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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Imperial Audience - Tips And Best Answers

By
Nathan Garvin

After your unexpectedly eventful flight from White Orchard you’ll find yourself leaving behind the rustic, battle-torn, monster-filled countryside for an even more dangerous venue - occupied Vizima. Once the capital city of Temeria, now fallen to the Nilfgaardians. Given your experiences with the Nilfgaardians in White Orchard, they can prove every bit as treacherous as any monster, and Geralt’s not quite as adept at playing politics as he is at swinging a sword. This page will provide a walkthrough for the main quest "Imperial Audience" iconImperial Audience, helping you navigate the Byzantine politics of the Nilfgaardian court, and pick the best answers to "Morvran Voorhis" iconMorvran Voorhis’s questions.

Objectives

Answer Morvran Voorhis’s Questions

Following the scene detailing your flight from White Orchard, things will pick up with Geralt being groomed… not for his own benefit, but rather for the dignity and sensibilities of the Nilfgaardian emperor, with whom an audience is imminent. During Geralt’s mandatory shave he’ll be questioned by Morvran Voorhis, and if you chose not to simulate a Witcher 2 save at the start of the game, this will be a brief exchange where your responses don’t matter, mostly having to do with the fate of the Nilfgaardian cavalry that escorted you to Vizima. In this case the game will automatically select the following world states for various choices you could have made in The Witcher 2:

The Witcher 2 Default Choices

Choice Effect
Kill or spare Aryan La Valette Minor interaction changes with NPCs during the quest Broken Flowers.
Escaped Flotsam with "Vernon Roche" iconVernon Roche or "Iorveth" iconIorveth Minor interaction changes with NPCs during the quest ["Get Junior" iconGet Junior].
Saved Triss or Anais/Saskia Very minor changes - Triss lives either way and has no strong opinions.
Sile de Tansarville’s fate If she’s alive she’ll appear in the quest ["The Great Escape" iconThe Great Escape], but plays no major role.
Kill or spare "Letho" iconLetho If he’s alive you’ll get the quest Ghosts of the Past and he can also appear during ["The Battle of Kaer Morhen" iconThe Battle of Kaer Morhen], playing a significant role.

(1 of 4) If you choose to simulate a Witcher 2 save, Morvran Voorhis will question you throughly about the events of The Witcher 2, allowing you to determin Aryan’s fate,

If you elected to simulate a Witcher 2 save, however, these questions are more meaningful and impactful, as they’re effectively allowing you to choose what happened during key choices in The Witcher 2, effectively setting your world states for the future. The answers for each question Morvran Voorhis asks and their consequences will be covered below.

The Fate of Aryan La Valette

Son of the treacherous Maria Louisa La Valette whom Geralt encountered at the start of The Witcher 2. You could choose to engage the young noble in combat or convince him that crossing swords with a century-old mutant widely regarded as one of the best swordsmen in the north wasn’t a good idea. In the former case, Aryan La Valette will be dead in The Witcher 3, while in the latter case he’ll have escaped the castle’s dungeon with Geralt shortly after their potentially violent encounter. He does not appear in The Witcher 3, and this choice only affects the dialog of a minor NPC, not impacting any quests or encounters in any meaningful way. Feel free to choose whatever you wish here.

How Did You Reach Vergen?

The big choice at the end of chapter one, you could either side with "Iorveth" iconIorveth, an elven rebel and leader of the Scoia’tael who helped Foltest’s murderer or "Vernon Roche" iconVernon Roche, leader of Foltest’s “blue stripes” special forces, who sought both the Scoia’tael and the kingslayer. Aside from some dialog with an NPC you’ll meet later, this choice doesn’t have any meaningful impact, so you can choose whichever you wish.

Did you Rescue Triss, or Anais/Saskia?

At the summit at Loc Muinne you’d have had to choose between rescuing Triss and one of two options depending on who you fled to Vergen with. If you chose Iorveth you’d have had the choice to subsequently attempt to break the curse on Saskia, while if you sided with Vernon Roche you’d have had the option to attempt to rescue Anais. Once again, this choice has little impact on The Witcher 3; either way Triss survived and harbors no strong feelings towards Geralt regardless of his choice. Neither Anais nor Saskia appear in The Witcher 3, so their fate is irrelevant. Make whatever choices you wish here. You can find more details in the spoiler box below.

Rescue Triss, Anais or SaskiaShow Spoiler

As mentioned above, Triss survives the events of The Witcher 2 no matter what, so there’s no need to have saved her, yourself, and there will be no hard feelings between the two of you if you didn’t. Anais La Valette’s fate is of more significance, technically, since her survival affects the technical details of Temeria’s sovereignty, but since events later in the game will truly determine Temeria’s ultimate fate, Anais’s claim to the throne may ultimately prove moot, and she plays no role in the game whatsoever. If you didn’t save Saskia, Geralt will never know about her secret true form, although neither she, nor Iorveth, appear in The Witcher 3, and it’s implied later that she extricated herself from her predicament she was in at the end of The Witcher 2.

