This begins Act 2 of The Witcher: Wild Hunt, otherwise known as The Great Battle. It concludes with the epic Battle of Kaer Morhen, but first you must complete the following main quests: Ugly Baby, Disturbance, To Bait a Forktail, The Final Trial, No Place Like Home, Va Fail, Elaine and the Isle of Mists.
Main Quest: Ugly Baby
Ugly Baby begins after you complete the following main quests: Family Matters, The Ladies of the Wood, Nameless and The Play’s the Thing. Additionally, Ugly Baby takes place throughout all of the previous Sister Quests up to this point.
If you finished Main Quest: Family Matters from earlier in the game, visit the Baron in his study and tell him that tracking down Uma will help locate Ciri; Uma, by the way, stands for Ugliest Man Alive. Alternatively if you beat Family Matters, send Geralt to Crow’s Perch. Chat with the sergeant who is now in the Baron’s place. Regardless of who to speak with, both characters suggest Geralt head to the stables.
Check the map and visit the Stablemaster. During the conversation, inform him that you intend to leave with Uma. He thinks it’s a great idea and you can be on your way. Before you get too far, however, Nilfgaardian soldiers halt Geralt’s progress in Velen and send him to Emperor Emhyr var Emreis.
You wind up in Vizima, and learn of the emperor’s plans with General Voorhis, who leaves and Yennefer appears. Respond however you want and let him know Uma is the best way to locate Ciri. We won’t reveal spoilers, but a surprise results in the emperor handing over a reward and then promising 2,000 Crowns when you find Ciri and bring her to him.
After speaking to Yennefer you go to Kaer Morhen to talk to Vesemir. While there, go the main courtyard to the splintered remains of the bed Yennefer threw out the window and pick up Triss’ earrings; use your Witcher Senses to find them. Later on you can give the belonging to Triss.
The Ugly Baby quest is over, and now you can begin three more: Disturbance, To Bait a Forktail and The Last Trial. You may begin these quests in whatever order you please.
Main Quest: Disturbance
Go into the Kaer Morhen fortress and head to Yennefer; her location will be on the map. This will take you to the southeast tower past the banquet hall, and up a spiral staircase into a big room. As it turns out, Yennefer’s megascope has seen better days. Respond positively during this conversation, otherwise she becomes angry about your relationship with Triss and teleports Geralt to a lake. Instead agree to do her bidding.
You need to fix the busted megascope, but also assist Lambert and Eskel. Yennefer will then hand over the Potestaquisitor. You will need this to locate an energy source. Manually equip the device.
Walk down some steps so you enter the grand hall. Go over to Lambert and use the Potestaquisitor as you move to Vesemir and Uma. Look for a steel cage close to Vesemir, along with some crates. Check them out and then ask Vesemir to reveal their contents; they are filled with Dimeritium Bombs. Vesemir promises to remove these crates, and then you chat with Uma.
Go back to Yennefer to report your findings. She then summons Sorceress Ida Emean. Respond however you want and this main quest ends. Providing you finished the quests with Eskel and Lambert, the No Place Like Home quest will now start.
Main Quest: To Bait a Forktail…
Leave Kaer Morhen and use Geralt’s Witcher Senses to search the area for a monster’s prints, which you’ll find close to the south gate. Summon Roach (your horse) and go after these tracks to a river. Cross and ascend the hill. Now travel southeast until you encounter Scorpion, Eskel’s horse. Use Witcher Senses in this area to examine the bottles, along with Eskel’s footprints. Oddly enough, you also pick up goat tracks.
Follow these tracks south until you discover a goat near a tree. From here you pick up a scent, so track this up a mountain and you’ll once again see Eskel’s footprints. This leads to a goat, with the animal attached to a stake. Now Eskel appears and you may speak with him.
Suddenly a Forktail appears! Attack the beast until you deplete roughly a third of its health, causing the monster to turn tail and go further up the mountain. Take the southeast passage, navigating ledges while continuing the conversation with Eskel.
When you come upon the gully, use Geralt’s Witcher Senses to locate the following:
- Forktail blood.
