located in Oxenfurt, which is a city under the political control of Novigrad but that is located to the far south and east of the main city. If you flagged the Fast Travel Point there (Western Gate) you can zip right there if you want and then walk back to reveal locations and take any other random opportunities as well as access Notice Boards and flag Fast Travel Signs.

Otherwise you can walk there - and do the flagging and etc.

Once you are there you should do a quick walk-around before you get to Playing Gwent which is why we came here, right?

Before you head to the Inn and play your opponent why not take a look around town? There is a merchant you can play in the market square whose prize card is a Fire Elemental - and let me tell you mates if you have yet to come up against an NPC Gwent Player who uses the Monster Deck you are in for a shock... So hey, it is always good to build the other decks when you can. Just saying.

My preferred deck is the Northern Realms, but I can see how the Monster Deck could be wicked effective in the hands of a player who really knows what they are doing. Actually that applies to the Scoia'tael Deck as well. You know you can actually purchase real-world decks for this game? Seriously!

When you are ready - after you get your hair cut and beard trimmed, play any side games of Gwent you opt to play, and did you notice that the church and soldiers are burning Books from the university library on the other island? That is terrible! But anyway, head to the Inn to meet with Stjepan... And play him.

On the way out of town with an eye towards exploring the interior areas between Oxenfurt and Novigrad to the north and east, I made a side-trip to the Ferry Landing as there were some "?" locations that were revealed by reading the Notice Board in town. Just thought I would clear those out from the map as I like to do. You may want to do that as well - they provide some combat and XP opportunities. Just saying...

Back in Novigrad and working on the next Gwent Quest now....

Gwent: Big City Players -- For this quest the first target you need to see to is a player named Vimme Vivaldi - so play and win and get their unique Gwent Card before you do the chat walkthrough.

Always remember that the chat options - even if they do not appear to be very significant - on some NPCs will add to information uncovered for specific quests and even missions. Always keep that in mind and pay attention to what they say as this is not simply an exercise in making noise! Good information can be had as a result of these chats.

Side Trip to Skellige Isles

If you feel the need to get rid of the quests that are lingering in your journal because they require you to be in the Skellige Isles, you CAN take a boat from the harbor to open that path up to you so that you can complete them.

As long as you don't start flagging quests left and right in the Isles - which would divert you from completing the story and Side Quests etc here, that should not be a problem and it could get you some extra XP... Just saying, your call, but we understand no liking lingering quests...

If you decide to take that option, you need to jump over to the Act I: Skellige Isles Section of the guide for the information on how that part of the story progresses. Either way hopefully you will immediately return to the Novigrad story after you get its quests done there!

Mission: Novigrad Dreaming

See the dream mage

Flagged naturally when you complete the previous mission - Suggested Level: 7

Oneiromancers - or dreamers, as they are more commonly called - possess the ability their name implies to divine the future of relive the past through dreams. Corinne was one of the best of her kind and had no trouble finding clients, even with the hostility to the occult that reigned in Novigrad at the time. Geralt hoped she would spare him a few moments, and set off to find her in a house where she had gone to ply her trade.

When you arrive you trigger a CS in which you have a conversation with a nobleman. Once inside before you go up open the trap door to the cellar and go down, blow open the bricks and loot the stuff below.

Then head up and talk to her, before clearing the house.

In the attic you find a Drawing of a Crib and a Doll - you examine the drawing, and then put the doll in the cradle below. That appears to have an effect on the ghost! Well the door slammed anyway.

You find another drawing and then decide to head back to the cellar to examine the oven... And discover that not all of this type of godling are pleasant...

Cut a deal with Sarah and then go talk to the dreamer.

Odd, it seems that all roads lead to the Golden Sturgeon! That is the location we have to go to find the captain who will take us to Skellige as well. But that happens later.

You spin your tale to the banker, and he accepts your word.

When you chat with Corinne at the Sturgeon she leads you through the process of her art, and you... It is best to tell her everything it seems, and then you actually get a lead you can use!

That completes this Mission and flags the next one, Broken Flowers.

