Once you’re done with Velen’s storyline, you now need to go pay an old mage friend of yours a visit. Head to the grand city of Novigrad, and visit Triss ands you go on your quest to find Ciri in Novigrad. But, as things are with Geralt, never simple. So, here’s a walkthrough for Witcher 3’s Pyres of Novigrad.

Pyres of Novigrad (Level 10)¶

Now it’s time to deal with some business here in Novigrad. It would be great to explore central Novigrad, but there’s a quest that’ll get in your way if you try, so you might as well deal with this quest, first.

Hierarch Square¶

In this section of town, there’s plenty of noteworthy NPCs, which give quests or sell great items.

Head to Hierarch Square, which is located in the central portion of Novigrad, south of the center of the island. When you arrive you’ll witness a scene showing the Eternal Flame’s fanaticism at its worst. After the fires die down, take some time to explore the plaza, as there’s a Merchant, an Herbalist, and an Armorer to do business with. None of them play Gwent, sadly but the Armorer does sell “Edwin Greloff’s Third Map” and “Heavily Faded Notes by Hieronymous on the Witcher Elgar” , which starts the quests “Scavenger Hunt: Griffin School Gear Upgrade Diagrams - Part 3” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear Upgrade Diagrams - Part 4” .

In the north-eastern corner of the square you can find a notice board. Grab the notice “Contract: Haunted House” to start the quest “Contract: Doors Slamming Shut”, the notice “Contract: Imp” to begin “Contract: An Elusive Thief”, “Fist Fights” to start “Fists of Fury: Novigrad” and “Contact: Monster in the Bits” which would begin the quest “Following the Thread” … which you already began in a somewhat less official fashion. Of these quests, the only one near your level is “Contract: An Elusive Thief” , which you’ll get to, eventually.

Along the south-western part of the square you’ll find the dwarf Vimme Vivaldi, who can convert all those Orens and Florens you’ve been finding into Crowns. He also plays Gwent, and will do with with an unusual Scoia’tael deck… unusual in that he doesn’t play too many cards with the “Muster” ability. Instead, he relies on arbitraily using “Decoy” Cards, and the “Dandelion” card, which has the same effect as as “Commander’s Horn” Card. Beating him starts the quest “Gwent: Big City Players” . It’ll also reward you with the “Vesemir” Card, which… isn’t great, but it’s a step up from some other neutral cards like “Zoltan Chivay” and “Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff”. Hopefully that whet your appetite for Gwent, as there’s a good bit of it coming up, but for now, Triss calls.

Pyres of Novigrad Walkthrough¶

When you’re done in Heirarch Square, head through some double doors south of the market and head up some stairs to spot a group of thugs rummaging through Triss’ belongings. Approach them and either question them by picking the option “Let’s talk” or provoke a fist fight by picking the option “Get lost”. They both lead to the same dialogue chain, except with the latter option you’ll have to beat the thugs into submission, first. Either way, get the information you want out of the two, after which some members of the Eternal Fire shows up, led by one pleasant fellow named Menge. You’re deprived of the Thug’s company and Menge will make some threats before leaving you to your own devices.

Seems like you’ll need to be on the look out for beggars and thieves, as they may lead you to where Triss is hiding. Before you bother worrying yourself about that, however, loot the vandalized containers outside Triss’ house, note the crude graffiti outside, then head inside and loot. Activate your Witcher Senses and spot some herbs on the floor, then investigate a brush on the table. Head upstairs and loot some more, then search some amulets on a table. Climb another set of stairs where even more loot awaits your looting pleasure. Investigate some clothes on the floor, then grab the Rose of Remembrance from the bedside table - a gift Geralt gave Triss in The Witcher 2. All this really does is confirm that this was, in fact, Triss’ abode.

Leave Triss’ house and return to Heirarch Square, where Geralt will spot some thieves plying their trade. Wait around near one of the search areas for another thief to show up and perform some skulduggery (your Witcher Senses won’t help you here, you’ll need to keep an eye out for this on your own) then follow them, keeping a healthy distance.

Pyres of Novigrad: Best Choice?¶

Follow the thief through a door and you’ll be pestered by a beggar. Either pay him (twenty Crowns), ask for the King of Beggars, or tell him to piss off, follow the thief east, then drop down a ledge. Continue east through some double doors, then travel downhill to the south. After witnessing an exchange, follow the new target west along the canal, then south across a bridge and under an arch. Finally the stolen coin will be dropped off at its destination. Wait for the thief to depart, then head up to the door and knock on it. When the doorman arrives you’ll have to either bribe him (fifty Crowns) or use the Axii Sign on him to get him…

…or, instead of all that, find a Beggar on an elevated platform west of the double doors that led to Triss’ abode and chat him up. Avoid the obvious, heavy-handed question and instead keep picking the top dialogue option and he’ll eventually tell you where to go. There are other beggars you can go to, but this one is nearby and doesn’t charge you a single Crown. Score. You won’t even have to bother with the doorman, either, since you’ll learn the password. What a helpful beggar!

