Storyline
From Witcher Wiki
Note: This article concerns only the computer game.
The game is centered around Geralt the witcher, who at the beginning of the game suffers from amnesia. He gradually learns that he was a very renowned witcher, and that he had friends and enemies almost everywhere who remember him but whom he does not remember. Through the player's actions, he will redefine those relationships and choose his path in the political intrigue that surrounds him.
Contents |
[edit] Paths
The paths available to Geralt will be referred to in this wiki as follows:
- the Scoia'tael path: In this path, Geralt allies himself with fellow nonhumans, the Elves
- the Order path: In this path, Geralt allies himself with the Order of the Flaming Rose, knights who protect the residents of Vizima
- the Witcher / neutral path: In this path, the truest to The Witcher series, Geralt sides with neither the Elves nor the Order, but does what he feels is right.
[edit] 
Prologue (Kaer Morhen)
Geralt starts his adventure in the citadel of Kaer Morhen where bandits attack lead by two shady characters, the Professor and a mysterious mage. The player eventually learns that they are part of a criminal organization called the Salamandra, and that they are after some special potions and equipment which were developed to genetically alter witchers to give them their powers. What they want with those potions is unclear.
The act ends as the Professor and the mage teleport out of Kaer Morhen with the potions. The remaining witchers and allied characters decide to split up and search for information about the Salamandra to eventually stop them.
[edit] Links
[edit] 
Act I (Outskirts of Vizima)
The first act has Geralt exploring the Outskirts of Vizima, where a beast is harassing the townspeople, hot on the trail of the mysterious men with Salamander badges. There he meets Shani, who will be present for the following acts (except Act IV). He also meets Abigail who reappears in Act IV (unless you leave her to be lynched by the villagers), Zoltan, Kalkstein, Declan Leuvaarden and Alvin.
Note that Geralt no longer has access to Kaer Morhen in this act, but he gains access to the Outskirts of Vizima.
There are two Trophy Quests in this and each subsequent act.
[edit] Links
- Quests in Act I
- Act I category
- Maps in Act I
[edit] 
Act II (Temple Quarter of Vizima)
Geralt now has access to the Temple Quarter of Vizima, where he will have to solve a mystery. Who is involved with the Salamandra? Several influential people in the city are suspects, and Geralt has the help of the private investigator to sort through the clues and follow up on them.
Note that Geralt not longer has access to the Outskirts in this act, but he gains access to the Temple Quarter of Vizima, part of the Sewers of Vizima, the Vizima Dike, the Vizima Cemetery and the Swamp.
[edit] Links
- Quests in Act II
- Act II category
- Maps in Act II
[edit] 
Act III (Trade Quarter of Vizima)
During Act III, Geralt will have to follow new leads on the Salamandra, while investigating the mysterious powers of the child Alvin whom he rescued in Act I. The Scoia'tael also start being more bold in their attempts.
Important: The choice of whether to bring Alvin to Triss or Shani may alter the events in the remaining acts. The following description was based on bringing Alvin to Triss.
Note that Geralt still has access to the areas he had access to in the second act, and he additionally gains access to the Trade Quarter as well as new areas of the Vizima Sewers.
[edit] Links
- Quests in Act III
- Act III category
- Maps in Act III
[edit] 
Act IV (Lakeside)
Geralt now finds himself in a totally new area of Temeria, far from Vizima and cut off from most of the people he knew. Dandelion and Alvin are with him though, as is Abigail (if Geralt saves her from the villagers in Act I, otherwise the village healer is an old woman) and there are new intrigues around him. Depending on the choice made in Act I, the resolution to The Heat of the Day quest is different.
The act ends with a showdown between the Order of the Flaming Rose and the Scoia'tael, where Geralt must finally declare his chosen path and act accordingly.
Note that Geralt no longer has access to the areas he had access to in Act III. He can now explore the areas of Lakeside, Murky Waters village, the Fields and Black Tern Island.
[edit] Links
- Quests in Act IV
- Act IV category
- Maps in Act IV
[edit] 
Act V (Old Vizima)
Note that Geralt no longer has access to the areas he had access to in Act IV. He can now explore the areas of Old Vizima, the Swamp Cemetery and the Old Manor area.
