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The Lord of Undvik is a secondary quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In this quest Geralt of Rivia is tasked with aiding Hjalmar an Craite and his companions in killing the ice giant Myrhyff who had taken over Undvik approximately a year prior to the beginning of the game. Hjalmar takes on this quest in order to prove his worth to be king of Skellige and believes killing the giant will earn him enough fame to do so. The quest is given to Geralt by Crach an Craite. Completing this quest is necessary to receive the quest King's Gambit, and to receive the "Full Crew" achievement.

Note: this quest will fail if not completed before starting Battle Preparations.

Walkthrough[]

Before you set out to Undvik you should go to The New Port inn to get extra info on how to reach the island. You don't actually need to do this, but it's still a mission objective. Speaking just to Tante and Javor there is enough to complete it. However, if you also speak to Axel you will get extra information about the Jarl of Undvik, allowing Geralt to recognize him later and unlocking extra conversation options with him.

When you're ready, if you've bought The Lonesome World Guide to Undvik, then you may simply fast travel to Marlin Coast, otherwise you have to get on a boat. Sail there manually or use a fast travel harbor if you've been nearby before.

Note: This island can be approached from any direction. You aren't required to go to the location marker on the northern coast. Coming close to the island from any direction triggers the completion of the objective Sail to the island of Undvik and search for Hjalmar. long before you can get to the location shown on the map. A new objective marker in the middle of the island appears and the prior one is gone. Make a note of the first location or set a custom marker of the objective so you can investigate that initial area.

Note: By approaching through the northeast coast of the island, you'll be awarded 100XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level for this objective, since this is the way Tante and Javor advised you to proceed when talking to them at the Inn. If you want to make sure you get the XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level, save before approaching the coast of the island so you can be in the northeastern coast area. This way you can reload if you approach the coast and no XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level is given. Fast travelling to Marlin Coast or either harbor on the northeast coast will give the XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level, but approaching the island away from the northeastern coast only completes the objective without reward.

Keep in mind that this quest is long especially if you wish to save every survivor, so feel free to take your time to explore the island while at it, as you'll have to search most of it anyway. If you made shore on the northern part of the island, it's easier to move southeast to the nearest village on the island - Marlin Coast, at least to get its signpost tagged. However, the intended path if you want to examine everything is directly south from Undvik Boatyards. Along the way you may find some graves and shields with the an Craite clan symbols. Now follow the main path uphill from whichever point you chose, both converge at a broken bridge over a deep ravine. If you are uncertain which way then use your minimap and it will lead you toward your quest marker. Eventually you will reach a point where a cutscene will play in which the ice giant is feeding raw meat to the sirens and someone inside the nearby ship. After the cutscene you will have the option to explore the ship or move on.

The Stranger[]

The Witcher 3 Screenshot 2020.01.05 - 11.36.46

Entrance to the Ship

Once you get close to the ship you will hear singing and you may have to kill a couple of sirens. Then climb inside through the opening, where you will meet an old man named Octo. The entrance may be hard to spot - stay on the eastern side of the ship and light a torch if you have to. Talk to the man and if you spoke to Axel back at the Inn, you can discover his true identity. Apparently he is a bit mad as he says he and the Sirens are preparing the boat for the giant before his battle with the gods and the meat the giant feeds them is from all the humans it has slain. After asking about Hjalmar and obtaining directions to the camp, he will ask for some twine and nails. The "twine" is entirely bugged and the quest always works as if you found it, but the nails you have to find are a quest item and will have white sparkles coming off of them. If you already have the quest nails, you can give them to Octo in this conversation. Otherwise you will have to go looking for them after the conversation is over.

Tip: There are actually some nails nearby. Exit the boat and just north toward the barricade you will find some boards to the left that contain them. You may have already picked up a set of nails in some boards outside the wooden barricade as well. Pick them up and go back to Octo to speak with him to deliver the items he wants (200 XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level).

Once you are finished exploring the area with the boat, you can follow the marker to the next area. Before reaching the destination, you can actually skip all other optional parts of the mission with ease. If you wish to do that, then beeline for the lake to the south in whatever way you find convenient, and from there on it's just a matter of walking east to Dorve Ruins, where you'll find Hjalmar, skipping all the next few sections. Obviously though, you'd be missing out on a lot. Back onto following the quest objective, you will reach a camp that looks more like a morgue, with many bodies around. Use your witcher senses to examine the place and you will have two tracks to follow - footsteps and tracks left by a boat being pulled.

