The first shoots of evil

The Witcher's adventures will begin in the Seven Cats tavern, not far from Novigrad. Take an order for a monster from the notice board and follow the map marker to the customer’s estate. You won’t be able to get to him right away - you’ll have to talk to a group of young men who are unfriendly. If you do not get involved in a quarrel, you will have to endure mockery, after which you will be taken to Olgerd von Everik. You can behave aggressively and get into a fist fight, after which you will again end up with the customer. He will send you to kill a certain toad-like monster that has settled in the sewers. At the exit from the estate you will receive a side quest from the girl Rose on a red field.

Go down the well to the west of the city. Follow the woman's voice and you will meet Shani. It turns out that she came down here with a group of soldiers to get the poison of the monster that is poisoning the water. Next you will go together.

Use your aard to break through the wall to the right of the bent grate. Examine the corpses of the soldiers. You will need a key. It will be found nearby on the commander's body. This way you will descend safely to another level. Deal with the drowners, find Franz's body. Geralt will figure out how to lure the monster. Go through the wooden door.

Boss Toad

How the monster attacks:

• bounces up, causing great damage;
• spits poison;
• hits with tongue.

Watch a short video to understand enemy tactics in The Witcher 3:

What will help:

• bombs dancing star;
• bomb North wind to temporarily immobilize the enemy;
• oil against corpse eaters, applied to the sword (bombs with a similar effect do not work);
• igni to set a frog on fire, quen- for guard.

After the battle, a video will start in which the secret of the toad will be revealed, Geralt will lose consciousness, and a detachment of Ophirians will arrive in the sewer. After this, you will wake up as a prisoner on board the Ophir ship. The witcher is being taken to execution for the murder of the prince. On board will be the merchant Gunther, whom Geralt met back in the quest Lilac and gooseberry. He will offer help in exchange for a certain service, leaving a magical mark on the White Wolf’s face as a sign of the agreement. After the conversation, the ship will get caught in a storm and break. Here you will have the opportunity to escape from captivity. Your opponents will be soldiers with shields, spearmen and a magician. The task is complicated by the fact that your armor and swords were taken by the officers, so you will have to fight with what you knock out from the enemy. Be careful with spearmen - their powerful attacks remove a lot of health.

Your tactics:

• Don't get surrounded;
• Protect yourself with Quen;
• If you have a level 3 axii, use it on soldiers to temporarily gain an ally;
• Igni will be useful;
• Don't stand still, move around.

The magician teleports and releases air whirlwinds that knock you down. Kill the guards first, this will make it easier to deal with the magician.

Meeting with Gunther

Next, the Hearts of Stone add-on sends you to meet Gunther in Yantra Village. Meditate at the meeting point until midnight. After the conversation, you will go back to the customer. There is a fire on the estate, and Olgerd’s people are going to execute a man. If you stand up for him, you will have to fight with Olgerd, who will turn out to be a strong opponent. If you allow him to kill, a video will start in which Everik will voice two wishes, and story quests will be activated.

Video The first shoots of evil:

Sesame, open up!

Continue the passage of Hearts of Stone The Witcher 3. One of Olgerd’s desires is the house of Barsodi. Head to the Oxenfurt auction house to track down the owners.

After much arguing with the guards, Vivaldi, a familiar dwarf, will come up and take you inside. You can bargain with Countess Mignolle - she has all the drawings for the armor of the Snake school. To earn money, play Gwent. The most gold can be obtained from resale of paintings. Talk to Jaromir near the paintings. He will offer to guess the painting of one artist. Answer - Portrait of a merchant. Then Jaromir will tell you that at an auction you can buy a painting for next to nothing and sell it at a good price to the owner of a bookstore. Don't tell Vivaldi about this!

The first round of the auction will begin with three lots:

• Bird figurine (needed for the quest Dark commons);
• Painting;
• Glasses (not necessary to buy).

Horst Barsodi will come in during the break. It won’t be possible to have a good conversation and Geralt will be kicked out. You will have to fight with soldiers on the street. A stranger will offer to help you. To continue the conversation, go to the herbalist outside the city. There, deal with people from the Order of the Red Rose.

Give the herbalist the password, mentioning the blood extract. The stranger in the basement will say that accomplices are needed - a bugbear and a burglar.

Team Search

There are 2 candidates for the role of the burglar - Hugo Hoff and Evelina Gallo. In order not to waste time, go to the girl, because Hugo will be dead. Evelina is located northeast of the city. To recruit her, you will have to take part in the performance. Your task is to carefully shoot 4 apples from your assistant with a crossbow.

There are also two bugbears. To the east of the city Quinto is imprisoned. Release in any way:

• pay the ransom (200 CZK);
• win a game of gwent;
• have a fist fight.

Quinto works silently, which will allow you to enter the treasury unnoticed. However, in the end, the bugbear will betray the team.

The second candidate is the dwarf Bassi. You will find him sitting on the roof of his own house. To dissuade him from committing suicide, use axii. Bassi will blow up the entrance to the treasury, causing unnecessary problems with the guards, but he will not betray you.

Brew the potion according to the recipe (buy most of the ingredients from the same herbalist). Find a cook. To do this, eavesdrop on the conversations of the guards patrolling the auction house. Having found out the whereabouts of the cook, move towards him and persuade him (axii) or bribe him (500 crowns).

Robbery

The team will safely climb into the tower. Then you need to go down a couple of floors below. There you will come across nobles with guards. You will deal with the soldiers, and the organizer of the robbery will take hostages. The alarm will be raised. Further events depend on which of the bugbears is with you.

Quinto. You can negotiate with the guards and stall for time by choosing options in the conversation:

• Move away from the house;
• Tell a joke.

During this time, Quint will quietly open the treasury and report it. There's a trap behind the doors.

Bassi. You'll have to fight the guards. The dwarf will blow up the door and the trap will not work.

Horst Barsodi will be inside with people. The story of two brothers will unfold (your employer's name is Ewald) and you will have to take the side of one of them.

Quinto will side with Horst. In the end, the one from Barsodi for whom Geralt stands up will win. After a fight, no one will want to give up the house, which is a box. You can agree: leave the will to the nobleman, and take the box. Or just kill the intractable one and take everything. Search the treasury - there is a lot of useful stuff here. You can leave the house through a recess in the room leading to the basement. Get to the wall, press the lever, and get out onto the embankment.

Submit the assignment. If Horst remains alive, Olgierd will not be happy. By killing both brothers, you will greatly please the customer.

And I was there, drinking honey beer

To complete the Hearts of Stone expansion. It is necessary to fulfill Olgerd's second wish - to amuse his brother. The matter is complicated by the fact that Witold is dead. Shani will help you find the grave. She lives in the port area. Wait until the medic prepares medicine for the Redanians, and then talk. Shani will indicate the burial place, and will bring the rest there herself.

Having received the censer from the girl, go down to the crypt and deal with the ghosts. With the censer, go around all the niches, casting a spell. Light a fire in the center. Spirits will appear - the ancestors of the Everiks. Don't let them surround you and drive you into a corner.

After the victory, Witold will appear. To have fun, he will inhabit the body of a witcher, and he will lose consciousness. Shani will pump Geralt out and the three of them will agree to go to the wedding of the girl’s friend, while the ghost will be in the body of the White Wolf.

You will arrive at the celebration before your companion. You'll have to change into a festive suit. You can talk with the newlyweds - there will be no consequences from your tricky questions. Take part in some fun activities.

1. Find the fire eater. Follow the tracks of a dog that has broken loose. You will find both in the forest. Calm the dog with axiem, and the drunken swallower too. Bring him back. Along the way you will come across a wild boar. Protect your companion, otherwise you will have to entertain the guests yourself if the juggler gets injured.
2. Drive the pigs into the barn (do not use axies).
3. Stick fighting (do not use signs).
4. Catch the shoe (find Shani's shoes in the lake).
5. Play gwent. If you lose, you'll have to wear funny ears and lose some of your gold.
6. Dance.

There will be a lot of talk. After the holiday, return to Olgerd and give your brother’s letter.

Video And I was there, drinking honey beer:

And they lived happily ever after

After completing Olgerd's quests, the witcher learns his last wish - to bring a purple rose. This is a gift to my wife during the last meeting. The task is a story that adds a dark tone to the mix.

Go to the Everik estate. Through the gap to the left of the gate you will enter the estate. There you will meet a marauder, whose partner has disappeared here. Look around the yard using your senses. The house is locked. Go around it. The boss will meet you there.

Keyholder

The strange faceless creature does not move too fast, but uses different attacks and magic. Can summon souls. Killing them restores health. There is an energy blast.

Constantly move, dodge frontal attacks with a shovel. After a strong blow, the shovel gets stuck in the soil - this is a chance to quickly roll up and deliver a series of blows. Then leave immediately. Keep your distance; if the enemy's weapon glows, there will be an energy strike. Try to kill summoned souls faster than the Keymaster. Protect yourself with Quen.

Iris

After winning there will be a scene with the guardian spirits, after which go into the house. On the first floor, pick up a sketchbook. On the second floor of the estate, the ghost from the painting will attack - use the appropriate oil. The enemy quickly moves and recovers, drawing strength from the paintings. As soon as he starts doing this, hit the painting with your sword.

Having dealt with the spirit, find the bedroom of Iris, Olgerd’s wife. On the bed are her remains. Find an easel in the yard and bury them there, placing the album you found earlier on the grave. The spirit of Iris will appear and offer to be transported into the painting. There you will find yourself in the imaginary world of Iris.

