Something Ends, Something Begins Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Quest
Suggested level: 30
Group: Main Quests
Location: White Orchard
This quest acts as an epilogue to the game and contains three different endings. Which of the endings you will see will depend on certain decisions made during the game, concerning the Ciri and the political situation.
Quests where you make decisions that affect Ciri:
A quest that can change the political situation is the "Reason of State" quest.
When you finish this quest, you will be able continue traveling the world in search of witcher contracts and adventure - but everything will be as it was before the game's last chapter, and quests tied to the main story line will no longer be available.
You will also unlock the ability to start a New Game +. To do so, create a new game save, start a new game, choose the New Game + option and select the save you created to import your character. Only saves created after unlocking the New Game + option can be used for this purpose.
Prior quests
To begin Something Ends, Something Begins you must first complete Tedd Deireadh, the Final Age.
Quest stages of Something Ends, Something Begins
1. Empress ending.
This ending requires a minimum of three decisions that will be considered "positive" and Ciri must meet her father in Vizima during the "Blood on the Battlefield" quest. In addition, Nilfgaard must win the war, which means that you must complete the "Reason of State" quest and take the side of Roche and Thaler at its end.
In this case, the quest begins when you, Zoltan and Dandelion are sitting in the White Orchard Tavern. After a short conversation you will leave your mates to meet with hunter Mislav.
My story began in Temeria, near Vizima, with Geralt dreaming a dream of Yennefer, Ciri and the Wild Hunt. It ends in Temeria as well, with winter in full force, a blanket of snow wrapping the earth tight, and the witcher and his ward heading out to hunt rabbits.
1.1. Talk to the hunter. / Go to the meeting place.
Go to the Mislav's House. Mislav will tell you that Ciri has already gone hunting and where you can find her.
Go to the place pointed out by Mislav. There you'll find Ciri, who's bored of rabbit hunting, so she sits and waits for you. She'll ask you to show her the griffin nest you told her about earlier.
1.2. Go to the griffin's nest. / Kill the forktail.
Go to the Destroyed Griffin Nest. When you get there, you'll be suddenly attacked by a forktail (30), so you'll have to kill it.
After the fight, Geralt will notice that Ciri is not in the best mood and to make her feel better he will suggest that you go fishing.
1.3. Go to the lake. / Throw a bomb to scare off the bear. / (Optional) Get rid of the bear.
Head to a lake located northwest of the Abandoned Village. When you get there, you'll encounter a bear catching fish in the ice hole. Go to the right distance and throw one of your bombs to scare him off. If you come too close, you will have to kill him.
1.4. Throw a bomb at the hole in the ice. / Collect the fish. 0/4
If the bomb you threw didn't land near the hole in the ice, then throw another one and collect the four fish you catch this way.
1.5. Go for a walk with Ciri.
Then you'll set off on your way back to the village. Along the way, you'll have the opportunity to talk a bit and even have some fun. Geralt will take Ciri piggyback for the first time.
When you get to the village, the Nilfgaardian troops that came to take Ciri to Emhyr will be waiting there. Ciri will tell you that she has decided to become the Empress and thus help the world. Then you will say goodbye, Ciri will give you her witcher sword and leave.
No rabbits were snared that morning, but a forktail did meet its end. In any case, that did not prove the day's most important event. Ciri took Geralt for a walk that turned out to be the most momentous of his long life. She told him she had accepted the emperor's offer and would ride to Nilfgaard. There she would assume her rightful place as heir to the throne - next in line to be empress of the most powerful state in the world. A Nilfgaardian delegation awaited to take her to the City of Towers. And what happened then, you ask? What did fate have in store for Geralt and Ciri? That, dear reader, is another story.
2. Witcher ending.
This ending requires more decisions which will be considered "positive". It will become active if you don't visit your father during the "Bald Mountain" quest, or if you visit him, Nilfgaard must lose the war. This will happen if you don't complete the "Reason of State" quest or take the side of Dijkstra at the end of it.
In this case, the quest will begin when you arrive to Vizima to meet with Emhyr.
My story began in Temeria, near Vizima, with Geralt dreaming a dream of Yennefer, Ciri and the Wild Hunt. It ends in Temeria as well, with the witcher returning to Vizima to have one last conversation with the emperor - and tell him Ciri would not be coming back.
2.1. Follow the chamberlain.
The Chamberlain will take you to the room where you meet Emhyr and tell him that Ciri is dead. You will talk for a moment, the Emperor will say that he does not want to see you again, and you will leave the castle to travel to the White Orchard.
After his meeting with Emhyr var Emreis, Geralt set off for White Orchard, where he had agreed to meet someone amidst the ruins of the old castle there.
2.2. Go to the ruined fortress. / Wait for the person you are supposed to meet.
When you arrive to White Orchard, you will meet several locals who are trying to take advantage of the post-war situation. Talk to them for a while and then go to the ex-Nilfgaardian garrison. The garrison will be deserted. Geralt will wait for the person he's supposed to meet there. It will be Ort, the master blacksmith, who will bring the silver sword that Geralt has ordered from him. You will be able to choose what inscription should be forged on the sword.
2.3. Go to the inn.
Then go to the tavern in White Orchard. There you will meet a hooded figure sitting at the table, which will turn out to be Ciri. You will hand her a sword, talk for a while about her upcoming career as a witcher and the quest will be over.
And who awaited Geralt in White Orchard? Ciri - packed and ready to set off on the Path. Where did the witcher and his ward venture, you ask, and what became of them? That, dear reader, is another story.
3. Sad ending.
This ending requires more decisions that will be considered "negative".
In this case, the quest will begin when you arrive to Crookback Bog in Velen.
My story began in Temeria, near Vizima, with Geralt dreaming a dream of Yennefer, Ciri and the Wild Hunt. It ends in Temeria as well. Shortly after Ciri entered the tower on Undvik, never to return, Geralt returned to Velen and entered Crookback Bog.
3.1. Talk to the werewolf.
Come up to the werewolf you'll spot nearby in the swamps. The werewolf will know who you are and will ask you if there is any way you can spare his life. You may choose to kill him or spare his life if he leads you to the crone.
3.2. (Optional) Follow Berem.
If you spare a werewolf's life, simply follow him. On the way you'll hear from him that his name is Berem. He will also ask you to help save the wolf cubs and lead you to the wolf's den first.
3.3. (Optional) Defeat the hunters.
Whether you spare the werewolf or not, you can visit a camp where you will find some hunters who have caught a she-wolf. You can ask them about the witch and then leave in peace. But if you request them to release the wolf, or you hit one of them, they will attack you. There are quite a few of them, but they are very weak. The she-wolf will die anyway.
3.4. Kill the last Crone.
When you finally get to the orphanage, you'll meet a witch there and the fight with her will begin. Apart from the witch, you will also have to face a few hags and drowners. Nearly dead, she'll try to escape but Geralt won't let her.
Note: If you have spared the werewolf, even though just before the fight you tell him to leave and not to get involved, at the end of the fight he will come back and help you a bit.
Geralt will enter the hut where the witch lived and find the medallion that she stole from Ciri. Then the quest will end with a sad scene of Geralt suffering from the loss of his loved ones.
Geralt found the last Crone in the swamp village and killed her. He reached down to her stiffening corpse and removed Vesemir's medallion, the one Ciri had kept what seemed like an eternity ago. This would be a memento of his two lost friends. What happened then, you ask? That, my dear reader, is another story altogether.