You can start this quest in the location Black Pit, which is in Velen. The quest will become available to all players as soon as they first arrive in this region. We do not recommend undertaking it if your hero's level is below 15. This is due to the increased difficulty of the boss. Ordinary enemies may not pose a danger at a low level of development.
Moreover, as a reward for completing the quest, you will receive a blueprint for armor that will only be available from level 20. Therefore, if you have started a new game, there is no point in rushing to complete this quest.
From the Hanging Tree, follow the road south, then at the fork, turn left. The bandit camp is located between the village of Yarvick and the village of Debris. On the map, you will see a question mark. By the way, this area was accessible before, but there were no additional quests here.
Once you reach this area, next to the entrance to the camp, you will see a large wagon. Here is also where the Eternal Fire Priest is located. Talk to him to take the quest. The guy will tell you about a sealed mine that a group of deserters is trying to open.
You can also bargain with the deacon before taking on the task. After the dialogue, he will hand Geralt the key to the mine gates.
Descend the path and open the gates. There will be several enemies here. You can kill them and inspect the area to find useful items and resources. All enemies are level nine — if you are at the same level or higher, you will not experience difficulties during the battle.
Once the bandits are dealt with, find the wooden gates leading into the mine. The white inscription above them will be your landmark. When you use the deacon's key, the quest will update.
Move forward and turn right down the stairs. On the table lies Reynald's Note. Descend and read the note on the gates — First Letter from Reynald.
After a short cutscene, move a bit forward and examine the School of the Wolf sign on the wooden wall. To the right on the floor is a blood trail.
Geralt will say that a magic lamp would come in handy here. Open the inventory and equip the gear.
With its help, examine the shadows in the room and the bones in the back room. Don't forget to use your Witcher senses to find useful items. Reaching a fork, you will hear a mysterious voice ordering you to turn into the gallery on the right. But you should not follow there. Instead, turn left and run following the Witcher senses. School of the Wolf drawings can also be examined.
If you go further to the left, you can find the Third Letter from Reynald and a Greater Glyph of Aard.
A little to the left, there is a climb that will lead to a chest. Inside are several useful items:
Continue exploring the mine and examine the remains next to the brick wall. The wall itself can be broken using the Aard sign.
Descend and run past another infected. If you interact with it, you'll see a cutscene. In the room to the right, there are two clues — examine them.
Reach the cages and examine the bones. Before entering this room, you can find dried blood.
Follow the passage to the left and climb up to the purple glow. Pick up the Greater Glyph of Aard, then approach the descent. Below is a locked door, behind which you can find resources. Use the Aard sign to break it open.
Climb up. On the table in this room, find The Will of the Forgotten Priest. Exit through the door to the left of the table and cross the broken bridge.
Right after it, another School of the Wolf mark, and in the dead end — Reynald's Fourth Letter.
Enter the mine shaft on the right and jump down. Once descended, you will land in an improvised arena with the infected. These level 14 enemies may pose a danger to low-level players. Once you defeat the plague victims, inspect the room with the blocked passage. You can get here by climbing the wall on the right. Here, take Reynald's Second Letter.
In this letter, he mentions a potion that would have helped him get rid of the spirit. However, the priests locked him in the cave, and he didn't have the necessary ingredients. The required recipe is listed here:
Open the Alchemy section and craft the elixir. If you lack the necessary ingredients, you can return to complete the task later. Dwarven Spirit can be found in various chests in the cave.
Return to the fork where you could hear the mysterious voice and enter the mine shaft he was talking about.
In the room with barrels, where previously there was one non-aggressive infected, several enemies will appear. Deal with them and reach the massive gates, on which another note is affixed Reynald's Fifth Letter.
Before starting the fight, we recommend preparing. You will face two enemies consecutively: the first will be possessed Reynald, who is well-equipped and also uses Witcher signs. The second — The Red Plague — a spirit that has taken over the body of a Witcher.
As you explored the mine, you might have found Greater Glyphs of Aard, which can be used on equipment. Prepare the necessary potions and use the Aard sign on the salt stalagmites. If you found the elixir recipe and also crafted it, a cutscene will begin.
In conversation with the witcher Reynald, choose the options:
One of the five letters from Reynald mentions that the ghost can be easily extracted from the body using the Yrden sign. Attacking the dead witcher with a weapon doesn't make much sense, but damage from the sword will also be counted. Activate Yrden, and when the enemy is within its area of effect, use Aard. After a few attacks, the second opponent will appear.
Defeating The Red Plague is a bit more difficult: it deals significant damage and can summon three infected at different stages of the fight. To quickly deal with it, we recommend actively using Quen and Yrden, especially if you've used runestones found in the cave. Yrden will also deal damage to infected enemies.
Try to dodge more often and avoid executing series of strikes, as there's a chance to miss an enemy attack and lose some of the hero's health.
When The Red Plague is defeated, watch the lengthy cutscene in which you will decide the fate of a young deacon of the Eternal Fire. Reynald's unrested soul will ask to bring a priest for a conversation. Agree:
When the deceased witcher starts accusing the deacon, three options will be given:
Be sure to choose the additional option I found the body of the priest who sacrificed himself beforehand.
If in the previous decision you chose Not all priests are scoundrels, now respond with Priest, you don't need the Church to do good. This will lead to the good ending. In any other case, your choice will not affect the subsequent events, and Reynald will kill the deacon.
As a reward, you will receive:
The armor can be crafted after you visit the library in Kaer Morhen. The creation of the set will unlock at level 20 of the hero's development.