The Eternal Battle (Roche) – Witcher 2 Quest

This guide helps players with a specific quest of chapter 2 for Roche’s side in The Witcher 2. It has a map, legend, and walkthrough to show you exactly how to complete the quest.

Map Legend

1 – Dethmold
2 – Mist entrance
3 – First ghost possession
4 – Enemy standard bearer
5 – Second ghost possession
6 – Commander of the unit
7 – The Visitor’s possession
8 – Draug
9 – Last ghost possession
10 – Exit from the mist
11 – Brothel camp

Background

This quest unites Courage Symbolized, Death Symbolized, Hatred Symbolized and Faith Symbolized into one main quest. Proceeding in these main quests will eventually grant you the ability to lift the curse of the eternal battle within the mist.

Walkthrough

The quest is initially received from Dethmold (#1), during your first major conversation. He’ll tell you a lot of about curses and generally a lot of theory which you’ll need to put into practice. You’ll need four artifacts, each depicting a certain aspect of war symbolism, to transcend yourself over to the mist unharmed.

Once you’ve done Courage Symbolized, you’ll have Seltkirk’s Armor.
When Death Symbolized is completed, Standard of the Dun Banner will be in your possession.
During Hatred Symbolized, Saskia will give you Vandergrift’s sword.
Last but not the least, Faith Symbolized yields Henselt’s medallion.

Once all of that is done, you can go and lift the curse, removing the veil. Talk to Dethmold again. You’ll also learn that the Visitor’s ghost has changed as a Draug inhabits it. Head over to the mist entrance (#2). The auras of the artifacts will attract the right ghosts and the lifting of the curse begins.

Immediately upon entering, one of the ghosts (#3) will possess you, and your job will be to capture the enemy standard (#4). As a ghost, you have nothing else apart from sword hits and parries. Swordsmen will have it easier way because most of the talents apply on the ghost. Also, you cannot save in this part, but after every scene, an autosave will be made. Defeat the draugir and your job is complete in this part.

Next picture will have you act as a messenger to the commander. Starting from #5, you’ll have to make a gauntlet towards #6, while avoiding the swarm of arrows. Simply move fast and hide behind the barricades or rocks. This isn’t too hard, just make sure not to stand at one barricade for too long because it can hold out only two rains of arrows.

In the next cutscene, you’ll see how the Draug who is the center of the curse and Sabrina who met with the sorceresses and agreed to torch everyone on the battlefield with a fire meteor shower. You’ll then take role of another ghost, the Visitor (#7). Defeat the incoming enemies and you’ll be playing Geralt once ready to fight with the Draug (#8).

Boss fight

This fight has no QTEs as the Kayran in the first act. His main abilities are charging attack, rain of arrows, meteor strike and disintegrating swirl.

Charging attack and basic attacks are classic abilities. Dodge them away and generally, don’t let him hit you in melee, it hurts.

Rain of arrows will be called out by the Draug. Whenever he says something like “Archers!” press dodge constantly and find a shelter. This one is used relatively frequently in battle.

Meteor Strike is also used very frequently. He’ll mark an area on the ground with a red beam. If you’re caught in it, you’ll get hit by a meteor strike and suffer heavy damage. Don’t get hit.

Disintegrating swirl (it isn’t really called like that but it looks like it) happens when Draug totally deconstructs himself and starts moving around like a tornado. Find a shelter similar to the rain of arrows. Make sure that the rock you’re hiding at stays at all times between you and Draug.

Draug, apart from vitality bar, also has a shield bar which you have to deplete first if you’re attacking from behind. The best tactic to dealing with Draug is to simply use Quen and Yrden until he gets trapped. He’s fairly resistant to it so it might take several tries to successfully trap him. Then run up from behind and hit him with a few heavy blows. Repeat until he drops dead while avoiding all of his abilities.

Once he’s dead you’ll automatically receive his loot in your inventory. Most of it are the materials for Draug Armor, crafted from Diagram: Draug Armor (bought from Lasota). Don’t worry if you didn’t buy it, it becomes obsolete in Act III.

Once you’ve defeated Draug, the curse will end and you’ll witness the fire meteor shower by Sabrina. Another ghost will possess you and you’ll have to quickly get away from the battlefield. Starting at #9, make your way towards the exit at #10. After that, you’ll witness a scene where Henselt sentences Sabrina to death for using the meteor storm and killing most of his men.

Another Geralt’s memory will emerge. This time you’ll remember how you helped Letho when he nearly perished at the tail of a slizzard. Afterwards, you’ll wake up in the brothel camp (#11). The Eternal Battle will be complete. Further story parts are tied to Conspiracy Theory.