Troll Soup[]

Following the footsteps you will find a dead nekker and some arrows along the way, later some more dead nekkers and eventually the trail will take you to the Abandoned Village. Now keep following the trail north and they will take you to a body, and to the left of it you can find the hornwall horn - a very useful item, though not immediately necessary and you'll get back here again. Nearby you will also find more footprints, both troll ones and the archer's, that will lead you into a cave.

Inside the cave you will encounter ice trolls, one at each branch of the tunnels, but you may only have to deal with one if you follow the tail of blood. While on the right track, eventually Geralt will make a remark about something getting cooked and after climbing a ledge you will hear some trolls talking about soup. Once close enough, Geralt will start conversing with the trolls. They are cooking the archer who will yell to you for help and you can either kill the trolls or decide to play a guessing game with them.

If you choose to play and win, they will let the man go, but lose and both of you are getting cooked. First it's the trolls turn and the answer to their riddle is easy - "troll". It's Geralt's turn then and he'll makes a riddle up on his own, "I'm as light as a feather, but even a troll can't hold me for long." which the trolls can't guess (the correct answer is most likely "breath", but that doesn't matter).

The man you saved either way is Folan and he may ask you about Cerys. Geralt will have a more substantive response if you already completed Possession, but regardless you need to ask him about Hjalmar and the rest of the company. After the conversation he will join you and help with his bow. (200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level) Now go back to the camp to follow the other trail.

Note: Saving Folan makes him a potential ally for The Battle of Kaer Morhen.

The boat trail[]

Following the drag trail you will eventually find the boat and a dead body just at the edge of Urskar. At this point you may have the objective to cross the lake to the east (particularly if you examined the boat) and doing so is effectively a shortcut, as the path on the other end will lead you to Hjalmar and you eventually get there anyway. If you choose this route, there may be a couple of wraiths on the shoreline path, and further ahead some pirates associated with the aptly named treasure hunt quest Shortcut. However, if you wish to complete all objectives, head into the village.

What happened to the crew[]

In Urskar you will find a few more clues to examine, including footsteps leading to a cliff edge inside a cave. Approach the cliff and Geralt will remark that the lake below appears deep enough that it would be safe to jump in. Dive into the subterranean lake, and make your way out of the cave by following the trail up, dealing with any erynias nearby. While traversing, you will find a body and if Folan is with you he will identify it as "Thorsten." Now climb the wall near him and keep going along your new path. Soon you will find the body of "Arvid an Tordarroch," after which climb the next wall. Eventually you will find a chamber containing a tree and a lot of harpies guarding it. Folan will start shooting there and you can can kill them if you want to loot the area (there are some in the waters below too), but that's not necessary. Use the ladder just around the left corner from where you came to reach a mine corridor. You will have to deal with a few devourers there before arriving at Clan Tordarroch Forge on the other end.

Note: This is the place you need to reach to find the tools required for Master Armorers so feel free to do that now.

Enter the house and a cutscene will play where you find the scene of a massacre, but if Folan is with you he will comment that none of the bodies belong to Hjalmar. A devourer is then seen running into a room and you can go investigate that if you wish, but keep in mind that there are multiple of them in a very tight space, so this can be tough. It's easy to just run past them and through the broken wall on the other end of the building where you will see footsteps. One set are the giant's, but follow the human ones when the two eventually split. You will soon find yourself on the path which the lake crossing would've lead to and your quest markers will update as you reach Dorve Ruins.

Hjalmar[]

At the ruined settlement you find Hjalmar fighting a couple of sirens. Kill them off and a conversation will begin, with Folan taking part too if you rescued him. At the end of the conversation, you set off together to find the giant. If you don't stay close Hjalmar will comment that he'll await you ahead at the cave entrance, but don't worry about that - this quest is buggy all around, but nothing fails here.

Note: If you have not found the nails the Stranger required before, you can find some right here if explore the town and if you wish to deliver them you should do it now. You can also find a skeleton that has a map and key as part of Ruins, Hidden Treasure, You Know... so you can do that too. You can also pick up the Diagram: Mastercrafted Wolven boots in the broken tower at the southeast end of the Dorve Ruins.

