There’s plenty to see and do in Velen when you first arrive, but should find the numerous quests in Velen insufficient - and aren’t intimidated by the higher levels to the north - you can try to make your way to Novigrad. The threat of stronger foes isn’t the only thing restricting your passage, however, as the Redanians have set up checkpoints at the Pontar river and have sealed the gates to Oxenfurt. In order to cross the river you’ll need a Transit Pass, and the secondary quest Thou Shalt Not Pass is one way you can get your hands on one.

Quest Objectives¶

Starting Thou Shalt Not Pass¶

You can start this quest two different ways - either try to cross the the Pontar river via the only border crossing left intact at the aptly named Border Post which is north, northwest of the Hanged Man’s Tree, or try to enter Oxenfurt via its western bridge. In both cases you’ll be stopped by a Redanian guard who will tell you that you cannot cross without a Transit Permit. In the case of Oxenfurt the soldier is less corrupt, turning you away without much recourse for actually getting your hands on a pass. The guard at the Border Post, however, can be bribed with 10 Crowns or can be manipulated with the Axii sign to gain information on some black market sellers of Transit Passes. More on this in a bit, but for now, all you really need to do is talk to either of the aforementioned guards to start this quest.

View Full-size

Talk to the guard at the Border Post to start this quest - you’ll also get options to bribe or Axii him.

How to Get a Transit Pass¶

There are multiple ways you can get a transit pass, some easier and cheaper than others. The entire goal of this quest is getting such a pass, and if you end up with a Transit Pass before talking to the guard at the Border Post, just be sure to pick the dialog option “How do I get a pass?”, which will lead to the aforementioned bribery option and Axii option. Once you show the pass to either guard, the quest will end, you’ll get some EXP, and most importantly, access to Novigrad and Oxenfurt.

Asking the guard at the Border Post “How do I get a pass?” is the ideal way to start this quest, as you can use the Axii sign on him to get some EXP, which will also lead to him suggesting that you look around the refugee camp for a black market seller, starting the quest [Fake Papers]. How you actually go about getting a Transit Pass afterwards isn’t all that important - they all complete the quest just as well, but there’s no good reason not to get the EXP for using Axii here.

Buy a Transit Pass on the Black Market¶

Perhaps the easiest way to get a Transit Pass if you want to get across the Pontar quickly. Down the road from the guard at the Border Post (southeast of the notice board) you’ll find a Shady Merchant. This is the main NPC of the quest [Fake Papers], to whom you’ll be referred if you bribe or Axii the guard at the Border Post. You can buy a fake Transit Pass from him for 100 Crowns, use Axii to drop the price to 50 Crowns, or attempt to help his sister’s husband with another quest, [Bitter Harvest], which can get him to lower the price to a mere 25 Crowns. Using Axii and paying 50 Crowns is a nice compromise, considering Bitter Harvest is a chore at lower levels and you’ll get a nice bit of EXP from Axii.

Given the poor grammar and lack of a seal on the fake Transit Pass, you’d think it wouldn’t work, but it does. With such terrible security there are probably more Nilfgaardians north of the Pontar than south of it. Anyways, check out the quest [Fake Papers] for more info on your options.

View Full-size

1

2

(1 of 2) Find a Shady Merchant at the Pontar crossing and he’ll sell you a Transit Pass. Pay him, Axii the cost down, or agree to do a quest for a further discount.

View Full-size

View Full-size

Find a Shady Merchant at the Pontar crossing and he’ll sell you a Transit Pass. Pay him, Axii the cost down, or agree to do a quest for a further discount. (left), If you attempt the quest, “Bitter Harvest”, be wary - failing that quest will also cause the Shady Merchant to retract his offer. (right)

Complete Contract: Woodland Beast¶

Check the notice board near the Border Post and you’ll find notice “Contract: Woodland Beast”, which start a quest with the same name. Talk to the Captain of the Guard standing nearby and he’ll tell you that something lurking in the woods is attacking shipments and has wiped out at least one patrol. Figuring it’s a monster, the Redanians are set to hire a professional to deal with the problem, and the Crowns you’ll get for the task might be a pittance, but the captain offers to throw in a Letter of Safe Conduct - functionally the same thing as a Transit Pass - to sweeten the deal.

Accept and complete the quest (check out the linked page for details) by either killing the Scoia’tael yourself and reporting back to the captain, or letting the Scoia’tael go and telling on them anyways. The former will get you the coin and the Letter of Safe Conduct, but the latter will only get you the letter.

View Full-size

You can also get a Letter of Safe Conduct by completing the contract “Contract: Woodland Beast”.

Advance the Main Questline¶

Perhaps the most time-consuming route, advance the main questline by completing The Nilfgaardian Connection, Bloody Baron, Ciri’s Story: The King of the Wolves and finally Family Matters. During this quest you’ll be given a Letter of Safe Conduct.

In the end it doesn’t really matter how you obtain a Transit Pass, or a Letter of Safe Conduct. You’ll get an EXP reward when you show off your letter to the guard at the Border Post and you won’t be bothered about it again.