King's Gambit Witcher 3 | Walkthrough | Choices and consequences
The “King's Gambit” is a secondary task in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which you can find while traveling through the Ard Skellige archipelago. The quest appears automatically after completing other quests, such as "Possession" and “The Lord of Undvik”. These two tasks, as well as the “King's Gambit”, must be completed before the departure of Geralt on Skellige together with Avallac'h and the sorceress from the bed (the plot task “Battle Preparations”), otherwise this mission will fail.
In the last two assignments, you met Craite’s children and the heirs of the throne, Hjalmar and Cerys. It is at this feast you have to choose which of them will occupy the throne. Who to support, whom to help, whom to choose? How to get a relic crossbow? These and many other questions we will consider in this walkthrough. Let's get started.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt “King's Gambit”: detailed quest walkthrough
Having received the assignment, the Witcher will arrive at Kaer Trolde at the height of the feast: all the candidates for the royal crown have come together, it is time for the residents of Skellige to choose a new ruler. Usually only residents of the islands are allowed to vote, but for Geralt they made an exception, because he greatly helped Cerys and Hjalmar. All this you learn from the butler Arnwald, who will meet you at the gate of the castle and lead you to the hall for the feast. At the entrance you will notice two already familiar heirs, who argue over the crown. After a quarrel, Cerys offendedly removed, and Hyalmar exchanged a couple of phrases with the White Wolf.
Before you go to the crash, let's look at the hall. This is optional, but I advise you not to miss it. First of all, you can visit Hjalmar’s room and unexpectedly meet Svanrige hiding there. He does not recognize what he is doing here, and will simply respond with standard phrases.
And on the terrace you can meet Cerys upset by a quarrel. The daughter of the Collapse, to all appearances, was greatly hurt by the altercation with Hjalmar and his mocking attitude towards the girl’s desire to occupy the throne. Whatever you answer, at the end of the conversation the witcher will convince Cerys to return to the hall for the feast.
The best decoration of the feast is, of course, a fistfight. Return to the hall and immediately notice that in the corner of the room the men have already started a fight. If you want to join, then contact Hjalmar - he not only organizes a fight with wildkarlami, but also offers a bargain: if Geralt wins the fight, he gets Hyalmar’s sword, and if he loses, he gives his. I advise you to save in advance or simply equip any sword that is not a pity, because it is he who will disappear from the inventory in case of a defeat. Before the fight, you can also find out who are wildkaarly. It turns out that these are savages who constantly fight, live in battles and hunting. In general, local berserks.
If you win, the Witcher will receive Hjalmar's steel sword in inventory. This is a unique sword that has good stats: + 48% crit, 2% additional experience for a fatal blow to people and 1 slot for runes. And if he loses, then the equipped steel blade will disappear from the inventory of Geralt. Or you can pay 360 Kroner to young Craite and keep the sword for yourself. If you liked to fight with your fists, you can talk to the wildkaarl at the gate and repeat 2 more times, after which you will get 50 experiences and this completes the side task of fighting.
This completes the optional actions at the feast, so you can go straight through the plot - to the Crach an Craite room.
Important! Immediately after this dialogue, you will have to choose which side to take, and who will become the ruler of Skelliga. If you want to see both options, I advise you to make a save in order to load later. The interior can be reached through the door to the right of the fireplace. After a few steps, the cut-scene begins with Birna, which at that very moment left the chambers of Craite. If you forget, Byrne is the widowed queen and mother of Svanrige an Tuirseach. Out of respect, Geralt will spread a couple of phrases with her, after which we will be teleported to the room, and the dialogue will continue with the Collapse. As a reward from the king, we received a relic steel sword. Fate (high damage, increases the power of Igni and Axii signs by 9%, + 10% to the chance to knock the enemy off balance, 3 rune slots) and at this moment we will be interrupted by the roar and shouts of the main the hall.
Heroes rush to the center of the feast and see a terrible picture: bears suddenly appeared in the hall, tables are broken, drinks and food are scattered, everything is covered in blood and corpses along the walls — well, Red Wedding is straight. Wild animals tore unhappy people into pieces and it was necessary to urgently stop them. A fight with three bears will begin, two will be right under our noses, and the third will be at the far end of the hall. Collapse, like a pair of guards Skelliga will help us and distract animals to themselves. Do not be afraid to use Igni, keep behind the animals and deliver consecutive blows.