[edit] Scoia'tael path
Geralt fights for the elves in the conflict between the Order of the Flaming Rose and the Scoia'tael in Murky Waters. But Vizima now burns, the conflict taking more and more casualties. Geralt meets Zoltan once again, and must help him and the refugees get out of Old Vizima to the relative safety of the Swamp Cemetery. At the same time, King Foltest returns and his daughter Adda seems to be having a relapse of the Striga curse. Geralt must do what he can for the princess, and in return, Foltest will divulge what he knows about the Salamandra hideout, and as a result, Azar Javed's location
[edit] Order path
Geralt fights for the Order in the conflict between the Order of the Flaming Rose and the Scoia'tael in Murky Waters. But Vizima now burns, the conflict taking more and more casualties. Geralt meets Siegfried once again, and must help him get out of Old Vizima to the relative safety of the Swamp Cemetery. At the same time, King Foltest returns and his daughter Adda seems to be having a relapse of the Striga curse. Geralt must do what he can for the princess, and in return, Foltest will divulge what he knows about the Salamandra hideout, and as a result, Azar Javed's location
Choosing the Order path means that Zoltan is rather miffed with you, you must find an Order armorer.
[edit] Witcher / Neutral path
Geralt does not escape the conflict between the Order of the Flaming Rose and the Scoia'tael in Murky Waters but ends up having to fight both sides. But Vizima now burns, the conflict taking more and more casualties. Geralt meets Shani once again, and must help her get out of Old Vizima to the relative safety of the Swamp Cemetery. At the same time, King Foltest returns and his daughter Adda seems to be having a relapse of the Striga curse. Geralt must do what he can for the princess, and in return, Foltest will divulge what he knows about the Salamandra hideout, and as a result, Azar Javed's location.
[edit] Links
- Quests in Act V
- Act V category
- Maps in Act V
[edit] 
Epilogue
With Princess Adda cured of the Striga curse once more (or dead, depending on what happens in the crypt), Foltest and King Radovid of Redania forge an alliance. Foltest agrees to give his daughter's hand (if she survives) in marriage to Radovid in exchange for the use of Radovid's army, to help in resolving the Order/Scoia'tael conflict. It has also been revealed that the Order was behind the Salamandra all along, with Jacques de Aldersberg, Grand Master of the Order, using Azar Javed and his organization to build an army of mutants able to overthrow Foltest to take the throne. With Javed dead, the Grand Master will be expecting Geralt's visit...
King Foltest and King Radovid agree to use their armies to attack the Order of the Flaming Rose. Geralt is given permission to eradicate the Grand Master and any of his servants.
[edit] Scoia'tael path
Yaevinn asks for freedom for the elves, and King Foltest acknowledges him cautiously; stating that he will only recognize elves and dwarves if they lay down their arms. King Foltest recommends that Yaevinn leave his kingdom, a symbolic gesture which would allow people to perceive the banishment as punishment for his crimes during the uprising. Foltest then promises Geralt that he will protect the witcher's friends from harm.
Geralt and Yaevinn confront Siegfried shortly thereafter. Siegfried calls Geralt inhuman and expresses regret for not killing him when they first met. Siegfried dies.
Geralt and Yaevinn are then ushered into a safe house, where Golan Vivaldi, Vaska, the Hermit, Carmen, the resolute girl and the novice nun are hiding. Vivaldi pities himself and states that both the Order and the Scoia'tael loathe him and consider him a traitor. Vaska is unhappy about war spreading to her village. The Hermit states that he wanted to give advice to King Foltest, but did not arrive in time. The novice nun informs Geralt of the Prophecy of Ithlinne, stating that the world is near its end. In the basement, a strange ghoul and the resolute girl from Lakeside idle. Geralt and Yaevinn leave through the cellar, which leads to another basement with monsters. Upstairs, a madman advises them to exit through his window.
Another fight ensues outside, and Geralt takes a key from a wounded Flaming Rose Knight. Geralt and Yaevinn descend into the sewer where they face another tough monster, the zeugl.
After traveling through dire sewers, Geralt and Yaevinn finally reach the cloister where the Grand Master resides. Yaevinn is wounded and tells the witcher to go on without him.
[edit] Order path
Seigfried convinces Foltest that the Order can remain loyal to the king despite Jacques de Aldersberg's actions and Foltest names him the new Grand Master.
