The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Velen Side Quests – Fists of Fury, Ghosts of the Past, Defender of the Faith

Meet up with Letho from The Witcher 2, win horse races and even Gwent cards in The Witcher 3.

The following Witcher 3 side quests let you compete in a fighting tournament, test your horse racing skills and provide a chance to meet up with Letho from The Witcher 2, providing you have a save file for the game and, you know, let him live.  For your effort, you will receive experience points, Gwent cards and Crowns! 

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Side Quest: Fists of Fury – Velen 

  • Location: Velen
  • Related Quest: N/A
  • Reward: Crowns (depends on how much you wage), Experience Points 

Begin this secondary quest by entering the fist fighting competition.  First head west of Crow’s Perch to a village.  Walk over to the fight and enter. To win, you must defeat three adversaries in Velen. 

For each of these fights, maneuver Geralt close to his opponent so the guy swings. Have Geralt dodge and then go on a punching spree, beginning with a strong attack and then transitioning to fast attacks until your adversary blocks. When this happens, repeat these steps to emerge victorious.

After pummeling the first guy at the village, head to the Inn at the Crossroads. Go inside and chat with the bookie, who lets you throw down.  Although you have less room to work with, rely on our tips to win.

Now travel to Crow’s Perch and explore the western area. The sergeant is the man you’re looking for, near the baron’s home. Win the fight and finish the secondary quest. 

Side Quest: The Fall of the House of Reardon 

  • Location: Velen, on the Lindenvale Notice Board
  • Related Quest: N/A
  • Reward: Experience Points 

After making note of the quest on the Lindenvale Notice Board, stay here and then talk to Dolores.  From there you must head to a manor. Use the Downwarren fast travel point to reach it faster. 

Upon arriving at the manor, it’s time to use Geralt’s Witcher Senses, and if you played The Witcher 2, things are about to become interesting.

If you allowed Letho to continue breathing in The Witcher 2, or you told the inquisitor while on Main Quest: Imperial Audience that Letho isn’t dead, be on the lookout for a tripwire along the ground. Finding it starts Secondary Quest: Ghosts of the Past, which remains active with the one you are currently on. 

Conversely, if Letho is no more in The Witcher 2, or you informed the inquisitor of his demise, Ghosts of the Past does not begin and you proceed with The Fall of the House of Reardon. Proceed into the manor, slaughter the Wraiths and then head back to Dolores. Quest complete. 

When you finish this quest or Ghosts of the Past, travel to Reardon manor and enter the building to the south.  Walk over to the farthest wall, pan the camera left and use Geralt’s Witcher Senses to pick up some writing. Look to the left of this and you will see a loose board on the floor. Check it out and you will discover a container with 100 Florens. In addition, Geralt gains experience.

Exit this place and walk to the south side to discover some steps. Go inside the cellar and take all of the items, then use Geralt’s Witcher Senses to inspect the northwest wall.  With Aard Sign magic, bust through the wall and examine the bones to learn more about the goings on. 

Side Quest: Ghosts of the Past 

  • Location: Velen
  • Related Quest: N/A
  • Reward: Experience Points 

If you read through our walkthrough for The Fall of the House of Reardon, you found the tripwire to start Ghosts of the Past. The goal is to activate Geralt’s Witcher Senses and disarm traps.  Start off by entering the northwestern building to watch a cinematic. Now head south and into the barn. 

Inside you will see more tripwires, but also crossbows on the wall.  You don’t want Geralt to get impaled, so go around back to find the attic, then check out the ladder in one of the stalls to reach it. 

Following the cut scene, you can decide to help your new buddy or let him battle on his own. Offer an assist and you will gain experience.  When the fight concludes, accompany Letho to a bandit camp. No time for making friends. Kill them all. 

Letho sets off for Lindenvale and you need to stick by his side. When you arrive, fight the soldiers or let them flee. If you choose the latter, don’t let them kill Letho. 

Now have Letho go to Kaer Morhen so he assists Geralt later on. Obviously if you let those soldiers dispose of Letho, he will no longer be alive.  Whatever you choose, you’re able to finish Ghosts of the Past by talking to Dolores. 

Side Quest: Races – Crow’s Perch 

  • Location: Velen, on the Crow’s Perch Notice Board
  • Related Quest: N/A
  • Reward: 70 Crowns (along with wagers), Racing Saddle, Saddle Bags, Horse Blinders, Experience Points 

When you find the quest on the Crow’s Perch Notice Board, travel to the marker on the map and chat with Radko about entering the race. During the race, stick to the black line, which takes you in a circle from beginning to end. Beware of logs along the path, explosive barrels and changing terrain during the race. In addition, stay away from the other competitors while attempting to pass, otherwise your horse will slow down. Win and the secondary quest is complete. 

Side Quest: Defender of the Faith 

  • Location: Velen
  • Related Quest: N/A
  • Reward: Experience Points 

After winning the horse race in the previous quest, you will see an exclamation point on the map. Go there to meet an elderly woman, who asks you to fix a broken shrine. 

Of course there’s more to it than that. You will need to fix two additional shrines.  First go to the Duén Hen fast travel marker, located to the south of Midcopse.  First you must defeat an Endrega Warrior, then inspect the shrine to repair it. 

The remaining shrine is to the south, with unholy men nearby. Allow them to go or give them a beating.  Now finish the quest. 

Side Quest: Gwent – Velen Players 

  • Location: Velen, with the Baron
  • Related Quest: Family Matters
  • Reward: Sigismund Dijkstra card, Crone: Weavess card, Letho of Gulet card, Eredin Bringer of Death leader card, Vernon Roche card, Experience Points. 

We hope you followed our Gwent tips, because you will need to beat different players to obtain some key cards. 

Begin by defeating the baron in a Gwent match after locating his daughter while on the Family Matters main quest. Now go to Benek.  If you haven’t visited this place, go to the Downwarren fast travel point, then head northeast towards to marker on the map.  

When you get there, go west and look for a man hanging out on the side of a home. Compete against him and win the Gwent match.

Now go to Oreton, which is to the north of Fyke Isle.  Walk up to the boatwright and beat him at Gwent. Finally, travel to Midcopse and explore the south side of this place. Meet up with Hobby and win the ensuing Gwent match to finish this secondary quest. 

Beat the game with Prima’s free The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt walkthrough. Use the most powerful Gwent cards, romance beautiful women and repair your sword! More side quests coming soon!

Ready to stand against the Wild Hunt? Prima’s official strategy guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough to help make decisions, navigate the vast game areas and reach the ending you want. The collector’s edition offers even more, with 32 pages of bonus content.


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Author
Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson has an extensive background in the gaming industry, having worked as a journalist for various publications for nearly 20 years and participating in a multitude of competitive fighting game events. He has authored over a dozen strategy guides for Prima Games, worked as a consultant on numerous gaming-related TV and web shows and was the Operations Manager for the fighting game division of the IGN Pro League.