- What appear to be Forktail prints, which lead into its lair.
It seems the Forktail is in rough shape, allowing you to easily kill it. If you want to finish this battle in record time, use Aard Sign magic, Draconid Oil, Grapeshot Bombs and Golden Oriole Potions.
At this point Eskel tells Geralt to tap into the creature’s spinal fluid and collect some. After exiting its lair, Eskel challenges Geralt to a horse race to Kaer Morhen; gallop whenever possible. Agree and you stand to gain Experience Points and Alchemy Recipes should you emerge victorious. Say no and you can leave however you want.
The quest ends when you reach the Kaer Morhen south gates.
Providing you finished main quests Disturbance and The Final Trial, you’re able to start No Place Like Home.
Main Quest: The Final Trial
Visit the great hall and talk to Lambert about imbuing the phylactery (a small gold colored box) with power from the Circle of Elements. Lambert will then lead Geralt from the fortress and a conversation will ensue. During which, you’re able to kill some Harpies with Geralt’s crossbow to impress your current travel companion.
Go across two bridges, then follow the path that runs along the stream. You come to a boathouse but Lambert’s ship is nowhere to be found; perhaps the wind took it. Go west near the pond and you will encounter Drowners, so make short work of them and collect the loot. Now slaughter the Water Hag and take the boat across the pond.
After exiting the boat you will hear a boy cry out. Both Geralt and Lambert feel this is an illusion. Don’t bother investigating. Instead, go into the cave. Now travel west along the shore, find the boy (it’s a trap) and take down three Foglets.
While in the cave, use a Cat Potion to improve Geralt’s night vision. Both Lambert and Geralt will give each other a hand to climb, and then you will come upon some rocks blocking a path. You’ll want to use Aard Sign magic to remove these rocks, and proceed into the tunnel until you see a cavern.
Push onward and both characters come across a big cavern with one central column. Your target, Old Speartip the cyclops, is nearby. Go on the attack and make him dead (beware his giant fists), then head northeast to ascend the wall. You will then go east and take a tunnel that goes out into the open. Go east again and take the path north up the mountain. A Troll appears, and then two Rock Trolls atop a ledge. Do whatever you wish despite Lambert’s actions, and run towards another tunnel located north.
Use Aard Sign magic to remove the bounders blocking the way. A troll appears and then runs away. Climb onto the ledge and then travel into the ravine to encounter three Rock Trolls. You have one of two choices to make.
- Prevent Lambert from making things worse than they already are.
- Take Lambert’s side and attack the Rock Trolls.
We think it’s best to flee because you will take massive damage if you get hit by one of the boulders thrown by the trolls. Regardless of what happens, you need to travel south to the Circle of Elements and follow Lambert’s instructions.
Walk over to the torches and light them with Geralt’s Igni Sign magic. Now go to the smooth alter and place the phylactery onto it. A chat with Lambert will take place, and you’re free to respond however you wish. Now go with Lambert back to the fortress, or stick around if you catch the exploration bug.
Finishing the Disturbance and To Bait a Forktail quests kicks off No Place Like Home.
Main Quest: No Place Like Home
Look at the on-screen map, go to the big dining room table and accompany the other witchers. Engage these characters in conversation and answer however you wish. This eventually leads to a romantic opportunity with Yennefer that we detail in our Witcher 3 Romance Guide. If you take her up on a night of pleasure you return to find these non-player characters intoxicated and asleep. If you ignore Yennefer the drinking continues anyway. You also have an opportunity to play Gwent with Eskel or a drinking game.
Eskel, who is already drunk, disappears. Activate Geralt’s Witcher Senses and look for the following:
- Spilt wine.
- Prints that lead past a deceased Ekimmara on a table. They take Geralt to the western exit.
- Some blood on the ground.
You will hear a strange noise that turns out to be a snoring Eskel. He’ll wake up and you can give a yes or no response to Lambert’s idea of contacting a sorceress using a megascope.
- Tell Lambert it’s a silly plan and go to bed, thereby ending this quest.
