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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Message from an Old Friend

By
Nathan Garvin

Secondary quests are not created equal in The Witcher 3. During some secondary quests you’ll determine the fate of nations, allocate crowns to worthy monarchs, determine the fate of your friends and spark new romances (or rekindle old ones)… and in some cases you’ll open some books in search of an anonymous message left for you in a random bookstore in Novigrad. This page will provide a walkthrough for the secondary quest "Message from an Old Friend" iconMessage from an Old Friend in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Quest Objectives

Starting Message from and Old Friend

To start this quest, enter the “"Book" iconBooks and Scrolls” shop along the northeastern corner of Hierarch Square in Novigrad, whereupon the proprietor, one Marcus T.K. Hodgson, will exclaim at your appearance. Talk to him and he’ll explain that a man stopped by years ago to keep a book for Geralt, or at least a man of Geralt’s rather unique appearance. After describing the book to you he’ll try to lure you into making a purchase - peruse his wares or decline, and either way this quest will begin.

(1 of 2) Find a bookstore along the northeastern corner of Hierarch Square,

Find a bookstore along the northeastern corner of Hierarch Square, (left), whereupon the proprietor, Marcus T.K. Hodgson will exclaim at your appearance. (right)

Find the Book with the Red Cover

While searching for a specific book in a bookstore may be akin to finding a needle in a haystack, for a Witcher it’s a mild chore, at worst. Just use your Witcher senses and you’ll see various books highlighted around the shop. They’re also quest items, so they’ll be swirling with glowing motes of light, just to make them extra hard to miss. The books you’ll find by searching like this are, in order:

Just keep your Witcher senses active, head upstairs and search for a book near a second flight of stairs to find My Manifesto - The Life of Jacques de Aldersberg. Pick up and read this book and you’ll also discover a Letter from “A” inside. Reading it will finish this quest, earning you 50 EXP and 51 "Crowns" iconCrowns in the process. Not a bad reward for such a simple quest. Of course, you can take and read all the other aforementioned books if you wish.

Talk to the owner, then search for the book he told you about. You’ll find this book, “My Manifesto - The Life of Jacques de Aldersberg” on a shelf on the second floor, near some stairs.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    CD Projekt
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    24 June 2015
  • Last Updated
    7 August 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin (Haeravon)

Share this free guide:

You are Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster-hunter known as a Witcher. You’ve fully regained your memories since your miraculous revival and escape from the Wild Hunt, and have cleared your name of the false accusations of regicide. In the wake of the assassination of Foltest, king of Temeria, the north have been rent by warfare as Nilfgaard launches its third major invasion, and the northlands have been united under the insane king Radovid. Overshadowing these petty politics is the mysterious return of Ciri - Geralt’s adopted daughter, who is now being pursued by the Wild Hunt.

The guide offers the following:

  • A full walkthrough that’s more than just a listing of quests-it’s an “ideal chronological order” that will get you through the whole game and allow you to see and do everything the game has to offer.

  • Side quests, including monster contracts and treasure hunts for obtaining powerful Witcher sets.

  • Descriptions of decisions, quests, and events that influence the various endings of the game.

  • Crafting and Alchemy information.

  • General strategies on how to take down foes large and small, monstrous and humanoid, boss or mundane.

  • Information on how to complete all the Gwent quests and obtain all the Gwent cards, including detailed Gwent strategies.

  • Trophy/Achievement information.

MASSIVE UPDATE: 7th September 2016 ongoing

  • Added DLC quests “Fool’s Gold” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear”.
  • Organisational changes in the Velen section of the walkthrough to reflect the increased level of Griffin School Gear.
  • Organisational changes throughout the walkthrough to provide a “no skulls” path through the game.
  • Added Death March difficulty tips and commentary throughout the guide.
  • More XP reward numbers included.
  • Walkthrough now includes additional information based on patch changes.
  • Various typo and grammar fixes.
  • Added DLC pages for Blood & Wine, Heart of Stone
  • Lots more quality of life improvements

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