Objectives

• Find the dreamer in the old house

• Examine the drawing

• Put the doll in the crib

• Find out why the door slammed

• Examine the oven

• Talk to the dreamer

• Meet Corinne at the Golden Sturgeon

Mission: Broken Flowers

Find Dandelion

Flagged automatically at the end of the previous mission -- Suggested Level: 11

Geralt had learned from the dreamer Corinne Tilly that Ciri contacted me while in Novigrad. He thus made his way to the Rosemary and Thyme, a charming establishment which I had inherited from an admirer of my poetry, for he, quite rationally, expected to find me there. His search for Ciri seemed closer to a happy conclusion then ever before.

When you arrive it triggers a CS and encounter an old friend Zoltan! You have a conversation and then you have a nice dist fight,.

The CS then continues and you share your concerns with your friend. That is when you learn that Dandelion has disappeared. You need to search for clues to see what happened here...

Among the clues you find is a ledger and that leads to other possible information sources. You also find vintage wines, his lute, an award, and some letters and a book to read. You find his degree on the wall as well,

Read the planner and that will update the mission with a long list of people to be interviewed.

Before you leave to find the names on the list, talk to Zoltan and then run through the names on your list...

As you work your way down this list you learn some surprising things about your mate Dandelion - some of it very interesting.

The final interview with Rosa requires you to lie your way past the guards by claiming to be the sword teacher - she challenges you and you need to beat her - but worry not, you are using wooden swords! After you beat her, you talk to her... Then you beat her again! If you agree during the conversation that follows to help teach her, that will flag the Side Quest Fencing Lessons.

With that interview completed it is time to head back and consult Zoltan... When you arrive you find he has really cleaned the place up nice!

You agree to meet Zoltan at the Kingfisher In after sundown to talk to the poet woman Priscilla that had captured Dandelion's heart... And that gives you time to do the Fencing Lesson!

At sundown you meet Zoltan at the Inn and you get a CS in which you get treated to her entertaining and skilled play. She takes you aside and tells you what she knows - which is not much... Still it is enough to get you started on the next path.

So let's start with talking to the capos of the underworld, shall we?

When you arrive at the bath house you get treated to a CS in which the Witcher has to bang and bang to get someone to come to the door. You announce yourself and eventually get invited in.

You need to work through all of the chat options with him, and then be sure you play Gwent with him as well, before you finally do actually leave. In case you did not notice HE is one of the players from the Big City Players quest.

This pretty much completes this Mission - and well done!

Objectives

• Go to the Rosemary and Thyme

• Search the ground floor for clues using your Witcher Senses

• Read Dandelion's Planner

• Talk to Zoltan

• Talk to Vespula

• Talk to Elihal

• Talk to Molly

• Talk to Marabella

• Talk to Rosa var Attre

• Follow the guard

• Consult with Zoltan

• Meet Zoltan at the Kingfisher Inn after sundown

• Go to the bathhouse and talk to Sigi Reuven

Mission: Count Reuven's Treasure

Question Reuven without raising suspicion

Flagged automatically by the previous Mission -- Suggested Level: 12

Fear gripped the Witcher's heart as he knocked on the bathhouse doors. He knew that, shortly before I disappeared without a trace, I had been planning to rob Sigi Reuven, one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the North. He would have to inquire about my fate without arousing suspicions, which was a tall order indeed - for while Geralt may be an excellent Witcher, he is one lousy actor.

The setup for this is a very long Q&A but in the end you get there. You need to head into the sewers to find the path that the thieves took - of course YOU know something that the Count does not...

As you head into the sewers examine the clues, following the trail of loot that was dropped and examining each clue. Once you reach the end of the trail though, it is time to head back and talk to Dijkstra and fill him in on what you learned. Well, some of it anyway.

At the Margrave's house examine all of the clues - place the bottle in the wine rack in its proper place to solve the riddle - then head back and in the secret door... They left behind very incriminating evidence, sheesh!

