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"La Cage au Fou" is the second major story mission in the Blood & Wine expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It follows Geralt's return to the sun-drenched hills of Toussaint in "The Beast of Toussaint," and his meeting with Regis and the Beast of Beauclair in the brief interlude, "Blood Run."
"La Cage au Fou" acts as a reunion for Geralt and Regis, who had been absent throughout The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt. Regis, a higher-vampire who befriended Geralt prior to the events of the series, is familiar with the Beast, and believes he can convince it to stop killing. This sets the stage for the quest as a whole.
Before Starting 'La Cage au Fou'
It's worth mentioning that once "Blood Run" has been completed, going into the center of town will trigger the cutscene that initiates "Turn and Face the Strange." Completing this quest is not a requirement, but the benefits make it well worth doing. This quest will transform Geralt's character page, allowing access to the mutagen abilities. Remember, if Geralt gives the child who delivers the letter a 5 crown tip, the generosity requirement for "There Can Be Only One" will be met.
How to Find Regis at Mère-Lachaiselongue Cemetery
"La Cage au Fou" is automatically initiated once "Blood Run" is completed. Geralt's first task requires him to meet Regis at his laboratory/hideout in the cemetery that sits to the east of Beauclair.
Upon arrival, Geralt will have to dispense with two archespores, a cursed plant monster found in Toussaint. They are vulnerable to Igni, Aard, and cursed oil.
The quest marker will lead Geralt to the door of a mausoleum, but the door will be locked. The actual entrance is a former grave that is now an open pit. The entrance marker is just south of the center of the search area.
When Geralt enters the pit, he will be greeted by a kikimore nest. Several workers and a single warrior will be present to attack Geralt. These insectoids are vulnerable to Igni and insectoid oil. Clearing the nest will earn him 100 experience points.
Slightly further down the corridor, Geralt can use Aard to blast a blockage out of his way, clearing the way into Regis' laboratory.
Geralt and Regis Discuss Dettlaff
Once Geralt makes his way into the laboratory, an expository cutscene will be triggered. The two discuss the possibility of locating the higher-vampire Dettlaff, which Regis claims is impossible if he does not want to be found. His tune changes, however, when Geralt shows him Dettlaff's severed hand.
This quest features long stretches of dialogue between Geralt and Regis, all of which is important to the story. But for the sake of brevity, the key points to remember are:
- Regis believes he can use a special decoction called Resonance to explore the memories retained in Dettlaff's physical tissues.
- Dettlaff's ring is ancient, from a time before the Conjunction of the Spheres. It originally belonged to Regis, who says it came from a vampire that had a certain regard for humans. It was gifted to Dettlaff in the hopes of reminding him to foster that same regard.
- There is a being that can force Dettlaff to show himself, but Regis says he would prefer literally any other method.
- The Resonance decoction requires several ingredients that are hard to obtain. Regis suggests they ask a friend for help.
Geralt and Regis Wait for the Raven
Regis asks a raven - yes, the bird - to search the area for the type of creatures that contain the needed ingredient. In this case, the ingredient turns out to be spotted wight saliva.
While Geralt and Regis wait, the player can choose to share a drink or take a nap. If Geralt chooses to share a drink, several dialogue options will become available. While this discussion is not necessary, the discussion helps establish the nature of their relationship. Topics include the nature of death and how vampires and humans experience it differently. Regis doesn't drink human blood anymore, so Geralt is curious how that is working for him. Some aspects of the discussion can give more insight into why Regis feels indebted to Dettlaff. Regis asks Geralt whether Geralt would choose to be a witcher if he were also reborn. The player has a chance here to put their own touch on Geralt's lore. If Geralt chooses to take a nap, he does just that, and the discussion is skipped entirely.
When the Raven returns, it reveals the existence of a spotted wight, a creature long thought extinct, in the Caroberta Woods. Regis tells Geralt that, even after the saliva, they'll need one more ingredient, though he won't say what it is.
Setting Out to Find Spotted Wight Saliva
Before heading out to the location marked on the map, it's worth reading the spotted wight page in Geralt's bestiary. Aside from explaining how to fight these rare necrophages, a good deal of lore can be obtained from reading the excerpt.
