King's Gambit

"Do you really wish to know?" — Spoilers from the books and/or adaptations to follow!

King's Gambit is a secondary quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Note: once this quest is started, the secondary quests Stranger in a Strange Land and The Cave of Dreams will be locked out.

Note: this quest will fail if not completed before starting the main quest The Isle of Mists.

Note: the rewards in this quest will decrease after reaching level 26 (22 before Patch 4.0).

Walkthrough[]

At the entrance to Kaer Trolde, the portcullis will be closed but it will open when the player approaches. Follow Arnvald to the feast hall where you'll see Hjalmar and Cerys quarrel. After the conversation ends, you're free to roam around and there's an extra conversation with Cerys if you find and talk to her outside.

Fistfights[]

There's a profitable opportunity if you approach Hjalmar while he's in the middle of a fistfight. He'll challenge you to defeat a vildkaarl in a fistfight to win his prized steel sword. (100) Lose and Geralt either forfeits his own sword or pays 350 to keep it.

After Hjalmar's challenge, you can also challenge the other vildkaarls in a sequence of three fistfights, each awarding 50. These brawlers hit very hard and the second and third fighters are capable of countering the player if too many attacks are thrown. They always start off with a heavy punch when the player regains control so counter that and work from there. Undying can help from getting KO'ed. An easy tactic is to first counter then perform two strong punches and counter again, rinse and repeat.

Important: all fistfights must be completed before talking to Crach.

Official business[]

Once you're ready, approach Crach's room and a cutscene will play where Birna Bran barges through the door while appearing a bit mad. Geralt and Birna have a small chat with each other. She is complaining about the king-choosing system (which consists of voting for the next king) and implies that Svanrige, Bran's firstborn, should be the next king by birthright instead. Eventually she tells Geralt that she will be leaving tomorrow and goes her own way. You then talk to Crach An Craite, who gives you the Fate silver sword as a reward for helping his children. (500)

As he does this, another small cutscene triggers where the people scream "Lu-gos! Lu-gos! Lu-gos!" and then suddenly, screams and a few roars are heard. The two head for the feast hall and witness a massacre by three bears. You then have to defeat the bears. (300)

Important: this is unknown to Geralt yet, but these are berserkers susceptible to cursed oil and silver swords, not regular bears.

Following the massacre, Hjalmar and Cerys both decide to investigate the matter further. Geralt must make a decision to help Cerys, Hjalmar or neither (in which case the quest ends). Your choice here will affect who becomes king or queen of Skellige, and ultimately the fates of the two an Craite siblings.

Side with Cerys[]

Use your Witcher Senses to search the hall. Once you examine one of the bears Geralt discovers they are half-human half-bear, similar to werewolves, and notices the mead they drank smelled odd. After finding the right container it turns out the mead contained some mushrooms and Geralt picks up a trail of the smell, so follow it to find the horn that contained it. Geralt will now call over Cerys and start conversing. She will confirm those so-called "humans" were berserkers and then suggests talking to Hjort to find out which mushrooms were added to the mead. The druid will identify the mushrooms as "Mardroeme", which, according to legends, can turn people into animals. Geralt and Cerys agree that the mead must have been spiked before the celebration so she will lead Geralt to the wine cellar.

Once there, use Witcher Senses to find the right barrel. When you do someone will attempt to kill Cerys and Geralt by lighting up spilled Mahakaman spirit. Cerys will say there is another exit but it's hidden behind some barrels and there is no time to move them before they suffocate. Geralt will say he has no intention of "moving" them and you can probably guess he intends to use Aard to remove the obstacle so do just that. Run through the secret passage which will take you to a Quen place of power.

Important: this is the only way to reach this place of power. If you go with Hjalmar or decide not to get involved you will not earn this skill point. Also, this is the only way to find the true culprit, so helping Cerys is the best option for both roleplaying and character development.

Once you are back in the castle, Cerys will propose checking the cellar entrance as the "pyromaniac" must have used the same entrance, while Geralt will mention hearing a bottle being dropped. When you reach the door you will discover that someone stepped inside some mead leaving a trail to follow. Once the trail ends you will find a piece of thread on the wall. Cerys will recognize it as belonging to Arnvald (300) and you then go to catch him at the keep entrance. He will try to run away on a horse and a chase ensues with you automatically starting on Roach after the cutscene.

