The Bittersweet Toast

Description

Nobleman Iulian Codrin, a known vassal of Ambrus’s, has a plan to tip the scales in my favour when I duel the boyar. It could be a trap, but it might be worth trying.

Guide

You can cut this quest short (and fail it) by feasting on Iulian. You’ll have to spend two Time Segments to complete this quest, but if you want to kill Iulian, you only have to spend one.

If you help carry out Iulian’s plan, Ambrus will be poisoned during your duel with him in The Gilded Gauntlet, causing him to slowly lose health.

Objectives

Objective	Text
Meet Iulian by the swamp	I’ve agreed to meet Iulian near the swamp. He’ll show me the way to Vera’s house.
Light the campfire	We agreed with Iulian that I’ll light the campfire by the swamp to signal him when I’m ready to go see his poisoner friend.
Follow Iulian	I should follow Iulian’s lead.
Defeat the wolves	We’ve come across a pack of hungry wolves. I should dispose of them.
Follow Iulian	I should follow Iulian’s lead.
Inspect the body	We found a mutilated body on the path to Iulian’s friend’s hut. We should see what happened.
Follow Iulian	I should follow Iulian’s lead.
Find out where Vera is	Vera wasn’t home. We have to find her.
(Optional) Inspect the hut	I should look around Vera’s hut and see if I can find anything helpful.
Discuss findings with Iulian	I’ve found out what Vera needed – I should let Iulian know she’s after the missing ingredient: salamanders.
Look for Vera’s traps	It appears that Vera went to set up some salamander traps. We should look for her by the stream.
Follow Vera’s tracks using Focus Mode	Vera went deeper into the swamp after grabbing the trapped salamanders. We can still see her tracks, we should follow her.
Look around for Vera’s tracks using Focus Mode	We have to find more of Vera’s footsteps to see which way she went.
Inspect the body	Vera is dead – we found her body at the ritual site. Iulian said she might have some vital notes on her, I should check.
Find the ritual scroll	The ritual scroll was not on Vera’s body – she might have dropped it while fleeing. I have to find it.
Follow Vera’s tracks using Focus Mode	Vera’s tracks should lead to where she was attacked. The scroll might be there, too.
Search the clearing	I got to a clearing in the bogs. I should look around and see what I can find.
Give Iulian the scroll	I found Vera’s ritual scroll. I should give it to Iulian.
Return to Iulian during the day	I can’t conduct the ritual at night, I must return to Iulian during the daytime to proceed.
Start the ritual	Whenever I’m ready, it’s time to start Vera’s blood poisoning ritual.
Talk to Iulian	I should talk to Iulian.
Show up for the duel before Iulian dies	Iulian’s blood is poisoned – I need to show up for the duel with Ambrus before it kills him.
Find the lizard’s lair	The giant lizard that Vera was after has a lair somewhere in the nearby caves. I might be able to find it.
Defeat the lizard and get its gland	If I want to complete the ritual the way Vera intended, I have to kill the giant lizard and gets its poison gland.
Finish making the brew	We have all the ingredients now. All that’s left is finishing the brew before we start the ritual.
Discuss the next steps with Iulian	I should check in with Iulian and see what we do next.
Perform the ritual	Everything is set and done – now we need to perform the ritual to poison Iulian’s blood.
Light the first pillar using Astral Communion	It’s time to light the first pillar.
Light the second pillar using Astral Communion	It’s time to light the second pillar.
Light the third pillar using Astral Communion	It’s time to light the third pillar.
Defeat the hostile spirit	A hostile spirit was drawn in by the ritual. I need to destroy it.
Light the fourth pillar using Astral Communion	It’s time to light the fourth pillar.
Light the fifth pillar using Astral Communion	It’s time to light the fifth pillar.
Return to Iulian to finish the ritual	We’re almost there. It’s time to finish the ritual with Iulian.
Defeat the hostile spirits	More hostile spirits have appeared, drawn in by the ritual. I need to kill them.

Outcomes

Outcome	Text
1	We’ve completed Iulian and Vera’s ritual. It’s time to end Ambrus, once and for all.
2	I didn’t follow Iulian’s plan through. I decided to deal with Ambrus my own way.