At the end of the battle, the labels will be gathered and they will be asked to find out who arranged it all, find the guilty and punish them. A lot of people died, Kaer Trolde turned into a bloodbath, and now the search for the guilty is a matter of honor for en Craite. The witcher, after what he saw, will not stand aside and offer his help, but Cerys and Hjalmar will again quarrel. The Son of the Crush will insist on immediate revenge, fortunately, he already knows the culprit of the bloodshed. The daughter decides to investigate and establish who started it all. Here we will face a choice.
Cerys or Hjalmar - whom to choose?
That is why I advised to save in advance, so that later there was an opportunity to look at the second solution. Attention, this is a very important choice, on which depends who will be the next king of Skellige. You decide, and we, of course, consider the options for the development of events.
- I will go with Hjalmar - revenge so revenge. Ahead of you is waiting for a new location, several battles and the murder of those responsible for this pogrom. At the end of the path Hjalmar will lead the throne of the islands.
- I will help you, Cerys - instead of mindlessly killing people, it's better to get to the bottom of it and find the one who arranged it all. The crime has just happened, which means the traces are still fresh. At the end of the path Cerys will become the supreme ruler of Skellige.
- I see that you can do it yourself - this remark will immediately complete the task, Hjalmar and Cerys will lose their rights to the throne and Svanrige an Tuirseach takes it.
Quest King's Gambit - the consequences of choosing
I can not decide for you who to choose. If you choose Hjalmara, then go along with the new location and kill those who arranged the carnage. The instigator of the whole scandal will remain unknown and will avoid punishment. And if you prefer Cerys, you can get to the bottom of the essence and bring the instigator to clean water. It is important that during the way of Cerys you will find places of power, and it will also be possible to equip with a sword. Personally, I decided not to help Hjalmar, find out the real villain and make Cerys ruler Skellige. But, as I said, let's look at both ways.
Walkthrough the mission with Hjalmar
In this case, after a short conversation with the son of Craite, the game will take you to the outskirts of the village of Fornhala. It is located in the south-east of Ard Skellige and live here preferably wildkarly. Hjalmar knows that they turned into a feast at the bears and massacred (remember the men with whom you fought with your fists?), So I decided to kill the entire berserker settlement. To the question "And now," the heir to the throne will answer that there is no concrete plan, he only needs the death of the guilty in the death of the guests. Here you have the whole plan for the future king.
At this cut-scene is over, which means it's time to go to the village itself. Immediately at the entrance you can see the corpse lying under the stone walls. We turn on the witch's flair and begin to inspect the village: judging by the corpse, something is wrong here. Going deep into the village, you will see a terrible altar - there is a lot of blood around it, another corpse and abandoned clothes. Even the native resident of Skellige does not know what kind of ritual was performed here.
During the inspection we find out that the victim is not wildkaarl. His whole body is bruised, it seems the guy fought on his fists to death. In a pile of clothes there are 6 different sets - which is strange, because the body here is only one. And on the very altar a more significant clue is waiting for us - Hjalmar will be able to read the inscription in the ancient language, which says that the forbidden god was worshiped here - Svalblod. Long ago, all the altars of this god were destroyed, and the priests were killed.
The problem of worshiping this deity was ... human sacrifice. You have an interesting religion, of course. After this conversation, Geralt senses a strange smell, like a bear bait. The trail will lead us to the corpse, near which there is a pool of blood and many traces.
Examining the blood stain, we notice new traces along which we set off. The prints will lead us into a house with a hidden floor, which will be brightly highlighted and in general it is extremely difficult to miss it. Having gone down (or just jumping off) to the manhole, the characters find themselves in a long cave. Having passed a little, we will go out into the round hall and meet the first living person in the village - Hallgrim, one of the wildkaarls.
“Bear” admits that they didn’t go to a feast for the sake of murder, but they don’t regret the death of residents, because the weak have no right to life. Actually, further conversation does not make sense, so the fight will begin. The enemy will fight in the human form, until you take him half the health. As with any people, use Axii and Hanged Man's Venom. In the middle of hp it will turn into a bear, but even then there will be no difficulties, because you will be helped by Hjalmar.
After the battle we move further along the tunnel, because the opponents will not end there. Reaching the end, you will fall into a huge room with an altar in the center. It was at this moment that the druid conducted a forbidden ritual, so after a short cut scene, another fight begins, this time the last one.