Don't waste time, because he can escape. You can still complete the quest in that case, but with a red objective mark. There are three ways that this can play out:

Catch him during the chase by hitting him with your sword

This is fairly easy to do with a decent saddle, which you should have by now. He will fall from the horse and Cerys will interrogate him until he admits to conspiring with Birna and gives a letter written by the queen.

He gets too far away and escapes

This fails an objective and you have to follow his horse's tracks all the way to the beach where you originally landed on Skellige. There you will find him dead and loot his body to find a key, then have to return to Kaer Trolde to continue the investigation. Back at the keep, Cerys will lead you to Arnvald's room where you have to find a piece of perfumed paper, giving a scent which leads you to a secret compartment. Inside it, unlocking a box reveals the same letter from Birna that you would've gotten if you caught him.

Chase him all the way to the beach

In this case, Arnvald is double-crossed by a few seamen wearing Clan Tuirseach colors and you have to save him from them. He's actually quite strong against them and will most likely survive without you doing anything, with Cerys also joining the fight, but it is possible for him to die. If he survives, the rest plays out as if you caught him during the chase. If he dies, then it's the same scenario as if he escaped (except a different objective fails and you know who killed him), and you go to search his room.

Regardless, you now know that the mastermind was Birna Bran. (200) Cerys will gather the jarls to reveal the findings and the conversation will differ depending on how you found out, with Arnvald appearing as a witness too if he is alive. However, your dialogue choices don't really matter and the outcome is always the same. The evidence is insufficient and all appears to be in vain until Birna's son, Svanrige Tuirseach, steps up to ask her why she told him to leave the celebration early, right before the attack took place. She will admit then and be sentenced to death by thirst and starvation, after being chained to a rock. Note: if you later go to the shore north of Sund you will be able to see the Jarl's made good on her sentence.

Side with Hjalmar[]

Hjalmar will take Geralt to Fornhala where the vildkaarl reside as he was witness to them turning into the bears that attacked, so clearly it's time for some payback. After the conversation, just a few steps ahead another cutscene triggers and Hjalmar will point out a body uphill.

If you just want to go through this quickly, after this cutscene you may simply go to the large hut on the southern end of the village and find a hatch there. However, if you want to examine all the clues, note that there's a specific order intended for them and it can be quite confusing if that order isn't followed. Some minor objects in the huts can be examined, but only result in minor comments. The first real trail is the body that Hjalmar pointed out, so go there and inspect it. The body itself is placed against an altar and there are also some discarded clothes nearby, but they are unimportant. Examine the altar to learn that it is to Svalblod, a forbidden god which demands human sacrifices. There are some dishes in front of it and Geralt will pick up a smell from them, so follow it to another body and a blood stain. Once examined, some footprints become your new trail and lead you to a house with interesting decorations and a hidden hatch in the floor. Enter the hidden entrance and soon you will hear some strange noises, before meeting Halgrim. (200)

After a short conversation you will have to fight him. Once he is injured enough he will transform into a bear and the fight resumes. After the fight ends, keep pushing forward and soon enough a cutscene triggers where a strange ritual led by a druid takes place. Now you need to interrogate the druid, named Artis, but he will refuse to tell who is behind the attacks and you are forced to fight him and another berserker. Once they are dead, you find a letter revealing the druid would've become the new king's advisor in return for causing the massacre. (300)

You then return to Kaer Trolde to speak with the jarls, and while you couldn't find the true culprit, the deed is enough to cleanse the an Craite name from dishonor.

Aftermath[]

If you chose to help Cerys or Hjalmar, after the whole ordeal is over, you will talk with Crach again, who will give you yet another item reward - the Death From Above crossbow, before the quest completes. (400) He will then invite you to the Coronation of Skellige's new ruler. In game you don't learn who that is until attending, but it will be whomever you chose to side with during this quest. You can go there immediately or join later.

However, if you didn't help either of the siblings, the quest will have completed right then and there. Later Svanrige becomes king, as was Birna's wish. The Coronation quest will not appear in this case, and obviously you've missed on plenty of rewards as well. Note: if you just let the quest fail instead of completing it via the dialogue choice after the berserkers' attack, Cerys and Hjalmar later die in battle alongside each other.

Journal entry[]

With Geralt's help, both Hjalmar and Cerys had defied death and won glory, greatly improving their chances in the race for Skellige's throne. Crach decided the news was an excellent excuse to host a great feast, during which skalds would sing the praises of the young an Craites and tables laden with mead and meat would sway those islanders who were still undecided, convincing them to support this generous and powerful family. Geralt was also invited to the celebration, where he was to receive a token of Crach's gratitude.

