Eggebracht’s Orders

Wyvern

There’s an interesting missive pinned to the Notice Board close to the quartermaster’s tent in these parts. It mentions the loss of a patrol, and a reward for finding them. Enter the tent adorned with the sun motif of the Emhyr, and speak to quartermaster Eggebracht. You can shoot the breeze with him, but continue this quest by asking him for work. He requests you find the abandoned camp, across the lake, to the northwest of here.

The going underfoot soon turns soggy. Watch for nekkers as you start to wade into a swamp, before crossing the lake to the woodland area northwest of these parts.

The Abandoned Nilfgaardian Camp is on the northwest part of the lake, and offers a wealth of clues to a Witcher with a twitching set of senses:

• A campfire showing the soldiers left here in a hurry.

There are footprints leading up into the woods—some booted and others barefoot. Follow them into the woods. Were they leading a group of barefoot peasants, or did the peasants do the leading?

Keep following the prints until a smell overtakes your senses. Follow the stench clouds, spotting draconid musk on the ground. There are three or four of these piles to inspect, which take you in an elongated loop through the trees. Prepare for intermittent fighting with nekkers and bandits along the way. Though you only need to find the scent clue to the poisoned corpse, all the clues are presented here.

Return and continue to follow the sets of footprints, up toward a confrontation with a bear. The nearby remains of a corpse seems to have been poisoned. Now continue along the path to the southeast, following the prints up and into a hillside devoid of trees.

A frightening screech, and a flapping airborne menace swoops in to slaughter you with its talons. Retaliate by knocking the foe down to the ground, and finishing this winged menace as adeptly as you can. Once killed, inspect the corpse and slice the head off, gathering its hide and other items, but don’t leave without your trophy.

End: Sniffing Around Nilfgaardian Business

At this point, you may retrace your steps and inform the quartermaster of your findings. However, it is well worth continuing up the path you were on when you faced the wyvern, tracking another poisoned soldier (this one was gnawed on), and more footprints that lead down into a ravine, and a ghoul’s nest within a cavern tunnel. The remains of a villager lie at the end. Report this to the quartermaster, and he’s annoyed that you’re poking your nose into Nilfgaardian business. Either way, your reward is received (though you can refuse it if you don’t like crowns).