When you get downstairs you find Dijkstra and Triss - and have a chat... The lie you told was clumsy but it helped deflect attention from the truth... And the truth? That is something you can never even hint at with him. After the chat with Triss you should prepare for the mission at midnight. See to your Kit, get it repaired, and re-supply if you need to.

When you meet her you get a CS as she explains the look she took - and how bad it looks. Her plan is to be Chewie to your Han Solo - this is NOT a good plan... And I don't think a garbage chute will be handy here either.

I could only take so much of the abuse before I went all sword is my voice with them, and hey, we got to wipe them all out! Sweet1

After the battle we searched the office - oh yeah and killed Menge - sweet!

Then we make our way out the side door of Menge's chamber and watch as Triss deals her final revenge - asking you to meet up with her later to talk. After she sets the place on fire she teleports out - while we go over the wall!

Next stop Dijkstra and another chat... You don't even have to go to the baths - you get an instant CS as you exit the area. The chat with him has mixed results but you do get your next lead!

Go find the box and drop the signal flag, then meet with the spy... At midnight Trss joins you and then the spy arrives... He plays tough so Triss tortures him. He quickly gives in and starts answering your questions.

Your next step is to consult Priscilla -- and talking to Priscilla completes the quest!

Objectives

• Question Reuven about Dandelion's disappearance without raising any suspicion

• Follow Dijkstra

• Investigate the site of the break-in using your Witcher Senses

• Use your Witcher Senses to search the sewer room for evidence.

• Follow the current

• Return to the bathhouse and summarize with Dijkstra

• Look for clues about the thieves in the bathhouse side rooms using your Witcher Senses

• Go to Margrave Henckel's house.

• Search Margrave Henckel's house with your Witcher Senses

• Solve the riddle from the mysterious note

• Check what's going on downstairs

• Meet Triss at the Eternal Fire shrine near the harbor around midnight

• Follow the witch hunter leader

• Kill Caleb Menge

• Search Menge's Desk for clues

• Read the letter from Menge's desk

• Find a way out of the witch hunter's outpost

• Tell Dijkstra what you've learned

• Find the drop bx using your Witcher Senses. Place the holy tome there to signal that you want to meet with the spy.

• Talk to Priscilla

Mission: Get Junior

Deal with the underworld Boss

Flagged as a result of the previous mission -- Suggested Level: 12

Thanks to the lovely Priscilla, Geralt now knew Ciri and I had struck a deal with Whoreson Junior, one of the Big Four bosses of the Novigrad underworld. It seemed a simple matter of finding Whoreson, having a chat and getting out ofhim where to look for me. But in the Novigrad of the time nothing was simple, and nothing was what it seemed.

Naturally it being a bath house you have to get naked (mostly) in order to have the meeting. You hear some interesting chatter as you arrive, and then you realize that you know him! From earlier... But before things can get interesting you get interrupted.

So after the battle in the buff, you once again get a CS and are given an Introduction to the attending members of this soiree - before you defend yourself and your motives...

Your chat convinces them that you have nothing in terms of harm for them, and that your dealings with Junior will be less than amiable.

Heading to the first marker you gain admission tot he arena, and talk to Igor. You convince him to give you a try-out to work for him - but that means three to-the-death matches in the arena...

With all the battling you have been doing this should be cake. Once you complete the battle in the arena

After the battle you meet Whoreson - but it seems he thinks you are there to kill him - and then the Dwarf attacks so you have to fight a pack of guards and then search the arena for information about Whoreson. Go back to the throne that Igor was sitting on and search there for a document... Then find his stash!

The clue in the letter allows you to get more information from Dijkstrra - specifically a lead that will take you to an old friend, Vernon Roche.

You have a chat with Roche and learn what he has to offer. Completing the side adventure with Roche leads you to the King and to Junior. How about that?

Basically by following this path you avoided doing all of the other steps - which is good...

Head to the hideout and talk your way in, then use the information about the secret passage to your advantage!

When you finally confront him Whoreson Junior discovers that life can be pain... As you interrogate him you trigger another flashback memory.

After the interrogation you kill him - of course you do! And he deserved it too! And that ends the mission...