Geralt and Siegfried confront the remaining knights of the Order shortly after.
Geralt and Siegfried are then ushered into a safe house, where Golan Vivaldi, Vaska, the Hermit, Carmen, the resolute girl and the novice nun are hiding. Vivaldi pities himself and states that both the Order and the Scoia'tael loathe him and consider him a traitor. Vaska is unhappy about war spreading to her village. The Hermit states that he wanted to give advice to King Foltest, but did not arrive in time. The novice nun informs Geralt of the Prophecy of Ithlinne, stating that the world is near its end. In the basement, a strange ghoul and the resolute girl from Lakeside idle. Geralt and Siegfried leave through the cellar, which leads to another basement with monsters. Upstairs, a madman advises them to exit through his window.
They meet Yaevinn outside. The elf is disgusted with Geralt and they duel. Yaevinn dies. Geralt then takes a key from a wounded Flaming Rose Knight. Geralt and Siegfried descend into the sewer where they face another tough monster, the zeugl.
After traveling through dire sewers, Geralt and Siegfried finally reach the cloister where the Grand Master resides. Siegfried is wounded and tells the witcher to go on without him.
[edit] Witcher / Neutral path
Geralt arrives back in the Temple Quarter with Triss Merigold and informs the king of his findings.
Geralt and Triss confront Siegfried shortly after. Geralt has the opportunity to kill or spare Siegfried.
Geralt and Triss go to a shelter, where Golan Vivaldi, Vaska, the Hermit, and the novice nun reside. Vivaldi pities himself and states that both the Order and the Scoia'tael loathe him. Vaska is unhappy about war spreading to her village. The Hermit states that he wanted to give advice to King Foltest, but did not arrive in time. The novice nun informs Geralt of the Prophecy of Ithlinne, stating that the world is near its end. In the basement, Vetala and the resolute girl from the Lakeside idle. Geralt and Triss leave through the basement, that leads to another basement with monsters. Upstairs, a madman advises them to exit through his window.
Geralt meets Yaevinn outside and has the opportunity to kill or spare him as with Siegfried earlier. More fighting ensues, then Triss mentions that they must descend into the sewer. This time there is not wounded knight to give them the key, Triss has it already.
After traveling through dire sewers, and dispatching the zeugl, Geralt and Triss finally reach the cloister where the Grand Master resides. At this point, Geralt uses a ruse to ditch Triss so he can go on alone.
From here, Geralt goes on alone, no matter which path he chose:
In the end, the Grand Master reveals that everything he did was done to save humanity from the inevitable "Great White Frost", Ithlinne's Prophecy. All his life, he was plagued by visions of what the future of humanity would look like if nothing was done. His solution was simple, he'd be their saviour. To achieve this, he created mutants: Greater Brothers who had all the strength and skill of a witcher, but without the sentimentality. These mutants would shepherd believers in this cause on an exodus to the south, thereby saving them from the dire predictions. Geralt quite rightly remarks at that point that every megalomaniac speaks of a "higher purpose".
With the help of the friends he has made during over the course of the story, he makes it through the Grand Master's vision and ends his plans,
|
choice 1: at the same time freeing himself from his destiny of leaving only destruction behind him by denying the King of the Wild Hunt the right to take the Grand Master for himself. or choice 2: allowing the King of the Wild Hunt take the Grand Master's soul and avoiding the fight with King of the Wild Hunt, also learning that the Grand Master was known to him by another name. |
Note that Geralt no longer has access to the areas he had access to in Act V. He is back in the Temple Quarter, and will be teleported to the Icy Plains near the end.
[edit] Links
[edit] List of major locations
- Kaer Morhen - Prologue
- The Outskirts of Vizima - Act I
- The Temple Quarter of Vizima - Act II
- The Trade Quarter of Vizima - Act III
- The Vizima Cemetery - Acts II and III
- The Vizima Dike - Acts II and III
- The Sewers of Vizima - Acts II and III
- The Swamp - Acts II and III
- The Lakeside - Act IV
- Murky Waters village - Act IV
- The Fields - Act IV]
- Black Tern Island - Act IV
- Old Vizima - Act V and Epilogue
- Foltest's Castle - Act V and Epilogue
- The Swamp Cemetery - Act V
- The Old Manor - Act V
- The Icy Plains - Epilogue