Your task is to restore memories and find out the history of the spouses.

1. In the gazebo, place the palette on the table, the book in Olgerd’s hands. Burn the bees with the igni sign.
2. At the fountain, give the glass to Iris. Kill the spiders.
3. At dinner, light the lamps and fireplace as shown in the picture. Destroy the ghost.
4. In the bedroom, place the bloody towel near Olgerd.
5. In the workshop, arrange the items in the following order: glass - center, apples - right, grapes - left. Kill the shadows.
6. In the laboratory, draw a pentagram with chalk and place the candles in a circle. A fire will start. Get out of the room through the painting. Once in the yard, run to the basement of the house. (to the right of the entrance).
7. In the basement, put the mug in Olgerd's hands, give the contract to Iris's father.
8. At dinner, give the tray of food to the Keymaster, place the large and small bowls in front of the dog and cat. Go to the living room, read the letter. There you will face Iris's greatest fear. Olgerd and his doubles will appear in front of you.

During the battle, try not to touch the doubles, otherwise they will immediately enter the battle. Kill them one by one. Keep moving, use aard.

Once you win, talk to Iris. There are 2 actions to choose from: pick up the rose or leave it to Olgerd’s wife. In the first case, the spirit will rest in peace, in the second, it will remain forever in its cage, and you will have to bring the customer a painting of a flower. In both cases the quest will be completed.

Last story mission - Who sows the wind– provides two ending options, which will be discussed separately.

Video Who Sows the Wind.

« Stone hearts"begins with a contract. A certain Olgerd von Everek, a connoisseur of art and the leader of a gang of robbers, asks Geralt to kill a huge toad that has appeared in the dungeons of Oxenfurt. Fools say that if you kiss this toad, it will turn into a handsome prince. Many girls went on dates with her and never returned.

The contract leads to unexpected consequences, and Geralt finds himself forced to enter into a contract with a creature calling himself the Glass Man. Olgerd once also made a deal with him and asked for the fulfillment of three wishes from a stranger. And it just so happens that it is Geralt who will have to implement the whims of the robber - in order to pay his own debt to the mysterious fulfiller of wishes.

Question of price

Each order of Olgerd tells a separate story with its own mood and genre. It can be a light-hearted comedy, an action-packed adventure in the spirit of " Ocean's Eleven"or melancholic gothic horror.

A similar manner of changing the narrative style is characteristic of "Wild Hunt", however, the environment also changes there (on Skellige, even without any story, you feel like you are in another game), and in "Hearts of Stone" all the events take place in the vicinity of Oxenfurt. However, now there are an order of magnitude more villages, “question marks” and side quests, and each “desire” has its own scenery. The contrast between the stories is striking.

Oxenfurt itself was also gradually transformed and even expanded with previously inaccessible territory. You didn’t think that you would never visit the main attraction of the city, did you?

Despite the differences in atmosphere, characters and locations, the story maintains its integrity. Even if you have seemingly forgotten about von Evereck and his feud with the Glass Man, Geralt continues to learn more and more about his life and difficult character, and even the most successful jokes (and there is plenty of humor here) do not drive away the ominous shadow hanging over the witcher . The colors gradually thicken, every now and then hints of the dark essence of the Glass Man emerge, and even the most joyful scenes take on the flavor of a mystical threat.

Man of his word

The appearance of a new mechanic for enchanting objects means one thing: in the second half of the game there is finally something to spend money on. If you help the Ophir enchantment master, he can do crazy things with Geralt's weapons and armor - for crazy money. For example, make the sword throw the Axii sign from a dead enemy to his partner or scorch with fire. And for an additional fee, the enchanter will pick out rune slots for you in any sword and armor, if you wish.

They clearly put a lot of effort into the Russian voice acting, but reasons for quibbles are inevitable. In one particularly interesting scene, the English-speaking Geralt sounds completely ordinary, and the Russian-speaking one even overdid it a little.

To benefit from the powerful spells, the outskirts of Oxenfurt were flooded with high-level monsters and bandits. Among the newcomers here are boars, arachnomorphs and knights of the Order of the Flaming Rose. Yes, the same ones from the first part. What they forgot in the Velen forests and why they trade in robbery, you can find out in one of the side quests.

The behavior of all new creatures has been thoroughly worked out; even ordinary boars can not only hang you on their tusks, but also kick you if Geralt walks behind them. But most of the attention was paid to the new bosses - each has a rich set of attacks, each is dangerous and requires effort.

However, the main problem of the Wild Hunt bosses has not gone away: the battle still comes down to jumping from side to side, bouncing, and sometimes abusing the Quen sign and juggling items from the inventory. Therefore, the more powerful your opponent, the more tiring the fight, and towards the end, such a tenacious whore will come out against Geralt that he will seem like an endriaga. The winning algorithm is always the same, and the developers have clearly given up on experiments, like the kayran from Assassins of Kings.

In one scene, you will be asked to replace a circus shooter and shoot down apples. It’s tempting to check: what if Geralt hits the elf? The developers thought about this point.

Voice of reason

In “Hearts of Stone,” you can feel the attention to detail: in the elaboration of locations, characters, dialogues, and individual scenes. Shani's house is hung with anatomical pictures and teeming with patients, and at the crossroads where the Glass Man makes an appointment for you, you can hear an interesting song from the village children, but only at a certain time. The game every now and then makes references not only to world culture (in one scene Geralt quotes Leo Tolstoy), but also to past “The Witchers”. Sometimes - in the most unexpected forms.

Attention in addition is not only encouraged, but sometimes simply necessary. The Witcher never led you by the hand along plot forks, did not inform you which of your choices the game would “remember” and which it would not. In Hearts of Stone, you may encounter completely unexpected consequences of seemingly trivial choices. Unexpected not because they are illogical, but because they are so usual do not do.

For example, in one detective quest, after the first clue, the game offers to draw a reasonable conclusion, return to the employer - and receive a reward. But if you yourself want good Look around, you will find out the whole truth and find another solution.

A variety of things depend on your desire to explore the game and think about your choices - for example, whether you can find blueprints for new witcher armor, the ending of an elegant sex scene with Shani, and even whether Geralt will have the opportunity to influence the ending of the entire game. In a certain scenario, you may not even know that the add-on actually has more than one ending. Well, now you know, but you might not have known.

Remember this: Hearts of Stone encourages the inquisitive.

Not every choice has real consequences - but it can at least lead to an interesting scene or remark. You never know what can affect your destiny.

* * *

“Hearts of Stone” does exactly what you would expect from a good story about a witcher: it takes the classic story about an insidious “wish granter” and retells it in its own way, with a special “witcher” flavor. And how they retell it! This is a great addition. Just what the game deserves.

Pleased

Upset

• as always, great dialogue;
• diverse and non-standard situations;
• a story that sticks in your memory;
• the game is rich in detail and encourages curious players.

Would you like to have some fun?

Being dead is boring as hell. Neither to have fun even at the most lively festivities, nor to taste overseas delicacies and drinks, nor to wave your favorite saber, chopping off the heads of unwanted marks. Such an unlucky fate befell Witold Von Evereck, who almost left this mortal coil several years ago. Fortunately for Witold, his older brother Olgerd never forgot about him, and when the gray-haired witcher of the Wolf school Geralt from Rivia stepped onto the threshold of the burning Garin estate, who pledged to fulfill the three wishes of the noble robber, one of them demanded that Witold have a lot of fun. How can Geralt do this? Find out from this guide to completing the quest " I was there, drinking honey and beer!"

Visit to Shani

Redanian soldiers at the Shani clinic

At the end of the quest "The First Sprouts of Evil", Gunther O'Dim will give Geralt a bottle of Von Everekov's blood, necessary for the Summoning Ritual, and advise him to contact the red-haired medic and the witcher's faithful friend Shani, who may know something about the location of Witold's remains. can be found in her private clinic in Oxenfurt, located near the Western Gate. When Geralt visits the clinic, he will find Shani in the company of Redanian soldiers, thanking the medic for creating an antidote to the poison of the Toad Prince and promising a worthy reward. In response, Shani will only laugh it off, expecting receive a medal in the shape of a toad. The girl will go for the medicine, leaving the witcher in the company of King Radovid’s subjects, the main of whom will notice that Shani looked at the gray-haired man in a special way, and will ask the witcher if he likes her? Hmm, who is such a girl? won't you like it?! Unless the blind man will, which Geralt will note if he chooses a positive answer. A moment later, Shani will return and send the Redanians away, inviting the witcher to sit down and talk.

Like good old times

In a conversation, Geralt can ask Shani about what happened to her after Vizima? Shani will remember the "Catriona" epidemic, popularly called the "Red Death", raging in Vizima at the time of the events of the game The Witcher. It is noteworthy that the culprit of the infection was none other than Ciri, even if indirectly. In the book " Lady of the Lake"describes how, traveling between time and space, Cirilla accidentally brought an infected flea into the world of the Witcher, which settled in the fur of a rat. This "company" snuck aboard the Nilfgaardian ship "Katriona", which brought the infection to the North. Among the victims of red fever was Shani's mentor , - the lowly Milo Vanderbeck, nicknamed "Rusty", - until his last days he tried to help other infected people. After Vizima, Shani returned to Oxenfurt, where she completed her studies and opened her own medical practice. Unfortunately, before the doctor had time to really settle down, she was pulled out by order Radovida to the front, where she saved wounded soldiers from certain death. Having asked Shani for help in finding the Everek family crypt, the witcher will be in the top ten, because in her third year as a medic she studied the famous dynasties of Redania, among which the Everek couple was mingled. Taking out a dusty textbook and Having found information about the desired family in it, Shani will say that all the deceased family members are buried in the family crypt next to the Everek estate. The girl will promise to bring the censer needed for the Summoning Ritual and invite Geralt to meet at the entrance to the crypt.