Honestly, there is no best choice here really, other than the ones you don’t lose money on! It’s matter of finding the beggar who wont charge you, or mind controlling the right one if you have the right stat for it. So, go with whatever its the most easiest to come by for your build and game experience.

Putrid Square¶

Before you go looking for Triss, head into a shop to the north, where you’ll find a Merchant. He’ll sell some Zerrikanian Saddlebags, which will improve your maximum carry weight by one hundred - a very welcome upgrade for pack rats out there. He will also buy almost anything you could wish to sell, which is nice, even if his prices tend to suck.

Most importantly, however, he plays Gwent, fielding a pretty tenacious Monster deck, complete with plenty of cards with the “Muster” ability and the odd “Commander’s Horn” and “Scorch” cards. You can try to provoke him into wasting most of his strength on a hand or two - once “Muster” cards are spent, the Monster deck has real trouble keeping up it’s strength - and this is one of the rare instances where a “Biting Frost” card may come in handy. Just be wary, as he’s not above snatching your “Spy” cards with “Decoy” cards of his own, although this form of attrition rarely serves Monster decks as well as it does a Northern Kingdoms deck. You also need to be wary of his “Eredin, Commander of the Red Riders” card, as he’ll undoubtedly use it to inflict the “Commander’s Horn” effect at some point.

Once you’ve beaten him and added another card to your collection, leave the shop and head east, then go through a door to find Triss and this “King of Beggars”. Listen to him babble, then he’ll give Triss and Geralt some alone time, which Triss decides to squander by taking Geralt on a job. Follow her west and leave the Putrid Grove, then you’ll chat with Triss some more, after which you’ll need to follow her to a store.

Witcher 3 Pyres of Novigrad Secret Passage¶

She’ll talk to the shopkeeper named Kluhg, who was apparently less than diligent about delivering some supplies for Triss. Regardless of how you respond, you’ll end up agreeing to go fetch the discarded contraband yourself. Loot the house, open a trap door, then climb down a ladder to reach the sewers under the shop, where you’ll have to dispatch a Drowner (level ten). After it’s dead loot a chest behind the ladder, as well as two chests in the south-western corner of the chamber to the north. There’s other containers to search, but those two chests have the best stuff inside.

Once that’s done, search the eastern side of the brick pillar with your Witcher Senses to find a button. Press it to open a secret passage to the north. Head outside and into a canal, which you should follow west. Triss will babble, and you’ll get a cutscene as you cross under a bridge. Head into the lovely (and totally not sewage-filled!) waters of the canal and swim west with your Witcher Senses active, scanning the ground for our misplaced package. Loot two chests along the way, then find the Leather Sack near a sunken boat next to a bridge.

Rounding off the Quest¶

Return to Triss and hand her the package, then follow her to her destination, bantering along the way. Meet with the merchant to discover Triss’s unflattering new job (and her desperation for work), then head inside the granary. After Triss tells you what to do, head east from the entrance until you reach the eastern wall of the granary and, with your Witcher Senses active, find the spoReturn to Triss and hand her the package, then follow her to her destination, bantering along the way. Meet with the merchant to discover Triss’ unflattering new job (and her desperation for work), then head inside the granary. After Triss tells you what to do, head east from the entrance until you reach the eastern wall of the granary and, with your Witcher Senses active, find the spot to place the first trap. Head down some stairs to the north and continue north to reach another wall, where the second trap can be placed. Finally, head west (up then down some stairs) to find the third spot to place a trap on some wooden planks. Return to the entrance and Triss will work her magic, which gets rid of the rodents.t to place the first trap. Head down some stairs to the north and continue north to reach another wall, where the second trap can be placed. Finally, head west, up then down some stairs, to find the third spot to place a trap on some wooden planks. Return to the entrance and Triss will work her magic, which gets rid of the rodents.

After a bit of chatter, the merchant will show up again with some Eternal Fire goons in tow. Apparently he decided he could hire Triss, then rat her out and avoid paying for her work. Kill the three Witch Hunters (level ten) then head outside to confront the false merchant. Geralt extracts some justice out of him, and Triss will suggest that a local “oneiromancer” might help Geralt find Ciri. This ends “Pyres of Novigrad” and begins “Novigrad Dreaming” , but before you continue with the main story, considering a rather lengthy Gwent diversion. That’s right, it’s time to start “The Great Gwent Diversion”!