A Matter of Life and Death is a Chapter 2 main quest in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on the Iorveth path, set in Vergen. Once The War Council is over, Philippa Eilhart reveals that Saskia the Dragonslayer, leader of the Aedirnian resistance, has been poisoned. Philippa can brew an antidote, but only if Geralt brings her four very rare ingredients.
The cure calls for a dragon’s dream, an immortelle, a rose of remembrance and royal blood, and each one is its own quest. The dragon’s dream is a magic crystal hidden among the stolen dreams in a harpy nest (Hunting Magic), the immortelle is an underground herb from the rotfiend-infested dwarven mines (Subterranean Life), the rose turns up among the belongings of the kidnapped Triss (Where is Triss Merigold?), and the royal blood has to come straight from a royal source (Royal Blood).
With everything gathered, Philippa gets to work and Saskia pulls through. Geralt then asks for her sword, which he needs as the symbol of hatred to lift the curse from the battlefield, and she hands it over without fuss.
