Contract: Patrol Gone Missing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Quest
Suggested level: 7
Group: Witcher Contracts
Location: Velen
You can start this quest by reading the "Notice about missing soldiers" notice posted on the Nilfgaardian Camp Notice Board or by talking directly to Quartermaster Eggebracht.
Those who stray off the beaten tracks in the bogs of Velen rarely live to amend their error. Even the Nilfgaardian soldiers stationed at the Army Group 'Center' camp would at times disappear in the marshes without a trace. After yet another patrol failed to return, the quartermaster of the camp posted a call for some brave soul to search them out and bring them back, or, barring that, at least determine their fate.
Related points of interest
Nilfgaardian Camp Notice Board
Velen / Novigrad
Quartermaster Eggebracht
Velen / Novigrad
Abandoned Camp
Velen / Novigrad
Wyvern
Velen / Novigrad
Cave Entrance
Velen / Novigrad
Quest stages of Contract: Patrol Gone Missing
1. Talk to the contract issuer.
The Quartermaster Eggebracht will want you to find out what happened to the patrol he sent for reconnaissance. He'll tell you about the camp where you should start your search.
2. Go to the abandoned camp. / Search the area using your Witcher Senses.
Go to the Abandoned Camp. You'll find many footprints there.
Follow the footprints into the forest until you come across a Wyvern.
From footprint to muddled footprint, from one broken branch to another, Geralt retraced what had happened in the woods outside the Nilfgaardian camp. Oblivious to the danger, the Nilfgaardian soldiers had strayed into a wyvern's hunting grounds. Their thick plate did not stop the ferocious beast from tearing them to shreds.
3. Kill the draconid. / Take a trophy.
Kill the beast and take the trophy.
Wyvern trophy
5% Bonus experience from monsters
4. Return to the Nilfgaardian camp.
At this point you can go back to the quartermaster and tell him what you found out. Then you will receive 50 crowns from him and this quest will end.
Note: Completing this quest in this way will cause that during the "Blood Ties" quest, if you haven't asked him yet, the quartermaster will tell you everything he knows about the woman's son, as a token of gratitude for helping him.
Geralt passed the sad news on to the quartermaster and collected his bounty. The Nilfgaardians' love for order and organization might not make them very good lovers, but it does make them excellent paymasters.
Once you've killed the wyvern, you can also investigate further. To do so, follow the blood trail until you reach the Cave Entrance.
Step into the cave and examine the corpse you find at its end.
Further investigation revealed this already rather gloomy story had an even gloomier twist. They fallen Nilfgaardians had not been wandering the Velen woods on a run-of-the-mill patrol - they had gone there to kill Redanian prisoners of war and hide their bodies. What they did not realize was that the monsters of the swamp could sense the stench of rotting corpses even through thick layers of soil - and never pass up the chance to feed on the dead.
Now, when you go back to the quartermaster and tell him that you've discovered the real assignment of his soldiers, he'll be unhappy about it. You will be given the choice of whether or not to accept payment from him.
If you accept the payment, you will receive 50 crowns and some XP.
The Nilfgaardian quartermaster brushed off Geralt's accusations of war crimes with a shrug of his shoulders. The witcher was disgusted by this response, but felt outbursts of indignation would not do much to change the course of the conflict, whereas a purse of gold would do a great deal to change his material circumstances. He thus took his pay and marched straight out of camp.
If you refuse, you will receive more XP.
The Nilfgaardian quartermaster brushed off Geralt's accusations of war crimes with a shrug of his shoulders. Though the witcher had most certainly earned his pay and needed the coin, he refused to accept the quartermaster's gold. Even a hired monster slayer has his principles.