Now or Never – 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 – Triss’ Apartment
2 – Berthold and Anisse’s Apartment
3 – The Kingfisher
4 – Weak Walls
5 – Rats
6 – Locked Gate
7 – Katakan
8 – Dock
Exits

1. Sewer exit to the Kingfisher’s basement.
2. Staircase.
3. Passage.
4. Sewer exit to the dock.

Background

To trigger this quest, you’ll need to have completed the quest A Matter of Life and Death. Then at some point afterwards (most likely after talking to Radovid for the quest Redania’s Most Wanted), a man will deliver a Perfumed Letter to you. When you read the letter, you’ll discover that it’s from Triss, and that she wants to meet with you.

Walkthrough

When you head over to Triss’ apartment building (#1), you’ll encounter three witch hunters out front. They’ll let you pass, but if you don’t fight them now, then you’ll just have to fight them later when you exit the building with Triss. So pick your poison.

Upstairs in the building, you’ll witness Triss’ landlords demanding extra compensation from her, and also demanding that she leave. You can step in at this point and force the landlords to back down, but Triss won’t want you to.

When you finally get to talk to Triss, she’ll describe her predicament to you. She’ll tell you that she’s trying to evacuate all of the remaining mages from the city, and that most of them are waiting for her in the basement of the Kingfisher (#3). However, two of the mages — Berthold and Anisse — are missing, but Triss will worry that if she takes the time to rescue them, then she might put all of the other mages in danger. Triss won’t know what to do, so she’ll make you decide. You’ll have three choices:

• You can rescue Berthold and Anisse. When you reach their apartment (#2), you’ll discover that their landlords are trying to collect reward money for them from a pair of witch hunters. You’ll have to kill the hunters and then use Axii to convince Berthold to leave. This will earn you 200 xp. But when you reach the Kingfisher, you’ll find Olivier the innkeeper dead, and three witch hunters will be standing over him. Killing these hunters will earn you another 200 xp.
  
• You can head straight for the Kingfisher. You’ll earn 200 xp when you get there.
  
• You can refuse to help. Surprisingly, this won’t fail the quest. In fact, when you reach the Kingfisher, Triss will be there with Olivier, and Berthold and Anisse will be in the basement, so this is the best option for the mages. But if you choose this path then you won’t be able to romance Triss later.

Inside the Kingfisher (#3), you’ll head down into the basement, where you’ll meet a collection of mages. You’ll also meet Sigi, and you’ll learn that he’s trying to help, too. Eventually, Triss will tell you her plan — that in order to avoid the witch hunters in the streets, the mages will have to travel through the sewers, and that to make sure the sewers are safe, you’ll have to go first. Of course, Triss will go with you, so you’ll have some help.

Inside the sewers, you’ll have to defeat some level 15 mucknixers, a roomful of rats (#5), and a level 14 katakan (#7), which will earn you 500 xp. You’ll also have to knock down some weak walls (#4) and of course do some looting ($). When you eventually reach the exit (Exit D), you’ll earn 200 xp.

When you reach the dock (#8), you’ll get attacked by some level 12-13 witch hunters, but you’ll have Triss, Sigi, and a couple of Sigi’s henchmen helping you out, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble. You’ll earn 300 xp at the end of the battle, and then you’ll have one last chance to talk to Triss. If you ask her to stay and tell her that you love her — and if you also kissed her during the quest A Matter of Life and Death — then she’ll stay behind and have sex with you before moving on to Kaer Morhen. This interlude will even earn you 300 xp. Otherwise Triss will board the ship with the mages and sail away to Kovir.

Once Triss has gone, Sigi will talk to you about killing Radovid. This conversation will trigger the quest A Deadly Plot.

1 – Triss’ Apartment

2 – Berthold and Anisse’s Apartment

3 – The Kingfisher

4 – Weak Walls

You’ll need to use Aard to break through these walls.

5 – Rats

6 – Locked Gate

You won’t be able to go through this gate. You’ll have to go around it.

7 – Katakan

8 – Dock