Everek family crypt

Shani at the gates of the Everek estate

The Everek family estate is a dark and mysterious place. Unfortunately, at this stage of the plot, you can only admire the facade of the estate, since the gates will be closed, but there is no need to worry - soon there will be an opportunity to explore the interior, as well as meet some of the residents. Despite the situation not conducive to such a thing, Shani will while away the time while waiting for the witcher by weaving a wreath. Geralt will note that the girl has very dexterous hands, and will also ask about the purpose of this wreath. As it turns out, Shani’s friend invited her to the wedding, which will also affect the further completion of the task, but now it’s more important to go to the crypt and call on Witold. Approaching the entrance to the Everek family bedchamber, Shani will not want to go inside and the witcher will have to go there himself. There, four ghosts will already be waiting for him, who will attack the witcher in pairs. The difficulty in fighting ghosts is that they can take an intangible form, in which any attacks from Geralt will not cause any damage. To avoid this, you should use the Yrden witcher trap sign or the Moon Dust bomb.

Witold von Everek's coffin

Having dealt with the ghosts, Geralt will begin to look for Witold’s coffin. This is easy to do - just stand with your back to the entrance and the first coffin on the right will belong to Olgerd’s younger brother. Witold's personal saber, standing at his grave, will also serve as an excellent reference point. After this you will have to fumigate all the halls. The censer taken from Shani is automatically equipped in Geralt's pockets. Get it using the appropriate key and go around all the halls of the crypt. At the same time, the witcher will cast the Summoning Ritual spell.

Hostile Everek Ghosts

The final touch in the Summoning Ritual will be adding the blood of the dead person who needs to be summoned to the lamp burning in the center of the large hall. And indeed, the ghost of Everek will appear!.. But it won’t be Witold at all. The ritual will summon several spirits at once: Alexy, Onorata, Keistut, Ernest and Eulolia Von Everek. They will be very unhappy that the witcher has the blood of their heir. Having expressed their indignation, all six of them will fall on Geralt, wanting to shed his blood. Formally, they are not ghosts and from the point of view of game mechanics they are no different from ordinary people. However, the Axii sign has a very weak effect on them, and they are also resistant to fire and poisoning. It will be most effective to use the same Yrden sign, which allows you to create an impromptu arena and kill each of the Evereks one by one, slowing down the opponents rushing to the aid of their relative. It doesn’t hurt to use signs such as Aard and Quen, which pushes attacking spirits back and protects them from enemy attacks, respectively. The latter will be especially useful against a spirit with a heavy two-handed hammer, whose attacks cannot be counterattacked.

The Ghost of Witold von Everek

When the souls of Witold's ancestors find eternal peace, he himself will appear, thanking the witcher for the action he performed. As it turns out, he wanted to see how the gray-haired man would cope with his relatives. From a conversation with Witold you can find out the cause of his death. Once upon a time, Everek Jr., together with the “boars,” settled in one village, ordering the local peasants to bring them moonshine. But one day, instead of a bottle of barley drink, Witold saw weapons in the hands of the peasants. He had to run to the basement, since he had no chance to fight off five angry brutes, but they still overtook the guy and smashed his head on an oak table. In the angles showing the ghost of Witold from the back, on the back of his head you can see a “fresh” wound, confirming the words of the dead man. If you ask Witold about Olgerd, he will begin to praise his brother with open admiration, focusing on the fact that the red-haired nobleman is not some kind of robber; he loves to read, is drawn to art, and his wife is a real miracle. The Witcher will reveal to Witold the reasons for his visit to the crypt, which will greatly please the latter. But here's the thing - to have fun, Vitold will need a body... And one is standing right in front of him.

In the original, brother Olgerd has a completely different name - Vlodimir (eng. Vlodimir) or abbreviated Vlod (eng. Vlod). However, during localization into Polish, it was decided to change it to Witold, consonant with the name of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Witold (Polish. Witold). It is noteworthy that Witold was the nephew of another ruler of Lithuania, and do you know what his name was? That's right, Olgierd (Polish. Olgierd). Olgerd also had a brother, Keistut (Polish. Kiejstut), whose namesake in the game is Olgerd and Witold’s grandfather.

Shani tries to bring Geralt to his senses

Geralt will not tolerate the infusion of the spirit very well, losing consciousness. In this state, Shani will find him, worried about Geralt’s long absence and coming to save her friend. Shani will be greatly surprised when Geralt, who has opened his eyes, begins to shower her with compliments. Witold will have to leave Geralt’s body so that he can explain himself to his girlfriend and warn that when Witold is in the witcher’s body, the latter will completely lose control over his actions. The trio will agree that if Shani needs to talk to Geralt, then she should ask Vitold to come out for a minute - a real gentleman cannot refuse the charming doctor. Von Everek will return to the witcher's body, immediately inviting Shani to retire to the grove. She will refuse and Witold was about to go to the nearest brothel when Shani offered an alternative - to join her at a friend’s wedding. In fact, she hoped that Geralt himself would invite her when he saw the wreath, but she was wrong. Witold will immediately agree, and they will agree to meet at the wedding.

Geralt and Witold discuss Shani

Once Shani leaves the crypt, Witold will ask Geralt if there was something between the two of them? You will be able to respond with one of the following remarks:

• Shani is very dear to me. The Witcher admits that Shani means much more to him than just a friend. Witold will take the hint and promise not to pester her too much.
• There was nothing between us. Such an answer would almost outrage Witold, who sharply doubted the witcher’s orientation. On the other hand, he is better.

Graveyard Jackal

Do not rush to leave the crypt the same way you came. Using his witcher senses, Geralt can detect a weak spot in one of the walls of the large hall. Hit it with the Aard sign and examine the corpse lying at the bottom of the cave adjacent to the Evereks' bedchamber. As it turns out, the dead man is a cemetery jackal who paid dearly for trying to profit from the jewelry buried here. Witold will comment on this, expressing contempt for such scavengers. Take the rusty crypt key from the corpse and go deeper into the cave. Geralt will pay attention to the web, the number of which is increasing and increasing, and then he will find those who wove this web. Four arachnomorphs will attack the witcher in a spacious, but still closed area. Try to always be on the move, not allowing the spider-like monsters to surround or corner Geralt. Remember that arachnomorphs are very sensitive to the witcher's Aard sign, which can throw them onto their backs and leave them open to a decisive blow, and are also easily influenced by the Axii sign. At a higher difficulty level, it won't hurt to apply insectoid oil to the silver sword. Having cut off the legs of all the spiders, the witcher will move on and find himself in a previously inaccessible room with the coffins of the Evereks. From each coffin you can get an expensive ring, for which any buyer of items will pay very well. Open the door with the key you found earlier and exit the crypt.

Arrival at the wedding

Shani at the wedding

The wedding will take place in the village of Bronovitsy, north of the Everek residence. On the way there, Witold will ask Geralt about the witcher's craft and state that he would like to use one of the signs. Please note that if the witcher turns around and runs in the opposite direction from Bronowitz, Witold will stop him, accusing him of the fact that the “old bull” does not contribute to the fun, only exhausting Witold. In other words, you won’t be able to go about your business at this stage of the quest. Also, fast travel points will be temporarily unavailable, which still send Geralt to the wedding. Having reached the village, Witold will notice that it is not suitable to go to the holiday in dirty armor and, having possessed the witcher, he will “borrow” the kuntush hanging to dry and the boots standing nearby, and will also shave off Geralt’s beard, if any, and change his hairstyle to the version with short temples and tail. Well, in this form there is no shame in going to Shani! After a short dialogue in which Witold and Shani discuss the tediousness of the gray-haired man and Shani’s desire to at least sometimes see Geralt cheerful, the newly minted duo will join the guests who are already having fun.

Meet me, world!

The celebration itself will take place in the center of the village. Upon entering the makeshift courtyard, Shani will notice a tree with a rowan growing on it, saying that as a child she made beads from these berries. Pay attention to this; this information will definitely come in handy later. Also take a closer look at the empty booth, which gives the impression that it’s not a dog living there, but a real werewolf. This will also play a role as the task progresses. The only thing that separates Witold from unbridled fun is a conversation with the newlyweds that will take place...

Shani introduces "Geralt" to Yavnut and Aldona

Right now. Shani will present Witold in the guise of Geralt to Yavnut and Aldona. Despite the request to behave decently, Witold will begin to ask the newlyweds completely inappropriate questions that will make Yavnut jealous. On the other hand, from questioning one can learn that the groom’s parents, like himself, are wealthy owners of a weaving workshop, while Aldona comes from a peasant family. Due to the difference in social status, Yavnut’s relatives were against the union of the young, but the guy still managed to convince them to agree to a “misalliance.” It is also revealed that Aldona previously studied with Shani at the Oxenfurt Academy, studying medicine, but after a year she simply did not have the money to continue her studies.

