Surreptitious Cerys: Cellar Smells Where a Traitor Dwells

While Hjalmar races off to kill some Vildkaarl beserkers, you take a more measured approach with Cerys in the feast hall. Ask her who died (many; only her, Hjalmar and Svarige have claim to the throne), and what happened before the massacre. Then look around, using your Witcher Senses:

• One corpse has fang and claw marks, and broken bones. It is difficult to say what killed him. There are other corpses to examine, too.

Head over to one of the bears, and examine it:

• (The Head) A bear’s head, but a short tongue like a human’s. The mouth smells of alcohol and earth.
• (The Torso) Under the fur is a tattoo in the shape of a paw.
• (The Limbs) Evidence of a sutured old scar.

This is a half-man, half-bear. But what caused the transformation? The mead is a clue; you should check the horns, tankards, and bowls.

• Mead horns are empty.
• A bowl has the whiff of… mushrooms?
• Another bowl—one at each table—contains mead and only mead.

The scent of mead and something earthy fills your nostrils. Head north to the open door, and examine the small table to the left of it. You call over Cerys, who confirms you are dealing with werebears—known colloquially as beserkers. You reveal the beserkers’ mead was spiked with what you think is blood. Cerys suggests Hjort might be able to help.

Head east from the feast hall, onto the exterior battlements where the remaining Jarls are raising their voices about what happened. Listen and speak to them too, if you wish. Hjort is praying to Freya. Interrupt him, and hand him the mead horn. He immediately recognizes the smell as the mushroom “mardroeme” (or “psilocybe”). It causes hallucinations in humans, and eases pain in small doses. But how was it slipped into the wine? Away from the feast in the cellars; that’s where!

Dash after Cerys through the feast hall to the entrance, across to the north corner exit, down past the smithy, into a series of descending corridors that end at the cellar entrance to the south. Cerys wants to show you where the poisons are kept. She walks to some steps, and down to a lower area of the cellar. Cerys reckons the stench is revolting, but it’s from some Mahakaman spirit. Use your Witcher Senses to inspect the various barrels until you reach the one in the southeast corner that looks different. This is the brew that caused the berserkers’ transformation. Someone tosses a torch into the cellar, and the high-proof spirit goes up in flames. There’s no way back. Only into a secret passage on the northeast corner of the cellar, blocked by barrels. Use Aard to destroy the barrel blockage and sprint into the tunnels.