The Witcher 3 The Final Age Main Quests – Payback, Final Preparations, Through Time and Space

This feature continues Prima’s free walkthrough for The Witcher 3. Main quests include Payback, the continuation of Final Preparations and Through Time and Space. We will tell you how to outlast the Sandcrabs in the desert, make it to the lighthouse in freezing cold and find Ge’els, where you will reveal the truth about Eredin, king of the Wild Hunt. 

Main Quest: Payback

Travel to Gildorf Square, where you’ll find Ciri bartering with someone over a trinket of some sort.  Speak to her and she reveals a desire to visit some old friends. Tell her you think it’s a cool idea and then follow her out of Gildorf Square to track down Whoreson Junior if he’s still alive. 

There’s a good chance you killed him while on the Get Junior main quest. If so, proceed with Ciri to Temple Isle, where she says the two of you will meet up with Whoreson. Object to this and she will want to make sure he’s dead.  Go to Whoreson’s place and you’ll see two of his thugs by the main door. 

Choose one of the following:

• Gain entry using Axii Sign magic, Delusion level 3.
• Draw Geralt’s sword and engage these guys in combat. Ciri will say Geralt’s name and your opponents will stop fighting.  

With Ciri alongside you, access the top of this place to discover Whoreson Junior very much alive. Insults fly back and forth, then Ciri tells Geralt to finish the job. Before attacking Whoreson, he transforms into Dudu, a doppelganger.

Ask this person a question only Dudu would know the answer to. Turns out he pretends to be Whoreson to run the business, which is doing quite well. Bid him farewell and move on. 

If you chose to let Whoreson Junior live while completing the Get Junior main quest, Ciri leads you to Novigrad’s Bits district to look for him.  You’ll enter an alley with some kids annoying a drunk who turns out to be Whoreson Junior! Apparently he’s experienced a fate worse than death, and Ciri suggests you leave him be.

Now travel east until you come to the Golden Sturgeon. Go into this place and you’ll see three people bothering a waitress. Have Geralt get in the middle of this and choose from the following options: 

• Select “Leave on your own” and Ciri will speak so highly of Geralt’s exploits they run off. 
• Select “Or I’ll throw you out” and you’ll fight all three men. 

Whatever you choose, Ciri will engage Bea in conversation, then hand her the item she purchased during the beginning of this quest. The tavern owner offers Geralt slaughtered piglet but he refuses to continue helping Ciri.

Proceed with Ciri south and exit the Novigrad gates. Pass through the Portside Gate and you’ll see a carnival camp by the Pontar River.  Ciri will locate Valdo and his buddy Aegar.  Geralt meets these two and thinks something is odd about them. After refusing some money Valdo challenges Geralt to a horse race.

If you race, stick to the Pontar River and then the road. Providing you gallop, expect the race to last roughly 40 seconds. Win or lose, Ciri insists you give a coin to Valdo, who will then offer some wine. Drinking lasts quite a while, then Aegar asks you to steal some horses.  

• Say yes and you reappear near the stables. 
• Decline and Aegar’s mood takes an angry turn. Teach him a lesson with your fists! Win or lose both characters get banished and you reappear at Rosemary and Thyme. 

If you agree to steal the horses, activate Geralt’s Witcher Senses to figure out how to open the doors from inside. 

Climb on top of a shed and walk to a tiny platform directly ahead. Now use the ladder to gain entry to the stables. With Witcher Senses activated, creepy up to the sleeping guard, making note of the key on the table.

Do not make a lot of noise, otherwise the horses become antsy and the guard wakes up, you’ll need to defeat him and finally, use Axii Sign magic to calm the animals down. Carefully snag the key and then unlock the door, allowing Ciri and Aegar to come inside. Take the horses and leave.

Partake in the conversation with Ciri and respond however you want. She will then meet you at Dandelion’s tavern. 

Main Quest: Final Preparations (continued)

This is one of the most important quests in the game because you will make the third of five key decisions that impact Ciri’s destiny.  Select +1 for a positive choice and -1 for a negative choice. 

While at Rosemary and Thyme, look for Ciri at the top of the steps. She will tell you the Lodge of Sorceresses wants to have a word with her. If you decide to stay on the landing, you look through a peephole with Yennefer, and Ciri will talk to the Lodge of Sorceresses by herself. You have confidence in Ciri and she respects this, hence the +1.

Go with Ciri to meet the Lodge and verify everything she says. This damages her confidence, and Geralt will speak for her instead of letting Ciri do the talking. This results in -1.   

