Lilac and Gooseberries is technically the first main quest of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt if you ignore the tutorial section.
This is where you and Vesemir head out to locate Yennefer in hopes of knowing the whereabouts of Ciri. This is also where you are free to explore the open world as you please.
The following guide will walk you through the Lilac and Gooseberries quest nonetheless.
How to start the quest
The quest begins automatically after you finish your tutorial section. Geralt was dreaming of his time in Kaer Morhen. When he wakes up, Lilac and Gooseberries will begin.
You and Vesemir will engage in conversation around a campfire. You will have a few dialogue choices to make here but they will not make a difference.
Lilac and Gooseberries walkthrough
Now Geralt and Vesemir ride their horses to continue the journey but some Ghouls appear out of nowhere. You can fight these Ghouls by using the silver sword. You can use Aard and Igni to stupefy the Ghouls. After defeating the Ghouls, get rid of the Necrophages. Now you are free to continue your journey.
Don’t forget to acquire the Crystalized Raven Skull before you leave the campfire site. It is a Quest Item hidden behind the bushes. You can find it by using your Witcher Senses. However, if you fail to acquire it you can return to pick it up before fighting the Griffin.
Keep in mind that you can also explore the open region instead of just completing the quest. There are many side quests and contracts here. The plants of this region are also useful for Alchemy.
Follow Vesemir
After riding for some time a cutscene is presented in which a Griffin beast is beating up a merchant. A fight breaks out in which Vesemir is injured and a horse is dead. After the Griffin flies away, the merchant appears again.
The Merchant will now offer you 50 crowns to thank you. You can accept this reward. If you choose to refuse, you will get free food and a discount at the White Orchard Inn. The merchant will point towards the White Orchard Inn when he is asked about Yennefer’s location.
Now mount your horse again and follow Vesemir towards the inn. After entering the inn, you can talk to the owner. The owner is of little help as she will just tell you to interrogate other people. Vesemir will now take care of his wound and you will ask the travelers about Yennefer.
Ask travelers about Yennefer
To inquire the travelers about Yennefer, you will be able to visit three tables and converse with them. It is not necessary to talk to all three of them. To complete the quest, you only need to speak to one. However, it is suggested that you take part in all three conversations as they are quite interesting and you can also earn experience points.
- Gaunter O’Dimm: He is the only person you need to talk to if you are looking to just complete the quest. He’s bald and he will be near the entrance. When Geralt describes Yennefer, he recognizes her. He will ask you a few questions. In the end, he will point you toward the Nilfgaardian Garrison and tell you that she was conversing with a captain.
He will also propose refreshments for Geralt. If you allow him to do so, you will get “Nilfgaardian Lemon” which is an alchemy ingredient. - Peasants: You can also talk to two peasants. They will refuse to converse with you but if you choose the Axii option, they will have no choice but to talk. Doing this will earn you 25 XP.
- A Scholar: You can also talk to a scholar named Aldert Geert. He won’t know much about Yennefer but has something else to offer. He will teach you a new game and present his view point on various topics. To start the secondary quest “Collect ‘Em All” you will need to talk to him.
Go to the Nilfgaardian Garrison
When you get out of the inn three men will try to attack you. You can say one of three things:
- “Three Against One? My, You’re Brave.” Upon this response, only one person will join the fight first. After he is defeated the other two will join.
- “I Won’t Stay Long.” Geralt will try to de-escalate the situation but he will still be attacked.
- “Back Off.” With this response, you can get 25 XP points by using the Axii option to disable one enemy. Then you will have to fight the rest two.
Whatever response you choose, the fistfight will happen regardless. Here, you can earn the Fist of the South Star achievement which requires victory in a fistfight. But, we suggest you save it for later because the upcoming fight will be easier.
Speak with the Nilfgaardian Captain
The bald man at the inn pointed you towards a Garrison. Go north and enter the garrison guarded by two guards. Now you will encounter Captain Peter Saar Gwynleve on the west side of the garrison.
When you are going towards the garrison along the river, there will be a secondary quest present called “A Frying Pan, Spick and Span”.
Now you will talk to the captain and he will ask you to make a deal. In exchange for information on Yennefer, you will have to get rid of a Griffin that has been bothering the people of his area.
You have to agree to the captain’s arrangement. If you do so, he will advise you to interrogate Mislav. He will also suggest you ask a herbalist, Tomira, to help you.
Now, the quest “Lilac and Gooseberries” will pause. Your new objective will be to complete your contract regarding the Griffin and a new quest “The Beast of White Orchard” will start.
Get out of White Orchard
You will complete “The Beast of White Orchard” quest and go back to be reunited with Vesemir. Make certain that all your secondary quests are already done at this point.
While talking to Vesemir, you will see that the inn is filled with angry people looking for a fight. A minor main quest called “The Incident at White Orchard” will also be initiated if Geralt kills the angry people in the inn.
The fight will scare off the people and they will demand that the witchers leave. When they exit the White Orchard Inn, they will meet a Nilfgaardian army led by Yennefer. Yennefer will ask Geralt to accompany her to Vizima because the ruler wants to meet him. Geralt goes with Yennefer and Vesemir does not go with them. Instead, he heads off to Kaer Morhen.
A cutscene will appear showing Yennefer and Geralt being struck. Yennefer will also wreck an overpass so the Wild Hunt cannot reach them. The quest will end here.
