Lilacs and Gooseberries - Continued

As you continue to chat with the patrons of the Inn you will encounter a vagrant who not only knows who you are, but knows who Yen is too.

When you exit the Inn after talking to everyone you are confronted by a pair of soldiers who get all aggro on you - you have the choice of talking or talking with Sign. If you opt to use Sign you will incap one of them but still need to fistfight the other two. Fortunately they are pretty easy to beat.

The brush around the village is chocker-blocks full of reagents so you may want to spend a bit Collecting here.

After asking all of the travelers about Yen Geralt is left with asking the Nilfgaardians about her.

As you explore the village you will find the Notice Board - so be sure to read it!

The Notice Board

In the center of the village you will also encounter the Notice Board which, in addition to the news and notices there may also be the odd quest to be found. On the White Orchard Notice Board you can flag the following quests:

Quest: Missing in Action

Find Dune Vildenvert's brother

As it turned out, Geralt was not alone in searching White Orchard for a lost loved one. The Witcher also found the notice of a peasant who was seeking his brother.

The brother had left home to take up arms against Nilfgaard. The forces of the North and the Black Ones had then clashed in a great battle near the brother's home village, and the peasant had not heard from his brother since.

You find the quest giver at their house near the looted village and chat with them - Dune understands that the chances of actually finding his brother alive are pretty much slim-to-none, but he wants to recover the body nevertheless - so we agree to meet him near the Battlefield and have a go.

When you both arrive talk to Dune again to get another CS - Dune tells you how he thinks that you can find his brother - so you move through the Battlefield searching. You will get some really good loot here and a lot of it but eventually the dog will pick up the scent and off you go!

Once you search enough bodies the dog picks up the scent - and you follow it to a cabin where you get a CS in which you see two soldiers talking. It is Dunes brother - alive! And it seems that a Nilfgaardian has saved his life!

You have to make a choice as to whether you encourage Dune to help the man - but either way that ends the quest and you get your reward!

Objectives

• Find Dune Videnvert

• Meet Dune near the Battlefield

• Using your Witcher Senses, search for Temarian shields with small white flowers painted on them.

• Follow the dog's trail

Contract: The Devil by the Well

Ask Odalan about the contract.

In White Orchard Geralt happened across a notice posted by a certain Odolan residing itn the village.

The man wanted someone to take out the monster who was haunting an area around an old well - and doing so required a professional. This was as typical of Witcher work as they come, so Geralt decided to talk to the man.

You find him at his house and he fills yo in on the situation with the well... And the ghost... One you settle on the price the contact advances and it is time to go find us a ghost!

When you arrive at the abandoned village before you start to officially investigate go ahead and loot all the containers here. Once that is done, then start examining the clues - and you will quickly ID the culprit... It is a Noonwraith!

After you jump into the well and find the bracelet you have to use the smaller pool on the other side to swim down into the underwater cave and out to the pond. In the pond there is a chest you should loot - it has some good stuff in it.

How you defeat this spirit is simple - you case Yrden and, when the Noonwraith is inside the trap you attack it with the Silver Sword. When it is in the trap it is very vulnerable - there is no sense trying to attack it outside of the trap - as you can barely damage it there.

Once you have destroyed the Noonwraith the contract is complete and you get your XP reward. Be sure to loot the Noonwraith corpse to get some special rewards. Then return to Odolan for payment.

Objectives

• Ask Odolan about the contract

• Find the spirit that haunts the well

• Read the entry about Noonwraiths in the Bestiary

• Read the diary from the ruined house

• Use your Witcher Sense to examine the well

• Find evidence of the spirit's presence using your Witcher Sense

• Find out what binds the Noonwraith to the ruined village

• Go down the well and look for something that belonged to the dead woman using your Witcher Sense

• Find a way out of the well

• Leave the Cave

• Prepare to fight the Noonwraith and light a fire near the well

• Light a fire to destroy the Noonwraiths bones and bracelet

White Orchard Inn

At the White Orchard Inn you can buy a Gwent Card or two and flag the quest:

Quest: Collect 'Em All

Complete your Collection of Gwent Cards

In his previous adventures, Geralt had gained fame as a master dice poker player. Yet having mastered all challengers in this arena, he had no choice but to find another in which to garner more laurels.