A Skellige saying holds that at a good feast, blood and mead flow in equal measure. Sadly, it seems someone took the saying literally and orchestrated a terrible massacre during the banquet at Kaer Trolde. Between the third and fourth courses of roast ram, massive, enraged bears suddenly appeared amidst the merrymakers. Before the hooch-dazed warriors could draw their weapons, the animals tore dozens of guests to shreds, including most of the claimants to the throne.

Geralt managed to save most of the other attendees, but could do nothing to stop the torrent of accusations and calumnies directed at Crach once the dust had settled. The other jarls accused him of conspiring to put one of his own on the throne. If an Craite could not prove his innocence, his family would forever lay buried beneath a mountain of shame.

Hjalmar and Cerys immediately took action, each in their own way. If he wanted to investigate how the massacre had come to pass, Geralt would need to choose which an Craite to support.

If Geralt decides to help Cerys:

Geralt decided to help Cerys. This was not surprising - her calm and systematic approach to the matter bore a strong resemblance to how the witcher himself conducted investigations.

Their thorough investigation led Cerys and Geralt to an unexpected discovery. It turned out Arnvald, the an Craite family's hitherto faithful servant, had had a hand in the massacre. It was he who spiked the mead with the blood and herbs that caused certain guests to transform into bears. It was he who then tried to kill Geralt and Cerys in a most underhanded manner when they were close to finding him out.

If Arnvald lives:

Arnvald tried to save his life by fleeing, but he did not get far - for Geralt, accustomed to chasing down griffins and wyverns, outrunning a clumsy and panicked rider proved no challenge. Cerys interrogated him adroitly and got from him the identity of his patron. It turned out the culprit was none other than Birna, King Bran's widow and mother to one of the claimants to the throne, Svanrige.

If Arnvald dies:

Yet Arnvald got his just deserts when he was the one to die at the hands of traitors. The full measure of justice, however, had not yet been meted out - it was discovered that Arnvald had not acted on his own initiative, meaning the massacre's true mastermind remained at large. What luck, then, that Geralt and Cerys quickly found clues as to the treasonous murderer's identity. It turned out the culprit was none other than Birna, King Bran's widow and mother to one of the claimants to the throne, Svanrige.

Birna was tried by a council of jarls. Though Geralt and Cerys presented damning testimony against her, for a moment it seemed the sly widow would escape justice. In the end, the final nail in her coffin was pounded in by her own son, Svanrige, who sensed her lie at once when she denied the accusations. Birna was given the sentence she deserved and disgrace covered the name of the once-proud Tuirseach family.

If Geralt decides to help Hjalmar:

In the end Geralt decided to help Hjalmar. Like him, the witcher felt there was no time to go over everything with fine-toothed comb - they had to act now, while the trail was still fresh.

Geralt rode off with Hjalmar to the Vildkaarls' village located in the wildest Skellige highlands. Young An Craite was convinced these mysterious warriors had transformed into the bears that massacred the Kaer Trolde feast goers. It turned out his intuition had not led them astray. Geralt found a hidden passage in the village leading to a vast cavern. When they entered it, the whole gruesome riddle unraveled before their very eyes...

The dark legends about the Vildkaarls were true. Geralt and Hjalmar saw this for themselves when they got a hidden peek at a terrifying ritual in which a man who wished to join the ranks of this bizarre warrior society let a bear devour him alive. Geralt tried to get the druid who conducted the ceremony to tell him who was responsible for the Kaer Trolde massacre. The druid refused to answer - and Hjalmar showed that it was vengeance more than testimony that interested him. He killed the druid, who took the knowledge of his patron's identity with him to the grave.

Though Hjalmar was not able to uncover who stood behind the massacre at Kaer Trolde, the testimony he and Geralt provided clearly showed the hosts had not had a hand in it, and that those murdered during the feast had been properly avenged - thus clearing the an Craite family name of all suspicion. Crach and his children were still far from safe, however - the traitor responsible for the bloodshed remained at large, uncaptured and ready to strike again.