- Attempt to use the megascope to contact a sorceress for a little female companionship. You wind up with the exact opposite.
To contact the sorceress, you must dress up like Yennefer, so raid her trousers and put some of it on. Before things get too crazy Yennefer interrupts this little party and Geralt will go to sleep. Quest complete!
Main Quest: Va Fail, Elaine
During this quest you will lift the curse bothering Uma, then collect ingredients to create the Potions of the Grasses. You will then brew these potions necessary for the Trial of the Grasses.
After Yennefer requests the ingredients, walk over to the table and collect key items. You will then access Geralt’s Alchemy menu for the following items you gathered:
- One Bryonia
- One Ribleaf
- One Mandrake Root
- One Forktail Spinal Fluid
- One Manticore Poison Gland
- One Albino Bruxa Tongue
Head back to Yennefer and do her bidding. She advises you to use Mother’s Tears, Wildrye Juice and Speargrass Sap. Then something gross happens. We won’t spoil it, but this results in Geralt scrubbing the floor with Eskel.
Later, Yennefer is sleepy and asks you to prevent her from passing out. Choose a story to tell. Again we’ll hold back on many of the spoilers, but you wind up speaking to Avallac’h, the Aen Elle elf sage. What does this person know about Ciri? Where are you to go? This quest is over.
Main Quest: The Isle of Mists
You don’t have to take our advice, but we think it’s a better idea to finish the Brothers in Arms side quests before heading to the Isle of Mists. Those aforementioned side quests let you gather allies for the upcoming (and long) quest, Battle of Kaer Morhen.
Avallac’h provides a glowing orb (a firefly, actually) that will lead you through Skellige, and you go sailing! Follow this creature, starting at the Kaer Trolde port and going towards the Undvik coast. You will then teleport to an area near the Isle of the Mists. Navigate past skeletons, abandoned ships and jagged territory, then kill any Sirens Geralt encounters.
Reach the shore of this strange island and then resume following the orb. Slaughter those bothersome Foglets and take the path towards the cottage built into the hill. Knock on the door and no one opens it, but you hear a sneeze and some chatter. You’re free to answer however you want, but the door will not open. Inside are shipwreck survivors. Tell them you’ll go in search of their missing comrades. There are three to find: Ivo, Gaspard and Ferenc. You will learn of their last known whereabouts.
Go back down the path and travel north through some grass and gnarled trees. Now head northwest and you will walk beneath an archway towards the beach. The path will lead to sand dunes, and you’ll battle two Bilge Hags by a rocky column. Soon afterwards someone calls for help. Go towards the voice to find a dwarf (Ivo) requiring your assistance. Let him know you spoke to his buddies and that it’s safe for him to come down.
After the events that follow, travel south and go across the island, paying close attention to any Foglets that appear. Eventually you happen upon a Fiend hanging out by a tree. Destroy this adversary (Igni Sign magic, Relict Oil, Devil’s Puffball Bombs and Samum Bombs are especially effective here) and then inspect the nearby dead body to learn Ferenc’s fate. Poor, poor Ferenc.
Take Geralt north into the woods. Walk up to the lighthouse and ascend three ladders until you come to a fire and a dwarf fast asleep. Wake up and chat with Gaspard. Tell the dwarf that his friends sent you.
Your new objective is to help Gaspard reach the hut. Three Foglets stand in your way, but you shouldn’t have much trouble dealing with them. Gaspard will help Geralt go inside this place and now you can enjoy what follows. Well, you may not like it when the dwarves steal Geralt’s ride, but there’s another way back to Kaer Morhen.
Beat the game with Prima’s free The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt walkthrough. When ready to continue, proceed to the next Act 2 main quests that include The Battle of Kaer Morhen and Blood on the Battlefield.
Ready to stand against the Wild Hunt? Prima’s official strategy guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough to help make decisions, navigate the vast game areas and reach the ending you want. The collector’s edition offers even more, with 32 pages of bonus content.
Published: May 24, 2015 03:00 am