He thus decided to take up Gwent, and since he aimed to play at the highest levels, he felt he had to gather a completed Collection of all the cards available - including some which could only be had by winning them off the best players around.

Objectives

• Complete your Collection of Gwent Cards

White Orchard

Look for the Quest Marker and talk to the White Orchard Blacksmith to flag a Quest.

Quest: Twisted Firestarter

Catch the Arsonist who burned the Smithy

Flagged in White Orchard, with the Blacksmith.

There were only a handful of nonhumans in White Orchard. One of them was the dwarf Willis, an excellent blacksmith whose wares attracted peasants from far and wide. Sadly, his forge had burned to the ground shortly before Geralt arrived.

Willis suspected the fire had been started deliberately and asked the Witcher to investigate this alleged arson.

When you go behind the smithy you spot a trail with your Witcher Senses - bootprints from a large man... Following the trail you discover that the arsonist tried to get clever - and got attacked by Drowners for his trouble. Then YOU get attacked by them!

As you continue to follow his trail on the other side of the bridge you find that the arsonist lost his boots in his rush to escape the monsters, and the trail leads you to a house in the village where you find the suspect.

You confront Napp - the villager with the wounds - and he tries to justify his acts. So he gets violent and you use your Sign to calm him down and make him come with you!

When the smith confronts him the suspect panics but the smith calls over the soldiers and they decide to hang the man. Harsh punishment? Yeah, bit the smith seems to be pleased...

For your assistance you receive a decent reward in terms of money and XP, and the smith is grateful and tells you he will happily smith something for you cheap!

Objectives

• Use your Witcher Senses to look behind the forge for clues about the arsonist.

• Follow the trail using your Witcher Senses

• Look for someone with wounds dealt by Drowners using your Witcher Senses.

• Talk to the Suspect

• Escort the arsonist back to the blacksmith

Treasure Hunt

A new type of quest is discovered as you make your way around the area gathering and Collecting and, off of the bridge outside of town discover a chest and wagon that has been pushed into the water. On the body of a nearby soldier's corpse is the key and, inside you find a letter that flags the new type of quest!

Treasure Hunt: Temerian Valuables

Find the lost Temarian Treasure

Flagged by finding the locked chest in the water - Level 4 Suggested.

To Whom It May Concern, By Order of the Legion Commander:

The men bearing this missive are to be escorted north, to the border post near Oxenfurt, where they will find a Redanian division waiting for them. As noble-born Temarians, they are under special protection and not a hair on their heads is to be harmed. Everything they carry is their own private property and is to remain in their possession.

Any failure to head this order will be punished in an accelerated military tribunal.

Randal Vittenberg

Whenever I would ask the Witcher for his opinion concerning my latest sonnet, elegy or even couplet, he'd always claim he hadn't the time. Yet time he had aplenty when it came to reading letters found on corpses or lying about monster nests. Perhaps that was because they, unlike my writings, often proved the path to significant riches...

This quest is linked to the Deserter Gold one in that the target containers are located in the same place - so you will want to flag that one as well as this one before you do them.

Once you have, head to the search area, break down the door, and then fall through the floor to find the cache! Simply search and loot to complete this quest - and the other one.

Objectives

• Read the Document you found

• Find the lost Temerian Treasure using your Witcher Senses

Hunting and Gathering

As you make your way around the brush and woods as well as village gathering reagents do not neglect the water! First of all there are reagents you can only get under water, and second there are chests and crates under there you can loot without getting into trouble - and they have some pretty spiffy items in them that you may not find elsewhere.

It is in your best interests to explore and not just because you can flag new quests and find treasures but because you need to do that to uncover and ID each area on the map!

As you explore the map hit each question mark - at the places of power you can hold A to absorb them and gain skill points. Once you get your first Ability Point you can use the Character Menu to level up one of the abilities and then apply it to your open slot!