Interesting or not so interesting fact: Returning to the topic of the genealogy of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, it should be noted that Yavnut and Aldona were his children and blood relatives of Olgerd. Too many coincidences, don't you think?

Fire Eater

Aldona's parents

After talking with Yavnut and Aldona, a lot of possibilities open up for Geralt, but I suggest starting with the search for the fire eater. Aldona's puzzled parents will stand in the center of the courtyard. Talk to them and find out that the father and mother of the bride, wanting to prove to Yavnut’s relatives that they are not in poverty, organized a celebration at their own expense. In addition, they invited the famous fire eater from Novigrad itself, which cost Aldona's parents a tidy sum. Unfortunately, at some point the dog Demon broke loose and chased the devourer, forcing him to retreat. The bride's relatives will ask the witcher to find and bring the magician back, remembering that the man did not part with his jester's hat.

Traces of the Demon and the Fire Eater's Jester's Cap

Approach the Demon's booth, which stands near the gate. Use your Witcher Senses to inspect the following items:

• Booth. As mentioned earlier, the booth will seem very large to Geralt.
• Large gnawed bone. Witold will comment on this by saying that he saw such a cleanly gnawed bone only after he had not eaten for several days.
• Kazan. On the cast iron cauldron, which acts as a bowl, the witcher will find marks from the Demon’s teeth.

In fact, this is not necessary, but it is recommended for completeness. But important for completing the task “I was there, I drank honey and beer” will be the traces left by the huge dog. Follow them into the forest, examine the fallen branch near the tree and pick up the jester's hat from the ground - an attribute of the fire eater, which he lost during the chase. A little further, Geralt will have to cross a small stream, from the opposite bank of which someone’s screams will be clearly heard.

Do I see well? Did Duraley climb a tree to hide from this dog?

As it turns out, the fire eater himself shouted, taking up defense on a tall tree. But the Demon will not be as scary as he is painted - in fact, he is an ordinary mongrel with white fur and a black spot on his left ear. To be fair, his barks are indeed threatening. There are two ways to drive a dog away from a steeplechase runner:

• Use Axiy sign, if he is pumped to at least the second level, and order the Demon to go home. Witold will find such power over the animal funny and will ask Geralt to make the dog roll over. The Witcher will refuse, but Vitold will not be satisfied with such an answer. He will inhabit Geralt’s body and give the order himself, increasingly enjoying the process. However, when Von Everek thinks about making the Demon bite off his tail, Geralt drives the dog away and he runs home.
• Throw a stick to the Demon. This will distract the dog and he will run after her into the bushes. Vitold will not commit an act of knackering due to the lack of a subject of the crime.

Ah, glorious mead! No wonder you decided to retire to a tree with her

When danger no longer threatens the devourer, he will jump down and thank “Geralt” for his help. Without any ceremony, Witold, in the witcher’s body, will offer you a drink, snatching the bottle from the fire eater’s hands and pouring almost the entire contents of the glass container into himself. Give the rescued one the jester's hat, which he will also be very happy about, since this is a lucky headdress for a fire eater. By the way, on the face of the devourer there is a scar from a burn, apparently acquired during one of the performances. Further events depend on the choice of one of the presented replicas:

• You'll sober up along the way. Let's go. It's time for fun, but time for business. Witold doesn't have much time to waste on meaningless conversations, so he will invite the fire eater to return to the wedding and work off his fee.
• How to swallow fire? In case of such a choice, Witold will begin to ask the fire eater what is his secret? As it turns out, before a performance, magicians drink a special liquid that prevents them from getting burned. This will surprise “Geralt”, who voiced his idea that anyone can do this, thereby hurting the feelings of the devourer. The artist will decide that working with those who insult him so much is beneath his dignity and will begin to demonstratively leave. You can return it with the help of 50 Novigrad crowns, persuasion with the Axii sign, pumped up to at least the second level, or you can not try to keep it at all.

Bear-bear... [Censored] for you, not a bear!

If the fire eater doesn't leave, go back to the wedding with him. While crossing the stream, the artist will notice that a bear is rushing towards them! But it seems that he never read the bestiaries, because this is not a bear at all, but a wild boar. Witold will order the devourer to hide while he deals with the formidable beast. The easiest way to do this is to use the witcher’s sign Aard on the boar, which, as in the case of arachnomorphs, will knock the animal onto its back and leave its belly open for a fatal blow. But be careful: if the boar gets to the fire eater, it will kill him with one blow. Also, sometimes there is a bug due to which the animal will appear not at the stream, but right next to the tree, and will instantly kill the artist. Such an unpleasant bug can be “cured” by simply loading a save. After defeating the boar, Witold and the fire eater will talk for a while. During the conversation, the rescued magician will introduce himself again - his name is David Aftensboro. Having finally met, David and the witcher return to the celebration in honor of his marriage.

Interesting or not so interesting fact: In the Russian localization, unfortunately, we had to abandon the pun from the original English version. In it, confusion with the definition of the enemy referred to the similarity of words Boar(rus. Boar) And Bear(rus. Bear). When Witold points out his mistake to the fire eater, he will declare that he is a magician, not a naturalist. But the man from whom the name was borrowed, David Attenborough, became famous precisely for his studies of the surrounding nature.

Returning Demon and David Afrensboro's performance

Gwent with lows

Lowlifes playing gwent

After a walk through the forest, you can play a game of Gwent. Approach the table, at which three low cards will be thrown into cards. One of them will especially stand out with deer ears placed on its head. Witold casually refers to one of them as a “petty”, which will cause a conflict and the other two lowlifes will demand an apology from “Geralt”. You can apologize, or you can not do it - it will not affect anything at all. Confident in his skill, Witold will put everything he has on the line and the game will begin. The enemy will play a well-equipped Northern Kingdoms deck, choosing the “Foltest Iron Lord” card as the leader, destroying the strongest card/s of the siege row on the witcher’s side if the total strength of the row is equal to or greater than ten. It is recommended to play with a deck of Monsters or Scoia'taels, if they are strong enough, and if you don't know how to play these decks, then choose your preferred deck, but try not to rely on siege row cards.

Geralt of Rivia - the legendary monster slayer and owner of cute deer ears

In case of victory, apart from moral satisfaction and a small purse of coins, neither Witold nor Geralt will receive anything. But if you lose, a funny scene will begin in which Witold, outraged by the defeat, will leave the witcher’s body, persuading Geralt to do something. The lowly ones, watching the dialogue between the gray-haired man and the void, will take him for a madman and offer to give them five percent of the available gold, and also to put on deer ears. Even if you are not ready to accept defeat in Gwent, it is highly recommended to still lose. Still, when else will you have the opportunity to look at the stern monster killer in a way that Shani will find funny?

Swineherd Competition

The founder of the competition against the backdrop of a participant running away from a ferocious pig

Although it is unbecoming for a nobleman like Witold Von Evereck to wallow in the mud, on such a day an exception can be made, especially since there will be no other opportunity. Approach the pen in which the peasant will run away from the pig. The man standing at the gate will tell Witold that this is how a swineherd competition is being held, and will invite the witcher to take part. Well, what about him? And he is always happy! To win the competition, you need to drive two pigs, indicated by a yellow circle on the back, into special pens. The mechanics of this mini-game are simple: If you want the pig to turn left, then come close to the right; if you want the piggy to turn right, then vice versa. It is not a good idea to stay behind, as from such a position it is very difficult to control the movements of the pigs. At the same time, keep in mind that even though there are several ordinary pigs running around the pen, they will under no circumstances enter the pens, so don’t even waste your energy. If the process takes Witold too long, he will get tired and think about using the witcher’s sign, meaning Axiy, already known to him. Under no circumstances give in to provocations and try to drive the pigs on your own, otherwise they will refuse to give the witcher a reward.

Rewards for winning the swineherd competition

If Witold succeeds and does not use the witcher’s sign, then the peasants will congratulate him on his victory and present him with two prizes: a plush pig for Shani and the Swineherd’s Laurel, which gives a fifteen percent increase in gold when equipped with Roach in the trophy slot.

You've met your destiny

Sitting down with Shani by the cart, Witold will ask the girl why she doesn’t succumb to his charm? Shani will answer that Witold, even in Geralt’s body, is simply not her type. Von Evereck will be outraged by this, because he believes that he is capable of making any girl fall in love with him. Then the red-haired doctor will argue with Witold that he cannot make a good impression on the dark-haired girl in a wreath, sitting alone on the bench opposite. Everek Jr. will approach her and start showering her with compliments, after which he will promise to give her the most expensive gifts and take her to the most expensive beauty salons, if only the girl would agree to spend the night with him. The prospect of being in “high society” will play its role and the dark-haired girl will be ready to agree, but someone will call out to her, addressing her as “ICQ”.

You, you bastard, won’t have to persuade me!

This “someone” will turn out to be one of Aska’s three brothers, dissatisfied with the inappropriate company of the gray-haired man, who also offered their little sister such obscenities. Even if Witold tries to apologize and pretend that he had nothing to do with it and that he was misunderstood, the trio of heroes will have to be taught a lesson with the help of a piece of wood torn from the fence. The brothers will also arm themselves with the same weapons and a fight will break out in the very pen where Geralt recently drove the pigs. During the battle, the use of witcher signs is prohibited, but not the consumption of elixirs and food that restore health. In general, the brothers are weak opponents who don’t do much damage even on low difficulty levels, but still don’t let them surround Witold, because then he’ll just be kicked around from all sides for lack of Aard and Quen. There will be enough space for maneuvers, so defeating your opponents will be a matter of a few seconds. When all three brothers take a dip in the mud, they rush to run away. Aska, who was frightened by the witcher, will follow their example, destroying Vitold’s hopes for a pleasant time in the nearby hayloft. Well, but he had a great fight!

