Wandering in the Dark

Main quest Part 1 · 13 of 35 → Velen suggested level 6 On the world map

“Wandering in the Dark” is a main quest in Velen in The Witcher 3 (recommended level 6). In the “Part 1” section of the story it is quest 13 of 35. Those involved include Brewess, Cirilla and Keira Metz. It rewards experience.

From the journal

Finding Ciri in Velen had proven harder than tracking a swallow on a rainy day. According to Keira, an elven mage had been tracking this particular swallow as well. Had he found her? Did he know more about her fate? Geralt knew he had to find out, and Keira, well, she had unfinished business of her own with the mage. And so the witcher and sorceress set out together on a journey into the darkness to find the mysterious elf's underground hideout.

Barely had our heroes entered the underground chambers when they encountered the enemy. The Wild Hunt had reached the spot before them - and they, too, were searching for Ciri.

Read on (5 paragraphs) – reveals how the quest unfolds

The Hunt had in its ranks a navigator, a powerful mage able to teleport its warriors from place to place in the blink of an eye. Geralt and Keira, on the other hand, made their way slowly on foot, encountering obstacle after obstacle. All might have been lost had our heroes not happened across a morphotic projection the elven mage had left for Ciri. The mage's illusion guided her towards his lair and called her "Zireael" - meaning "swallow" in Elder Speech. Hearing this, Geralt gained two vital clues: the mage clearly knew Ciri well, and he must have painted the swallows on the walls to direct her.

The road through the underground was not an easy one to travel. The mage had set a great many traps that Ciri could easily evade but which would trip up any who chased after her.

In the end Geralt and Keira eliminated the Wild Hunt's lead and began nipping at its heels.

Ciri's pursuers did not find what they were looking for. They departed empty-handed, leaving one warrior behind to tend to Geralt and Keira. He proved a weak match for the witcher and the sorceress, but their victory was bittersweet, as in the underground passageways Geralt found neither Ciri nor the elven mage. All he could now do was to follow the hints provided by yet another morphotic projection the mage had left behind.

Geralt finally learned the truth about Ciri and the witch from the mouth of an illusion. The mage's projection corrected and supplemented the information left behind by Hendrik - Ciri's opponent had not been one ordinary witch but the three Crones, mysterious and powerful beings dwelling in Crookback Bog. Who they truly were and what had happened to Ciri at their swampy home - that, dear reader, you will learn in the pages that follow.