Pyres of Novigrad in The Witcher 3: How to Find the Putrid Grove, the Password and Brandon's Payment
Witcher 3 Pyres of Novigrad: three ways into the Putrid Grove, the beggar's password, where the parcel is, and how to make Brandon pay double.
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Updated October 2026. Pyres of Novigrad is how the Novigrad part of the story begins. It's one of the three leads Yennefer gives you in Imperial Audience: find Triss Merigold. The city you walk into is hunting mages, Triss's house has been looted, and the only way to reach her is through the underworld. The quest has three ways into the King of Beggars' hideout and one money choice at the end.
Quick answer
Steps: watch the burning in Hierarch Square, visit Triss's house, find the Putrid Grove, help Triss with the smuggler's lost parcel, then clear the rats from Brandon's warehouse.
The Putrid Grove: follow a thief, ask the right beggar for the password, or swim in through the sewer. The beggar is the fastest.
Brandon's payment: don't ask for money up front. After the witch hunter fight you can make him pay double.
Next: Triss sends you to the dream reader Corinne Tilly, which is Novigrad Dreaming.
Before You Go: Getting Into Novigrad
The guards at the gates check papers. The usual way in is after Bloody Baron, when the Baron gives you a pass, or you can go in through Oxenfurt. All the ways in are covered in our Novigrad, Closed City guide. Suggested level is around 10. For an overview of the city, see our Novigrad city guide.
Pyres of Novigrad Walkthrough
1. Hierarch Square
Go to Hierarch Square. In a cutscene, Caleb Menge, commander of the Temple Guard, burns a woman accused of witchcraft and a doppler. It shows you how dangerous the city is for anyone with magic, Triss included.
2. Triss's House
Go south through the wooden doors into the courtyard. Two looters are robbing the house. Ask to talk: telling them to leave starts a fistfight that gets you nothing. They tell you Triss probably went to the Putrid Grove to ask the King of Beggars for help, but they don't know where it is. Then Menge shows up, arrests them, and makes it clear witchers aren't welcome either.
Search the house before you leave. You find herbs, a hairbrush, amulets and Triss's clothes, and on the bedside table, the Rose of Remembrance. If you want to romance Triss, it's a nice touch, see our romance guide. A chest outside can hold random crafting diagrams.
3. Find the Putrid Grove
You need just one of these three routes. When one works, the others close.
| Route | How | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ask a beggar | Only the beggar on the wooden scaffolding near Vimme Vivaldi's bank knows. Talk to him, leave the conversation, then talk again. He gives you the password ("Old sow..."). | Free. Fastest route. |
| Follow a thief | Find a pickpocket in one of the search areas and follow him across the bridge to the thugs. Draw your sword and they give you the place and the password. Thieves don't light up with Witcher Senses, so watch closely. | At the door: pay 50 crowns and hand over your weapons, or use Axii (Delusion level 2) and keep them. |
| The sewer | Swim in from the archway under the bridge near Glory Gate, kill the drowners, take the key from a body, open the grate and climb up. Beat the lead thief until he gives up. | Free, but no reward for this route. |
If you wait too long after visiting Triss's house, the thief can get stuck on his route. Follow the route anyway; he is usually near the canal.
4. Meet Triss and the King of Beggars
Triss is with Francis Bedlam, the King of Beggars. After some talk about the city, she agrees to help you look for Ciri, but she has a job to finish first.
5. The Smuggler's Parcel
Go with Triss to Kluhg, a smuggler who dropped her parcel into the canal. In his cellar, kill the drowner and use your Witcher Senses on the central pillar: one brick opens a secret passage. Follow Triss along the canal, jump in where shown, and swim to the last bridge before the harbor. The leather sack lies at the bottom near a support column.
6. Rats at Brandon's Warehouse
Triss's job is a warehouse by the Fish Market, owned by Brandon. He knows she is a sorceress. First you settle the payment:
| Payment choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Ask for all up front | Brandon pays now. |
| Ask for half up front | Brandon pays half now. |
| Ask for nothing up front | Best choice: after the fight you can make him pay double. |
Use your Witcher Senses to find three spots for the incense and place it. Triss casts the spell. Talk to her afterwards. When you ask her about Yennefer, Brandon comes back with witch hunters. Kill them (Quen helps, see our combat tips), then confront Brandon outside.
Don't skip the cutscene where the rats run away. If you do, rats can keep spawning in large numbers.
7. Where Triss Sends You
Triss points you to Corinne Tilly, a dream reader who works a few houses down the canal. Pyres of Novigrad ends and Novigrad Dreaming begins.
Rewards and Next Quests
| Quest | Reward | Leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Pyres of Novigrad | XP, plus Brandon's payment (double if you asked for nothing up front) | Novigrad Dreaming |
Novigrad also opens a lot of side content, so it's a good moment to explore the city with our Novigrad guide.
Video: Pyres of Novigrad
Frequently Asked Questions
QHow do I find the Putrid Grove in Novigrad?
The fastest way: talk twice to the beggar on the wooden scaffolding near Vimme Vivaldi's bank. He gives you the location and the password. You can also follow a thief or swim in through the sewer near Glory Gate.
QWhat is the Putrid Grove password?
The beggar gives you "Old sow...". Say it to the doorman and he lets you in.
QShould I ask Brandon for payment up front?
No. If you ask for nothing up front, you can make him pay double after he betrays you to the witch hunters.
QWhere is the parcel in Pyres of Novigrad?
In the canal. Swim to the last bridge before the harbor; the leather sack is on the bottom near a support column.
QWhat's in Triss's house?
Herbs, a hairbrush, amulets, her clothes and the Rose of Remembrance on the bedside table. A chest outside can have crafting diagrams.
QWhat comes after Pyres of Novigrad?
Novigrad Dreaming. Triss sends you to the dream reader Corinne Tilly.
Before this: Imperial Audience. More: all Witcher 3 quests.
Sources: in-game quest text and journal; steps and choices checked against the Witcher Wiki and Fextralife pages for Pyres of Novigrad. Screenshots: gameplay frames from YouTube walkthroughs.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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