In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Redania's Most Wanted is one of the pivotal side quests that directly impacts the political landscape of the Continent. Commissioned by King Radovid, Geralt is tasked with investigating the hidden hideout of the fugitive sorceress Philippa Eilhart near Est Taiyar. Navigating this quest requires players to balance political alliances with personal loyalties to fellow magic users.
Investigating Philippa's Secret Sanctuary
The quest begins at Est Taiyar where Geralt uses his witcher senses to breach the sealed doorway leading into Philippa's subterranean lair. Inside the ruins, players encounter magical barriers, witch hunter corpses, and hostile elemental guardians that guard her secrets. Thoroughly exploring every chamber allows you to retrieve crucial evidence, including a damaged megascope crystal containing recorded communications.
As you progress deeper into the sanctuary, you must decide how to handle the witch hunters stationed outside the entrance. You can choose to cooperate by sharing findings or withhold critical details to protect the sorceress from immediate capture. Understanding the consequences of these interactions helps ensure you retain maximum control over the evidence gathered.
The Critical Decision Regarding the Crystal
The most important choice in Redania's Most Wanted revolves around what you do with the restored megascope crystal. Geralt can choose to hand the artifact over to King Radovid, which grants a modest monetary reward but provides the monarch with leverage against magic users. Alternatively, you can withhold the crystal from the witch hunters and show it to either Triss Merigold or Yennefer of Vengerberg first.
Showing the crystal to Triss or Yennefer allows Geralt to learn more about Philippa's current motives without giving away her location to Radovid. If you choose to keep the crystal for yourself or give it to your mage allies, you can still complete the quest by lying to Radovid or his men later. This decision maintains your standing with the sorceresses while keeping key magical intel out of hostile hands.
Reporting Back to King Radovid
Concluding the quest involves returning to King Radovid aboard his flagship anchored near Novigrad. Depending on your earlier actions, you can either present the crystal to prove Philippa's survival or claim you found nothing of value in the ruins. Successfully tricking Radovid requires careful dialogue choices, though it does not negatively impact your ability to progress the main story.
Fulfilling Radovid's request unlocks subsequent political side quests later in the campaign, including conspiratorial plotlines that shape the fate of Northern Kingdoms. Whether you side with the crown or shield Philippa, your choices during Redania's Most Wanted reflect Geralt's complex neutral stance amidst wartime politics.
