Something Ends, Something Begins (quest)

Something Ends, Something Begins serves as the epilogue to the main quest of , following on from the events of Tedd Deireadh, The Final Age. The quest contains three different endings that are directly determined by Geralt's (i.e. the player's) main decisions regarding Ciri and the political landscape of the Northern Kingdoms.
== Conditions ==
Certain conditions must be met (or not met) to get an ending. These are as follows:
: 
:* Positive point: Tell Ciri "I know what might lift your spirits".
:* Negative point: Tell Ciri "Relax, you don't have to be good at everything".
: If taken to see the Emperor, this will put her on the path to become Empress if other conditions are met. If not taken, then she'll become a witcher if she comes back.
::
::* Positive point: Refuse the payment.
::* Negative point: Accept the payment.
:
:* Positive point: Let Ciri see the Lodge of Sorceresses on her own.
:* Negative point: Go with her.
:
:* Positive point: Tell Ciri "Go for it".
:* Negative point: Tell Ciri "Calm down".
:
:* Positive point: Go with Ciri to Skjall's Grave.
:* Negative point: Don't go.
== Witcher Ending ==
To achieve this ending, one must make equal or greater amount of positive than negative choices. If Ciri was taken to see her father, one must also ensure Nilfgaard loses the war (by either ignoring Reason of State or siding with Dijkstra during it).
=== Walkthrough ===
Geralt returns to the Royal Palace for an audience with Emhyr and you have to follow Mererid to the Emperor's office. When you meet him, Emhyr asks Geralt to report, and the witcher calmly explains that Ciri died in the process of defeating the White Frost, and her body is likely never to be found. A couple of dialogue options of no importance are available and then the audience ends. (150)
You then arrive at White Orchard and start by talking to some civilians about the end of the war, after which your objective is to go to the former Nilfgaardian Garrison, so hop on Roach and do just that. However, you may wish to stop at the Sawmill signpost.
:If Radovid won the war
:You can take a detour towards Tomira's hut to find her crying for mercy at the hands of witch hunters, just about to burn her on a stake. You have the option to intervene and save her (you have to untie her, not put out the fire), though it's still quite sad even when you do and there are no rewards for this.
As you arrive at your destination, a cutscene starts and evidently the person Geralt has to meet is late, so he meditate while waiting. Eventually, Master Ort arrives and presents Geralt with what he claims is the best silver sword ever made. You have choice an inscription put on the sword, and one of them matches its name: Zireael. The swordsmith then leaves and you have to go to the village inn.
It's obviously easier to fast travel there, but if you instead take the eastern fork of the road, then around halfway between a guarded treasure and hidden treasure, you will encounter a cutscene with one of the dwarves that you saw on The Isle of Mists. He runs away as he sees Geralt and you can chase him to find his and his mates' camp nearby, where Geralt will call out for them to come out of the bushes. After exchanging a few words, soldiers or witch hunters (depending on who won the war) come looking for them and the dwarves hide. You can cover for them, threaten and fight the enemies, or surrender them. Unless you choose the latter, you'll have the option to ask for a coin reward, yielding 250 .
When you enter the inn, another cutscene starts and Geralt approaches a hooded woman who turns out to be Ciri, alive and well. She asks if her father believed that she was dead, but Geralt has no idea. He then gives her the new silver sword from Master Ort, officially making Ciri a witcheress and completing the quest.
=== Journal entry ===
: 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.
: 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.
: 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.
=== Objectives ===
* Follow the chamberlain. (150)
* Go to the ruined fortress.
* Wait for the person you are supposed to meet.
* (Optional) Chase the dwarf.
* Go to the inn.
== Empress Ending ==
This ending requires the greatest amount of conditions to be met. 3 or more positive points need to be earned here and during Blood on the Battlefield the player must bring Ciri to meet Emhyr.
On top of that, Nilfgaard must win the war, meaning the Assassins' Quests need to be completed and the player must be diplomatic with Dijkstra during Blindingly Obvious to unlock Reason of State. Then, during this quest, one must side with the Temerian patriots to ensure Nilfgaard wins the war.
=== Walkthrough ===
The quest starts during wintertime at the White Orchard inn, where if you romanced Triss or Yennefer, you'll exchange a few words with your paramour. Zoltan and Dandelion are present and you can optionally banter a bit with them, in which case the bard will update Geralt on Priscilla's condition after Carnal Sins (even if you didn't complete it). You are then to meet the hunter Mislav near his hut.
As you exit the inn, you'll see a horse throwing a peasant off its back, which will start the small quest Faithful Friend. It's only available during the epilogue, so if you want to do it, you should do so right now. Regardless, if you go through the village after this, another peasant will stop you for small talk during which Geralt says he's here to hunt rabbits.
