The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still one of the best titles that came out of the house of CD Projekt. Besides the top-notch graphics, wonderful gameplay, etc., the open world of the game features numerous remarkable characters and nail-biting quests that are bound to leave a mark on their minds. Both the main quests and the standalone side quests equally contribute to the fun factor of this game.
‘A Towerful of Mice’ is a side quest in The Witcher 3 and is among the many quests Geralt can complete for Keira Metz – a magical ally of his. There are a decent number of spooky things in The Witcher 3, and this secondary quest is definitely one of them. For your info, ‘A Towerful of Mice’ can sometimes be a headache to the players, as it is a disingenuous and hard-to-get-through mission. Also, it can have two distinct endings based on your choices.
In this walkthrough, I will discuss how you can finish the quest with ease and experience the best ending. So, without further ado, let us see how to lift the curse that has been plaguing Fyke Island.
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Where is Fyke Island, and How Can You Get There?
When you meet the sorceress, Keira Metz, she will inform you about the deaths that have been occurring around Fyke Island. The main culprit of the situation seems to be a haunted tower that has cursed the region and has become a threat.
Upon obtaining the leads that Keira provides, you, as Geralt, have to go to the tower that is witnessing a mice infestation. Besides, there are plentiful monsters as well, including a Specter.
Needless to say, with such decent numbers of monsters around, you should expect a fair number of fights. Plus, players find themselves in a confused state when it comes to the endings. In most cases, they end up picking the worst out of the two endings.
Nonetheless, I have studied the quest thoroughly and found ways to pass through each of the phases with fewer chances of failure and resistance.
The first thing you need to do is reach Fyke Island, where the tower in question exists. After you have finished your conversation with Keira, you will see a quest marker displayed on the map.
Using this quest marker, you can get to the boat on the shore. Take this boat to reach the Fyke Island. Truth be told, the island’s heavy fortification caught me a little off-guard. And I am sure that things will be similar in your case as well. Anyway, find a good spot to dock your boat and get down to discover the island.
Also, I have seen various necrophages inhabiting this location, such as Drowners, Rotfiends, and Ghouls. To show these enemies their place, apply some Necrophage Oil to your blade. This will be beneficial in getting rid of them faster.
Apart from them, you will find irritating black flies that have clouded the skies of the island. Igni can come in handy in eliminating both the flies as well as your necrophage adversaries.
You have to fight your way through your enemies before you can finally reach the tower.
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Where to Find Alexander’s Lab?
As I mentioned before, the tower is severely rat-infested. Thus, when you enter the tower, you have to be ready to face these pesky creatures. I was flabbergasted at how aggressive these rodents were despite their tiny stature.
As I was on a high level and my Enemy Upscaling was active, the petrifying rats were capable of decreasing my health bar to a great extent within a short time.
You have to fight off the rats, while also keeping your focus on exploring the tower to find out the real reason behind the disaster that has come down upon the Fyke Islands and the deaths it has caused.
Now is the time to utilize the magical lantern that Keira gave you. This magical lantern will help players witness the seven events of deaths that happened on the island.
FYI, you will unveil four of them inside the tower and three outside. All seven of these deaths are part of a peasant massacre. Once you have known how these deaths took place, your quest will update to tell you to visit the tower top and conduct an investigation.
After you have inspected the place a bit and maybe utilized your Witcher’s senses, you will find a pair of levers in the topmost part of the haunted tower. Pulling them together will expose an entrance. Pass through this entrance, and you will find the laboratory of Alexander – a wizard.
Using the magic lantern, you will come to know about all the things about the lab as well as converse with the spirit of a woman named Annabelle residing there.
Annabelle’s Backstory
Annabelle, a ghost who now dwells in Alexander’s lab, was once the daughter of Vserad. Her father was the lord of Velen circa 1272. Graham – a local fisherman, was Annabelle’s love interest. But her father, Vserad, objected to their relationship due to Graham’s social status.
As the Northern War III unfolded, she escaped with her family members and took refuge in the tower of sorcerer Alexander on Fyke Island. However, the rioting, livid peasants soon started storming the tower. This prompted Annabelle to drink a magic potion that paralyzed her and made her look like a dead body. Annabelle did so because she was scared that the peasants would despoil her chastity if they found her alive.
