The Siege of Vergen is a quest in Chapter II of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings if Geralt chooses Roche's path. Completing this quest advances the plot to Chapter III.
Walkthrough[]
Geralt and Vernon gain access to the city of Vergen through the Tunnel of the Founders, but once inside, they find that Adam Pangratt and his mercenaries, under the leadership of Dethmold, have beaten them there. They fight their way through and emerge inside the town.
Geralt then meets Zoltan Chivay who tells Geralt the location of Síle and that Iorveth needs help. Geralt must then go through the door and up the stairs to a rope bridge. There, Roche and Geralt are separated when Roche dashes forward, only to fall through a weak section of the bridge. Geralt must go up another flight of stairs and there he has a choice to make. He can choose to aid Iorveth or go directly to Philippa Eilhart's quarters in pursuit of Síle.
If Geralt helps Iorveth, he heads southeast to the Castle of the Three Fathers where he kills Kaedweni soldiers and receives Naevde Seidhe as a reward. Otherwise, he goes through the tunnel to the north.
Regardless of his decision, Geralt fights a golem outside of Philippa's quarters and enters just in time to see Síle escape through a magic portal. King Henselt then makes an appearance with four soldiers in tow. After a conversation, he tells his soldiers to kill Geralt. Two of them attack the witcher while the others stay back to protect the King. Once the first pair is defeated, King Henselt and his guards engage the witcher. Geralt dispatches the soldiers and grievously wounds Henselt, who falls to the ground.
Geralt must make one more decision as Roche enters the room and demands King Henselt's death, in retaliation for the monarch's slaughter of the Blue Stripes. This choice ultimately doesn't impact the game other than in some dialogue, though sparing King Henselt triggers an achievement for Xbox players.
Journal entry[]
- The battle for Vergen had been underway for several hours. Henselt's army stormed the walls again and again, while the defenders fiercely repelled these attacks. There was no way to get inside the town through the main gate. Fortunately, Geralt already knew of the secret tunnels into Vergen. Wanting to avoid the Kaedweni forces, our heroes decided to sneak to the tunnel's entrance through the forest ravines.
- The secret passage was, however, not as secret as the witcher thought. Geralt met Dethmold's men, led by Adam Pangratt, in the underground corridors again and again. Our hero had to fight his way inside Vergen.
- The way back through the tunnels is blocked, the battle now rages within the town. I should look for Síle before it's too late.
- From bad to worse – our heroes barely managed to repel Dethmold's men, only to meet Zoltan, Yarpen Zigrin and Sheldon Skaggs defending themselves from Kaedweni attacks. This valiant group quickly finished business with their foes, and Geralt could move on, to Philippa Eilhart's house where Síle de Tansarville hid. On the other hand, Iorveth, besieged in the castle, required relief. What did Geralt do?
- If Geralt chooses to aid Iorveth:
- The witcher rushed to help the Scoia'tael leader, arriving in the nick of time, for the keep's defenders were in bad shape. Even Iorveth seemed vaguely grateful.
- In the meantime, Síle and Philippa had packed their belongings and fled the besieged town. Eyewitnesses saw them flying off on brooms. The trail was lost, but our heroes had little time for despair, for in Vergen the battle raged on!
- If Geralt chooses to let Roche kill Henselt:
- Fate decreed that Vernon Roche faced Henselt amidst the din of battle. Poetic justice took its course and the king died at the Temerian soldier's hands, with the witcher's approval. Thus, thanks in no small part to Geralt, another northern monarch was gone and the fate of two kingdoms was altered. Vergen's defenders succumbed to Kaedweni might. Saskia lost.
- If Geralt convinces Roche to let Henselt live:
- By a stroke of luck, or, as some would have it – Fate – Vernon Roche faced Henselt. King Henselt would have died then and there, killed by the vengeful agent, but Geralt didn't allow royal blood to be shed. The witcher's decision saved at least that Northern monarch, changing the fate of two kingdoms at that. The battle of Vergen ended with the defenders' defeat. Saskia lost.