The Giant and the Loon[]

Once you reach the lair a cutscene will play where Geralt and Hjalmar clear a path. After that go inside and reach your main goal. The giant is sleeping, but you will also find Vigi the Loon in a cage, asking you to free him. Hjalmar will tell you to leave him there, but you can free him even if you agree. To do so, you need to avoid walking on snow until you free Vigi, or the giant will wake up and kill him. Also, don't try to pre-cast Quen as that seems to wake him up too. If you succeed, the Loon will join the fight, but as his name implies instantly charges at the giant and kicks him. (200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level)

Note: If Vigi survives, he will also be able to join you for The Battle of Kaer Morhen.

Regardless, it's time to fight the giant. Prepare yourself with ogroid oil and whatever else you need. After the giant is down by about 33% a cutscene will play where it knocks Geralt away and picks up an anchor as a weapon.

Note: Prior to Patch 4.0, even with manual sword drawing enabled, Geralt will draw his steel sword, both at the start of the fight and again when the giant knocks him down and picks up the anchor.

The giant obviously hits hard, so try to keep your Quen up at all times. Launch your attacks after he swings the anchor and it gets stuck in the ground. After he is dead (100XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level), the quest ends and another conversation begins, at the end of which another 50XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level will be awarded if you rescued Folan and kept him alive.

Hjalmar will say he'll make sure everyone hears about Geralt's victory over the giant, which you can choose to accept or tell him to take the glory. Note: If Geralt accepts the praise, he will receive a 10% discount with all merchants in Skellige. It doesn't matter if any of the optional objectives are completed, only this one dialogue choice matters.

Either way, you will now have the choice to stay or go with him/them. (500XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level) If you stay for the loot, he/they will be waiting at the harbor and you can later meet Hjalmar in Marlin Coast. If you talk to him there, it's only an unimportant conversation about his return to Ard Skellig and various dialogue options about his sister, depending on whether you've helped her during Possession. You can also go back and inform the Stranger that the Giant is dead if you wish, but at this point it's too late to get XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level for giving him nails.

Journal entry[]

Unless Hjalmar is found before completing "The King is Dead – Long Live the King":
It is a truth universally acknowledged that children only prove more troublesome as they mature. In Crach's case, any troubles his offspring had caused him only doubled after King Bran's death, when both his son and daughter joined the ranks of the claimants of Skellige's throne. Tradition demanded the next king be a great hero, and Hjalmar, Crach's son, felt he fit the bill perfectly. As anyone versed in fable knows, there is no more fitting way to prove oneself a hero than to kill a giant - and it so happened there was one such beast in desperate need of slaughtering on the nearby isle of Undvik. Thus Hjalmar had organized an expedition and set off to earn his glory. Unfortunately, there'd been no word of him since and the jarl had begun to worry. Like many before and after him, he took this worry to the witcher.
If Folan was found:
Geralt set out to find Hjalmar an Craite, but first came across the lad's companion in arms, a man by the name of Folan. Folan told the witcher that Hjalmar's crew had scattered when the giant attacked. As for the fate of Hjalmar himself - that Folan could not tell him.
Geralt searched every inch of Undvik until he finally came across Hjalmar near the giant's lair. Hjalmar had journeyed there to free Vigi, one of the members of his crew. As he deemed the cause a worthy one, Geralt decided to lend Hjalmar his sword.
Helping Hjalmar an Craite did not prove easy. Undvik had gone feral after the ice giant drove its inhabitants away, with monsters running amok on the island as though it were some mad mage's experiment or a misguided entrepreneur's attempt at an innovative hunting preserve. Yet in the end the witcher triumphed, not only finding Crach's son, but also helping him kill the giant and avenge the men the beast had murdered. His heroic deed accomplished, Hjalmar could now leap out of the starting blocks in the race for the Skellige crown.

Objectives[]

