No matter what you did earlier, the end results are the same. Triss has been wounded, the Witcher’s mutagens have been stolen, and Leo was killed by the Professor. Vesemir will chat for a bit, and the game will introduce you to meditation, during which you can create potions, bombs, and oils, level up, or just pass time. Right now the game requires that we meditate, so we might as well spend our talents while we’re at it.

No matter what course you took, whether you fought Savolla or the Frightener, you’ve got enough experience to reach level one, which gives us three Bronze Talents to spend. At this point in the game, you should buy the first two ranks of Intelligence, and then get Herbalism. This ensures that as soon as Chapter 1 starts, we’ll can begin the lucrative task picking herbs.

Vesemirs Decision¶

Once you’re done meditating talk to Vesemir, who is now ready to tell you what needs to be done. Kaer Morhen serves no purpose now, as everything of value has been stolen. We need to hunt down the bandits who robbed us, and avenge Leo’s death. First, however, we need to concoct a potion for Triss-a sorceress who is ironically allergic to magic. Head upstairs and see Lambert, who will tell you to head upstairs to find some Calcium Equum and some White Gull-the former being a component we need for the potion, and the latter being a base-itself a potion which is used to make other potions.

Head through the kitchen door, where you can grab a variety of food. Also, you can meditate at any time at the fire. Head west to find some stairs going up. There will be a few Salamandra Bandits lurking around, but nothing threatening. Head up the stairs until you find a door leading to the upper floor.

We Dont Need Prisoners¶

In this area you’ll find a handful of Salamandra Bandits lurking around, waiting to be disposed of. Murder the push-overs and thoroughly search the level, as loot abounds. In the Evening Hall you’ll find a crate that contains-among other things-Calcium Equum and a booCalcium Equumk called “The Frightener” . This is our first encounter with books, so a brief description is necessary. Whenever you find books, scrolls, pamphlets, or some other reading material, be sure to read it. This can give you quests, recipes for potions, bombs, and oils, or journal entries which will allow you to find more loot on monsters or harvest plants for alchemical ingredients. Very useful stuff.

In the armory you’ll find some crates with alternate weapons in them, in this case, a Temerian Iron Dagger and an Axe, which will just take up space in Geralt’s inventory. On the plus side, however, they can be sold or stashed in Chapter 1, so you might as well take them. You’ll never need to use anything other than swords, but it’s nice that so many different weapons were included for the sake of variety. Another crate contains White Gull and a book, “Monstrum, or a Portrayal of Witchers” .

Head back downstairs and report to Lambert, who tells you that you’ll further need the claw of a mighty beast, and some Celandine. After telling you this, he refers you back to Vesemir. You might as well talk to Eskel as well, although he only tells backstory, it’s still interesting stuff. Vesemir for his part will just give you Celandine when you talk to him, and he’ll teach you the “Flaying” ability and tell you to go skin the Frightener for the component you need to make the potion for Triss. Vesemir will also give you some modest equipment, so you’re not stuck wearing a shirt and fighting with a Rusty Sword. Now you at least look like a Witcher. The Red Meteorite and Frightener’s Vision scroll are also worthy of appreciation.

A Potion For Triss¶

Head outside and search the Frightener’s remains for a Frightener’s Claw and a Frightener’s Eye . Once you’ve obtained them, head back inside and meditate near the fireplace. Click the Alchemy menu and click on the “Potion for Triss” option and the game will automatically allocate the appropriate ingredients into slots. It won’t always be this easy, however. Sure, the game will always move the right components for the potion you’ve selected, but it won’t necessarily put the most common ingredients in, which can be wasteful. After all, why use Quicksilver for a potion when you can just use Drowner Brain Tissue? Another note about alchemy is the fact that the computer will not bother to take into account secondary elements, so if you want to create a potion with secondary benefits, you’ll need to do that yourself, too. Anyways, you can only mess this one up if you try, have the computer do it and it’ll mix the Calcium Equum, Celandine, Frightener Claw, and White Gull to make… a potion for Triss.

Head up to Triss’ Room and do the gentlemanly thing-loot the room. After you’ve searched around, talk to Triss. Now you’ll get a hint on giving gifts. Click on the gift icon in the conversation screen and double-click on the “Potion for Triss” in your quest items. Triss will recover in record time and chat with Geralt for a bit. You can now obtain the “Triss #1” Sex Card , by persuing Triss romantically, if you’re so inclined. To do this, simply pick the first dialogue option twice. Once that’s done you can talk to Triss a bit more. Don’t go meet with Vesemir yet, as there’s still a few things to do in Kaer Morhen. Instead, tell Triss that you “need to do something.”

Abandoning Kaer Morhen¶

Return to the upper level of the Citadel and talk to Lambert and Eskel. The former will describe the combat styles a little more, giving them a little context for the game world, rather than just leaving them as gameplay devices. The latter will offer to give you a tutorial in fist-fighting… which in this case means boxing with you and allowing you to figure it out for yourself. Of course, if you get snippy with Eskel he won’t bother giving you a second chance, and since you get experience for beating him, you might as well give it a go. And no, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose.

Before you go talk to Triss or Vesemir and continue on with the game, you would be well-served by heading downstairs and leveling up again. It’ll help during the next chapter when the difficult ramps up. This time you should buy Strength (levels one and two) and Regeneration, which should help out considerably at the beginning of Chapter 1. When that’s done talk to Vesemir and tell him to proceed with the funeral, or talk to Triss and tell her “We shouldn’t keep Vesemir waiting.” Either way, the Prologue ends, and Chapter 1 begins.