Garden Games

The Duchess is an accomplished equestrian, so coax Roach into a gallop and race after her, dodging any groups of knights, servants, trees, and nobles as you ride up the palace road that winds up the perimeter to the top. There’s little time to appreciate the sweeping vistas along the way. At the top of the great hill the palace is perched upon, dismount and follow the Duchess to the location of the game; southwards down the carved limestone balconies and garden trails. Now you can take in that view!

Along the way, Henrietta explains the participants must find a unicorn’s horn, a golden fish, and a phoenix egg. With these, they can deduce where Milton the Hare hides. Thankfully, you don’t have to play along, and can just take what you need without regard for the games’ rules. Henrietta shall seek the egg, while you’re tasked with gathering the unicorn horn and the golden fish. These can be approached in either order, though the unicorn is closer to your starting position.

HORSEPLAY FOR A UNICORN HORN

Take a quick stroll through the tiered formal gardens, weaving down the paved pathways and out to the grassy overlook and large tree where a skittish “unicorn” is being coaxed by a group of game-playing toffs. You interrupt their nattering by striding over and failing to calm the animal. As you have intimate knowledge of unicorns (and eyes), you can tell this is a horse with a horn attached to its head. Your objective updates: Time to chase that filly down!

After the unicorn has bolted, you have two possible choices. You can:

PLAN 1: COAXING WITH A CARROT

Wander the nearby picnic areas, using your Witcher Senses to examine the food the noblefolk have for their partying. Gather a lovely carrot or a ripe apple from one of the picnic rug areas, much to the chagrin of the onlookers. Then carefully approach the “unicorn” with food in hand, and feed it the carrot to calm it down.

PLAN 2: ATTEMPTING A CALMING INFLUENCE

Or, you can simply set off down the hill, listening for the whinnying and locating the “unicorn.” Carefully approach the horse with a horn strapped to its head, and use your Axii Sign to calm it down considerably.

CONCLUSION: FISTICUFFS WITH THE FANCY FOLK

With the unicorn calmed, you can pry off the cotillion from its horn and keep it. If you used your Axii sign, this doesn’t sit well with the hoity-toity types, who accuse you of flagrant cheating. They seem to be under the impression that roughing you up might be a good idea. You can:

• (Axii Sign) Mention you didn’t break any rules. This calms down the noblemen sufficiently, without resorting to a fight.
• Tell them to get lost, or actively court a fight. Put up your dukes, and pummel the courtiers into the grass. There are three of them, and they certainly don’t put up much of a fight (especially if Axii is used on them).

TWEAKING THE BEAK OF KING CORMORANT

Make a descent in a roughly southerly direction, down to the fancy carved pier. Optionally look at the carved goldfish (so you know what you’re searching for) before diving into Lake Seidhe Llygad, and swimming to the investigation area. Submerge, using your Witcher senses on a number of large carved goldfish in the murky waters. Most contain candy of some description. As you reach the goldfish you need, it is yanked up on a fishing line, and despite your protests, the fish is presented to the King Cormorant, who conducts this game. You simply grab the fish, ruin the game, and incur the masked nobleman’s impotent wrath. However, if the golden fish is the first one you find (instead of the red or white fish), you can just grab the key from it and continue your search for Milton. You receive the following for your troubles:

At any point after getting the key from the golden fish, visit the greenhouse where Milton is hiding and open it. This completes the quest and demonstrates your wisdom needed for the Lady of the Lake quest.