Dead Hand of the Past

Dead Hand of the Past is a secondary quest in Act I of The Witcher, set in the Outskirts of Vizima. The merchant Declan Leuvaarden, found at the country inn during the day, explains that a friend of his tried to sneak into Vizima through a cave beside the city walls and never came back. He offers 200 orens to find out what happened.

The answer is grim and slightly digested: the cave is home to echinopsae, and the friend’s remains are inside a sated echinops. Leuvaarden wants them laid to rest in the basement of the Reverend’s chapel, which needs the Reverend’s blessing first. The burial itself brings an unexpected guest, the King of the Wild Hunt, so mind your words.

Walkthrough

Talk to Declan Leuvaarden at the country inn (daytime only).
Enter the cave beside the city walls and kill the echinopsae; a Swallow potion and some poison resistance help.
Take the human remains from the corpse of the sated echinops.
Return to Leuvaarden, who asks you to bury the remains in the Reverend’s chapel basement.
Get the Reverend’s permission (he only agrees once you have dealt with the Eternal Fire shrine part of Of Monsters and Men).
Place the remains in the sarcophagus in the chapel basement and deal with the King of the Wild Hunt.
Return to Leuvaarden for 200 orens; if he has left the inn, collect in Act II.

Quest Consequences & Choices

Talk the King down: answer “There is no destiny”, then “No”, and repeat the phrase he gives you; he leaves peacefully.
Any other answers: you have to fight the specter of Leo. The fight is easy and he drops a red meteorite.
If Leuvaarden has fled the village before paying, the reward waits until you meet him again in Vizima.