Dandelion’s Lute

Dandelion’s Lute is a secondary quest in Act III of The Witcher, set in Vizima’s Trade Quarter. Dandelion is due to play a concert at The New Narakort, but his lute has gone missing – and he won’t explain how until Geralt has bought him seven beers. Priorities.

The truth comes out eventually: the bard left it in the bedroom of Rozalind Pankiera, a young lady he was giving “music lessons”, when her father chased him out of the house. Geralt has to get past the angry father, smooth things over with Rozalind and bring the lute home. The reward is a front-row seat at the concert, which is worth far more experience than the errand itself.

Walkthrough

Talk to Dandelion at The New Narakort and buy him seven beers to hear what happened.
Go to the Pankiera house, just around the corner from the inn on the way to the Maribor Gate.
Get past Rozalind’s father at the door by fighting him or bribing him with 50 orens.
Go upstairs and talk to Rozalind, who is locked in her room, then take the lute.
Bring the lute back to Dandelion at The New Narakort.
Return to the inn in the evening for the concert. It starts when you walk in any time after 18:00, not at the eight o’clock Dandelion mentions.

Quest Consequences & Choices

Fight Rozalind’s father or pay him 50 orens – both get you through the door.
Rozalind wants everyone to believe she turned down Dandelion’s proposal. Going along with her story leads to a romantic encounter; calling it implausible upsets her, though you can still win her over. If you speak to her before getting the quest from Dandelion, the romance option is lost.
If you don’t talk to Dandelion at your first meeting, he leaves the inn and only returns after Alvin has been rescued from Salamandra.