Objectives[]

If accepted Hjalmar's challenge:
- Defeat the Vildkaarl. (100 and Hjalmar's steel sword).
If challenged the Vidkaarls to more fights:
- Defeat the Vildkaarl. (50 up to 3 times)
Report to Crach en Craite to collect your reward. (500 and Fate)
Defeat the bears. (300)
If Geralt decides to help Cerys:
- Examine the crime scene using your Witcher Senses.
- Examine the traces of mead around the crime scene using your Witcher Senses.
- Find the source of the scent using your Witcher Senses.
- Ask Hjort to have a look at the mead sample.
- Follow Cerys to the cellar.
- Examine the cellar.
- Examine the mead in the open barrels.
- Flee from the burning cellar.
- Follow Cerys through the tunnel.
- Look for tracks around the cellar door using you Witcher Senses.
- Follow the footprints using your Witcher Senses.
- Look around for a clue using your Witcher Senses. (300)
- Catch Arnvald.
- Chase Arnvald. (200 if caught before reaching the beach)
- If Arnvald escapes during the chase:
  - Follow the tracks left by Arnvald's horse outside Kaer Trolde using Witcher Senses.
  - Search Arnvald's body.
  - Return to Kaer Trolde.
  - Go to Arnvald's room.
  - Search for evidence in Arnvald's room using your Witcher Senses. (200)
- If Arnvald reaches the beach while still chasing him:
  - Save Arnvald. (200)
  - If Arnvald dies:
    - Search Arnvald's body.
    - Search for evidence in Arnvald's room using your Witcher Senses. (200)
If Geralt decides to help Hjalmar:
- Talk to Hjalmar.
- Explore the Vildkaarls' village using your Witcher Senses.
- Examine the place Hjalmar pointed out using your Witcher Senses.
- Examine the place where fights are held using your Witcher Senses.
- Follow the scent using you Witcher Senses.
- Follow the footprints using you Witcher Senses.
- Explore the cave. (200)
- Defeat Hallgrim.
- Venture further into the cave.
- Interrogate the druid.
- Defeat the druid and the berserkers. (300)

Notes[]

If you have completed The Cave of Dreams prior to this quest and have chosen to help Cerys, she will acknowledge your helping of Blueboy Lugos.
Choosing Cerys is your only chance to access the nearby place of power. If you choose Hjalmar you won't be able to access it.
Choosing Cerys, and then letting Arnvald escape or die at the beach, is the only way to unlock access to a few more minor things - getting the key to the locked chest in the servants' room, the Heroes of Skellige: Broddr book, as well as the actual letter item, which isn't otherwise added to the inventory. However, this route also comes with a failed objective.

Bugs[]

There's a small chance for Cerys to get stuck in front of the cellar's doorway, resulting in her blocking the entrance. This usually occurs due to the player bumping into her before she enters the next room. If this happens, a reset to the previous checkpoint is a must, as you will not be able to progress further.
If forced to follow Arnvald's horse trails, the objective marker may stop updating around the unmarked trading post by the road.
(At least on PC and) As of Patch 4.03, the 3 fistfights after Hjalmar's challenge can bug out, resulting in only 50 being awarded even if all three are won. At the same time, if Geralt takes a pause between fights, the objective is marked as failed and progress between opponents is lost (but 50 still awarded if a fight was won, which incidentally allows infinite farming until level 26). To work around the issue and get full reward of 150 total and green objective, one can win and take a pause after the first fight twice, and only then proceed to beat all three Vildkaarls in succession.
If you side with Hjalmar and rush ahead of him to the cave where Halgrim is, the latter may just sit there without the cutscene triggering and he can't be attacked. To trigger the cutscene, walk back to the ledge where you dropped down from.
If you side with Cerys, until the end of the quest Hjalmar remains standing by a column near the fistfighting spot, even though he's supposedly left to get revenge.
In the event that Arnvald dies and his room has to be searched, Geralt and Cerys have unique dialogue about the unique book found on the bed, which however is completely mismatched as they talk about Bran the Conqueror and a song about him, whereas the book is about Broddr. The intended book was simply never fully implemented, although its contents are present in the game files.
However Udalryk's curse was lifted during Possession, Drogodar the bard at the feast will sing a ballad about the opposite, incorrect version of events. If the Hym was fought, he sings about Cerys tricking it, while if it was indeed tricked, he sings about Cerys fighting and killing it.

Trivia[]

The title is a reference to a chess opening move of the same name.
On Hjalmar's path, when a corpse near the altar in Fornhala is examined, Geralt and the an Craite comment that the man fought bare-fisted to the death, with Hjalmar suggesting that might've been some kind of trial, while the witcher says "Or a very bloody sport." This is a reference to the 1988 film Bloodsport.