Catch the shoe

People watch the gentleman's attempts to catch his beloved's shoe

The last full-fledged entertainment at the wedding will be the fun, popularly called “Catch the Shoe.” The essence of the game is that the girl throws her shoe into the pond, and her betrothed must dive to the bottom and return the lady's shoe. Of course, Witold will want to take part in this, and Shani will throw his boot into the water. Dive to the very bottom and activate your witcher's sense - with its help you can quickly determine the location of the shoe, and not only that of Shani. Collect all three and dive outside.

Geralt after swimming in the pond

Having got ashore, Witold will boast about his “catch” and offer to personally insert the leg of each of the owners into their wardrobe item. Such a statement will not really please Shani, who will almost begin to be jealous after such words. Witold will hasten to calm her down, assuring her that he was just joking, and then he will put Shani’s boot on her bare foot. This is where this entertainment will come to an end.

Minor fun in the yard

Three "points of interest" available for interaction in the courtyard

In addition to full-fledged fun, Witold can also do the following outdoor activities:

• Pester an old lady standing near the barn. At first she won’t understand what Witold wants from her, but when she figures it out, she’ll call her a “fool” and run away from him.
• Drink vodka. Two young girls will stand at the table and invite Witold to drink with them to the health of the young people. He, unable to refuse the ladies, quickly drains the glass.
• Harass another old lady sitting by a large tree between a pond and a pig pen. The granny's reaction will be exactly the same as in the first case.

Dancing in the barn

Gunter O'Dim decided to personally supervise the process of fulfilling the second wish

After completing any two fun activities (not counting minor ones), go to the center of the yard and Witold will hear music coming from the barn. He will immediately grab Shani and drag her inside to dance. At the same time, he will constantly boast that a better dancer than Witold Von Everek cannot be found in all of Redania, and he dances really well. Even Gunther O'Dim, who appeared at the wedding and announced from the stage that the musicians would play something more... Romantic for the witcher Geralt of Rivia and his charming girlfriend Shani, would not spoil the fun.

Witold "thanks" Shani for the wonderful dance

Since the only person who could recognize Gunther is now out of control of his body, Witold and Shani will come together for a slow dance. Along the way, they will conduct a dialogue in which Shani will ask Witold how many girls he had? He will not hide it - decently; but he will also add that all of them are no match for Shani. The music will begin to fade and Witold will ask Shani if ​​she knows how a partner should thank his partner? Before she has time to answer, Witold will kiss the girl, for which Shani will not be ready, but will not be angry. She will ask Witold to come out and let him talk to Geralt. Having returned to spirit form, Witold will hint to the witcher that he did this on purpose to give Geralt a chance to get closer. After a short conversation, the gray-haired man will tell Shani that the man who announced the dance for them is Gunther O'Dim. Obviously, it was no coincidence that he appeared here and it is worth talking to him.

Minor entertainment in the barn

"Points of interest" in the barn

Just like outside, there are several small things you can do inside a barn, including:

• Drink vodka with the dwarves. Having wished the dwarves sitting at the table not to have their beards tangled under their feet, Witold will empty another glass of barley liquor.
• Dance. Witold will start dancing near the stage, trying to surprise Shani with his skills. And how! Almost dancing a fiery flamenco!
• Find a neutral card for the “Cow” gwent. Exit the barn and look to the right. There will be a ladder leading to the attic of the barn and it is worth climbing up. With the help of the witcher's sense, it is very easy to detect a card lying on the floor, when picked up, Geralt's deck will be replenished with the neutral card "Cow".
• Sit on the pillows. On the same second floor, next to the map lying there, there are several pillows. Approaching them, Witold will invite Shani to sit down and talk a little, but not finding a suitable topic, he will quickly be pulled to his feet.

Conversation with O'Dim

The most important ingredient in gingerbread is time.

After a slow dance with Shani, you will have the opportunity to talk with O'Dim. He will communicate with the guests at the wedding, telling the two ladies about his personal recipe for shortcakes, the main ingredient in which is time. It is this that makes the sweetness crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, but the exact time to achieve such a result, you will have to find out by trial and error, experimenting and starting over. When he sees Witold, he will get up from the table and greet him. What exactly does Witold have to do with it, and not Geralt, which will greatly surprise the late nobleman. He will begin to ask about " Dima, what else does he know? Probably, if Witold knew what answer awaited him, he would not have asked. "Mr. Mirror", without hiding his contempt for the youngest representative of the Everek family, will tell you that Witold was always jealous of his older brother Olgerd, because he was always better than Witold in everything. He will deny this in every possible way and accuse Gunther of lying, and it is not difficult to believe him. O'Dim's words do not compare well with Vitold's behavior in the family crypt, when, having first appeared to Geralt, Witold admits that he did not like his relatives and was not going to help them in the battle with the witcher. At the same time, he praised Olgerd in every possible way, demonstrating an extremely positive opinion about the person , whom he allegedly envied. Having reminded that Witold did not have much time left until midnight, O'Dim left.

Midnight

Witold's speech

As soon as all the main entertainment has been completed and a conversation with O'Dim has taken place, midnight will come - it's time for the ceremony of putting on the cap. Shani, as a friend of the bride, will take part in the ceremony. Witold will take advantage of the moment and go on stage, wanting to give a speech in honor of the newlyweds Shani will ask him not to do this, but if Witold still decides, then the guests will be waiting for the nobleman's story about his attitude towards ordinary peasants. Previously, he did not even consider them to be people and did not want to have anything in common with the commoners. he had several good grooms, but that was the end of any contacts with this layer of society. But today, after what he saw at the wedding, he radically changed his views: even though he still doesn’t want anything to do with the mob, but now this no longer bothers him have fun in their company.

Witold writes a letter to Olgerd

While the eyes of those present will be focused on the ritual of putting the cap on Aldona, with a genuine smile on his face, Witold will sit down at the table and, cutting his palm and using blood as ink, will write a letter to Olgerd. Later it will serve as proof that Geralt fulfilled the second wish of the chieftain of the “boars”.

Gunther O'Dim punishes Witold for insubordination

Witold will leave the barn and leave Geralt's body. However, even though it’s already midnight and the spirit had a lot of fun, he doesn’t want to leave this world. He too liked to feel alive again, and the witcher is unlikely to be able to somehow interfere with Witold... But Gunther O'Dim can. By biting an apple to look like a villain, he will cause unbearable pain to the ghost, and he will literally beg O'Dim for mercy. Once again showing contempt for the Von Evereck family and Witold in particular, he will order Evereck Jr. to return to where he came from, and Witold will have no choice but to obey "Mr. Mirror". After the extraordinary ritual of exorcism, Geralt and O'Dim will discuss further actions, and Shani will ask if the witcher wants to stay at the wedding a little longer? If Geralt agrees, then in parallel with the task “I was there, I drank honey and beer,” a related quest will begin “ Clear Night,” an analysis of which will definitely appear on the website soon.

Return to Olgierd von Everek

Olgierd reads Witold's letter

As in the case of the task “Open Sesame!”, Olgerd Von Everec will be waiting for the witcher in the Oxenfurt Alchemy tavern. When Geralt says that the second whim of the nobleman-robber has been satisfied, Olgerd will not believe it. Well, where has it been seen that someone was able to fulfill a desire that was initially conceived as an impossible one? However, that very letter written by Witold will serve as strong evidence of the “small feat” accomplished by the monster killer. Olgerd will drink to the health of his late brother, praise the witcher for his efforts and agree to voice his last wish. But this is a completely different story, but the task “I was there, I drank honey and beer” will be considered completely completed.

I hope that completing the quest "I was there, I drank honey and beer" from the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be useful for you, dear readers. Enjoy the game and good luck on the Path, witchers and witchers!

Who said that every fairy tale must have a good ending?

During his travels, Geralt of Rivia repeatedly came across wondrous creatures that seemed to have come to visit straight from folklore, well-known and not so well-known fairy tales, legends and myths. Needless to say, even the Wild Hunt, the fight against which the lion's share of the game was devoted to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, owes its image to Scandinavian mythology? However, sometimes even seemingly positive characters from good fairy tales can force the witcher to bare his silver sword... As happened in the task " The first shoots of evil", which is what we will talk about.

This is a job for a witcher!

Are you looking for The Witcher? We are looking for someone who will kill the monster!

The task becomes available immediately after installing the add-on" Stone hearts", but it is recommended to postpone its passage until Geralt's level reaches 35 or higher. Go to the Seven Cats tavern, which is located near Novigrad, go to the notice board and look at it. There is nothing interesting for the witcher there it turns out, exactly until a man comes up to the board and places an order for a monster from the canals.Geralt asks if the witcher needs help, to which he receives advice to go to the Garin estate, which is northeast of Oxenfurt, and talk with Olgierd von Everec, because it was he who placed the reward on the monster’s head.