And the old man will not miss, and in battle he will actively use his magic staff - both to cast a wave of air, to throw lightning, and just to bang them. When you remove his health ¾, he will begin to call the big bears to his aid. I advise them not to be afraid and continue to beat the old man, because this will continue indefinitely.
On the body of the priest you will find an anonymous letter, from which it will become clear that it was he who incited the berserkers on Kaer Trolde. And here we are faced with the problem that Cerys talked about - we found the killers, but who arranged it all? Hjalmar has no ideas, so all we can do is to pick up the jarl and announce that the attack was wildkaarly.
That is how events will develop. After a dialogue with young en Craite, the game immediately teleports us back to the castle, and a new scene will begin. All Labels will come together, Hjalmar will throw a bear head to their heads and blame the Berserkers. Yarly will not believe the guy and laugh at him and his sister, but then the witcher will intervene and confirm the veracity of the words.
The words of the witcher and an anonymous letter will play an important role in the negotiations. Only Byrne will object, but they will not listen to her, and the eldest of the Eagles will declare that en Craite have dismissed themselves from shame. This will complete the feast, and the Collapse will thank the witcher for helping his son and donate a relict crossbow Death from Heaven (perfect for additional experience) and call on the council of the yarl near the Gedinate oak.
If you agree, then immediately teleport to the right place and see the scene as Hjalmara an Craite proclaim the new king Ard Skellige.
What happens if you support Cerys
So, if you decide to find the real culprit of the murder, then it's time to start the investigation. The first thing is to inspect the main hall, in which everything happened.
Let's talk first with the girl.
- What happened before the massacre? - visitors of the castle carelessly drank and had fun, until the bears appeared completely suddenly, taking the revelers off guard. No one saw where they came from.
- Who is dead? - A lot of people died, including candidates for the throne. Of the living candidates were only Svanrige, Cerys and Hyalmar.
- We need to look around - after this option cut-scene is over, and we can proceed to the investigation.
Immediately begin with an inspection of the bodies of the dead. There are a huge number of corpses in the hall, but we need one specifically. Geralt will find marks of teeth and claws on him, which is not surprising at all. Next, carefully examine the corpse of a bear, which is located in the corner of the hall. View each part for complete details.
After inspection, the witcher will come to the conclusion that he is not an ordinary bear, but some kind of lycanthrope. The man turned into a beast because of some unknown potion, poured into alcohol. The potion has an earthy smell, so you should look at all the bowls on the floor.
Bowls and horns are scattered all over the floor, so finding the right item will not be easy. All the horns that you inspect, will be empty, so it is better to pay attention to the bowl. Mostly, there was honey in them, but here in one, which lies near the second column on the left, honey with an earthy smell and some mushrooms is felt. Bingo!
After inspecting the bowl, the task will be updated, and a trace will appear that will lead the witcher to the source of the smell. With the help of the witcher's flair we run on the trail through the entire hall and find another horn that lies on the stool near the exit. It also smells of honey, mushrooms, and for some reason human blood.
After inspecting the desired item, the witcher will call en Craite's daughter. The girl will share new information: according to eyewitnesses, the carnage was arranged not just by bears, but by the people who turned to them - berserks. But for us this is no longer news, and the Witcher even knows what triggered the transformation.
- Berserkers? - These are warriors who, as legends say, can turn into animals during a battle. But there was a feast, not a battlefield, so very strange.
- I know what caused the transformation - Geralt will share the discovery and information about the “additives” in honey that could cause the transformation. Herbs and other rare reagents are best understood by the witch, so you should consult with him.
The court magician Udalryk can be found on the terrace, not far from the hall for the feast. He will recognize the source of the earthy smell that has been impregnated with the horn - this will turn out to be Mardre, well, or just a merry (hallucinogenic mushroom). It turns out that honey really poisoned, but they did it not during the feast, but in advance. All the barrels of honey are stored in the cellars, but rather we go there for possible evidence.
It is easy to find the cellar, it is enough to return to the hall for feasts, go further to the gate of the castle and turn left to the forge. The door to the cellar is opposite furs and anvils - do not miss. Once inside, we go down the stairs and go straight, then left and go deeper even lower. Along the way, you will find a large number of chests, barrels and other goodies that can be shaken without a twinge of conscience.
How to run out of the burning cellar
After a brief walk through the basements, Cerys will lead the White Wolf to the barrels of alcohol. In the far part of the hall there are three open barrels of honey, ours is left to the stairs.