As you work on clearing all of the "?" markers out in the woods you will find a gold "!" of this quest giver...

Quest: Precious Cargo

Find the merchants box.

Flagged by the Merchant in the Woods.

The merchant Geralt found standing by the side of the road in White Orchard was extremely distraught. He had been hauling some precious goods to the Nilfgaardian camp when his horse was spooked and veered off the road, pulling the merchant's cart with it and dumping the whole works in the foggy swamp outside the camp.

The poor horse became trapped in the muck and soon was devoured by the monsters who inevitably lurk in such places. The merchant was understandably afraid to go retire his goods, and thus asked the Witcher to do it for him - in return for a sizable reward.

Heading to the marked area you use your Sense to track down the cart - and the clues that are everywhere. Loot all the stuff and then head back to the "merchant" - you know, the merchant with the bow and arrows on his back? THAT merchant?

Then confront him about the massacre!

He plays it stupid and then runs - so you need to jump on your horse and chase him, knock him off his horse - or chase hm all the way to the bandit camp then defeat the bandits and take him prisoner. You then hear a story about how he is a surviving soldier for the good guys. Really?

Letting him go earns you a reward and some XP... Hopefully he was not lying.

Objectives

• Use your Witcher Sense to find where the cart left the road

• Find the little box the merchant mentioned using your Witcher Senses

• Find the cart

• Look around the cart for evidence about the attack using your Witcher Sense

• Return the box to the merchant

• Chase down the merchant

• Knock the merchant off his horse

• Defeat the bandits

As you work your way through the white question marks on the map to reveal locations - and loot the containers you find at them, you will unlock the following:

Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear

Find the Viper School Gear Diagrams

While traveling the downtrodden lands of Velen and the former Temerian border regions, Geralt found clues about the location of a set of diagrams for crafting the legendary equipment once worn by the Viper School of Witchers. Motivated by curiosity and the prospect of acquiring these priceless objects, he decided to pursue this lead.

This one is a quest that as long as you are working on uncovering all of the locations you will not even have to TRY to complete. It will happen automagically!

When you find the Power Spot at the graveyard you will end up entering the crypts there - and finding all of the bodies and quest items in one easy spot!

So yeah, easey peasey!

Objectives

• Search the Castle Ruins

• Read the Report

• Find Kolgrim's remains

• Read Kolgrim's letter

• Find diagrams for all the elements of Viper School gear 2/2

Treasure Hunt: Deserter Gold

Find a deserter's gold cache

15th day of observation (23rd of Birke)

Back in the camp. Brought in heals of plunder, mostly armor and weapons, but this time a sealed chest, too. Towards dusk a man delivered rations of food. And drink.

16th day of observation (24th of Birke)

Messenger arrived in the camp before dawn, Caused quite a stir. They immediately organized a group to transport the chest. After dusk I'll try to track down where they carried it to.

17th day of observation (25th of Birke)

Didn't move the case that far away, just to the abandoned hut near the old mill. Set up a watch, so I wasn't able to get loser.

18th day of observation (26th Birke)

every man in the camp has been drinking since yesterday afternoon. If we attacked now, we'd obliterate them. Too bad the commander only sent one man (me) to this outpost. I'll try to sneak in tonight. If fortune smiles on me, perhaps one man will be enough.

Discipline is the backbone of any army. Everything must be written down, every order signed and archived in triplicate. This proved a boon to Geralt on one occasion, when he came across a document written in a soldier's hand. It was sparse and contained few details, but what it did divulge was intriguing to say the least...

As you work this quest you will actually be working another quest at the same time - the Temerian Valuables Quest (assuming you managed to flag it and hopefully you did).

Because when you arrive at the search area for this one - and break down the door and fall through the floor and search and loo the crates and chests, you will obtain the items for both THIS quest AND that one! How cool is that?

Objectives

• Read the letter you found

• Find the deserter's cache using your Witcher Sense

Monster Nests

You will encounter three Monster Nests in the game - two are located near the Power Spots, and one is in the woods by itself.

