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The Witcher 3: King’s Gambit Walkthrough

King’s Gambit Walkthrough

Start Location: This quest will begin upon successful completing both ‘The Lord of Unvik’ and ‘Possession’ side-quests.

Once you have this quest in your quest log, it will begin immediately as soon as you step foot in the Castle at Kaer Trolde. You’ll be met by Arnvald who will escort you into the feasting hall.

Following a short scene, we’re tasked with heading to Crach’s chambers.

Before you leave, there is a boxing match in the corner you can partake in if you feel up for it. Do your usual dodge-counter attacking and you should have the opponent down in no time.

  • Note: for winning Hjalmar will give you a new weapon – Hjalmar’s Steel Sword.
  • Note: for winning the fight you’ll earn 100XP.

Exit the room via the door at the beck right hand corner for a conversation with Birma. After which, you’ll find yourself automatically in Crach’s quarters where you’ll earn a reward.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 500XP.
  • Note: Crach will give you a new weapon – Fate.

As soon as the scene ends, you’ll find yourself back in the feasting hall which has transformed a little since your previous visit – all the tables are gone and there are three big nasty bears in here. Note that they have silver health bars – this means they are cursed/monsters so be sure to equip your silver sword when you attack.

Despite being cursed, they are still regular bears so you can use the usual tactics that you use to deal with bears to deal with them as well, you also have plenty of help in the room which is good because the other NPCs will distract the enemies for you, allowing you to get in free shots.

Once the bears are all dead a scene will play.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 300XP.

Following the conversation, you’ll be able to choose two options and depending on your choice, you’ll be performing entirely different tasks. You’ll also determine which of the two siblings will ultimately take the throne. Here are your options:

  • Option 1 – Help Cerys
  • Option 2 – Help Hjalmar

Note: no matter the outcome of this quest line, as long as you complete it, Hjalmar will come to Kaer Mordhen if you ask him to during ‘Brothers in Arms: Skellige’. If you kept Hjalmar’s two mates alive during ‘The Lord of Undvik’ quest, they will accompany him.

Option 1 – Help Cerys

After the scene, you’ll be in the feast room in Kaer Trolde, it’s time to do some ‘vestigating. Activate Witcher Sense and explore the area. You’ll be able to inspect the following:

  • Human corpses scattered about the room.
  • One of the Bear corpses in the area.

Once you have inspected the various parts of one of the bears, some new items of interest will appear, you can now inspect the following:

  • One of the many horns of mead on the floor.
  • One of the bowls of mead scattered around the area.
  • The Bowl of mead in the centre of the room (it will remain red when the others change to orange upon inspection of the first bowl.

After examining the bowl of mead of interest, a scent trail will appear whilst in Witcher Sense. Follow this across the hall and to a horn of mead hidden behind the entry door. Inspecting this in Witcher Sense will trigger a scene.

After your chat, follow Cerys outside and speak with Hjort. Next, she’ll lead you down to the cellars. Here there are three open mead barrels to inspect. The one at the bottom of the stairs should do! As soon as you have inspected it a short scene will play.

We’ll now have to escape the room and we only have a limited time in which to do it. On the far side of this area of the cellar from the stairs we came down, you’ll find a stack of barrels blocking a doorway. Use AARD to remove these from the path and enter the tunnel behind it.

Move through the tunnel after Cerys, you should find a Place of Power to draw from after too long. Continue until you exit back into the keep and a scene plays.

When you reach the next objective marker, switch on your Witcher Sense and examine the spilled fluid in front of the door. You’ll see footprints leading away. Follow this trail a short distance until the trail stops – at this point examine the piece of clothing hanging from the wall nearby.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 300XP.

Head to the next objective marker and after a brief moment you’ll find yourself on a horse chasing your target. Your goal is to ride up beside him and cut him down with your sword after which you can interrogate him.

If you let him get away for too long, he’ll ride down to a nearby cove and he’ll have a group of thugs try to kill you and you’ll have to defeat them before you can talk with the target.

Once you have the evidence you require. We’ll kick off a scene back atop Kaer Trolde keep afterwards and the quest will be completed.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 400XP.

During your conversation with Crach at the end of the quest, he’ll give you a new quest ‘Coronation’ and will also invite you to come along. You can fast travel with him immediately to begin the next quest or make your way over to Gedyneith.

Option 2 – Help Hjalmar

After the scene, you’ll end up on the outskirts of the village of Fornhala with Hjalmar. Follow him into town. He’ll immediately point out what looks to be a dead body – which we’ll need to investigate. Before that though, we can check out some other stuff in town. Activate Witcher Sense and explore the area. You’ll be able to inspect the following:

  • Spiked gloves on a bed in the house to the left from the initial position.
  • Human Scalps hanging from the roof in the building to the right of the start. Note there is a chest below this (Diagram: Axeman’s Trousers and Manuscript Page: Enhanced Elementa Oil)
  • Dead body at the top of the right hand set of stairs (from the initial position) – there is a chest a short distance further along this path.

Now that we’ve had a look around, make your way to the platform that Hjalmar pointed out to you. Here you’ll once again need to use your Witcher senses to inspect the area. Items of interest include:

  • Discarded clothing by the wall opposite the altar.
  • Dead body on the ledge by the altar.
  • The old shrine’s altar.

After examining the altar, a scent trail will appear whilst in Witcher Sense. Follow this up the nearby hill. Here you’ll be able to examine a blood stain and a corpse. Beside these you’ll find a set of bloody footprints.

Follow the footprints (and watch out for a chest on the right as you go). Enter the house where the footprints lead. Activate Witcher Sense and explore the area. You’ll be able to inspect the following:

  • Spiked gloves on the cabinet to the left of the entry
  • Human Scalps hanging from the roof opposite the door.
  • Tattoo Dyes on the table in the room to the left.
  • Dried Mushrooms hanging from the roof in the left hand room.
  • The Carpet that the footprints lead to.

Upon inspecting the carpet, a scene will play and a trap door will be revealed and opened. Following the scene, climb down into the cave below and continue after Hjalmar until you drop down the first ledge.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 200XP.

When you regain control of Geralt, you’ll be fighting against an enemy humanoid. Deal with him in the usual manner until he transforms into a bear. At that point, switch to your silver sword and switch to bear killing tactics to deal with him.

Continue to follow Hjalmar through the cave and you’ll enjoy a beary bear-filled scene. Keep moving and eventually you’ll reach a giant bear statue with a Druid beside it. After a brief scene he’ll attack.

The Druid can use magic and will use a combination of melee attacks and AARD force pushes to damage you. He’ll also summon a bear during the fight to help him out, but your focus should remain on the spell caster because if you kill the bear, the Druid will just summon another.

Once the Druid is down, kill the bear (if there’s one left). A scene will play in which we receive a letter from the dead Druid’s corpse. We’ll end back in Kaer Trolde afterwards and the quest will be completed.

  • Note: At this point you’ll earn 400XP.

During your conversation with Crach at the end of the quest, he’ll give you a new quest ‘Coronation’ and will also invite you to come along. You can fast travel with him immediately to begin the next quest or make your way over to Gedyneith.

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