Subterranean Life – Witcher 2 Quest

This guide helps players with a specific quest of chapter 2 in The Witcher 2 for Iorveth’s side. It has a map, legend, and walkthrough to show you exactly how to complete the quest.

Map Legend

1 – Philippa Eilhart
2 – Zoltan Chivay
3 – Earso
4 – Cecil Burdon
5 – Upper Shaft Key and door
6 – Middle Shaft Key and door
7 – Lower Shaft Key and door
8 – Rotfiend tunnel
9 – Bullvore and dwarven immortelle
10 – Balin’s body, warehouse key
11 – Warehouse

Background

After Saskia got poisoned during the meeting in The War Council, Philippa (#1) tasks you to find the necessary ingredients to cure her. One of these is a rare plant called Immortelle, found only deep within the dwarven tunnels beneath Vergen.

Walkthrough

To proceed with the quest, talk to Zoltan who can be found in the inn (#2). He’ll be there with his friends, Sheldon, Yarpen and Cecil, and Dandelion will join in after he finishes with the lute. You’ll be dragged into a classic binge with your old mates and make sure to enjoy this conversation as it is one of the most hilarious ones in the game. You can ask them about the immortelle plant, about the standard for another quest (Death Symbolized) and what’s their motivation to fight for Saskia.

You’ll also learn that Vergen’s mine is closed due to uncanny beast activity in it. It seems like the best idea to pick up the boys and go investigate it and clean it up a bit, while collecting immortelle. Before you head onto the next step, make sure to stack up on three grapeshot bombs (check Earso at #3) as you’ll need them for another quest which takes place in the mines (Hey, Work’s On In the Mines). After you made/bought those, head over to Cecil at #4.

Sheldon will open the shaft and you’re ready to head down. You’ll also receive a side quest called Hey, Work’s on in the Mines!, which takes place in the mines as well. The area’s divided into three parts, separated by locked doors. Each area contains a key to the door which opens the next area. During your investigation you’ll also find a key for the warehouse located at #11.

Anyway, your first goal should be to get to the place marked with #5a. On the corpse there, you’ll loot Upper Shaft Key, and Balin’s journal, the first page, along with his first map. The journal adds to the depth of the lore behind the quest, as it explains what has happened in the mine. You’ll also find one of the tunnels you’ll need to collapse for the other quest.

The key which you found opens the door at #5b. After some further exploring, you’ll find another body at #6a, with a Middle Shaft Key, more pages of Balin’s journal, and his second map. There will be even more rotfiends on the way. In the next nook at #8 you’ll find another rotfiend tunnel.

Further exploration reveals another body at #7a, which has Lower Shaft Key, third part of Balin’s journal and his final map. The key which you just looted opens the door at #7b.

As you approach #9, Geralt will call for the dwarves as you’re about to face a bullvore and several rotfiends. Use your Yrden properly to trap bullvore and then slash him. Rotfiends should be busy with the boys. After you defeat everything, grab immortelle from the nearby bushes, collapse the tunnel at the end of the place and prepare to head back. Looting immortelle completes the quest and gives you 1000 experience points. You could also visit warehouse (#11) along the way, if you already got the key from #10.

The tunnel that leads towards #10 has a lot of traps (around 17 to be exact). It was Balin’s last attempt to survive, as you can read on the last journal of his page, the fourth part. You’ll also find warehouse key (for the door at #11) and rotten meat (it’s an item that attracts nekkers and trolls).

The warehouse (#11) has a few grapeshot bombs to be looted, along with an excellent steel sword, Robust Sword of Dol Blathanna (28-34 damage, +8% poison, 1 rune slot). Also, a whole bunch of sacks with iron ore are stored in there.

Once you exit the tunnels at #4, boy’s will say that it’s been fun and they’ll head their ways towards the tavern.