Prologue
The first bars of the game will see our Geralt refugee within the safe walls of the fortress of Kaer Moren, a training place for the Witchers, extraordinary warriors who have the task of eliminating the monsters that threaten the sovereigns or the common people, provided that these are willing to offer them a more than considerable payment.
During a training session, the castle is invaded by the Salamandra bandits, a powerful association that wants to seize the ancient knowledge of the Witchers at any cost: it is up to us to defend this centenary place together with our companions and foil the attack thus defending the ancients secrets that have been passed down for generations from Witcher to Witcher.
First, take the sword and carefully follow the tutorial: you will be shown the various movements that Geralt is able to perform and the types of attacks and fighting styles that he can use during the game. Being the first game scenario, everything will be very linear: to get to the objective of the mission, which is the main gate located at the foot of the castle halls, you just need to go up the walls and follow the stairs you will find on your way to get to your destination quickly.
The enemies you will find will be of three types: armored bandits, which must be defeated using the strong style, fast warriors that you will have to defeat with the homonymous fighting style and packs of dogs that must be wounded with the group style.
After watching the video that will start when you reach the active mission objective, you will have a moment of tranquility to talk to your companions and collect some objects around there.
Now, however, it's time to face Savolla: drink the Thunder potion and enter the castle to face this first boss.
Savolla
First of all, eliminate the surrounding bandits and then hurl yourself to attack Savolla. Use the Arii sign often to knock him down and inflict small amounts of damage on him. Before the wizard gets up, hit him with the sword, and when he has fully recovered roll away from him and wait for him to teleport again to repeat the same procedure described above. You shouldn't have any problems during this fight, not least because the effect of the Thunder potion is slow to wear off. Your magic bonus will be crucial.
The first choice of the game: Frightener or laboratory?
After defeating Savolla, you will have to take the first choice that the game will offer you: it seems that the Frightener has managed to breach the walls of the castle, and now it turns out to be a more than considerable danger. At the same time, however, the laboratory is about to be ransacked by two powerful enemies, Azar Javed and the Professor.
If you choose to fight the Frightener:
Kill all the bandits nearby and then move to the large cauldrons you see at the top of the stairs leading past the gate you closed earlier. Use the Arii sign to make a deafening noise that will disorient the boss.
Once the beast is confused, start pounding it and you will easily win.
This choice will make a fight more difficult in later chapters.
If you choose to go to the laboratory:
You will witness a cutscene in which your friend Leo will be fatally wounded. The sorceress Triss, on the other hand, will be able to partially counter the attack. Doing so will prevent the Witcher secrets from falling into the wrong hands and therefore, in a sense, you will have made the right choice at that moment.
This choice will make a fight easier in later chapters.
Now it will be time to gather the ingredients needed to cure the sorceress Triss. From the kitchens, go upstairs and eliminate the few enemies left in the castle to have no more problems. The ingredients can easily be found in the side rooms of the corridor, as marked on the map.
When you have everything, go to the fire and meditate to make Triss's healing potion.
Remember to talk to all the characters in this part of the game to get to know their stories and maybe get some bonus items.
Go up to Triss's room and give her the potion. Be kind to her so that you get an extra reward for the favor.
Now the first, real chapter of the game will begin.
Chapter 1
The first thing to do is to go to the reverend to be informed about a ruthless barghest that is terrorizing the countryside of Vizima and that has been nicknamed the Beast. Exhaust all dialogues and you will get a signet ring and a new mission.
Making love with the peasant woman
Among the campaigns of Vizima you will happen to find a very kind woman towards you, despite you are a Witcher: give her some tulips as a sign of gratitude and you will be able to spend a night with her.
Main mission
Your assignment for the Reverend will be to wait for darkness to fall in the countryside and go to every sanctuary you will find on the way to light a lamp of the sacred fire, which should forever remove the threatening shadow of the monster from those lands. Act in a single night (shrines will shut down if you go to sleep).
Now it's time to play the final part of this chapter. Collect all the rewards of the hunts taken during the secondary elements or during your training and go talk to the Reverend who will reveal the location of the key to the Salamandra Bandits' lair. The man you need to talk to is the innkeeper Olaf.
Then go back to the tavern to find that the Salamandra bandits have arrived before you, have killed the innkeeper and are planning to harm Shani. Kill them all and take the key from the body of the innkeeper lying on the ground. Head to the Salamandra hideout (the old abandoned house marked on the map) and prepare for combat. Follow the set route to the caves below until you meet Abigail: be kind to her and convince her to go outside. Now you will have to make a choice that will affect you immediately afterwards.
The cave
The following secondary mission can only be completed after the breakthrough of the main vein just carried out.
The merchant Leuvaarden will ask you to look for his friend in a cave near the river banks of the small village outside Vizima.
Then arrive in front of the city gate and turn left. Enter the cave and drink a Cat potion. Eliminate the echinops using the Ignii sign and quick attacks to find human remains in one of them. Take them back to the merchant at the tavern and he will ask you to bury them. Meet the Reverend who will allow you to access the chapel only if you have done a mission for him. If you have then lit the fires along the way to try to drive away the Beast, you can enter to bury the remains of the man. The King of the Hunt will appear with whom you will have to have a brief discussion: remember not to deny the existence of fate, otherwise you will be forced to face the ghost of Leo who, if defeated, will give you a red meteorite.
Now return to Leuvaarden to receive the agreed bounty plus 200 oren for the disturbance.
The witch Abigail: deliver her to the crowd or save her?
If you decide to leave Abigail to the Reverend and the angry mob, the woman will be killed and you will get the pass directly from the Reverend.
If you make this choice, in the next fight with the Beast, your helpers will be the citizens.
If you decide not to give Abigail to the crowd, you will have to face the angry mob and then take the city pass from the Reverend's lifeless body.
If you make this choice, in the next fight with the Beast Abigail will help you by healing you.
It will be better to decide to save the sorceress, much more useful in the fight than the citizens, but keep in mind that in the mission "The bride" in chapter IV of the game this choice will affect your behavior making you passive to the carrying out of some actions.
The clash with the Beast
The Beast is a large barghest that feeds on the energy of its lesser peers. Immediately drink a Swallow potion to increase energy regeneration and attack the boss's minions. Eliminate only two out of three barghests to prevent it from summoning new ones and drawing new energy. Drive away the last remaining ghost wolf using the Arii sign and relentlessly attack the Beast.
Once the battle is over, peace will momentarily return to the countryside of Vizima. Grab the pass and talk to Mykul who will finally let you into the city even if not in the best way.