When you meet Mislav, he'll say that "She's gone", apparently eager to start the rabbit hunt herself. He is referring to Ciri, though for suspense she's not mentioned by name. When Geralt and Mislav finish their chat, you have to go to a nearby meeting place, where you'll find Ciri overseeing some snares, but isn't at all eager about hunting anymore and looks sad instead. While Geralt tries to cheer her up, she reminds him to show her the griffin's nest from The Beast of White Orchard quest.
Head towards the nest, following the pathway through the snow. On the way there, Geralt will try to maintain a conversaion, but Ciri seems distant, mostly replying only with "Uh-huh" and "Mhm". When you arrive at the nest, a cutscene will start with Geralt warning Ciri about something not right, but she is as always annoyed by his acting protectively. If you wander around or take a shortcut, Ciri may stop following you and you'll miss on the passive conversation, but the cutscene still triggers when you reach the place.
However, Geralt wasn't simply being over-protective, as a forktail appears right behind Ciri and you have to kill it. When done, Geralt starts lecturing Ciri on her carelessness and now she's visibly upset. However, evidently not by Geralt's behavior, but because "there won't be a next time". She refuses to explain what she's talking about and, to cheer her up, Geralt decides to take her fishing. Geralt will draw his steel sword against the forktail, so make sure to manually draw silver yourself.
Now, head towards the lake northeast from the Abandoned Village, while getting more "Uh-huh" and "Mhm"s on the way. When you arrive, there will be a bear next to a fishing hole in the now frozen lake. You have to throw a bomb near the bear to scare it off, for which you'll receive 200. You can also attack it with your sword, but there's no reward in that case and it won't be killed anyway. When the bear runs away, to show the witcher's way of fishing, you have to throw another bomb at the fishing hole, then collect four dead fish that appear around it (that's a quest item, separate from the consumable gutted fish, which the bear was eating).
When done fishing, you just have to continue taking a walk with Ciri, during which some amusing past stories are told and she finally seems happy again. The walk ends back near the village, where Geralt sees Nilfgaardian forces waiting. He seems to realize what's happening, but Ciri explains nonetheless - they're here for her, because she's going to Nilfgaard. When you took her to see Emhyr, they talked and didn't part on good terms, but she later realized that only the empire's throne would allow her to make significant good for the world.
You'll have a few dialogue options and a choice on what to say in parting, but as the conversation ends, Ciri symbolically gives her sword to Geralt. The quest ends after she gives Geralt a hug and leaves White Orchard with Morvran Voorhis.
=== Journal entry ===
: 
: 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.
: 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.
=== Objectives ===
* Talk to the hunter.
* Go to the meeting place.
* Go to the griffin's nest.
* Kill the forktail.
* Go to the lake.
* Throw a bomb to scare off the bear. (200)
* If Geralt instead attacks the bear:
** [PL] Get rid of the bear.
* Throw a bomb at the hole in the ice.
* Collect the fish. 4/4
* Go for a walk with Ciri.
== Tragic Ending ==
To get this ending, one must get at least 3 negative points.
=== Walkthrough ===
Geralt is back in Velen and you start in the western end of Crookback Bog and see a werewolf nearby, who you have to talk to.
During the conversation, Geralt asks where the crone is, because she stole his dead daughter's medallion and he wants it back as the last remaining memento. The werewolf will warn Geralt that the crone will fight like a wounded wolverine and could kill him, but Geralt doesn't care as he has nothing left. Seeing the drawn silver sword, the werewolf asks "Is there no other way?", and if you choose to say No, you will have to kill him. However, if you give him an out, he'll accompany and aid Geralt on your mission to find the Weavess.
If you spared the werewolf, his name is revealed as Berem and you now have to follow him. He leads you through the swamps and as you near a group of hunters, he asks Geralt for help in saving a wolf captured by them. Geralt will tell Berem to stay out of it and proceeds to deal with the hunters himself. A fight ensues and you have to kill all the peasants and a couple of wild dogs. Berem will join and help even though he wasn't supposed to interfere, and after the massacre will be pleased that one wolven cub survived, even though the wolf appears to be now dead in the trap. (200) He will then lead you to the crone.
If you killed the werewolf, you'll directly be given objectives to defeat the hunters and kill the crone. However, in this case you can either not approach the hunters altogether, or choose to walk away when you encounter them. However, no is awarded even if you follow through on what Berem would've asked. In each instance where you made an "evil" choice (killing the werewolf, walking away from the hunters and/or not saving the wolf), Geralt will make a comment saying that he may've helped in a different time, alluding to his state of mind.