  • Ask Crach an Craite about Hjalmar.
  • Ask around at the New Port Inn about Undvik and the Ice Giant.
  • Sail to the island of Undvik and search for Hjalmar.
  • Explore the ruins of Urskar and search for signs of Hjalmar's presence using your Witcher Senses.
  • If you found the boat:
    • Explore the boat's hull.
    • Talk to the stranger.
    • If talked to Octo (but only appear later):
      • Find those who ventured off toward the tower using your Witcher Senses.
      • Find shackles to repair the boat. 0/1
      • Find a new sail for the boat. 0/1
  • If talked to Octo or found the camp alone:
    • Find Hjalmar's camp.
    • Explore the remains of Hjalmar's camp using your Witcher Senses.
    • Found footsteps:
      • Use your Witcher Senses to follow the tracks of those who fled the camp before the attack.
      • Find the man the trolls captured using your Witcher Senses.
      • Help the man in the cauldron. (200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level)
    • Found boat trail:
      • Follow the boat trail using your Witcher Senses.
      • Cross the lake.
    • Examined trails at Urskar:
      • Find out what happened to Hjalmar's crew.
      • Follow the trail of blood using your WItcher Senses.
      • Find out what happened to Hjalmar's crew in the caves.
  • Find Hjalmar.
  • Help the stranger drive off the sirens.
  • Find a way to the giant's lair.
  • Avoid snow - the sound of it crunching under your feet will awake the giant.
    • Find the key to Vigi's cage using your Witcher Senses.
    • Free Vigi. (200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level)
  • Kill the giant. (100XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level + 500XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level)

XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level Experience table[]

Action/Objective XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level at Suggested Level
Arrive on Undvik from the northeast 100XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Give nails to Octo 200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Rescue Folan 200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Rescue Vigi 200XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Kill the giant 100XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Quest completion 500XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Folan survived 50XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Total (minimim) 600XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level
Total (maximum) 1,350XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level

Notes[]

  • Almost everything around Octo's requested twine and nails is bugged or has weird quirks:
    • The "solid twine" he speaks of are actually shackles found just under the boat hull, but they aren't necessary and everything works as if you found them even if you didn't.
    • At some point, almost just before meeting Hjalmar, objectives may be added to find both the shackles and a new boat sail - this is part of content that was cut from the game. Seems to happen particularly if you go down the stairs north of Dorve Ruins, and that's also where Octo said you're likely to find what he needs. These objectives will auto-complete with a "0/1" status even if you do have the shackles.
    • You have an opportunity to do this part of the quest after helping Hjalmar kill the giant, or even repeat giving the twine and nails if you already did. However, at this point it's only a conversation and no XP earned based on the Story and Swords! difficulty level is awarded, as the quest is already complete. To do this, just make sure not to meet Hjalmar on the beach when given the option.
  • This is one of the more badly directed quests in the game. You can even skip whole sections of the quest simply because there is no marker for them and the markers that do exist are often inaccurate. In addition to that, paths from the various sections of the quest lead all over the island crossing over one another so watching a walkthrough might be helpful. There are three parts of the quest that are easy to miss out on. You need not do any of them but they contain items, allies, and information about the sideplot.
    • It is possible to go straight to Hjalmar, skipping most of the quest. This is doable from multiple points and the more skilled mountain climber you are, the sooner, even straight from Marlin Coast. The next opportunity is by dropping down near the broken bridge and climbing on the opposite side, and there is an even more convenient spot to climb the hills shortly after the big boat.
    • After talking to Octo, be sure to follow the arrows west to the Abandoned Village to rescue Folan from becoming troll stew, as you will find the Hornwall Horn along the way. He will also fight for you at Kaer Morhen if he survives the fight with the giant.
    • If you choose to stay behind after the giant fight and meet later at the beach, Hjalmar may no longer be there depending on the path you take to it. This can happen even if you never fast travel, meditate or leave the island.
  • The order in which objectives are completed doesn't matter. Even if you skip all the optional ones and beeline for Hjalmar, conclude that everyone is dead and clear the entrance to the giant's lair, you can still go back and rescue Folan, meet Octo, and anything else - the cutoff point for everything the cutscene when you find Vigi. However, after the giant is killed, the only optional thing that remains is the hornwall horn.
  • It's actually not necessary to complete "The King is Dead – Long Live the King" before proceeding with this quest, albeit without directions. Geralt can sail to Undvik and complete all objectives as soon as he lands on Ard Skellig during Destination: Skellige, all rewards are properly given and there are minor unique dialogue lines (both during this quest and with Crach later, when he usually asks the witcher to help Hjalmar). However, it won't appear in the quest log until the giant is killed, at which point it simultaneously starts and completes. Hjalmar still won't be at the wake though.
  • The 10% discount is in fact a 0.9 multiplier on all prices, meaning that merchants will also offer less coin for Geralt's items. The word "merchant" is also used loosely here, as it doesn't matter what kind - literally any person who can buy and sell.

Trivia[]

  • When speaking to 'Jonas the Innkeep' during the "ask around the New Port Inn" portion of the quest, he refers to Tante as 'Rante'.

Videos[]

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