Reaching the Wight's Lair
As Geralt approaches the appropriate region of the Caroberta Woods, he'll notice some kind of howling coming from all around. This sounds comes from a large group of barghests that prowl the area. According to the bestiary, these specters inhabit cursed areas, or lands tied to tragic events. Geralt will encounter several on his way to the wight's lair, which is located on the grounds of the Trastamara Estate.
Investigating Trastamara Hunting Cottage
The home that Geralt discovers is surrounded by hundreds of spoons hanging from poles. As he gets closer to the threshold, he discovers the words of a curse scratched into the walls above the door: 'None shall sit and dine with you at your table, no spoon you have shall sate you, never again shall you wish to spy your reflection in the mirror.'
Upon entering the cottage, Geralt should begin investigating with his witcher senses. There are several items that can be interacted with, including a lot of spoons. The following list contains the most important areas and items:
- From the main entrance, turn left around the partition and Geralt will see a small hearth. Open the door to reveal the stained diary. This shows the slow transformation from human to wight.
- Turning right from the entrance and walking down the hall, Geralt will find the spoon key resting on a corner table in the rear corner. This makes the "Spontaneous Profits!" side-quest available.
- From the spoon key, turning around will reveal the dead bodies at the dining table. Geralt infers that the wight has been trying to break the curse by forcing people to dine with her.
- Just past the table, in the far left corner, sits the decaying letter. Geralt learns the woman's name is Marlene de Trastamara.
- Head downstairs and into the wight's main living space. Look for the dinner table near the Cauldron. On this table sits several place settings. Examining this will confirm to Geralt that Marlene is cursed.
Having examined enough objects in the estate, Geralt will now have the option of attempting to lift the curse when he confronts the wight. Geralt will receive 300 experience points when the threshold is met.
How to Lift Marlene de Trastamara's Curse
Now that Geralt knows Marlene and the wight are the same person, he has two choices:
- Kill the wight and take its saliva forcefully.
- Help lift the curse and 'earn' the saliva.
After Geralt examines the downstairs table, follow the mission marker and examine the wight's cauldron. Geralt will discover that the cauldron is empty, so he must hide until the wight returns.
The wardrobe in the opposite corner of the room will suffice. When Geralt enters, a cutscene will be triggered, showing the wight returning to brew its...meal? Potion? Wight-sauce?
Geralt, despite being the silent ninja, monster-killing witcher that he is, manages to make enough noise for the wight to hear him. This is where Geralt is faced with his two choices. He clearly has a rule against killing sentient monsters if he doesn't have to, so lifting the curse seems the obvious choice.
To lift the curse, Geralt must choose to eat without the spoons, as the curse clearly says 'no spoon you have shall sate you.' If Geralt does this correctly, when the wight sees its reflection in the bowl, it will begin to transform, running off before it can finish. Follow the smell of the wight's brew outside to complete the task.
When Geralt reaches the end of the trail, he finds Marlene, fully transformed. He decides to take her back to Corvo Bianco.
If Geralt makes the wrong choice when attempting to lift the curse, he can simply return to Regis with the brew, he does not need to kill the wight.
Choosing to Kill the Spotted Wight
Geralt can also simply choose to attack the wight when it hears him in the wardrobe. He will take its glands and return to Regis. This is undoubtedly quicker, but misses out on some amazing story moments, both here and later at Corvio Bianco.
Reporting Back to Regis
When Geralt returns to the cemetery to give Regis the spotted wight saliva, he is finally informed of what the final ingredient is: blood from another higher-vampire. While it seems Regis is the obvious candidate, he informs Geralt it isn't that simple.
Leaving the Cemetery with Regis
Once Geralt and Regis have the discussed the events at Trastamara Estate, Regis explains they must head to the ancient vampire stronghold of Tesham Mutna to secure his blood. To do this, he must be put into an agitated state, which is the only time he can be injured. Geralt can either go with him immediately, or wait until he is ready and come back at a later time. If Geralt chooses to wait, Regis will remain in his laboratory at Mère-Lachaiselongue Cemetery.
When Geralt is ready to leave, Regis will explain some particulars about Tesham Mutna and his plan to keep Geralt safe while he is agitated. Once this is complete, the two will set out for the ruins.
