The Beast of the Sewers

The Beast of the Sewers is a monster-hunting quest from Act II of The Witcher, and it kicks off in the least glamorous way possible: with Geralt behind bars. After Mikul hands him over to the City Guard at the gates of Vizima, Captain Vincent Meis offers him a way out of the Temple Quarter prison – kill the cockatrice lurking in the sewers below and bring back proof.

The job ties straight into Geralt’s escape from jail. Down in the sewers he meets Siegfried of Denesle, a knight of the Order of the Flaming Rose, who offers to team up. The beast itself is a greater cockatrice, and Igni does a fine job of ruining its day.

Walkthrough

In the prison, win the fistfight against the Muscleman, a fellow prisoner, to settle who goes after the cockatrice first.
Head down into the sewers beneath the Temple Quarter.
Meet Siegfried of Denesle and decide whether to accept his offer to fight together or go alone.
Approach the marked Cockatrice Lair to trigger the fight, then kill the greater cockatrice.
Loot the remains for the cockatrice head (the trophy) and the Maal’kad sephirot.
Bring the head back to Vincent Meis to collect the reward.

Quest Consequences & Choices

Accepting or refusing Siegfried’s help has an effect later in Act II.
If the quest is still open when Act II ends, Vincent no longer has the coffer key – you claim the reward from the Royal Huntsman instead.