Objectives

• Go to the bathhouse to talk to Sigi Reuven

• Get dressed and put your clothing in the dresser

• Follow Happen

• Find Whoreson Junior's hideout

• Find Whoreson Junior's Casino

• Defeat Whoreson's Thugs

• Search the Casino for information about Whoreson

• Find Whoreson Junior's arena

• Talk to Igor

• Fight in teh ring to prove you'd make a good bodyguard

• Search the arena for information about Whoreson

• Read the document you found

• Use your Witcher Senses to find a way to access the secret stash

• Read the Mysterious Letter

• Talk to Dijkstra about Whoreson's ties to the Redarians

• Talk to Vernon Roche in the partisan camp.

• Meet Roche by the bridge in Oxenfurt

• Enter the Chess Club with Roche

• Get inside Whoreson's hideout

• Use the secret passage to reach Junior's hideout

• Search Whoreson Junior's residence

• Kill Whoreson Junior

Mission: Ciri's Story: Visiting Junior

Get to Dudu

Flagged automatically as part of the Whoreson Mission

After a long search, Geralt had at last found Whoreson Junior and forced him to recount the truth of his dealings with Ciri - events in which I, dear reader, played a not insubstantial role.

Ciris and I had promised Whoreson a heap of Treasure in return for his help. When we failed to deliver, he kidnapped our friend Dudu and started torturing him - his way of prodding us to improve our performance. But fear not, Dudu was not abandoned in his hour of need - Ciri broke into Junior's home, struck the rotten thug down and freed the doppler.

Alas, Junior then struck back with overwhelming force. Dudu could simply change form and melt into the crowd, but Ciri and I had to flee the city at breakneck speed, with Junior's strongmen on our heels the entire time. In the end we were driven to the Temple Isle - and into a corner. Ciri was forced to use her abilities and teleported away. I struggled valiantly, but ultimately was captured by the Temple Guard and thrown into prison.

Objectives

• Get on the roof

• Get on the balcony

• Enter through the window to Whoreson Junior's room

• Kill Whoreson Junior

• Escape Whoreson Junior's Hideout

As you exit Whoreson's hideout you are stopped by the King's guard and escorted to his ship. You are stripped of your weapons and taken on board, and so starts the Mission A Favor for Radivid

Mission: A Favor for Radovid

Meet with the King

Flagged automatically as you complete Get Junior -- Suggested Level: 9

As you are, no doubt, already well aware, Geralt has always paid particular interest to crowns and the men who wear them. Kings, you see, are always in need of specialists to perform dirty jobs for them. When Geralt heard King Radovid wanted to see him, he surmised this was just such a moment and set off in the hope a profitable Witcher contract was in the offing.

He orders you to find Philippa Eilhart -- the sorceress - alive!

Exiting the ship completes this Mission.

Objectives

• Go see King Radovid

Mission: The Play's the Thing

Update Priscilla on Dudu

Flagged automatically as you complete the mission Get Junior -- Suggested Level: 11

As you surely recall, Geralt knew Ciri had been in Novigrad, that she had contacted Dudu and me and that afterwards all three of us had plummeted straight into a writhing snake pit of trouble. The last person to have seen Ciri was yours truly, but I, too, had disappeared without a trace. Geralt accurately surmised that Dudu would be the easiest of our ill-fated trio to find. He went to the one person who could help him do this - Priscilla.

As you chat with her Priscilla comes up with a very daring plan - to write a new play! After Priscilla writes the script you deliver it - and then follow her instructions.

After helping choose the cast you end up in the play yourself - sigh...

The play was about as awkward as expected - but hey, it worked! Dudu is home and the plan can take shape....The success allows for a meeting of the minds in private, and that wraps up the mission!

Objectives

• Tell Priscilla what you've learned about Dudu

• Take the script to Irina Renarde

• Head to the docks and hire users for the play

• Recruit jugglers from the performing troupe called the Puffins

• Get rid of the thugs lurking outside the Puffins' house.