When she woke up, she found all her family members and servants lying dead on the floor, while she could not move. She saw the rats feasting on the dead bodies of her close ones and, after some time, came for her too. Annabelle died in one of the worst possible ways – the rats ate her alive.
The gruesome incident brought about a curse on both her and the tower. This is evident in the fact that Annabelle’s ghost has been haunting the place in unending wretchedness ever since.
Also, the ghastly event turned Annabelle’s love for her lover, Graham, into resentment. Now, she blames Graham for not helping her during the carnage. Her strong feeling of antipathy towards Graham is the principal reason behind the curse prevailing on the island.
Also Read: How to Get to Kaer Morhen – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt [Ethically and Unethically]
How to Contact the Spirit of Annabelle?
Geralt is remarkably proficient in his knowledge regarding different curses. Finding out about the tragic fate of Annabelle, the Witcher will employ this vast knowledge to search for a possible way to end her misery. After pondering on the matter for a bit, Geralt will conclude that the strong bond of love that Annabelle and Graham once shared has the potential to clear their road to redemption.
You can easily establish a connection to Annabelle’s ghost utilizing the magic lantern received from Keira. Once contacted, Annabelle will tell you her story herself. Although Geralt thinks that love can break the curse and is left with two possible endings – neither will go down as planned.
Now you will see why I was saying that the quest is disingenuous. When Geralt tells Annabelle that she should forgive Graham, as he was unaware of her being alive and deceived by one of Alexander’s potions, she agrees to give it a try. But she asks Geralt to bring her remains to Graham so that he can bury them.
Most people in this situation will accept Annabelle’s request. I mean, what possibly could go wrong? Umm, a lot. Let me break it to you: Annabelle is not your average ghost. She is a dangerous Pesta or Plague Maiden, concealing her true identity.
I have tried both choices, and the outcomes were not what I was expecting at all.
What Happens if You Accept Annabelle’s Request?
If you say yes to Annabelle’s request and fetch her remains to Graham, he will bury them. As you have started departing, you will hear a scream.
When you rush back to Graham, you will find him dead. There is a swarm of rats surrounding his dead body, while Annabelle, in her true Pesta form, ogles at him.
While this marks the end of the curse, it is also the beginning of another misery. Before you can stop the Plague Maiden in her tracks, she flies away.
Soon, the nearby Kingdom of Kerack witnesses a Catriona outbreak, while she quenches her thirst for human suffering. Ultimately, the Catriona plague brings about the doom of this coastal city.
What Happens if You Reject Annabelle’s Request?
The second choice is the flat-out rejection of Annabelle’s request. However, this has awful consequences.
Annabelle becomes furious and turns into her Plague Maiden form. Remember that you cannot beat Annabelle while the curse is still in place. Hence, all you can do is flee and go meet Graham in the north of Oreton.
After elucidating to him everything that has gone down till now, you have to come back to Fyke Island with Graham. Unfortunately, here, the spirits of peasants will charge at you as Wraiths. Get rid of them by applying some Spectral Oil on your blade and using Yrden.
Once the Wraiths are out of the way, enter the tower and go to its top again, where Graham and Annabelle will speak to each other. When Graham clarifies that he still loves her, they share a kiss. This ends Graham’s life, and the two lovers reunite in the afterlife.
The curse finally comes to an end. You can now report back to Keira to finish the quest.
Final Words
As you can see, ‘A Towerful of Mice’ is an unnerving yet tragic quest that eventually ends in the lift of the curse that has been haunting Fyke Island since Annabelle’s horrible death. No matter what option the player chooses in his attempt to ensure Fyke Island’s return to normalcy, they don’t go according to the plan.
Nevertheless, considering the consequences that ensue, I feel the second option, that is, rejecting Annabelle’s request, is the best option to choose among the two. Even though Graham dies, the lovers still reunite in the afterlife, and Kerack City remains unscathed – the lesser of the two evils if you ask me.
Now, you may read about the ‘There Can Be Only One’ quest, which you can try later down the storyline.
