Overview
A Matter of Life and Death is a secondary quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and a key part of Triss Merigold‘s story in Novigrad. It begins after the escape from the witch hunters’ outpost in Count Reuven’s Treasure, when Triss asks Geralt to visit her hideout in The Bits. Finish The Soldier Statuette and The Nobleman Statuette first, since they become unavailable for a long time once this starts. It fails if not completed before The Isle of Mists.
A risky offer
Lady Ingrid Vegelbud has offered a large donation toward the mages’ escape, in return for a favor she will not put in writing. Triss suspects a trap, so Geralt meets the servant first. At the fish market, Witcher Senses help pick out the servant by the keys on his belt. On the way to the estate bandits attack, and Triss reveals that one of them works for the witch hunters.
The favor is Lady Vegelbud’s son Albert, whose interest in alchemy has caught the witch hunters’ attention. He needs to disappear, and the plan is to smuggle him out during a masquerade ball. Geralt buys a fox mask for Triss at Elihal’s tailor shop.
The masquerade
At the Vegelbud Residence, Geralt and Triss look for the lady in the parrot mask. Along the way, Triss is rejected by the mage Moritz Diefenthel, and familiar faces can be spotted, including Dijkstra in a pig mask at the buffet.
There is also a gwent tournament with three opponents. Win it for the unique Dandelion card. If you do not beat all of them, the Collect ‘Em All quest can no longer be completed.
In the hedge maze
Lady Vegelbud says Albert is wearing a panther mask, and he tells them to meet in the hedge maze during the fireworks. While they wait, Triss gets tipsy and playful and leads Geralt on a chase through the maze. When he catches her, there is a short timed chance to kiss her. If you want to romance Triss, you must take it.
Albert arrives and swaps masks with Geralt. When Geralt leaves the maze later, witch hunters mistake him for Albert and pick a fistfight, in which Signs are allowed. He meets Triss and Albert at the stables, and they ride off. This leads into Now or Never.