Prison Break

Prison Break is the main quest that opens Act II of The Witcher. Geralt wakes up in the city guard dungeon in Vizima’s Temple Quarter, stripped of his gear and with no clear charge against him. Captain Vincent Meis offers a way out: whoever kills the cockatrice loose in the sewers goes free. There is just one other volunteer, a thug, and the two of them settle who goes first the traditional way, with fists.

Down in the sewers Geralt meets Siegfried, a knight of the Order of the Flaming Rose who had the same idea. You can team up with him or go it alone. After the cockatrice is dead, Salamandra bandits try their luck on the way out, and Siegfried hands over a key to a door leading up to the streets. Back at the dungeon, Vincent takes the cockatrice’s head and has jailer Jethro return your belongings.

The quest has to be finished before the rest of Act II opens up, so there is no skipping the sewer trip.

Walkthrough

  1. Talk to Vincent Meis in the dungeon and volunteer to hunt the cockatrice.
  2. Challenge the thug to a fistfight. If you lose, wait for him to fail and then take your turn.
  3. Jethro releases you and hands you a silver sword. Climb down through the floor grate into the sewers.
  4. Meet Siegfried and decide whether to team up with him or work alone.
  5. Find and kill the cockatrice, including its nest.
  6. Fight off the Salamandra bandits; Siegfried gives you a key to a door out of the sewers.
  7. Once on the streets, head back to the dungeon and give Vincent the cockatrice’s head.
  8. Collect your confiscated gear from the chest in the cellar, then talk to Vincent again for your reward.

Quest Consequences & Choices

  • Team up with Siegfried: you earn the gratitude of the Order of the Flaming Rose, but less XP for the cockatrice (800 XP).
  • Work alone: more XP for the kill (1,000 XP), but Siegfried reports that you refused to cooperate.

Involved characters

Involved monsters

Quest rewards

Quest Type:
Game:
XP: 500–1,500 XP depending on the stage
Loot: Blizzard, Cat
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