Gold Rush

Gold Rush is a main quest in Act III of The Witcher, set in Vizima’s Trade Quarter. Once Geralt has finished A Posh Reception and either Six Feet Under or Echoes of Yesterday, a breathless boy runs up to him with news that Vivaldi’s bank is being robbed. Outside, Velerad explains the mess: the Scoia’tael have taken over the bank and are holding hostages, Siegfried of the Order among them.

This is where Act III stops letting Geralt sit on the fence. How he gets inside depends on whether he is on better terms with the elves or with the Order, and down in the bank’s basement he finally has to pick a side: help Yaevinn’s commando escape or storm it alongside Siegfried. The faction he rejects will not work with him again, and the choice also sets up which side he brings into The Unforgiven.

Walkthrough

After the boy’s warning, go to the bank in the Trade Quarter and talk to Velerad and the city guards.
Choose your way in. Friendly with the Scoia’tael: walk in directly and free Siegfried, or ask for another way and go through the warehouse (fleders inside). Friendly with the Order: wait for Siegfried and go in through the back of the town hall, or go alone via the warehouse.
Fight through to the bank’s back rooms and basement.
Decide whether to negotiate with Yaevinn’s Scoia’tael or attack them.
Scoia’tael route: accept Yaevinn’s offer, then clear the kikimores blocking their escape in the sewers.
Order route: attack with Siegfried, chase Yaevinn into the sewers and cut down the elves there (Yaevinn himself escapes), then report to Velerad outside the bank.

Quest Consequences & Choices

Side with the Scoia’tael: Yaevinn’s group gets away with your help and Yaevinn rewards you. If you decline his invitation once in the basement, the fight plays out as the Order route instead.
Side with the Order: you and Siegfried break the robbery and Velerad rewards you.
Attacking any Scoia’tael on the way in (for example while freeing Siegfried) closes off the Scoia’tael option.
The faction you turn down stops working with you, and your pick decides who you can call on in The Unforgiven. Both routes give the same experience.