Sile de Tansarvilles Fate?

Sile de Tansarville was one of the sorceress conspirators that set the events of The Witcher 2 in motion, and Geralt - and all the north - suffered for their schemes. At the summit at Loc Muinne, "Letho" iconLetho - the Kingslayer - sabotaged Sile’s megascope. Geralt had the option to put old grudges aside and save Sile, or let the sabotage kill her in dramatic fashion. Unlike the other characters mentioned on this list, Sile can appear in The Witcher 3 if she’s alive, although she only appears in one late-game quest and her role is short, inconsequential and ill-fated. Pick whatever you want here, but if you want a bit more content during the quest ["The Great Escape" iconThe Great Escape], keep her alive.

What Happened to Letho?

The antagonist of The Witcher 2, like Aryan you could have fought - and killed - him, or talked your way out of a fight. This is the most consequential choice here, and since Letho is dead by default, simulating a Witcher 2 save so you can keep him alive is arguably the best choice to make. If Letho is alive he’ll appear during the quest The Fall of House Reardon and will have his own secondary quest, Ghosts of the Past. Depending on how you interact with him, he’ll also appear during the main quest ["The Battle of Kaer Morhen" iconThe Battle of Kaer Morhen], taking an active part in events. It’s a free quest you otherwise don’t get, and while it’s not terrible consequential, if you want more content with no downsides, you’ll keep Letho alive by picking the dialog option “That alliance still alive? What happened to Letho?”

By far the most important choice regards Letho’s fate. Keep him alive with your words and you’ll alter two quests and gain access to a secondary quest that you otherwise wouldn’t.

For the sake of simplicity, for this guide we chose to simulate a Witcher 2 save and picked the following options:

  • “I spared his life. He escaped.”
  • “Got out of Flotsam with Vernon Roche.”
  • “Had to save Triss.”
  • “Sile escaped.”
  • “That alliance still alive? What happened to Letho?”

Pick Out Clothes

Respond how you will to Morvran Voorhis’s questions and eventually Geralt will be deemed clean enough to proceed. Next you need to be dressed properly, and three outfits with at best minor variations will be presented to you. Respond how you wish and when you’re able to do so, just pick up all three outfits off their stands and wear whichever one you personally prefer. The choice doesn’t matter and Emperor Emhyr can afford to spare some threads.

Pick out a set of clothes - which one doesn’t matter, take all of them, if you want!

Meet Emperor Emhyr

Don your new digs, then talk to Emhyr’s Chamberlain again and confirm you’re ready to go. He’ll then force you to go through the trouble of rehearsing a proper bow. Pick the option [Left leg forwards, right hand on chest.] to move things along, then follow the chamberlain a short distance to meet with Emhyr, being pestered with more rules as you go. A choice is coming up, and while it may not be consequential, it’s worth covering for role-playing reasons.

When you finally meet Emhyr you’ll have to choose whether to bow or not.

Choice: Bow to Emhyr or Not?

After you’re finally introduced to Emhyr you’ll get a timed choice to bow or refrain. The good news is that the decision has absolutely no impact on the storyline, so you’re free to pick whatever response suits your Geralt. Emhyr’s response will vary depending on your actions (or inaction) but you’ll get down to brass tacks and discuss what Emhyr wants from you, and this will largely proceed apace regardless of whether you bowed or not.

When your business with Emhyr is concluded you’ll be escorted through the vandalized palace to meet up with Yennefer again. The Chamberlain will say different things depending on what choices you made during your meeting with Emhyr: If you bowed, the Chamberlain will escort you back through the palace, saying the business-as-usual lines about what’s going on and to get you out of the palace as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, refusing to bow means the Chamberlain is rather angry at you, and mentions how he is likely to be punished for not correctly addressing you on the manners of court. Whether the Chamberlain actually receives his punishment or not is never revealed, but if you’re got a guilty conscience, bow for the Chamberlain’s sake, or refuse to bow for your own personal reasons.

Talk to Yennefer

After your meeting with Emhyr, follow the Chamberlain through the castle and resist the urge to loot and plunder - it’s coming, just be patient. He’ll lead you through the throne room and an adjoining garden before stopping at a door. Press on without your new pal and you’ll find Yennefer, a mix of flirting and business as usual… but mostly business. Pick whatever responses you wish as Yennefer talks shop and your next major objective will be made clear: find Ciri before the Wild Hunt does. Ciri has been spotted in Velen and Novigrad, and while you have the opportunity to choose between multiple main quests now, in practice only The Nilfgaardian Connection and Pyres of Novigrad are pursuable at this point. These quests take place in Velen and Novigrad, respectively, but Velen’s lower level makes "The Nilfgaardian Connection" iconThe Nilfgaardian Connection the more suitable place to start.

