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This is a guide to the quest titled Following the Thread from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Read on to learn locations, rewards, best choices, best outcomes, as well as useful tips, strategy for completing this quest, choices and best choice.
| Previous Quest | Current Quest | Next Quest |
|---|---|---|
| - | Following the Thread | - |
List of Contents
| Quest Number | - |
|---|---|
| Region | Multiple Regions |
| Quest Location | Novigrad Water mill near Arette Seven Cats Inn Faroe |
| Previous Quest | - |
| Next Quest | - |
| Gold Reward | None |
|---|---|
| Exp Reward | 90 or 70 |
| Item Reward | None |
This quest is unlocked after reading the notice of the Contract: Monster in the Bits in the Notice Board in Hierarch Square. It should be noted that if the player does this quest, the side quest Flesh for Sale can not be completed.
This quest is not failable.
| Objectives | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Talk to the guard posted outside the supervisor's building south of the Southern Gate Signpost. |
| 2 | Head to the shed marked on your map. Use your Witcher Senses to investigate the area. Inspecting the body will reveal that the monster is an Ekimmara. |
| 3 | Use your Witcher Sense to inspect the monster tracks. Follow the trail. |
| 4 | When the tracks stop by the river, cross it to the warehouse on the other side. Continue following the tracks into the warehouse. |
| 5 | Help Lambert kill the Ekimmara. Killing it will reward you with 50 XP. |
| 6 | You can choose to go to the supervisor or meet with him later. If you choose to meet with him later, you will meet him nearby the guard you talked to at the start of the quest. |
| 7 | Kill the 3 guards. |
| 8 | Go into the building. |
| 9 | Head to the Seven Cats Inn to meet Lambert. |
| 10 | After the conversation with Vienne you can decide whether Lambert will kill her or leave her be. Whatever you choose you will be given 80 XP. Letting him kill her will start a fight between her and 3 other elves. |
| 11 | Head to Trottheim on the island of Faroe in Skellige. Talk to the pirates at the gate. Choose the dialogue option [I'll be back]. Otherwise a fight will start. |
| 12 | Go to the shrine where Hammond is. It is recommended to go around the Trottheim to avoid starting a fight with the pirates. |
| 13 | Kill Hammond and his 4 men. Gain 80 XP for killing all of them. |
| 14 | Search Hammond's body and loot the letter. |
| 15 | Meet with Lambert at the Nowhere Inn in Novigrad. |
| 16 | You can choose to go to Karadin right away or meet Lamber later. |
| 17 | You will have to decide whether or not to spare him or kill him. If you choose to kill him, prepare for a fight. More information on these choices in the Following the Thread choices and best choice section. |
Geralt and Lambert confront Aiden's supposed killer and ex-assassin. Karadin proceeds to explain that he has changed and now deals in legal trade and has a family of his own now. Whether or not it is to be believed is up to the player.
You decide to believe that Karadin has truly changed sparing his life. Sparing him will give you 90 XP.
You feel like Karadin is lying. Geralt and Lambert fight him and end his life. Killing him will give you 70 XP, Lesser Triglav runestone and Diagram: Eirlithrad. Looting his body will also give you a Dimitrium Bomb and a Grapeshot Bomb

If you would like the most rewards, it is recommended to kill Karadin. If you would like to base your decision on the story, it is a difficult choice. There is no definite proof he has indeed changed and the wife and children could be just a cover. It is up to the player if they would believe him or not and whether it is worth killing him.

Tell Lambert you will meet him later after killing the Ekimmara. This will let you loot the corpse of the Ekimmara for some loot.
This quest gives you somewhat useful benefits when you complete it. It is up to you to decide whether the things you gain from this quest will benefit you greatly.