Geralt and Regis Arrive at Tesham Mutna
Because the game takes over when Geralt agrees to leave, the trip to the stronghold is entirely skipped, so Geralt and Regis will show up on the front steps of the ruins. They notice a dead body near the entrance, and Geralt notes that scurvers are likely nearby.
Regis will open the ancient doorway, which was clearly meant to be accessible only to vampires.
Exploring Tesham Mutna with Regis
First Chamber:
There is a long stairwell that leads to the dungeon areas. Continue though the first chamber - look for the chest here containing the first pieces of the Tesham Mutna Set. This armor is one of the rarest sets in the game, and well worth collecting.
Second Chamber:
Follow Regis through, then down a long wooden staircase. Once Geralt reaches the chamber at the bottom of the stairs, look for another chest containing the next two pieces of the Tesham Mutna Set.
In the same chamber at the bottom of the wooden stairs, and in the cells that sit just beyond it, examine the markings on the wall to learn more about the vampire tribes in the area, and how they used Tesham Mutna. Continuing down the cell-lined corridor, Geralt will find several lootable items, including multiple notes that add a tremendous amount to the story. Right before the bend in the corridor, the Tesham Mutna Gauntlets can be found in a small chest.
Help Regis Prepare the Bait
When Geralt and Regis reach the main chamber in the lower dungeons, Regis will ask Geralt to set bait at four separate tunnel entrances.
Use Geralt's witcher senses to locate the appropriate areas to place bait. Some of the tunnels are blocked by wood beams. Use Aard to blast them out of the way. To place the bait, simply look for the prompts near the ground and press the corresponding button. Once Geralt has completed this task, he should prepare for the fight that is about to arrive. When Geralt is ready, speak to Regis to proceed.
Fighting the Monsters at Tesham Mutna
Preparing to Fight:
- Check Geralt's potions. If he needs to refill any, meditate before speaking to Regis. Even a single hour is enough to refill potions and bombs.
- Equip Black Blood into the quick use slot. Given that this is an ancient vampire ruin, it's a safe bet vampires will be drawn to it. This potion will direct a certain percentage of the damage done to Geralt back at the vampire that inflicted it.
- The first set of enemies will be necrophages, so apply necrophage oil before the fight. Vampires will join eventually, but the player can apply new oil at anytime, so when the time is right, apply vampire oil.
Surviving the Fight:
The fight will consist of several tiers of enemies entering the chamber through the tunnel. Geralt must survive until Regis' bloodlust reaches the appropriate level, which is depicted by a progress bar at the top of the screen.
- The first set of enemies is necrophages. Scurvers, rotfiends, ghouls. At first the numbers will be low.
- After Geralt kills several monsters, the number of reinforcements will gradually increase. Use Aard to push large crowds back if overwhelmed. Make sure to apply Quen as often as possible.
- A large fleder will join the fight when the bar is approximately 1/3 full. This enemy is very dangerous. Watch for its jump attacks, which cause massive damage if taken at full force.
A katakan will join the fight. At this point, survival is the primary goal. There is really no chance of killing every enemy, at least when Geralt is anywhere near appropriately leveled. Continue using Quen and Aard, create as much space as possible. Never stand still. Once the bar is full, a cutscene will be triggered.
Geralt and Regis Complete the Resonance Decoction
Once Regis reaches the peak bloodlust, Geralt is able to retrieve a small amount of blood from his palm. With this, the ingredient list for Resonance is complete. Upon returning to Regis' laboratory, Geralt completes the brew while Regis recovers from his ordeal.
Geralt takes the potion, and it works exactly as intended. The remainder of the mission is Geralt experiencing Dettlaff's memories. The key points to remember are:
- Geralt is witnessing Dettlaff's memory of De la Croix's murder.
- It appears Dettlaff was ordered to murder the aging knight, as a card can be seen in his hand, presumably with the assassination details.
- Dettlaff unintentionally befriends the Count. And apologizes before killing him.
- Dettlaff cut off his own hands, apparently enraged by his own actions.
- Dettlaff has strong emotional ties to the bootblack stand where he first met De la Croix.
When Geralt wakes, he and Regis discuss the importance of the visions, especially the fact the bootblack shows up twice. This concludes "La Cage au Fou" and leads directly into "Where Children Toil, Toys Waste Away"
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its expansion, Blood & Wine, are available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.