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Overview

Background

You'll trigger this quest when you return to the Rosemary and Thyme in Novigrad (#1) after completing the quest A Poet Under Pressure.


Walkthrough

When you reach the inn, you'll meet Zoltan out front. He'll be talking to his "friends," but then the conversation will shift to gwent, and he'll tell you that he's trying to make some money by dealing sets of cards. However, he'll inform you that he's missing three cards that he needs -- Fringilla Vigo, Isengrim Faoiltiarna, and John Natalis -- and that you can probably get them from Zed at his shop in the southern part of the city.

At Zed's shop (#2), the front door will be locked, and nobody will answer when you knock. To get inside, you'll need to climb the ladders attached to the building to the east, and then jump over to Zed's building.

Inside the shop, you'll find Zed dead and two bandits rummaging through his things. As you approach the bandits, you'll hear them talking about Zed, and they'll mention that he has a ledger hidden somewhere. They'll also mention that they're working for Duke. But then they'll notice you and attack. After the battle, you'll find the Key to Zed's Pawnshop (which will allow you to use the front door) and the unique card Isengrim Faoiltiarna (Close Combat 10, Morale Boost) on one of the corpses.

As for Zed's Ledger of Income and Outlays, you'll find it under the staircase. To get to it, you'll need to break a few boards using the Aard sign or your weapon. The ledger will show that Zed sold the other two cards to Ravik and Caesar Bilzen. When you show the ledger to Zoltan (#1), he'll ask you to collect the remaining cards, and he'll head over to Caesar's house so the two of you can talk to Caesar together.

This will give you two places to go:

• The Golden Sturgeon (#3). You'll find Ravik in the basement with some of Duke's thugs. They'll be playing gwent, although Ravik won't be enjoying it much. The thugs will make you a wager. If you can beat them in gwent, then you'll win the unique card John Natalis (Close Combat 10) and also Ravik's life. No matter what you say, you'll have to fight the thugs, but if you beat them in gwent first then Ravik will survive. Otherwise he'll die. As for the card, you'll either win it or find it on Ravik's corpse.
  
  
• Caesar's house (#4). You'll meet Zoltan out front, and he'll describe his plan. He'll tell you that he plans to get Caesar drunk on Mahakaman wine, which will allow you to sneak upstairs and search his "cabinet of curiosities." No matter when you say during the ensuing conversation, Zoltan's plan will work and you'll be given the run of the house.
  
  To find the cabinet, you'll need to head upstairs and turn on your witcher senses. On a cabinet you'll notice a knife. When you turn it, a drawer will open, revealing a Triangular Key. Then in a bookcase, you'll notice a triangular hole in the wall. When you interact with it while holding the key, another bookcase will slide over, revealing a staircase to the third floor.
  
  On the third floor, you'll find Caesar's curiosities, including the unique card Fringilla Vigo (Ranged 6) and a Jade Figurine. You'll need the figurine for the quest The Soldier Statuette.
  
  Back downstairs, when you tell Zoltan that it's time to go, some of Cleaver's men will show up to talk to Caesar about certain discrepancies in the books. You can stay and help Caesar or not, and it won't make any difference to the quest.

Zoltan will then lead you to the meeting place where he plans to sell the cards (#5), but when you get there you'll find the buyer dead and Duke waiting for you. Duke will then sic his men on you and leave with the money. Zoltan will volunteer to deal with the men, which will leave you in position to chase Duke.

Duke will run up into the guard towers and then down into the sewers. He'll only move as fast as you though, so you can take your time and help Zoltan with the fighting and loot every container you pass by. In the sewers, you'll have to knock down a weak wall and kill some drowners. Then when you finally catch up to Duke, he'll be wounded from fighting his own drowners, and you'll have to decide what to do about him. You can either kill him right away, or you can let him die from his wounds.

After dealing with Duke, you'll automatically return to Zoltan, and you'll have to make another decision. You can either accept the money from the deal -- which will net you 150 crowns and 80 xp -- or you can keep the three cards.

Note: Unverified by us, but supposedly if you miss the three cards from this quest, either by failing the quest or by taking the money at the end, then you'll still be able to pick up the cards later during the quest The Great Escape.


1 - Rosemary and Thyme


2 - Zed's Shop


3 - Ravik's House


4 - Caesar's House


5 - Meeting Place