The witcher immediately senses the mixed mushrooms and blood. At this very moment, someone will throw in the cellar, filled with alcohol, a torch and everything will light up. Our villain wants to get rid of detectives, but no matter how. The way back is blocked by fire, there is nothing to breathe, but there is a back door, which is forced by barrels and will help to run out of the burning cellar. Separate them with Aard and run from the basement until the remaining air is exhausted.
Attention! So you have found the place of power that Quen strengthens. This is the only opportunity when you can use it, so be sure to take the pumping point. Getting out of the basement, the girl will offer Geralt to watch the entrance to the basement. Suddenly unsuccessful arsonist left some traces? And it is true, left! In front of the door there is a broken bottle, spilled honey and traces of someone who has run into alcohol. At the end of the chain of tracks is the most important piece of evidence - a piece of cloth.
Cerys immediately recognizes the ornament on the clothes - it belongs to the butler Arnwald. Most likely, after an unsuccessful sabotage, he returned to the main hall. But as soon as you pass the smithy, you will see a butler, already riding a horse and trying to escape from the castle. Witcher immediately require a mount and go in pursuit. Chases have different developments and outcomes, depending on whether you are caught up with the instigator or not. Consider them all.
Attention! A bug is known that causes endless loading after this cut-scene. Instead of sitting in the saddle, you just look at the black screen. In later patches of the game, the bug was fixed, but if your game does not load, you will have to ship to this scene.
- If Geralt caught up with the traitor and knocked him out of the saddle - this is the fastest and best development of events. To knock the butler from the saddle, just one blow with the sword. Nothing complicated, just use a canter and quickly catch up with the villain. The poor thing is recognized in everything, and from his words it will become clear that Byrne, the mother of Svanrigue, has started everything. As evidence, we will receive instructions from Byrne and the word of the butler that he will confirm his words in front of the jarls.
- If Geralt did not catch up with Arnwald, but did not lose sight of him, then the butler would have to ride all the way to Drakkar, in the place of which Geralt suffered a crash during his first journey on Skelliga. The guard of the ship was supposed to take the butler with her, but when she saw Geralt, she decided to kill her own. The butler is necessary to us alive, because it is the most important evidence, therefore we reach for the sword and save it from the blades of our own friends. After the fight, the same dialogue follows as in the case you knocked him out of the saddle. If the butler died during the fight, then collect a small key from his body, we will need it a little later.
- If Geralt lost sight of Arnwald, the task will be updated. Now the evidence will have to look for yourself, and help us in this imprints of his horse. They will lead us to the very place where the ship Geralt crashed, on which he sailed on Skelliga. By the time we arrive, the poor fellow will be dead. In the dead body is found a small key, with which we will obtain the necessary information.
What to do with a small key? First of all, go back to Kaer Trolde. Go in the direction of the forge, go down to the familiar basement rooms and find the butler’s room. Inspect the room. Immediately the clothes scattered on the floor, the lonely shoe near the bed, rush into the eyes. These items we do not need. Next, next to the same bed is the book “Heroes of Skellige: Broddr” which is also not a clue. But the fact that we really need is under the buffet. This is a perfume-scented empty envelope that will lead us to the cache. This is where the little key comes in handy!
The hiding place contains a letter smelling of the perfumes of Byrne. Here is the solution to our problems. The letter contains detailed instructions on how to poison the honey. Cerys decides that this evidence will be enough and go to the council of the earls.
Arnwald is alive or not, his words and the words of Cerys will not be enough for yarlov. Byrne, of course, will deny everything and demand more substantial evidence. The intervention of Geralt also does not help, as well as evidence with spirits that smelled the envelope. Jarls will make fun of Craite and have already decided to leave the castle of the disgraced family, as they would be interrupted by Svanrig. The young guy will publicly “surrender” his mother and accuse him of the massacre, giving weighty arguments. Here, the labels will not be able to object anything and will return the good name to the clan en Craite, and Brin will be sentenced to death.
On this the main events of the task will be completed. There will be a cut-scene with Collapse en Craite, in which he thanks Geralt for his help and presents the same relic crossbow Death of Heaven, which gives, if you helped Hjalmar. After that, he will invite the witcher to look at the announcement of a new king of the islands, the title of which was given to Cerys. The new king is elected, everyone is happy, this quest “King's Gambit” will end.
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