There Can Be Only One - Witcher 3: Blood and Wine Quest

This guide is a walkthrough of a side quest in the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine DLC. 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.

witcher 3 blood and wine quest there can be only one map

1 – Beauclair Notice Board
2 – Isle

Background

You’ll trigger this quest by reading the note “Test Yourself with the Trials of the Virtues!” on the notice board in Beauclair (#1).

Walkthrough

The note will invite you to try and pass the Trials of the Virtues on the isle in the middle of Lac Celavy. When you reach the isle (#2), you’ll meet a hermit there. He’ll be in the middle of a lake — which you’ll be able to walk on. When you talk to the hermit, he’ll tell you that he guards a sword in the lake, and that it can only be taken by one who possesses the five chivalric virtues. So you’ll need to prove yourself to the hermit. Luckily, you’ll have lots of ways to do this. The virtues and some of the methods for obtaining them are listed below.

Compassion:

[The Beast of Toussaint] Let the shaelmaar live.
[Big Game Hunter] If invited to the gathering, ask Count Beledal about his daughter.
[Capture the Castle] Help Roderick after defeating him in battle.
[Contract: The Tufo Monster] Give the Silver Pendant to Madame de Bourbeau.
[Equine Phantoms] Convince Roach to forgive Marcello Clerici.
[Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Granite] Let Hughes keep the stones.
[The Hunger Game] Invite Marlene to stay at Corvo Bianco.
[Mutual of Beauclair’s Wild Kingdom] Let the basilisk live.

Generosity:

[Beyond Hill and Dale] Buy or win the ribbon from the Little Flint Girl.
[Equine Phantoms] When you meet Pinastri at the start of the quest, negotiate your fee but refuse her offer of potatoes.
[Mutual of Beauclair’s Wild Kingdom] After letting the basilisk live, refuse the extra reward from Count Borhis.
[A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man] Purchase the portrait for 1000 crowns.
[Turn and Face the Strange] Tip the street urchin who delivers the letter to you at the start of the quest.
[Where Children Toil, Toys Waste Away] Give the bootblack 500 crowns without trying to negotiate the price down.

Honor:

[Father Knows Worst] Find Hugo’s Still Filter after (but not before) he asks you to look for it.
[Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Granite] Return the stones to the curator.
[Till Death Do You Part] Tell Charles Lanzano the truth at the end of the quest.
[The Warble of a Smitten Knight] Enter the tourney as Geralt and defeat Prince Anseis in a mounted duel.
[The Warble of a Smitten Knight] Keep Vivienne’s secret from Guillaume (you’ll earn the virtue at the end of the quest).

Valor:

[Contract: Bovine Blues] Defeat the slyzards.
[Contract: The Tufo Monster] Defeat the shaelmaar.
[Equine Phantoms] Don’t forgive Marcello Clerici, and defeat him in battle.
[Feet as Cold as Ice] Kill Grottore with Francois.
[Knight for Hire] Defeat the bandit leaders at the three hanse bases.
[Mutual of Beauclair’s Wild Kingdom] Kill the basilisk.
[A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man] Purchase the portrait for 1000 crowns.
[The Night of Long Fangs] Kill the katakan attacking Delwyn of Creigiau.
[Raging Wolf] Defeat the Maestro.
[Tesham Mutna] Defeat Dettlaff
[The Warble of a Smitten Knight] Win the tournament.

Wisdom:

[The Beast of Toussaint] Correctly guess Milton’s location during the Hare Hunt.
[But Other Than That, How Did You Enjoy the Play?] Light the candles correctly on your first try.
[Father Knows Worst] Resolve the quest without fighting the brothers.
[Gwent: To Everything — Turn, Turn, Tournament] Win the tournament.
[A Knight’s Tales] Complete the ritual correctly (with Sir Gareth’s Bone).
[La Cage au Fou] Lift the spotted wight’s curse.

Note: It won’t make any difference if you prove a virtue before or after meeting the hermit. All of your virtuous actions will count towards the quest.

Another Note: If you read the standing stones just to the north of the hermit, then you’ll get a definition for each virtue, and you’ll earn 50 xp.

When you return to the hermit after obtaining the five virtues, he’ll insist that you prove your skill as a swordsman to show that you’re worthy of the sword. So he’ll attack you. The hermit will hit you with water spells, and he’ll swing a mean quarterstaff, but he shouldn’t be too complicated to defeat. When he goes down, he’ll transform into the Lady of the Lady, and she’ll give you a leveled version of the silver sword Aerondight. You’ll also earn 300 xp for completing the quest.