This guide concerns itself with a part of the Prologue in The Witcher 2. It has a map, legend, and walkthrough to aid players in their gaming.
Background
After retelling the whole story to Roche, he will ask you what do you intend to do if you were freed. You can choose either to try and fight him, but in your futile attempt, you’ll just end up dead. The other choice isn’t so grim, which means that you’ll go after the kingslayer and you’ll prove your innocence on the way. Roche will give you the key to your shackles which you can use later on to free yourself.
You’ll get a lead on the kingslayer once you mention the Scoia’tael who helped him (the same ones who waited on the shore with the boat which you spotted during The Prologue Story Part 4, location #10).
Another interesting thing that happens during this conversation is that you’ll recover a fragment of your memory during the pogrom in Rivia, which partially reveals what happened to Geralt and Yennefer. As you progress through the game you’ll recover more memories that will complete the puzzle about Geralt, Yennefer and the Wild Hunt. This spans through the entire game as a main quest Returning Memories.
Your goal in this part of the prologue is to break out of the dungeons and reach the docks from where you’ll travel to your first destination in search for the kingslayer. Smaller golden dots indicate guards, though if they are slightly alerted they will start wandering around, and some of them already have patrol directions.
Walkthrough
There are two ways to break away from the chains, either through provoking guards (one guard is knocked out during a cutscene) or freeing yourself immediately (you’ll have to manually beat up one guard). Either way, a fistfight ensues with the other one. Fistfights are based on QTEs and they aren’t particularly challenging, so freeing yourself should be easy. While you’re at it, loot the cell key from the guard.
Next, you can choose whether you want to fight your way outside or take the stealthy approach. This affects a few dialogue lines with Roche once you’ve escaped the dungeon. He’ll comment on your stealth run or scorn you for turning the place into a slaughterhouse. If you take the stealthy way, then make sure you put down any torches that you find on your way and right-click while standing behind a card to knock them down.
You’ll also notice that all your items that you collected in the Prologue Story will be gone, but don’t worry you’ll reacquire them all at the start of Act I.
Fighting is pretty straightforward, while sneaking around will feel pretty different. Make sure you’re not in the eye sight of the guards (around 180 degrees in front of them), and that you’re not standing in any lighted area (by a torch, or moon light for example). Once you reach the door at #2, there will be a way both right (#4a) and left (#4b).
The way to the right (#4a)
If you decide to go right, there will be two guards in the room (though knocking one down won’t affect the other). So carefully deal with them both, and the other one should have a key that opens the trapdoor at #4a in the small room across #2. Drop down there (#4a) to the lower level and then head to the climbing spot (#5). Once you climb over here, you’ll hear the interrogator torturing a prisoner.
Depending on whether you spared Aryan La Valette during the siege, he might be the prisoner. If you killed him, it will be his mother. Either way, interrogator is trying to persuade them to sign the paper which says that they committed an incestuous act (mother and eldest son), and that the two children (Boussy and Anais) are theirs. Help out the prisoner by defeating the scribe and the executioner and then further plot your escape plan.
- In case you spared Aryan, he’ll tell you that he’s exhausted and that you should clear out all the guards first before moving with him. After doing that, go back, pick him up and move to the secret passage he’d told you about. After reaching the room full of oil (#8), he’ll start and a fire and wish you farewell. Go to the door (#10) to exit to the docks.
- If Aryan is dead, then you’ll find Louisa being raped. After helping her out, Shilard will come in and interrupt the conversation. Louise will tell him to help you out by distracting a few guards, which he will do. Follow Shilard for a while and then hide while he alerts the guards and send them on the wrong track. Your way is clear now and you can head over to the docks at #10.
The way to the left (#4b)
Going left will require you to silence one of the prisoners (#3) who tries to alert the guards, by (repeatedly) left-clicking when the option appears. Once you reach the room where exit #4b is located, a nearby guard should have a key on him which will unlock that door.
Once you walk through the door, and you’ll notice either Aryan overpowering two guards (if you spared at the siege), or Nilfgaardian ambassador Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen pulling some connections and getting Marie Louise out of the prison.
- If Aryan is dead, Mary Louisa will go with the ambassador to the room at #9, where they seem to be chatting about politics. After a while Shilard will help you at Mary Louisa’s request by distracting some guards and freeing you the way to the docks (#10).
- If Aryan is alive, then you’ll see a custscene where he defeats his captors, you’ll have to deal with all the other ones and come back for him. Ferry him to the room full of oil (#8), where he’ll start a fire and you’ll have a goodbye talk, then move to the docks at #10.
Once you’ve escaped
When you escape you’ll be approached by Newboy if you told him that his medallion is cursed and won’t protect him in battle (he wore his armor). He’ll thank you with his life, give you a book About Dragons and offer to distract a pair of guards (#11) nearby to let you escape. Be fast if you want to sneak out, or you’ll have to deal with both the guards and Newboy (if you refused to get Newboy’s talisman back in the war camp, this seems to be the only way to get it if you convinced him to wear his armor – through looting).
If Newboy is dead, you’ll find his corpse nearby (#11) with his talisman on him. Pick it up and keep it for Act I. You’ll have to deal with the guards through sword-fighting.
As soon as you deal with the situation, you can loot the crates around for some crafting ingredients or immediately head out towards Triss and Roche (#12), who are waiting at the nearby boat. This marks the completion of the main quest The Dungeons of the La Valettes, and grants you Strong Back ability (+50 weight capacity) if Aryan was alive and you carried him around. You’ll also receive 1400 experience points. Roche will comment on however you got out (sword-fighting or stealth, setting the castle ablaze or not) and then you’ll set sail to Flotsam, the town that along with its surroundings makes up Act I of the game. Congratulations on passing the prologue!
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