Upon arrival, Geralt will discover that the estate has been occupied by robbers, proudly calling themselves “boars.” Fortunately, they will not attack, and one of them from the balcony will call the witcher inside the estate. However, Olgerd still has to be looked for, which the resting and having fun “wild boars” will not rush to help with. On the contrary, when they see the guest, they will begin to joke and mock him, alternately introducing themselves as “Olgerd” and confusing the witcher. The gray-haired monster slayer, of course, will not like this very much, and he will be able to choose one of two lines:

• Bunch of idiots. Geralt will not hide his irritation, making caustic jokes in response and insisting that he be taken to the real von Everek. One of the robbers will not like such impudence and a fist fight will break out. In general, the enemy is not difficult, and to defeat him it is enough to simply not expose yourself to blows, jumping back and blocking them, and at the right moment counterattack and go on the offensive. If possible, try to land the first blow, and then take advantage of the situation and simply bombard the enemy with a flurry of normal attacks. The defeated "boar", like his comrades, will even be happy with such entertainment and will lead the witcher to Olgerd.
• It was nice to chat, but I'm here on business. Geralt will not lose his composure, wanting to avoid conflict. By repeating that he came here because of an order, the witcher will thereby somewhat moderate the ardor of the “boars”, and he will also be led to Olgerd.

But I look at this... And I see only a lifeless piece of stone

During the quest “The First Sprouts of Evil”, Geralt will find Olgerd von Everek looking at a sculpture in an office on the second floor. It is noteworthy that although it is not mentioned in the game, the statue represents none other than the legendary Lady of the Lake - a mythical maiden revered by many as a deity. The Witcher knows her personally - during the events of the original game The Witcher, as a reward for defeating the underwater monster Dagon, the Lady knighted Geralt and presented him with a special silver sword, Arondite. Alas, the gray-haired man managed to lose even such a valuable gift somewhere. Owners of the supplement " Blood and wine", by the way, there will still be an opportunity to meet the Lady again and return Arondite, but that’s a completely different story. Now, after a short lyrical digression, let’s return to pressing matters. Olgerd makes it clear that even though he leads a robber lifestyle, but not at all like ordinary looters and bandits. Von Evereck, having thought a little about the fact that modern art cannot be compared with the works of yesteryear, wants to know Geralt’s opinion regarding the sculpture. There are four possible answers.

• I don't know much about sculpture. Geralt honestly admits that he is far from art and has never been particularly interested in it. Olgerd will say that the witcher has not lost much.
• I like this. Geralt will state that he likes the sculpture, especially the “bulges”. Olgerd will appreciate the joke, believing that it is always a pleasure to work with people with a sense of humor.
• I prefer Gernst's works. Geralt will show off his knowledge, expressing preference for the work of a certain Gernst. Von Everek will be surprised at the breadth of the witcher’s horizons.
• Let's talk about ordering. Ignoring Olgerd's question, Geralt will prefer to get straight to the point. Olgerd will note that the witcher is a man of action, and he likes it.

The choice of replica has only a symbolic function - in any case, Olgerd will destroy the sculpture, knocking it over to the floor, invite Geralt to go down to the main hall, where the fun is already in full swing, and there they will discuss the order for the monster from the canals.

Olgerd von Everec will tell you that the monster that the witcher is tasked with killing lives in the sewers near Oxenfurt and regularly devours women who have heard enough stories about a handsome prince turned into a toad by a terrible curse and descending into dark canals in search of his happiness. They find, alas, only death. One of the victims of the monster was the cook Olgerda, and that is why he longs for the death of the so-called “toad prince.” Agree to fulfill the order and do not hesitate to ask the noble robber to increase the reward - he will, without much hesitation, throw in 50 crowns on top. You can also ask Olgerd about the reason for which the feast was held. It turns out that in this way the “boars” celebrate the baptism of fire of the new saber of one of the “boars”, which was called “Tradition”. At the exit from the estate, the witcher will be called by the “boar” Adele. She will ask you to find the killer of her friend, track him down and take revenge on him. This will begin the side quest “Rose on a Red Field”.

Oxenfurt canals

The descent into the city sewer is located near the Oxenfurt market, right on the main square. A commoner standing near the entrance can tell the witcher that many have already gone down into the canals - both ordinary people and knights in shining armor - but no one has returned. Don't be fooled by the seemingly small height; If you don’t want a tombstone to appear in the cemetery with the carved epitaph “Here lies Geralt of Rivia. He choked on sewage, breaking both his legs,” use the stairs.

Below, the witcher will be able to see traces supposedly left by a man, and next to them a woman’s. After walking a little through the tunnels, you will come across one of the local inhabitants - a drowned man. Usually taking in numbers, lone drowners are an easy target for the witcher's blade, so there should be no difficulty in killing him. Soon Geralt will hear a woman's voice, apparently begging for mercy. It is worth saying that in the original English voice acting the voice was alarming, almost panicky, while in the Russian localization it is completely calm, which somewhat ruins the tension of the moment. A witcher who hastens to help will find an unexpected sight...

-Shani, he died. -I know... But it was worth a try

As it turns out, the voice belonged to Geralt’s old friend Shani, who was trying with all her might to save the life of the wounded soldier. However, the witcher will have to admit the futility of the red-haired medic’s undertaking - the soldier dressed in the colors of Redania is dead. Despite the circumstances, both Shani and Geralt are very happy to see each other, and no wonder, given their common history. Shani first appeared in the book of the literary series " Blood of the Elves", where the topic of their friendship and love relationships was touched upon. The latter, in turn, could be continued in the game The Witcher, where a kind and friendly girl acted as a “rival” of Triss Merigold. After the events of the first part, Shani became a teacher at the Oxenfurt Institute and an assistant to Joachim von Gratz, whom Geralt met during the side quest "Deadly Sins". With the outbreak of the war against Nilfgaard, she went to the front line to help the wounded. At the time of the events of the add-on, she is still working with the Redanians, and it was the task that led her to the sewers - whatever monster lives in the tunnels, it is poisoning the water and Shani needs to get a sample of mucus to create an antidote. Geralt, of course, immediately volunteers to help his friend.

It will not be possible to go into the next room during the quest “The First Sprouts of Evil” in the usual way - in pursuit of Shani, the monster crashed into the metal grate, thereby bending both it and the door. Geralt will assume that the neighboring wall could also have been damaged during the impact, and he will be absolutely right. Create an impromptu passage by using the witcher sign Aard on the wall near the grate; the weak point is very easy to determine with the help of a witcher's sense. Proceeding further, the witcher will find two more dead soldiers, whom Shani will call Miklas and Vern. The girl will tell you that when they got here, the squad was attacked by a flock of drowners. The Redans were able to fight back, but one of them, Franz, was wounded in the leg. Before the doctor had time to properly bandage the wound, something very large, scary and slimy attacked them. Knols ordered Shani to flee, and the remaining soldiers tried to delay the monster at the cost of their lives. When Shani returned, she saw Nols still alive, covered in strange mucus, dragged him away from the battlefield and tried to help. It was then that Geralt came across her.

There are two ways to get down to the lower levels of the canals: either jump into the hole near which the bodies of Vern and Miklas were found, or find the key and use it to unlock the grate blocking the passage. However, keep in mind that in the first case the witcher will lose half his health, and it will be very useful to him in the battle with the flock of drowners who have occupied the lower level of the sewer. Corpse eaters, due to their nature, are completely immune to the negative effect of “poisoning”, as well as the witcher’s sign of Axii. On the other hand, monsters have a dislike for fire, in particular the Igni sign and the Dancing Star bomb. In battle, try to keep opponents at a distance by pushing them away with the Aard sign or an alternative version of the Quen sign. Also, do not forget to lubricate the silver blade with anti-corpse-eater oil - it is especially useful on a high level of difficulty.

Having dealt with the drowners, approach the soldier's corpse. Shani recognizes him as Franz - the same Redanian wounded in the leg, only the scale of the damage has increased significantly - if before it was a laceration from the claws of a drowned man, now the lower limb is completely missing. From the conversation it will become clear that the monster was attracted by the smell of alcohol, which Shani used to treat the wound, mixed with blood. As soon as the dialogue ends, use your witcher's senses and examine Franz's body again - Geralt will be able to smell the persistent smell of alcohol, which will lead the monster killer to the lair of one of them.

Don't rush to immediately follow the alcohol trail to the monster's hideout. Examine the lower level and find two notes that will complement the picture of what is happening and bring some clarity:

• Advertising for a marriage agency lies at the grate standing at the entrance to the tunnel leading to the monster. It talks about the fact that a certain marriage agency decided to cash in on the story of the enchanted prince, taking payment from gullible girls and sending them to certain death.
• Soaked letter located at the feet of a corpse glued to one of the walls with dried mucus. As a guide, you can use a torch on the ground located near the letter. From it you can learn an extended version of the story of the cursed “groom” - one Ophir prince arrived in Novigrad and fell in love with a girl. Unfortunately for him, the lady's lover turned out to be a powerful sorcerer, who punished the unlucky lover by turning him into a toad.

Don't worry if you missed these notes - this will not affect the process of completing the task in any way. However, keep in mind that once Geralt discovers the monster’s lair, there is no way to go back or prepare any elixirs or bombs, so do this in advance. Particular attention should be paid to the “North Wind” and “Dancing Star” bombs, as well as the “Swallow” and “Ivolga” elixirs.

