Contract: The Apiarian Phantom Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Quest
Suggested level: 14
Group: Witcher Contracts
Location: Novigrad
This quest can be started in various ways. You can read "The Apiarian Phantom" contract pinned on the Yantra Notice Board, find and talk to Holofernus Meiersdorf in Honeyfill Meadworks or find the Apiarian Phantom Tracks.
While traversing the outskirts of Novigrad, Geralt happened across a contract on a creature known as the Apiarian Phantom. It had been hung by a certain Holofernes Meiersdorf, owner of the Honeyfill beekeeping plantation. Geralt decided to pursue the bounty.
...or, if you received this quest after talking to Holofernus Meiersdorf:
While traversing the outskirts of Novigrad, Geralt came across a beekeeping plantation called Honeyfill tucked amidst some flowering meadows and fields. The owner of these lands, a halfling named Holofernes Meiersdorf, told Geralt that his apiary had been haunted for some time by the Apiarian Phantom, a wraith which kills the bees and destroys the hives of wayward beekeepers. Geralt decided to look into the matter.
...or, if you found the Apiarian Phantom Tracks:
While traversing the outskirts of Novigrad, Geralt came cross tracks which did not resemble those of any creature he knew from his world. His witcher instincts buzzing, he decided to investigate what had left them.
Related points of interest
Yantra Notice Board
Velen / Novigrad
Holofernus Meiersdorf
Velen / Novigrad
Apiarian Phantom Tracks
Velen / Novigrad
Apiarian Phantom
Velen / Novigrad
Quest stages of Contract: The Apiarian Phantom
1. Ask Holofernes Meiersdorf about the contract on the Apiarian Phantom.
Go to the Honeyfill Meadworks apiary and talk to Holofernus Meiersdorf. You can haggle with him - 246+ crowns.
2. Follow the halfling. / Examine the area in search of clues using your Witcher Senses.
Follow the halflings and they will lead you to a hive covered in frost. Examine the ground near the hive, and you'll find the tracks of the monster.
3. Follow the footprints using your Witcher Senses. / Search the area around the lake using your Witcher Senses.
Follow the tracks until you reach the pond and lose the trail. Walk a little further along the shore, kill the drowners that will attack you and find more tracks.
Keep following the trail until you reach the unfinished house and the hole that leads to its basement. The entrance hole is too small for you and you will have to look for another way to get inside.
4. Open the basement.
Go to the other side of the house, where you'll find the entrance to the basement. Once you try to open it, you will find that it is locked. Luckily, one of the halflings will come up and tell you that this is the house they had to discontinue building due to lack of funds and give you the key to open the basement.
Geralt's investigation revealed the monster was hiding in the basement of an unfinished home near the Meiersdorf estate. What Geralt had to do was clear: enter the basement and kill the beast.
5. Defeat the hound of the Wild Hunt. / Take a trophy from the hound of the Wild Hunt.
Open the door and go inside where you will find the monster you are looking for - Apiarian Phantom, which will turn out to be a Wild Hunt hound.
When you get a little closer to him, he'll run out through the door you entered and start escaping. Go after him, Geralt will automatically call the horse, so jump on it and follow the hound. He'll eventually stop in the fields near the mill and you will be able to fight it. Kill it and loot the Wild Hunt hound trophy (5% Chance to find additional herbs).
6. (Optional) Ask Holofernes Meiersdorf about the contract on the Apiarian Phantom. / Talk to Holofernes Meiersdorf about the hound of the Wild Hunt. / Collect your reward from Holofernes Meiersdorf.
Go back to the dwarfs who will be waiting near the Honeyfill Meadworks signpost and tell them what their phantom really was. If you managed to kill the hound, then you will get 249 crowns (not the money you agreed to - bug?).
Once Geralt had forced his way in, he was greeted to an unexpected sight: the house's interior was completely frozen, and standing amidst the frost - a giant and terrifying creature Geralt knew to be one of the Wild Hunt's hounds. The beast put up quite the fight, but in the end Geralt proved stronger and bested his opponent. When he showed the beekeeper the trophy he had taken from the hound, he received a handsome reward.
If the hound managed to escape, you will only receive 80 crowns.
Once Geralt had forced his way in, he was greeted to an unexpected sight: the house's interior was completely frozen, and standing amidst the frost - a giant and terrifying creature Geralt knew to be one of the Wild Hunt's hounds. The monster quickly realized it was outmatched and fled to hide in the surrounding fields, and Geralt was unable to track it down. Even though he had not fully finished his task, he returned to his employer. Meiersdorf feared the beast would return, but, acknowledging some work had been done, agreed to pay Geralt for his trouble.