(1 of 3) After your meeting with Emhyr, meet up with Yennefer who will tell you more about the task at hand,

Talk to Ambassador var Attre

Business concluded, Yennefer will leave. Take the opportunity to loot Yennefer’s room, especially a chest in a cubby to the west, then take her up on her advice and talk to the ambassador, who is standing by a fire in the room to the south. Ask him about how the war with Radovid is going, then get caught up on the game’s three main areas; Velen, Novigrad, and "Skellige" iconSkellige. A "Bloody Baron" iconBloody Baron in Velen, the Eternal Fire cult inciting pogroms against nonhumans and mages in Novigrad, and in Skellige… well, Skellige is just the home of some lovable semi-civilized barbarians who totally aren’t vikings.

Following your meeting with Yennefer, talk to Ambassador var Attre to learn more about the war and the regions you’ll be exploring.

Recover Your Gear from the Chamberlain

Leave these rooms and return to the garden, where you can talk to the Chamberlain to get your gear back, which he had the audacity to freshen up! With one last warning not to keep Emhyr waiting he’ll leave you to your own devices. This is an idle threat, as Emhyr will wait as long as it takes for you to find Ciri, so don’t worry about time limits.

Play Gwent with the Nilfgaardian Nobleman

There’s surprisingly little left to do here - there’s some more minor loot to be had if you look around, and you can play Gwent with a Nilfgaardian Nobleman, but his cards are so strong you’re probably just throwing away "Crowns" iconCrowns. Don’t worry, you can return to face him later, at any time you can fast travel, in fact, so you don’t need to fret over it now. On a more cash-flow positive note, activate your Witcher senses and search a pillar to the east of this Gwent-playing nobleman to find a brick highlighted in red. Press the brick and turn north to find a secret doorway, beyond which you’ll find a small chest you can loot. Inside you’ll find an Old Letter, which is more interesting than useful.

(1 of 4) Find a Nilfgaardian Nobleman in the garden. He’ll play Gwent with you…

Leave Vizima

When you’re ready to head out on your journey, return to the throne room and go through the doors along the southern edge of the throne room. You can now fast-travel to any signpost in the game that you’ve discovered, although there’s little reason to return to White Orchard, and there’s only one new signpost you can travel to in Velen - the one at the "Hanged Man's Tree" iconHanged Man’s Tree. Interact with the door to bring up the map, press DualSense-ButtonTriangle Xbox-ButtonY to transition to the world map, select the “Velen - No Man’s Land” region, then travel to the aforementioned signpost. The walkthrough will continue with the main quest The Nilfgaardian Connection.

(1 of 2) When you’re done talking and looting, exit Vizima,

When you’re done talking and looting, exit Vizima, (left), and fast travel to the Hanged Man’s Tree in Velen. (right)

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    CD Projekt
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    24 June 2015
  • Last Updated
    22 August 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin (Haeravon)

Share this free guide:

You are Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster-hunter known as a Witcher. You’ve fully regained your memories since your miraculous revival and escape from the Wild Hunt, and have cleared your name of the false accusations of regicide. In the wake of the assassination of Foltest, king of Temeria, the north have been rent by warfare as Nilfgaard launches its third major invasion, and the northlands have been united under the insane king Radovid. Overshadowing these petty politics is the mysterious return of Ciri - Geralt’s adopted daughter, who is now being pursued by the Wild Hunt.

The guide offers the following:

  • A full walkthrough that’s more than just a listing of quests-it’s an “ideal chronological order” that will get you through the whole game and allow you to see and do everything the game has to offer.

  • Side quests, including monster contracts and treasure hunts for obtaining powerful Witcher sets.

  • Descriptions of decisions, quests, and events that influence the various endings of the game.

  • Crafting and Alchemy information.

  • General strategies on how to take down foes large and small, monstrous and humanoid, boss or mundane.

  • Information on how to complete all the Gwent quests and obtain all the Gwent cards, including detailed Gwent strategies.

  • Trophy/Achievement information.

MASSIVE UPDATE: 7th September 2016 ongoing

  • Added DLC quests “Fool’s Gold” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear”.
  • Organisational changes in the Velen section of the walkthrough to reflect the increased level of Griffin School Gear.
  • Organisational changes throughout the walkthrough to provide a “no skulls” path through the game.
  • Added Death March difficulty tips and commentary throughout the guide.
  • More XP reward numbers included.
  • Walkthrough now includes additional information based on patch changes.
  • Various typo and grammar fixes.
  • Added DLC pages for Blood & Wine, Heart of Stone
  • Lots more quality of life improvements

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