The Lodge will then invite Ciri to join its ranks. Ciri tells them Avallac’h trained her and then leaves this meeting confused. Yennefer tells Geralt to meet up with Avallac’h. 

Main Quest: Through Time and Space 

While inside Rosemary and Thyme, go as high as you can, walk into the Ruby Suite and speak to Avallac’h.  He’s thrilled that you defeated Imlerith, despite there being two more Wild Hunt generals to deal with, and then the mighty Eredin after that.  First up is Caranthir, who remains loyal to the Wild Hunt. The second general, Ge’els, pledged allegiance to the prior king and has no knowledge of Eredin slaughtering him. Avallac’h suggests you go to Aen Elle and meet with Ge’els. From here you can meditate and do this later on, or continue this main quest with Avallac’h. 

If you choose the latter option, follow Avallac’h to a home in Novigrad where Rudolf de Jonkheer and Sarah the little Godling lived before the banker ruined everything. Go inside and then access the basement through a trapdoor. When you see the cracked wall, use Axii Sign magic and go right through.

Did you let Sarah the Godling stay in this place during the Novigrad Dreaming main quest? If so you will find her here, along with Corrine Tilly. None of that impacts this quest. 

Avallach’h will lead Geralt through a portal and you appear in Ddiddiwedht Desert. Follow him while listening to the conversation about how this place was once a massive ocean. Sandcrabs will show up before entering the next portal, so draw your sword and hit these creatures with Quen and Igni Sign magic. There are too many to defeat, but so long as you remain alive the portal will eventually open. Quickly walk into it. 

Now you’re in a new world full of lichen-covered rocks. Go left towards the ledge and look for a distant path, but don’t head there yet. There’s too much toxic gas, and you must find a safe way through it. 

Stay left and climb up the plateau.  Fall into the next area and head southeast until you come to a ledge, which you should also climb up.  From here go south while keeping the portal directly ahead of Geralt. Now go right and travel down the sloping terrain. Run through this section and climb to the other side, where you’ll now have a safe area to halt the flow of poison. Pan the camera southwest and dash through the reeds and poison, then up three ledges. Run through the portal to leave this place. 

This new world makes the toxic gas seem bearable. Now you must deal with extreme cold.  Run out of the cavern and activate Igni Sign magic to melt the ice.  Go northwest and into an alcove, where you see an X on a rock.

Don’t succumb to the cold! Protect Geralt by lighting anything flammable, including fireplaces. Regain lost health and exit this alcove. Pan the camera left and to the north until you see a damaged wall of stones. Run towards this wall and around the corner, then take the slope east. When you arrive at the outcropping, turn north again and go into the house. Go to the bottom and make note of the fire on top of the lighthouse.

Run to the lighthouse, specifically through the open door all the way at the bottom. Go inside and then access the bottom floor. Kill the two Wild Hunt Hounds and approach the fire to regain health. Turn northwest and go through the open door. 

When ready, pass through the open window on the left. Go inside and take the notes from the kitchen. Read these notes to discover new details about the town. 

Head north and go through the next open door. Go past the trees to a partially buried wall and some steps that’ll take you to the guard tower. While passing through the tower, look for a skeleton and take the diary nearby if you wish. 

Look left to find an opening in the wall, then travel down the slope so you see the base of the lighthouse. Kill the Hounds and light campfires to regain health. Enter the lighthouse to meet up with Avallac’h. 

After speaking to him at length, particularly about the Geralt’s connection to the Red Riders, walk into the portal and you’ll step out into the Palace of Awakening hallway, also referred to as Tir Na Lia. Walk into the gardens with Avallac’h until you see Ge’els, who offers you a drink. Regardless of whether you accept this or not, Ge’els eventually agrees to accompany you to the world of the Aen Seidhe. 

Ciri, meanwhile, is at Rosemary and Thyme alongside Corrine Tilly. Ge’els attempts to drive a wedge between Ciri and Avallac’h but fails. Now the Viceroy enters a dream state. 

Enjoy this cut scene and when it concludes, you will see Ge’els by a window, pondering the truth.  He wants Geralt to head to Skellige to locate the Sunstone, then call forth the Naglfar and Eredin with it. Avallac’h comes back, you enjoy a bit of conversation and the quest concludes. Time to confront Eredin. 

Visit Prima’s The Witcher 3 walkthrough, where we tell you how to master Gwent, romance the ladies and make lots of money. From there, proceed to the Battle Preparations, The Sunstone and Child of the Elder Blood main quests!