As it turns out, the monster chose a monastery worthy of a person of royal blood - spacious, its structure reminiscent of a dome. Shani will take a sample of mucus, which she came down for. Geralt will decide to lure the monster out by luring it with the smell of alcohol and blood. If the witcher does not have any alcoholic drinks in his inventory, Shani will give him his supplies; You won’t have to look for the second component for long either, because the lair is full of human corpses. The gray-haired one will send Shani to the surface, worried about her safety, and he himself will begin meditation in anticipation of the goal of his order.

His Highness, the Toad Prince!

After a few hours, the meditation will be interrupted by the sounds of something large and quickly approaching. The gossip did not lie - the sewer was indeed occupied by a huge toad, but it apparently lost its crown along the way. But even without expensive decoration, the Toad Prince is a very dangerous opponent, primarily due to his increased toxicity. At the first opportunity, take the Oriole elixir, which you were advised to prepare earlier - it will completely cancel any side effects from poisoning. The Toad Prince has several unique basic attacks:

• Bounce. It would be strange if the toad could not jump. If Geralt moves too far away or, conversely, comes too close, the Toad Prince will jump high, “hover” in the air for a second, and then quickly rush to the ground, creating a shock wave upon landing. Try not to stop and run away from the Toad’s trajectory so that it does not crush the witcher with its carcass.
• Poisonous Spit. If the witcher is far from the Toad, it will begin to spit clumps of poisonous mucus at him, which upon landing form a cloud of poisonous gas. Before this, the bags on her neck will swell, acquiring a characteristic red color. As soon as you see this, get ready to roll or start running away from the Toad.
• Tongue attack. The enemy will use an improvised whip if Geralt gets too close. This attack is very fast, so it is not always possible to dodge or run away from it. As an alternative, it is recommended to use the Quen sign.

As you can see, the Toad Prince in the quest “The First Sprouts of Evil” adheres to the strategy of keeping the enemy at a distance, attacking with long-range attacks, and if the witcher manages to get close enough to strike with his sword, jump away and continue his “shelling”. This is the main difficulty in the battle with Toad - due to its mobility, it is difficult to hit it. In order to limit the monster's mobility, you can use the Yrden trap sign and/or the improved North Wind bomb. It's also worth coating your silver witch blade with anti-damned oil, as the extra damage in this fight won't hurt. It is noteworthy that at least in one of the dialogues Shani will mention that she threw a torch at the monster, but he did not even pay attention to this and, therefore, is immune to fire, everything is exactly the opposite - the fire element is especially effective against the Toad. It is likely that in the early stages of development the Toad Prince was actually immune to fire, but this was later turned into a weakness.

There is some truth in every fairy tale

Geralt will deliver the decisive blow to the Toad in a cut-scene, dodging the monster’s jump and ripping open its belly. Unfortunately for the witcher, the poisonous blood of the monster poured out of the fresh wound onto him. Although the monster killer’s body, thanks to mutations, is less susceptible to toxins, Geralt, weakened after a difficult battle, will lose consciousness. The last thing he will see will be the dying Ophir prince, posthumously freed from the curse, as well as the running Ophir soldiers.

Captured by the Ophirians

Petty thief, sharper, and in his spare time a tour guide in Oxenfurt

The witcher will come to his senses on board the Albatross ship, locked in a cage. Geralt's awakening will be noticed by his fellow sufferer. He will start a conversation with the gray-haired prisoner, introducing himself as a petty thief, a sharper and a guide to Oxenfurt. From the dialogue it will become clear that the witcher himself was indirectly involved in his imprisonment. Philippe was hired by the Ophirians to guide guests from the South through the city's sewers. They were obviously looking for their missing prince, but they were exactly a minute late, finding only a cold corpse. Calagrande fell under the hot hand of the Ophir people, who decided that he was an accomplice of the murderer. Philippe will tell you that they will travel to Ophir, where they will be executed, but the guide is even happy about this, because he always wanted to look at black horses with white stripes. The dialogue between the prisoners will be interrupted by two Ophir soldiers, who will bring food and order the prisoners to be silent. Geralt will try to take advantage of the opportunity and ask Philippe how the phrase “take me to the captain” sounds in Ophir? The witcher who has not understood anything will have the opportunity to choose one of three phrases:

• Alle"khe yhll eghallith! One of the Ophirians will ignore Geralt's request, finally adding that they will still see who will laugh last. Philippe will say that the phrase uttered by the witcher translates as “I had your aunt’s hat.”
• Alle"ghe urh yghileth! The result will be exactly the same as with the first option. Only this time the translation will be less offensive, but meaningless - “I want to dance his nose.”
• Alle"khe uhl eghullath! Having correctly uttered the request to take him to the captain, the witcher will still be ignored by the Ophirians, who once again ordered him to shut up.
• If Geralt does not have time to choose one of the provided lines, the Ophirians will leave silently.

In general, even the right choice will not have any result. Philippe decides to sleep and advises Geralt to do the same - they have a long journey ahead of them. The Witcher, in his characteristic ironic manner, will say that he would like someone on the ship to fulfill his wishes...

Gunther O'Dim, you lousy tramp!

And, oddly enough, such a person will be nearby. Gunther O'Dim, whom Geralt met at the beginning of the game's events The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in the White Garden. Although O'Dim's first appearance was episodic, even then one could suspect that Gunther was not the ordinary mirror merchant he introduced himself to. Firstly, he knew a lot about Geralt; he also knew what brought the witcher to the White Garden and about his relationship with Yennefer. But if this could still be justified by Gunther’s reading of Dandelion’s ballads, then with the mysterious disappearance this will not work. In addition, those who like to play a game of gwent, collecting new cards and looking for them from merchants, could stumble upon the merchant in the circus performers' camp, located not far from the Wegelbud estate. One of the cards available for purchase is the neutral card "Gunther O" Dim: Darkness", which partially reveals the essence of Gunther.

The "sign" of "O" Dima on the witcher's face, serving as a reminder of duty

Gunther will lend a helping hand to Geralt, offering to rescue the witcher from captivity. In return, O"Dim will ask you to fulfill one small request, the details of which Geralt will find out when he arrives at midnight at a crossroads under the willows near the village of Yantra. At this point, "Mr. Mirror" will break a wooden spoon in half and then disappear. The awakened Philippe will be surprised with whom he just met Geralt was talking? Suddenly, a strong shaking will begin, caused by the storm that has begun. The gray-haired man will lose consciousness again, waking up already on the shore. From the conversation of the Ophirians, it will become clear that the ship crashed near Oxenfurt, caught in a strong storm. Having also heard a lot about the ways in which a witcher can be executed , Geralt decides to flee. Having killed the Temerian mercenary who accompanied the Ophir detachment, the prince's killer will free himself from his bonds and begin the battle against the surviving soldiers.

Please note that combat with them is optional and the only thing the witcher will lose when fleeing the battlefield will be experience and random loot from corpses. If you decide to fight the enemies surrounding Geralt, you can use the following tactics. The Ophir magician, being away from the witcher, will often attack him with a special spell. First, a wide “ring” will form on the sand, which will rapidly narrow, and then completely cause a sand explosion. As soon as you notice such a ring, try to lure as many opponents into it as possible and at the last moment cast the Quen protective sign on the witcher - for any opponent the magician’s spell will be fatal, and Geralt will be left without a single scratch. Applying the Yrden trap sign to the area inside the ring won’t hurt, but you should do it at the first sign so that Quen’s energy has time to recover. The magician is very weak in close combat, but can teleport. Stun him with the Axii or Aard signs, and then unleash a flurry of blows.

Conversation with Gunther O'Diem

Head to Yantra Village, find the indicated location and meditate until midnight. Gunther appears and reflects on the fact that even inveterate criminals consider it a matter of honor to come to a meeting with O'Dim, which greatly surprises him. Then he will outline the essence of his request - he needs Geralt to force one of O'Dim's "clients" to repay the debt . It will be none other than Olgerd von Everek, who, according to O'Dim, once came to him emaciated, ragged and with only his saber on his belt. Gunther gave Olgerd everything that the nobleman asked for, but when the time came to pay the bills, Olgierd wanted to avoid this. Geralt couldn’t refuse the offer even if he wanted to, and then Gunther suggested that the witcher go to the Garin estate and talk with Olgierd.

There is an alternative option for meeting with "Mr. Mirror". Regardless of the agreement, ignore Gunther's words about the meeting at the Yantra village and go straight to your customer - Olgierd von Everek. However, it will not be possible to avoid the conversation - O"Dim will wait for the witcher on the branch of a spreading tree growing at the entrance to Garin's domain. The essence of the dialogue will remain virtually unchanged, with the exception of O"Dim's remark that only the witcher did not consider it a matter of honor to appear at the indicated place, and a short conversation about the fire that happened on the estate.

Return to the estate

And your estate is on fire here

Approaching the estate of the Garin family, the witcher will notice a red glow on the horizon. Upon arrival, the reason will be discovered - the estate is on fire, and on the steps above the body of the dead owner of the land, his daughter is sobbing. But the “boars,” apparently, are not very saddened by this or at all interested. One of the already familiar robbers will meet Geralt in a good mood and say that they had a little too much at the feast and what happened happened. The Witcher will ask where he can find Olgerd? This time the “boar” will not make fun of him, but the problem is that he himself does not know where to look for the chieftain.

