Walkthrough

Precious Cargo is a Side Quest in White Orchard. While traveling to the Nilfgaardian Outpost, Geralt happens upon a merchant in a quandary, but is all as it seems?

• Rewards: Experience, Gold, Celandine (Depending on choices)

Speaking to the well equipped merchant, he will tell you that he lost his cargo - horse and all - in the swamps just to the North, and dares not go near due to the Drowners in the area. Agree to help him and set off towards the swamp. Once you reach the muddy ground, look for the cart tracks using Witcher Vision, and follow them to the crash site. Before you start playing detective, it would be wise to clear the area of Drowners. They can be tough in a pack, so try igniting the red barrels to even the odds.

Using your Witcher Vision, Geralt will notice that the cart - and horse, are peppered with arrows. The lockbox the merchant is so keen on retrieving is also covered in human blood. Sure enough, the real merchant is lying not far against a tree - an arrow in his neck. Something doesn't add up. Collect the rest of the loot in the area and return to the so called merchant. From here, you can choose to overlook the glaring inconsistencies and just get your money, or call him out. If you expose him for the fraud he is, he'll try to escape on horseback, prompting you to chase him down.

Summon Roach and ride hard to catch up, then go for a sword swipe when he's close enough. He'll immediately fall and the chase will end, whereupon the supposed merchant will reveal his true intentions. Here, you have a few options:

• Turn him into the Nilfgaardians (no reward money, but some XP)
• Let him go with the medicine (reward money and xp)
• Let him go, but keep the medicine (no reward money, but some xp)

If you let him live, he'll thank you and run off. You can later find him making camp below a ridge to the South of the Cackler Bridge, but appears to have nothing more to say or do.