The Blood and Wine expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt introduces players to the vibrant yet dangerous region of Toussaint, filled with unique secrets and powerful character upgrades. Among the most critical secondary adventures available in this region is the quest titled Turn and Face the Strange, which unlocks an entirely new layer of combat progression for Geralt of Rivia. Navigating this storyline effectively requires an understanding of hidden environmental puzzles and the critical choices that follow your discovery of an ancient laboratory.
How to Trigger the Quest in Toussaint
This side story becomes available automatically after players advance through the early stages of the main expansion campaign, specifically following the completion of the Blood Run mission. As Geralt travels through the bustling streets of Beauclair, a young messenger boy will approach him to deliver a mysterious letter from an old acquaintance. This correspondence contains historical research details regarding a brilliant scientist named Professor Moreau, who dedicated his entire life to studying the physical mutagens of witchers.
Reading this message carefully updates your map with a designated tracking marker situated deep within the flooded confines of the Orlemurs Cemetery. Players must travel to this burial site to search for clues regarding the professor's long-lost final resting place. Investigating the area thoroughly with your Witcher Senses reveals architectural anomalies and hints that lead directly toward a complex network of underground ruins hidden beneath the sea.
Navigating the Ancient Laboratory Puzzles
Entering the submerged ruins requires players to dive into the nearby waters and swim through a narrow underwater cavern to reach the entrance of the ancient test facility. Once inside, you will encounter a massive obstacle course designed to keep out unwanted trespassers, including aggressive stone guardians and deceptive illusion traps. The initial trial forces players to closely analyze a series of gargoyle statues and target hidden wall switches in a precise sequential order to unlock the main iron gate.
After bypassing the initial security layout, you must search the inner chambers to locate Professor Moreau's discarded research journals and old maps left behind during his final experiments. If you want to maximize your understanding of the lore, you can explore the surrounding tunnels to find the remains of a tragic treasure hunter who met an untimely demise while seeking the same knowledge. Gathering these contextual documents helps piece together the exact coordinates of the central laboratory chamber where the experimental mutation machine is housed.
Activating the Mutation Machine and Choices
The climax of the quest takes place inside the main testing room, where Geralt discovers a giant mechanical contraption designed to alter mutant genetics. To operate the machine safely, players must gather specialized ingredients by hunting down giant centipedes nesting in the adjacent rocky tunnels to secure their unique protein-rich albumen. Placing these biological samples into the active containment pods prepares the device for human testing, leaving Geralt to step inside the dangerous chamber himself.
Stepping into the machine initiates a intense sequence that permanently unlocks the advanced mutation skill tree, allowing players to equip game-changing abilities that drastically enhance their combat effectiveness. Following the physical transformation, you can choose how to handle the remaining research materials before escaping the collapsing ruins. This rewarding adventure perfectly showcases the deep narrative design of by blending rewarding gameplay mechanics with rich historical storytelling.