To destroy these - and you want to do that - you will need Grapeshot Bombs... Those are an Alchemy crafted item - but unfortunately to actually get them you will need to purchase the ingredients - though you can loot come of the Calcium Equum...

So yeah, the Grapeshot Bombs are made by crafting two Saltpeter and two Calcium Equum. Those can be bought from the various merchants in White Orchard and as stated the CE can be looted from chests.

So! Once you HAVE the bombs head out to the sites, kill off the mobs that have spawned and then use the Action Button to plant the bomb - the RUN! Heh. The Nest will be destroyed - and you will gain

Head over to the Herbalists House and talk to her - you need to do that anyway for the main mission - and buy the ingredients you need for the bombs.

Be sure to talk to her about Claer as part of the reward for doing so is some of the ingredients you need for the bombs!

Back on the Main Mission

After you complete the side-quests and contracts you can head to the military camp and talk to the Captain in the Tower - when you arrive you get a CS of the man negotiating with a local, and then you chat with him.

The Captain is willing to help with your quest for Yennefer - if you will slay the Griffin that is!

After you accept the mission he tells you what he knows about the Griffin - when you get all of the information you can from him it is time to depart.

Quest: On Death's Bed

Brew a dose of Swallow Potion

Flagged by the Herbalist as you are about the main quest.

Once again Geralt had a near impossible choice to make - a choice between a greater and lesser evil. While preparing to hunt the griffin, he had come across one of the beast's victims - a simple peasant woman named Lena.

She had been on her way to meet her lover when the griffin attacked. The beast had mortally wounded her. A Witcher's potion could save her life... Or cause her to perish in agony.

To make this potion you will need Dwarven Spirit Celandine, and Drowner's Brains - which you should already have. If so use the Alchemy craft with the Herbalist and make the potion! If not go collect the ingredients! Then make the potion!

Once you hand over the potion the quest ends an you get a pretty nice reward! Actually you get some darn spiffy rewards! That was above and beyond what was necessary!

Objectives

• Brew a dose of Swallow Potion

• Take the potion to the Herbalist

Quest: A Frying Pan, Spic and Span

Find the old woman's frying pan

Flagged by the old woman standing by the hut at the river (look for the !)

Many think that the life of a Witcher consists of nothing but adventure after grand adventure, an endless stream of contracts on manticores, bruxae and other exotic beasts. In truth Geralt would often take on more bnal tasks, ones lesser bards fear mentioning, for they lack the skill required to make a masterwork of the mundane. By way of example, once in White Orchard he was hired to retrieve a woman's... frying pan.

Break in the door and then collect all of the clues (and loot the place) to solve this mystery... Then return the pan and that will complete the quest!

Objectives

• Break into the locked hut

• Look around inside the hut for a frying pan using your Witcher Senses.

• Search the Hut and use your Witcher Senses to determine what happened here

• Return the frying pan to the old woman

Mission: The Beast of White Orchard

Kill the Griffin that is terrorizing the area.

Flagged by the Fort Commander when you visit the Nilfgaardian encampment to ask about Yen...

The commander of the Nilfgaardian garrison in White Orchard knew where Yennefer had gone. Shrewdly, he was unwilling to share this information for free. A man with substantial experience, he knew full well that Geralt would do anything to find the sorceress.

As luck would have it, there is a Griffin about, a beast the commander's soldiers had been unable to hunt down. The commander could demand but one thing: the monsters head in exchange for his help.

Talk to the Herbalist to inquire about the wounded woman and learn what details she has to offer... Talking to her will flag the Quest: On Death's bed as well.

When you arrive at the Hunter's House you will find he is not there. You then are prompted to use your Witcher Sense to find him. Just follow the red tracks and you find him - to chat!

After you chat with him he convinces you to help him to kill the pack of Wild Dogs - so do that!

After the dogs are dead talk to the Hunter again and you learn that the latest victim was one of his mates. Sad...

True to his word the Hunter takes you to where he found the soldiers and then describes the scene to you - so after the conversation ends examine the site with your Senses...

A full examination of the camp reveals the details - and tracks for you to follow! So follow them!