| At the Mercy of Strangers (N/A) | A Mysterious Passenger | Gwent Quest: Collect ‘em All! (N/A) |
| Gwent Quest: Old Pals (N/A) | Never Trust Children (N/A) | A Frying Pan, Spick and Span (N/A) |
| Missing in Action (N/A) | Precious Cargo (N/A) | Twisted Firestarter (N/A) |
| Caravan Attack (N/A) | Deadly Crossing (N/A) | Face Me if You Dare! (N/A) |
| Fake Papers (N/A) | Gwent Quest: Velen Players (N/A) | Harassing a Troll (N/A) |
| Highway Robbery (N/A) | Highwayman's Cache (N/A) | Looters (N/A) |
| Man's Best Friend (N/A) | Races: Crow's Perch (N/A) | The Truth is in the Stars (N/A) |
| A Warm Welcome (N/A) | Drunken Rabble (N/A) | Empty Coop (N/A) |
| Gwent Quest: Big City Players (N/A) | Gwent Quest: Playing Innkeeps (N/A) | Gwent Quest: Playing Thaler (N/A) |
| Call of the Wild (N/A) | Karmic Justice (N/A) | The Four Faces of Hemdall (N/A) |
| The Heroes' Pursuits: For the Goddess' Glory (N/A) | The Heroes' Pursuits: Kaer Trolde (N/A) | Message from an Old Friend (N/A) |
| Woe is Me (N/A) | Worthy of Trust (N/A) | Novigrad, Closed City (II) (N/A) |
| Trail of Echoes (N/A) | Race: The Great Erasmus Vegelbud Memorial Derby (N/A) | Racists of Novigrad (N/A) |
| Strangers in the Night (N/A) | Strumpet in Distress (N/A) | Suspicious Shakedown (N/A) |
| The Flame of Hatred (N/A) | The Most Truest of Basilisks (N/A) | The Price of Passage (N/A) |
| Yustianna Disturbed | The Heroes' Pursuits: Fyresdal | The Heroes' Pursuits: Fayrlund |
| Siren's Call | Farting Trolls | Brave Fools Die Young |
| Witch Hunter Raids (N/A) | Gwent Quest: Skellige Style (N/A) | On Death's Bed (2) |
| The Dwarven Document Dilemma (2) | Funeral Pyres (3) | Hazardous Goods (4) |
| The Whispering Hillock (5) | A Dog's Life (5) | Ciri's Room (5) |
| A Favor for a Friend (6) | A Towerful of Mice (6) | An Invitation from Keira Metz (6) |
| Fools' Gold (6) | Ghosts of the Past (6) | Magic Lamp (6) |
| The Fall of the House of Reardon (6) | Hey, You Wanna Look at my Stuff? (6) | A Greedy God (7) |
| Forefathers' Eve (7) | Lynch Mob (7) | Thou Shalt Not Pass (7) |
| Wild at Heart (7) | Haunted House (7) | For the Advancement of Learning (8) |
| Hidden Messages of the Nilfgaardian Kind (8) | Novigrad Hospitality (8) | Bitter Harvest (9) |
| Last Rites (9) | Return to Crookback Bog (9) | Honor Among Thieves (9) |
| Of Dairy and Darkness (9) | The Gangs of Novigrad (9) | Death By Fire (10) |
| Defender of the Faith (10) | Love's Cruel Snares (10) | Witcher Wannabe (10) |
| Rough Neighborhood (10) | Following the Thread (11) | Fists of Fury: Velen (11) |
| A Barnful of Trouble (11) | Novigrad, Closed City (11) | Fists of Fury: Champion of Champions (11 ) |
| Blood Ties (12) | A Dangerous Game (12) | A Matter of Life and Death (12) |
| A Walk on the Waterfront (12) | An Eye for an Eye (12) | Fencing Lessons (12) |
| Redania's Most Wanted (12) | Spooked Mare (12) | Flesh for Sale (12 ) |
| Black Pearl (13) | A Tome Entombed (13) | From a Land Far, Far Away (13) |
| The Volunteer (13) | Warehouse of Woe (13 ) | Free Spirit (13) |
| A Deadly Plot (14) | Cabaret (14) | Master of the Arena (14) |
| Stranger in a Strange Land (14) | The Cave of Dreams (14) | Now or Never (14) |