• Talk to Irina Renarde and start the play

The story is really coming together now and we finally have a real shot at freeing Dandelion from durance vile - so let's get that show on the road hey? Let's get in position!

Mission: A Poet Under Pressure

Free Dandelion

Flagged automatically at the conclusion of the previous Mission -- Suggested Level: 13

Ah, what times those were, times of adventure, action and unexpected twists around every corner! As you surely recall, Ciri and I escaped from Whoreson Junior's headquarters only to wind up trapped in a corner by the Temple Guards.

Ciri managed to get away, but I was captured and tossed in the Temple Isle dungeons. From there I was to be transported to Deireadh, the infamous Oxenfurt prison, to await my execution - and here my tale would surely end, had my friends not devised an ingenious plan to ambush the transport.

With the play concluded and Dudu on board, the Witcher heads to meet up with Zoltan at the ambush site, and with any luck the plan will unfold smoothly and without any snags, right? Right!

After you chat with Zoltan Priscilla shows up to deliver Dudu's message - and another conversation ensues in which Priscilla begs to stay here at the ambush site. Stay, go, whatever. Hey at least if you let her stay we can play Gwent!

Yeah so things do not go quite as expected - as you begin the attack one of the hunters grabs Dandelion and rides off - so you give chase! Using your Witcher Senses and consulting witnesses, you follow the clues that lead you to a cabin in the woods...

Speaking to the halflings who were recently evicted from their cabin by the hunter you learn that there is another way into the barricaded cabin -- they give you the key to the cellar door which is around back - head there and go in,

The battle is pretty simple - just kill the bugger! and then untie your best mate!

As you emerge from the cabin your other friends arrive - and the chat about Ciri begins, so of course this is a perfect spot for a flashback!

After the flashback the conversation renews and you show Dandelion the phylactery you took from Junior...

More details pass back and forth and Dandelion explains his motivation - the curse that Ciri is trying to lift... Dandelion then repeats the curse to you but it makes little sense...

That nicely concludes the rescue of Dandelion and this part of Act I. Well done you! But do not rest on your laurels just yet as there is a lot more to do in terms of cleaning up the quest journal - and of course our next destination and Mission!

Completing this Mission unlocks the Achievement: A Friend in Need (15g) Find and free Dandelion.

Objectives

• Meet Zoltan at the site of the ambush

• (Optional) Ask Dijkstra for help rescuing Dandelion

• Use your Witcher Senses to pick up the trail

• Ask if anyone from the camp has seen Dandelion's abductor

• Explore the area in front of the hut in the woods

• Enter the halfling's home via the secret passage

• Free Dandelion

• Untie Dandelion

Mission: Ciri's Story: Breakneck Speed

Play through the events

Flagged automatically during the previous Mission -- Suggested Level: 11

Ciri had defeated Whoreson Junior and freed Dudu - but then the real trouble started. Junior sounded the alarm and we had to flee as fast as our mounts could take us. Our only possible escape route led to Temple Isle.

Once on Temple Isle, our goose was truly cooked. Whoreson's men stopped being our main problem when we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by the Temple Guard. All possible escape routes were cut off and Ciri had no other option but to teleport herself away. As for me, while I put up a brave defense against overwhelming odds, in the end I was captured and tossed into a dungeon.

Fleeing towards the Isle as Ciri you take out the thugs and then ride horses at breakneck speed up the hill path to the destination, where you take out some more thugs before rushing inside only to encounter MORE guards!

That concludes the flashback!

Objectives

• Flee towards Temple Isle

• Mount another horse

While that wraps up the story missions for this part of Act I, it does not complete all of the things that we need to do here. If you have not already completed the Mission in the next section to gain access to Skellige you should probably do that now if just to be able to complete and remove the Novigrad quests that require access to there.

And you should try very hard to remove the rest of the Novigrad AND the Velen quests from the journal - or those you think you can handle... As soon as you can handle them.

Note your radar map - just outside the cabin where you rescued Dandelion is a quest marker "!" that when you check it gives you a reward that, well, to be honest, why would you want??

So well done and go do Side Quests, Hunts, and contracts!