Following the Thread – Witcher 3 Quest

This guide is a walkthrough of a side quest in the Witcher 3 for the area of Novigrad. The guide is composed of a map, map legend, and walkthrough to show readers exactly where to go and what to do to complete the quest.

Map Legend

1 – Docks
2 – Estate
3 – Shack
4 – Mill
5 – Seven Cats Inn
6 – Nowhere Inn
7 – Karadin’s Estate
8 – Trottheim
9 – Shrine

Background

You’ll receive this quest when you read the note “Contract: Monster in the Bits” on the notice board by the Kingfisher in Novigrad (#1).

Walkthrough

From the note, you’ll learn that a monster has been tormenting and murdering the residents of the Bits district in Novigrad. To learn more about what’s going on, you’ll need to talk to the supervisor in the Bits. However, when you get to his estate (#2), you won’t be allowed to see him. Instead, you’ll have to talk to a guard, who will give you some information — that they’ve already hired somebody for the job, that the monster only hunts at night, and that the latest victim can be found nearby.

When you examine the most recent crime scene (#3) with your witcher senses, you’ll see that the victim was drained of blood, and you’ll decide that you must be dealing with some sort of vampire. To track down the culprit, you’ll need to follow its footprints north across the river to a water mill (#4). Inside you’ll find Lambert battling an ekimmara. Helping him kill it will earn you 50 xp.

After the fight, Lambert will tell you that he’s dealing with a “matter” in the area, and that you’ve earned half the reward for the ekimmara. You’ll then automatically return to the supervisor’s estate (#2), where you’ll discover that all is not as it seems. Instead of collecting the bounty from the supervisor, Lambert will demand to know where Jad Karadin is, and he’ll start a fight with the guards — which you’ll have to finish.

After dealing with the guards, when you catch back up with Lambert, he’ll kill the supervisor, but not before learning that somebody named Vienne frequents the Seven Cats Inn. Lambert will then leave for the inn, and he’ll ask that you meet him there.

At the Seven Cats Inn (#5), you’ll find Lambert waiting for you outside. He’ll tell you that he was friends with a witcher named Aiden who was murdered by a band of assassins led by Jad Karadin. He’ll then inform you that the supervisor was also in the band, as was Vienne.

When you enter the inn, you’ll immediately start a conversation with Vienne. She’ll reveal that she was kicked out of Karadin’s band, and so she won’t require much in the way of persuasion to talk about him. Vienne will then tell you that Karadin has disappeared, but that you might have better luck questioning the other two members of the band: Selyse, who started a brothel in Tretogor, and Hammond, who became a pirate in Skellige.

At the end of your conversation with Vienne, you’ll have to make a decision. If you allow Lambert to attack Vienne, then she’ll incite all of the elves in the inn to turn hostile, but you’ll earn 50 xp for winning the battle. If you tell Lambert to let Vienne go, then you’ll leave her to her drinking, and you’ll earn 80 xp for being peaceful.

Outside the inn, Lambert will decide that the two of you should split up, with him going after Selyse while you search for Hammond. He’ll then suggest that you meet with him at the Nowhere Inn in Novigrad (#6) once you’ve completed your task.

To learn more about Hammond, you should meet with Crach in Kaer Trolde in Ard Skellig. He’ll become available after you’ve completed the quest The King Is Dead — Long Live the King. Crach will tell you that Hammond is the “chief pirate of Faroe,” and that he’s annoyed all of the clans of the Skellige Isles to such an extent that there’s a bounty on his head — which Crach would be happy to pay out.

When you reach the pirate town of Trottheim on Faroe (#8), the pirates at the gate will tell you that Hammond is praying at the “chapel on the hill.” If you keep talking to the pirates, then they’ll attack you, and you’ll have to take on the entire town. But if you take your leave, then the pirates will ignore you, and you’ll just have to skirt around the town to reach Hammond.

You’ll find Hammond at a shrine to the east (#9). No matter what you say to him, he and the pirates with him will attack you. You’ll earn 80 xp for defeating Hammond, and when you loot his corpse you’ll find a Nekker gwent card (Close Combat Muster 2) and a Letter Written on Elegant Stationary. The letter will indicate that Karadin is in Novigrad.

Note: If you return to Crach after killing Hammond, then you won’t be able to tell him about your deed, and he won’t have any bounty money for you.

With Hammond dead, you’ll need to return to Novigrad so you can meet with Lambert at the Nowhere Inn (#6). Lambert will already know that Karadin is in Novigrad. In fact, he’ll know where Karadin is staying. You can then either immediately leave with Lambert for the estate, or you can meet him there later.

At Karadin’s estate (#7), the guards will invite you inside. When you meet Karadin, you’ll discover that he’s a witcher from the Cat school, and that he now has a wife and children. Then Karadin will explain his side of the story. He’ll tell you that Aidan bungled a witcher job but refused to return the fee, and that Karadin and his crew were sent to retrieve the money — only Aidan attacked them and died during the ensuing battle.

At the end of the tale, you’ll have to decide what to do about Karadin. If you kill him, then you’ll receive the diagram for the silver sword Eirlithrad, a Lesser Triglav Runestone, and 70 xp. If you let him live, then you’ll receive 90 xp. Either way, Lambert will head back to the Nowhere Inn and hang out there for a while.