The witcher's attention will be attracted by a noisy "boar", asking to spare him, and two more comrades of the person sentenced to death, preparing to carry out this very execution. Geralt will not be able to pass by and will intervene in the execution process. The executioners will perceive such an act of nobility extremely negatively, demanding that the gray-haired man get away and not disturb them. You can answer in one of two ways:

• Let's talk calmly. Geralt will say that he just wants to talk calmly and does not intend to influence what is happening in any way.
• Don't move. Geralt will turn very sharply to the “boar”, advising her not to get into trouble and not to test from her own experience what a witcher is capable of in anger.

Whatever option the witcher chooses, the “boar” will still not stop demanding that the gray-haired man move away and not interfere with them doing their job. Here you will have a choice of three replicas:

• No need to be nervous, let's talk calmly. The witcher will repeat that he does not need a conflict with the “boars” and will ask why they want to execute the man who shared bread with them this morning? "Kabanikha" will sparingly answer that this is Olgerd's order, and that the condemned person violated the "noble code." Algerd, emerging from the burning estate, steals Geralt’s attention for a moment, and during this moment the “boar” loses his head.
• Let him go or you will deal with me. The Witcher will demand that the poor “boar” be released, hinting that if they want his blood, they will first have to shed the Witcher’s. Algerd, who emerged from the fire, will consider this a challenge and Geralt will cross blades with him in a duel for the life of the condemned “boar”.
• Do your thing, it doesn't concern me. The Witcher will not interfere with the “boars”, and their former comrade-in-arms will lose his head.

Taking into account the corpse of the owner lying on the steps of the estate, as well as the “boar’s” mention of a violation of the code of nobility, we can conclude that the person sentenced specifically for the murder of the ruler of the Garin estate will be executed. In other words, the punishment, although cruel, is fair - a life for a life.

Fight with Olgierd von Everec

Now at least you know that I don't lose my head so easily

If Geralt comes to the defense of the poor “boar”, a battle will break out with Olgierd von Everec. It is interesting, first of all, because of the opportunity to see Olgerd in action and evaluate his strength. The first thing that catches your eye is his saber "Iris", which the nobleman-robber wields with special skill. During strong sweeping attacks, it begins to glow brightly scarlet, which hints at the magical properties of the weapon. On the other hand, Olgerd himself has the same abilities, capable of making dashes over long distances, enveloping himself in black fog. A similar glow is formed near his hands. In a battle with Olgerd, it is worth remembering his main attacks: a series of several quick saber strikes, a strong blow and a lunge. In addition, at close range, Olgerd can throw a handful of sand into the witcher’s eyes, causing him to lose his balance. It will be most effective to counterattack the first blow in a series or a blow in a dash, trying to push Olgierd to the conventional “border” of the battlefield and begin to actively slash his body with quick attacks. In this case, the enemy simply will not be able to get out of the stunned state and will be quickly defeated. To be sure, you can also apply the Yrden sign - then von Everek will have no chance against the witcher. As soon as Olgierd's health bar is completely depleted, a cutscene will begin in which Geralt will pierce the nobleman's chest right through. However, something will go wrong and Olgerd will not die, and will even be able to continue the fight. With one more blow, the witcher will almost cut off von Everek’s head... And he will personally applaud the winner.

Three conditions

Regardless of whether Geralt fought with Olgerd or not, he will be ready to talk. Olgerd will explain why even after losing his head, if the witcher fought with him, or after being in the fire for a long time, if the head of the “boar” was separated from the body, the nobleman feels great. It's all about the agreement with O'Dim, who made von Everek practically immortal. Over time, Olgerd became bored with the inability to die and he began to see a lot of disadvantages in it - life for him lost color, because even the craziest act loses all risk. In a mocking manner , the nobleman will offer the witcher to take his reward - everything that he can take away from the burning estate.

Then, out of nowhere, Gunther O'Dim will appear, reminding Geralt of his warning - Olgerd cannot be trusted. Von Everek will clearly not be happy to see Gunther, and he will also begin to add fuel to the fire of the brewing conflict between the witcher and the chieftain of the robbers. What will emerge is that Olgerd knew that the monster in the canals was the cursed prince. Moreover, it was he who imposed the curse, and then hired the witcher to kill the converted Ophir. Wanting to quickly get rid of O'Dim, von Everek will ask why he came, and having learned about that Geralt will have to fulfill Olgerd’s last three wishes, he will drive him away, inviting the witcher to go to the stables - the “boars” are just about to leave the estate, since there is no point left in staying in the burnt house.

There von Everek will talk about his desires, the first of which will be the demand to find a new home for him and the “boars”. But an ordinary house is unlikely to be suitable, unlike the house of Maximilian Borsodi. As a second wish, von Everek will ask the witcher to make sure that his younger brother Witold has a lot of fun - he has not had such an opportunity for the last few years. Olgerd agrees to voice the third wish only if Geralt manages to fulfill the first two, and in case of success, which the robber himself strongly doubts, asks to find him in the Alchemy tavern in Oxenfurt. During the conversation, you can also ask Olgerd about how he cursed the Ophir prince? Von Evereck admits that he didn’t want to do this himself, he just, in a fit of rage, shouted something like “let him turn into a toad.” Olgerd had a reason to be angry - the parents of his beloved wanted to marry the girl to an Ophirian. Apparently, it is von Everek who is called the very “powerful sorcerer” in the soaked letter that could be found in the canals.

Leaving the Garin estate, the witcher will once again stumble upon Gunther O'Dim. Wanting to help Geralt fulfill Olgierd's wishes, since this is exactly what he needs, he will tell the gray-haired man about the reasons why von Evereck is so confident in Geralt's failure. Witold von Evereck , whom the witcher will have to entertain, was not having fun for one reason - he has been dead for several years. Geralt will not be happy with this news, because to summon Witold he will have to resort to necromancy. O" Dim will point to another method - the Summoning Ritual. The witcher will answer that for such a ritual you will need the blood of the deceased... Which will just happen to be in the possession of Gunther O'Dim and who will gladly share it. The auction house is now organizing an auction, but it is obvious that the noble Borsodi family does not just want to part with with property. In a conversation, Geralt will mention that once his swords went under the hammer of an auction house, but then this establishment was in Novigrad. This event took place in the book Thunderstorm season"Geralt from Rivia arrived in the kingdom of Kerak, where he was framed by a corrupt official, arrested and convicted. Very soon the witcher was released, where he learned about the disappearance of his swords, confiscated during his arrest. Attempts to return his property end in nothing - they are still being sold .

I hope that completing the quest “The First Sprouts of Evil” in The Witcher 3 will be useful for you, dear readers. Enjoy the game and good luck on the Path, witchers and witchers!

Plot additions, like additions in general, have become commonplace in the modern gaming industry. Many developers of AAA projects are engaged in them, despite the angry cries of a number of players, according to whom “the game is deliberately cut off, and then the cut out parts are sold separately.” Perhaps this is true. But perhaps the teams actually work on add-ons separately, after the main project has launched. In any case, it is not so important whether the cut piece is served with a “plot addition” sauce, as long as the piece is sweet enough. For example, like "Left Behind" when "One of Us". Or "Hearts of Stone"- a new addition for, at the moment, the best role-playing game of the current year, "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt".

The add-on greets us with damn friendly options!

And this man is Olgerd von Everek, a prominent chieftain of a gang of bandits, who is looking for new sensations and more entertainment. The introduction to him in the game is made very symbolic - the man expresses to Geralt his negative opinion about the stone sculpture of a naked woman made by a famous master, and then deliberately drops it. We are briefly shown a broken stone, which resonates well with the title of the expansion, Hearts of Stone. After which we receive our task from Olgierd: to go to the canals near Oxenfurt and kill the monster that lives there. Rumor has it that this is not just a crazy monster, but a real enchanted prince from Ophir. One way or another, this task and battle will begin a chain of events that will lead the witcher through amazing adventures.

To break such a good sculpture... and what did his father teach him?!

But a meeting is a meeting, and the main event associated with the lovely medical doctor lies ahead - this is a trip to her friend’s wedding. There is a dialogue option to opt out of this event and I don't know if it will actually allow you to skip it. But I don’t recommend experimenting, because local fun is one of the coolest episodes of the add-on! She is part of one of Olgerd’s wishes, which the witcher is forced to fulfill, paying a favor to the very Mirror that I remembered at the beginning of the review. The cunning one waited for the right time and crawled out like a jack-in-the-box, quite specifically putting the leash of duty on our hero. Speaking of the Mirror, he is perhaps the most charismatic character in the game; following his philosophy, actions and statements is a real pleasure. Although from the first minutes it is clear that he is, to put it mildly, a mysterious entity.

The addition is strong not only with a wonderful plot, but also with its own planned robbery in the style Grand Theft Auto V, and revealing interesting characters. There is room for several interesting innovations here. In addition to new bosses, enemies and the impromptu robbery mentioned above, the developers introduced us to overseas guests from Ophir - a merchant and rune master. The latter is of considerable value for players who want to experiment with their equipment. In the main campaign, we were able to enhance armor and weapons with runes and glyphs, but the Rune Master takes this customization to a whole new level. He can create words from runes and glyphs and then apply them to equipment, providing a range of new and more powerful effects. It is true that his services are quite expensive, especially considering that in order to restore his workshop, a lot of gold coins will have to be sacrificed. Is it worth it? The question is individual. Rune words can dramatically affect combat style, so each player must decide for themselves. I recommend that you definitely try out this new feature, because you can always reload the game from a manual save.