The Calm Before The Storm is a main quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and starts right after the previous quest. It tells the story of how Ciri arrived in Lofoten and what happened shortly after.
Walkthrough[]
The Mysterious elf and an unconcious Ciri appear on Skellige, with Skjall being witness to the event. The Mysterious elf will ask for his help and then tell Ciri where they will meet next before he departs. Ciri will now awake and start talking with Skjall. If Ciri asks how long was she out, the conversation can take a turn where Ciri asks Skjall if he stripped her, which he admits doing but declines being the one to rub blubber on her breasts stating that it was his mother and sister who did that. After asking for help with standing up Astrid will join in and ask Ciri to join her in the sauna. Ciri will prefer to leave as soon as possible, however Skjall will tell her she will need a horse to reach Drowned Dead Rock so he will get one ready while she accepts the offer.
Follow Astrid and after reaching the sauna she will ask Ciri to strip, so enter the room and interact with the mirror inside to do just that. If you are worried about nudity, note that Ciri will still have her chest in bandages and she will be wearing her underwear. You can choose to wear a towel, however that will only result in Ciri explaining why she is such a shy Nordling girl. If however she goes "naked" she will be asked about her tattoo. Regardless what you prefer now choose the option to go to the sauna. After more chit-chat you will have the option to go take a short dip if you want to. Doing so will regenerate Ciri's health bar, and you can also drink a shot of Freya's Firewater which will do the same; if both are done her health bar will become full. Now go back to dressing room and get her dressed again.
Proceed to the stables, where Skjall will be getting the horses ready and you will have the option to return Skjall's advances on Ciri by having her kiss him, or tell him you wish to leave as soon as possible. Regardless, the Wild Hunt attacks soon after and we all know how it all ends for him.
Now you will be fighting the Wild Hunt. It's not possible to kill all enemies as more will spawn infinitely, but you do have to kill a good amount before the quest updates. Take advantage of the Blink ability and be patient. Eventually, Skjall will tell you to make a run for it. Go to the stables, where he will offer to lead you to Drowned Dead Rock, so follow his lead. When you reach your destination you will see a cutscene and the quest ends, returning back to Geralt and Yennefer.
Journal entry[]
- Craven's reanimated corpse told Geralt and Yennefer about Ciri's stay on Hindarsfjall. She had made a dramatic entrance, popping out of thin air in a narrow escape from some unknown danger. Exhausted and wounded, she was carried by a mysterious companion who then entrusted her into Craven's care. He took her home, where his family tended to her with warmth and kindness. For the first time in a very long while, Ciri had a moment to catch her breath and enjoy life's simple comforts.
- Sadly, she was not given long to savor these blissful moments. The Wild Hunt had caught Ciri's scent. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, puddles began to ice over and the ruthless wraiths rode towards the village. Ciri knew she was in no shape to defeat her assailants. Craven, or rather Skjall, for that was the unfortunate lad's true name, decided to help her, putting his own life and honor at risk.
- Ciri raced off to Drowned Dead Rock, where she rejoined her masked companion. From what Skjall could see the two got into some sort of quarrel, which the mysterious man ended by putting Ciri to sleep with a spell. He then set her down in a boat and sailed off with her into the thick fog blanketing the surrounding sea.
- Ciri had thus escaped the Wild Hunt once again. Skjall was less fortunate - the wraiths had wounded him and left him for dead. Yet he had life in him still and fought his way back to consciousness. When his eyes opened, he saw he was lying on the beach near a boat - the very same vessel in which Ciri and her companion had sailed away the night before. Now it bore but a single, highly unusual passenger -- the ugliest man in the world.
Objectives[]
- Follow Astrid to the sauna.
- Leave your clothes in the changing room.
- Follow Astrid.
- [Optional] Jump into the water to cool off and regenerate.
- [Optional] Drink a shot of Freya's Firewater to warm up.
- Join Skjall in the stable.
- Try to defeat the warriors of the Wild Hunt.
- Get on a horse and flee towards Drowned Dead Rock.
- Make it to Drowned Dead Rock while avoiding the riders of the Wild Hunt.