When you reach the site you examine more clues - and learn that the griffin you are hunting is probably a male and the mate to the dead female at the abandoned nest!

After exhausting the clues that are available here, you decide that you need to talk to Vesemir - so head bacl to the Inn and do so. This is also a good time for you to get your Kit repaired, and make any potions and such. Basic get-ready work.

To put this in perspective for you, through looting and having the Smith dismantle some items instead of buy them, I managed to obtain all of the required resources to make the Level 3 Kaedweni Gambeson! That has an Armor Level of 43(!) and increased stats for piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing resistance - which is basically most of what a griffin will do!

When you talk to Vesemir you have the option of discussing an event that actually took place in the previous game - and why not? After that tell him about the griffin contract - you exchange information and brief him on the male griffin and he tells you he is ready to go!

Vesemir has picked out a spot to trap the griffin - so you need to brew the Thunderbolt Potion and then meet him there! If you lack some ingredients (you should not) go to the Herbalist to get them.

Talk to Vesemir when you arrive and tell him that you can start - then you can spread the bait!

If you have trouble with this battle bear in mind that hitting it with the Igni Sign will help a LOT. And you can use the Potions you made.

Once you complete looting the griffin you need to go to the fort and collect your reward...

When you arrive you trigger a CS in which you see the commander dealing with that farmer - then you have a chat and the quest is completed. So well done... But why does it feel like we got a raw deal?

Objectives

• Find some Buckthorn on the riverbed using your Witcher Senses.

• Ask the hunter where he found the bodies.

• Use your Witcher Sense to find the Hunter

• Kill the Wild Dogs

• Follow the Hunter

• Examine the site of the Nilfgaardian solder's death using your Witcher Senses

• Follow the Nilfgaardian soldier's tracks using your Witcher Senses

• Talk to Vesemir

• Brew the Potion

• Meet Vesemir in the field where you plan to ambush the griffin.

• Kill the griffin

• Collect your reward from the Nilfgaardians

Before you depart the fort you may as well have a visit with the Quartermaster in case he has something you can use and maybe to get your Kit repaired...

Lilac and Gooseberries Continued

Now that we have the destination for Yen it is time to head back to the Inn and meet up with Vesemir.

When you arrive at the Inn you share what you learned - but Vesemir is concerned with the trouble that is brewing at the Inn - and now you are too!

After the CS you have yourself a battle and then SURPRISE! Yennefer! She has her say and then and you learn that times they do change. This is where you and Vesemir part company - and you need to understand that THIS is where the Prologue ends as well - so do NOT trigger this if you have not completed all of the Side Quests and Hunts because doing so will cause them to fail.

Note: There is one Side Quest that does not apply to this and that is the Collect 'em All Quest which, due to its many different locations spans pretty much the entire game...

Achievements

All things being equal you should have unlocked the following Achievements during your play through the Prologue:

Butcher of Blaviken (30g) Kill at least 5 opponents in under 10 seconds.

Let's Cook! (15g) Learn 12 potion formulas.

Power Overwhelming (15g) Have all possible Place of Power bonuses active a the same time

Lilac and Gooseberries (15g) Find Yennefer of Vengerberg

If you missed unlocking one of these you will have other opportunities but we would be surprised if you did...

Hints & Tips

The following hints and tips will be very helpful to you both in play and to maximize your enjoyment of the game and its entertainment potential.

Increased Storage: Your pack is not your only storage, nor is it the only way to increase your storage! The saddle on your horse will slightly increase the amount you can carry (though you need to find better saddles for this) and of course the Saddle Bags you can buy from the Smith will increase your storage significantly!

So when you go to spend your money bear in mind you should get Saddle Bags first before you start thinking about blowing large amounts on armor or weapons. Just saying.

Reagents: While it is true that you can only carry so much, gathering alchemy reagents is a really good idea because you never need them until you NEED them!

Having eliminated the Monster Nests, the Guarded Treasures and the Bandit Camps, you should have come away with good skill levels thanks to the four points from the Places of Power, and better armor and weapons, let alone a better saddle and some Saddle Bags!