Elders And Betters: Getting It In The Neck

Descend into the cave passage with Regis, moving along the tunnel until you reach water. Then climb the rocks to the right, entering a cavern with a Fleder you must defeat (though Regis makes short work of this lesser vampire if you let him). Climb a second set of natural rock steps, passing a lit wall brazier, that leads into a grand and arched cavern. There is not one sound in this silent place.

The silence is broken by the snarling voice of a monstrous host, a fearsome shadowy form that speaks to Regis in a foreign tongue. Regis’ response is cut off. Answer the Unseen Elder as you wish; it matters not as the Elder launches an attack on you, faster than you can blink. Tearing at your neck, it feeds on your blood, hoists you by the neck, and throws you tumbling down a deep side tunnel. Not the conclusion to the meeting you’d been hoping for.

You regain consciousness with busted ribs, internal hemorrhaging, and your health bar emptying faster than Zoltan Chivay’s tankard at an ale festival. Access your inventory, and swig down a Swallow potion (of any strength). If you don’t have a Swallow potion, choose a White Raffard decoction. If you don’t have either, you can prepare a potion using alchemy.

After staggering and dropping to the ground, you regain consciousness some time later. Before you gain your bearings, make sure you gain your belongings; use your Witcher Senses and hunt for your Crossbow and bolts, Steel Sword, and Silver Sword that lie scattered about the cave. Don’t forget to re-equip them!