Unseen Elder's Cave

Walkthrough May be incomplete

The area in the order you play it. Tick things off as you go: they tick off in the checklists below too.

1. 1

   Cave Entrance and Fork

   When you arrive by boat along Lake Sansretour at the cliffside entrance southwest of Beauclair Palace alongside Regis, unlock the sealed stone door with Orianna's key. Head inside where the path splits into a dry route and a flooded swimming tunnel, both taking you into the inner network. Along this entry section before the initial meeting with the Elder, jump across a gap near the entrance or flooded exit to find a chest holding the Hen Gaidth Steel Sword and Hen Gaidth Gauntlets, dealing with the guarding Fleder along the dry path.

   Key fight: Fleder Encounter
   Hen Gaidth Steel Sword: In the upper Fleder cave, before meeting the Elder the first timeHow: Inside a chest across a jumpable chasmMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't missHen Gaidth Gauntlets: In the upper Fleder cave, before meeting the Elder the first timeHow: Inside a chest across a jumpable chasmMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't miss

   Tip: Take either the dry or flooded branch, as both routes connect deeper inside.

   Watch out: Loot the chest across the jumpable gap now, as this area permanently seals once the quest is finished.

2. 2

   The Elder's Chamber

   Proceed into the throne room to confront the Unseen Elder. When you encounter him, the Elder attacks you and violently hurls you straight into the lower depths of the cave.

   Watch out: The Elder cannot be reasoned with yet and will inevitably strike you down into the chasm.

3. 3

   Lower Chasm Recovery

   You awaken injured and disoriented on the cavern floor after being tossed down by the Elder. Pick up and drink the Swallow / Enhanced Swallow lying on the ground near a stone pillar to satisfy the objective to regain your health and consciousness. Before moving deeper into the chasm, turn around to gather your dropped weapons and crossbow scattered on the floor behind where you landed.

   Geralt's Dropped Gear: from the wake-up point in The Drop Cavern to the groundHow: pick up immediately upon wakingMissable because: quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't miss New

   Tip: Drink the potion immediately to clear the recovery objective.

   Watch out: Do not advance without collecting your dropped gear, or your equipped weapons and crossbow will be lost forever.

4. 4

   Lower Caverns and Side Nest

   Follow the anomalous physics through the lower ruins past reverse waterfalls, encountering hostile Protofleders. Near the inverted waterfall by the lower campfire, grab Mage's Notes (Part 1), then continue along the trail past a damaged megascope to pick up Mage's Notes (Part 2). Detour into the secluded side chamber that branches away from the main footprints trail, eliminate the nest of three Protofleders, and open the side chest to obtain the Hen Gaidth Mask and Hen Gaidth Trousers.

   Hen Gaidth Trousers: In the left-hand side chamber branching off the lower cavernHow: Inside a chestMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't missHen Gaidth Mask: In the left-hand side chamber branching off the lower cavernHow: Inside a chestMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't missMage's Notes (Part 1, 2, & 3): from the gravitational anomaly chambers to the various campsitesHow: search the abandoned campsMissable because: quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't miss NewA secluded path branching away from the main objective leads to a dead-end chamber containing components of the Relic-grade Hen Gaidth equipment set.

   Tip: Check every campfire and ruined installation for the researcher's scattered journals.

   Watch out: The side chamber and its Protofleder-guarded chest cannot be returned to once you depart the cavern.

5. 5

   Inverted Ruins and Mage's Offering

   Follow the deceased mage's trail up onto the upside-down ceiling ruins where gravity reverses. In this lower gravity-shifted section near the mage's route, open the chest to retrieve the Hen Gaidth Armor and Hen Gaidth Boots. Continue along the ceiling path to the dead mage's body to retrieve Mage's Notes (Part 3) along with the Rose-Colored Stone offering.

   Hen Gaidth Armor: In the inverted ceiling section near the mage's campHow: Inside a chestMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't missHen Gaidth Boots: In the inverted ceiling section near the mage's campHow: Inside a chestMissable because: Quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't missMage's Notes (Part 1, 2, & 3): from the gravitational anomaly chambers to the various campsitesHow: search the abandoned campsMissable because: quest conclusion, returning later, or pursuing Syanna in The Land of a Thousand Fables Don't miss NewSwallow / Enhanced Swallow: from the wake-up point in The Drop Cavern to the groundHow: pick up immediately upon waking New

   Tip: Keep track of the footprints along the ceiling surface to stay on the correct path toward the corpse.

   Watch out: Ensure you loot the Hen Gaidth armor pieces before using the water stream to return to the upper level.

6. 6

   Return and Audience

   Walk up to the standing stone and blast it with the Aard sign to set up your path forward. Jump into the upward-surging water stream to ride it back up to the upper chamber. Hand over the Rose-Colored Stone offering to the Unseen Elder to earn his cooperation and conclude your business in the cave.

   Tip: Casting Aard on the stone is necessary to redirect your path back upward.

   Watch out: Leaving this chamber finishes the quest and permanently cuts off access to all loot inside the cave.

What you decide here and what it leads to.