| Out On Your Arse! (14) | The Nobleman Statuette (14) | The Soldier Statuette (14) |
| The Price of Honor (14 ) | The Nithing (14) | A Bard's Beloved (15) |
| Armed Assault (15) | For Fame and Glory (15) | Little Red (15) |
| The Family Blade (15 ) | In Wolf's Clothing (15 ) | An Unpaid Debt (15 ) |
| The Last Wish (15) | Carnal Sins (16) | The Path of Warriors (16) |
| The Lord of Undvik (17) | Possession (17) | Crime and Punishment (18) |
| King's Gambit (18) | Coronation (18) | Iron Maiden (19) |
| A Feast for Crows (20) | Hard Times (21) | Brothers In Arms: Velen (22) |
| Brothers In Arms: Novigrad (22) | Brothers In Arms: Skellige (22) | Brothers In Arms: Nilfgaard (22) |
| Fists of Fury: Novigrad (23) | The Bastion (23 ) | Abandoned Sawmill (24) |
| Finders Keepers (24) | Shock Therapy (24) | Of Swords and Dumplings (24) |
| Master Armorers (24) | Practicum in Advanced Alchemy (24 ) | Take What You Want (25) |
| Where the Cat and Wolf Play... (25) | Peace Disturbed (25) | Taken as a Lass (25 ) |
| A Final Kindness (26) | High Stakes (26) | The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers (26) |
| Monster Slayer (26) | Greenhouse Effect (27) | Berengar's Blade (27 ) |
| It Takes Three to Tango (28) | Faithful Friend (30) | Fists of Fury: Skellige (30) |
| Reason of State (30) | The Tower Outta Nowheres (30 ) | The Witcher's Forge (30 ) |
| Fists of Fury: Toussaint | Mutual of Beauclair's Wild Kingdom | The Words of the Prophets are Written on Sarcophagi |
| Till Death Do You Part | Using Your Loaf | Vintner's Contract: Chuchote Cave |
| Vintner's Contract: Duchaton Crest | Of Sheers and a Witcher I Sing | Big Feet to Fill: The Third Group |
| Big Feet to Fill | Gwent Quest: Never Fear, Skellige’s Here! (N/A) | No Place Like Home (Blood and Wine) (N/A) |
| Big Feet to Fill: The Second Group (N/A) | Big Feet to Fill: The First Group (N/A) | Amidst the Mill's Grist (N/A) |
| A Knight’s Tales | Raging Wolf | Knight for Hire |
| Extreme Cosplay | Big Feet to Fill: The Fourth Group | The Perks of Being a Jailbird |
| Big Feet to Fill: The Fifth Group | The Warble of a Smitten Knight (35) | Turn and Face the Strange (35) |
| Paperchase (36) | Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Granite! (36) | Wine Wars: Vermentino (37) |
| Wine Wars: Coronata (37) | Father Knows Worst (37) | Wine Wars: Belgaard (37 and 39) |
| Vintner's Contract: Rivecalme Storehouse (37) | Gwent Quest: To Everything - Turn, Turn, Tournament! (38) | Vintner's Contract: Dun Tynne Hillside (40) |
| Wine Wars: Consorting (40) | Master Master Master Master! (40) | Wine Wars: The Deus in the Machina (42) |
| The Hunger Game (42) | Vintner's Contract: Cleaning Those Hard-to-Reach Places (43) | There Can Be Only One (43) |
| A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man (43) | Duck, Duck, Goosed! (47) |
| Enchanting: Quality Has Its Price (32) | Enchanting: Start-up Costs (32) | Races: Swift as the Western Winds (32) |
| The Taxman Cometh (32) | Without a Trace (32) | A Midnight Clear (33) |
| Rose on a Red Field (33) | Avid Collector (34) |
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