Regardless, on your way to The Orphans of Crookback Bog, where the crone predictably is, you will probably have to fight off a few drowners in the swamp. When you reach the place, a cutscene starts with the Weavess talking to her sisters in the tapestry and Geralt calling her out. After a lot of dramatic talk and most notably Geralt saying he doesn't feel a thing anymore, the fight starts. The Weavess will have summonned a grave hag, a water hag and some drowners to help her, but they're mostly low level monsters and only a minor annoyance. You already saw how she fights during Bald Mountain as Ciri. If you spared Berem and he led you here, he will join to help you at some point, saying he can't just watch despite Geralt's protests.
When she's dead (1,000), the final cutscene starts and Geralt rushes to search her body for the medallion, but quickly turns his attention to the house instead. He goes inside and trashes the place until finding the medallion inside a small chest. The scene and quest end with him sitting with his head down, gripping the medallion as monsters surround the building.
=== Journal entry ===
: 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.
: 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.
=== Objectives ===
* Talk to the werewolf.​​​​​​​
* If you chose not to kill the werewolf:
** Follow Berem.
* Defeat the hunters.
* Kill the last Crone.
== Notes ==
* Any area changes during this quest are temporary and will be restored after it ends.
* Witcher ending:
** The gems that Geralt pays Master Ort with for Ciri's new sword are an actual item, jewel case, added automatically to the inventory at the quest start.
** The gist of this ending is always the same and its majority takes place in White Orchard, but there will be differences depending on who won the war. That is, depending on whether Reason of State was completed and/or what choice was made at its end:
*** If the quest was completed and Dijkstra was killed at the end, Temerian rule is restored and the Nilfgaardian Army is retreating.
*** If the quest was completed and Dijkstra was not killed, Redania wins the war and instead the Redanian army is present, with peasants accusing their neighbours of collaboration with Nilfgaard.
*** If the quest was not completed, Radovid wins the war and in addition to the Redanian soldiers, there are also witch hunters around, with peasants accusing their neighbours of blasphemy to the Eternal Fire.
*** Different versions of a Nilfgaardian's journal can be found in the unmarked camp near the quest starting point. A Nilfgaardian report can also be found if Redania won the war.
** NPCs at the Royal Palace in Vizima will also act differently depending on the war outcome.
** Oddly, Tomira can't be interacted with if everything is fine and you don't have to save her from the witch hunters.
** Willis will not be around, presumably left with the Nilfgaardians, and obviously the Nilfgaardian Garrison is empty for the purposes of the quest. However, if Redania won the war, a blacksmith can be found near the western end of the village.
** If Redania wins the war, a messenger at the Royal Palace is eventually told to interrupt a meeting in order to inform General Voorhis of recent events. If followed, the messenger ends up banging on a door to the apparent meeting room infinitely and is never let inside.
*Empress ending:
** Temerian soldiers will patrol White Orchard. This is unique as it's the only instance where you can meet Temerian soldiers who are on active duty, rather than hiding or using guerrilla warfare like the Blue Stripes.
** In order to have the unique winter conditions, the quest takes place in something like a copy of the original White Orchard environment and not all of it is fully developed. There will be a few consequences from this:
*** "Reaching end of the world" will trigger much closer than on the regular map, and places far out of your intended way (like the Nilfgaardian Garrison) will not be accessible.
*** Many local characters not relevant to the quest will be absent, including Tomira and Willis.
*** If not already completed, the Contract: Devil by the Well quest will fail because the fishing scene replaces it.
== Bugs ==
* During the Empress ending, the notice board will be marked in yellow, as if there's an actionable notice on it, but it's actually empty.
* When the forktail appears during the Empress ending, Geralt draws his steel sword instead of silver.
* During the Empress ending, when Ciri and Geralt say their goodbyes, Ciri may ask him if he's not even going to give Triss time to back before leaving, even if Geralt ended up alone. There seems to be a check only if Geralt has romanced Triss, but not what happened afterwards.
* More of an oversight than anything else, but if you walk around the Royal Palace to find ambassador var Attre, he still has the early game dialogue options about Radovid's war tactics as if he is alive, even if you completed Reason of State.
* During Dandelion's ending narration, it may state that Svanrige is the ruler of Skellige and has established an absolute monarchy (modeled after those of the Continent), regardless of if you chose to help Cerys or Hjalmar during the quest King's Gambit. There is no mention of any abdication, assassination plot, or death during On Thin Ice that might help explain this sudden turn of events. Whether this is a bug or merely an oversight in the writing is unknown.
ar:ينتهي شيء، ويبدأ شيء (مهمة)
pl:Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna (zadanie)
tr:Bir_Şeyler_Biter,_Bir_Şeyler_Başlar(görev)
Category:The Witcher 3 main quests