With your business at Nebakov concluded for now, Henry’s next task is to interrogate one of the captured bandits in the same Trosky dungeon that held Hans in the Necessary Evil quest.
Speak with Capon about your proposed interrogation of the bandit prisoner at Trosky Castle and, despite his bluster with Lord von Bergow, Hans isn’t too keen on turning the screw – literally – when it comes to the interrogation, and nor is Henry. But the task has been given to them to accomplish however they can, so that’s why they’ll have to do.
When the conversation ends, don your highest charisma outfit (mine got to 22 with jewellery) and follow Hans downstairs and into the cellars, where you find the torture room of the dungeon. Interact with the door handle and the scene will begin. Remember, as this scene plays out your choices will often be timed – however, you can still pause the game if you need time to think.
Also, this quest is easier if you managed to uncover the bandit’s plan when you made your visit to Nebakov. If you’d prefer to come in with that information, you can load a previous save to replay the Back in the Saddle quest – it doesn’t take long if you know what you’re doing.
Alternatively, if you don’t know the bandit’s plan already, you need to rely on intimidation to get what you want. My best outfit yielded a score of 15 intimidation, which was enough to get all of the information out of the prisoner.
How to interrogate all of the information out of the prisoner
The prisoner starts off sprightly, showing defiance in the face of his captors. When he asks who you are, introduce yourself as Henry and Hans – playing the good cop to begin with. Continue the theme by trying things the easy way first, then view the tongs on the barrel to your left.
Ask who the leader of their band is, then when he still refuses, you get a chance to lean on your charisma or the knowledge you gleaned from the previous quest. If you followed our guide to the Back in the Saddle quest and uncovered the bandit plot at Nebakov, you get two starred conversation options here, starting with “we already know that anyway”, then when you spoke with Nebak, the leader was referred to as “Captain”.
Alternatively, you need to try the intimidation check, which I passed at 15 – or go to the tools. Using tools will lower your reputation with Hans, but it’s the only way to get the intel otherwise.
This breaks the prisoner’s resolve a little, goading him into speaking about the man he obviously knows. In his answer, he gives you a name: Jan.
Next, ask where the band is hiding, even though you already know they’ve taken over the fort.
Finally, pick up Henry’s personal vendetta and ask about the man they call Istvan Toth. Here you can either go to the torture tools, or use your charisma and knowledge further. With 20 charisma, I managed to get him to speak about Toth. You get confirmation that he’s there with the bandits, but the man really doesn’t know anything about your swords, so you can drop it after that to avoid losing face with Hans.
Now, ask for more information about their leader. This is where the torture tools will have to come out if you fail the intimidation check. He says that the leader is a nobleman who claims to care about the local people, but that he doesn’t know any more than that.
Your next question is about where the local support for the militia is coming from. But again, the instruments of torture will have to come out if you fail the initial check. You get another intimidation check which I passed with 16, but either way the prisoner implicates Olda, the younger Lord Semine, as the one harbouring the bandits.
Finally, ask about your own ambush. He says you deserved it just as much as any of von Bergow’s servants, but you can retort that you don’t serve the Lord, you’re just envoys of peace. You can meter out more punishment here, but there’s nothing left to say. That’s all you’ll get out of him. So end the interrogation there to avoid losing reputation with Hans.
With the interrogation over, your next choice is whether to tell von Bergow of the possible betrayal at Semine. If you took the Blacksmith’s path to the wedding, then the people of Semine are among your friends from The Jaunt and other quests. However, it wouldn’t look good in the future if it were to come to light that you withheld information.
Should you tell von Bergow about Semine?
If you decide to tell Lord von Bergow about Semine:
- You will be put on a path that forces you to side either with Lord Semine and his servants or Hashek the Burgrave
- Both of these routes will result in Semine Manor being sacked and burned to the ground
- Siding with Semine will result in Hashek’s death, with Hans and Henry having to lie to von Bergow about the battle
- Siding with Hashek to whatever degree will result in the deaths of Gnarly, Agnes the Bailiff’s daughter and other Semine residents in violent fashion
However, if you lie to von Bergow and don’t tell him about Semine:
- The Necessary Evil quest ends there and the story continues to the next part
- Semine manor isn’t raised by the burgrave and the characters there have a chance at a different fate
In a callous and self-interested sense, it’s worth remembering at this impasse that Henry and Hans’ mission is to broker a deal with von Bergow on behalf of Radzig and Hanush, and working against von Bergow puts you at odds with that.
However, Trosky Castle has treated you harshly at every turn, and you may well feel like playing your cards close to your chest is warranted…
Given the violent and wanton manner of the Burgrave’s attack on Semine, personally, I consider lying to Lord von Bergow and keeping Semine’s involvement to yourself the “good” route, as it protects friends and allies you know were innocent.
Conversely though, if you’re playing for a more dramatic story and where actions have difficult and morally ambiguous consequences, then reveal Semine’s involvement.
Therefore, if you tell von Bergow that Olda is in league with the bandits, both the Lord and Burgrave are incensed, and while you get a charisma option to put a word in for the rest of the wedding guests, you will be put on a path which forces you to either side with the traitors at Semine or the Burgrave.
On this path, with von Bergow’s top man, you’ll then ride out for Semine to meter out justice. As you follow the Burgrave, he’ll clue you into the goings on of the ambush on the wedding night, as well as some more about the bandits. The slaughter the Burgrave witnessed at the ambush has hardened him against any would-be conspirators and it becomes clear that there’s no non-violent option to be had here.
Inside the inner courtyard at Semine, the Burgrave, Lord Semine and Gnarly exchange words, but after you say to try and resolve matters peacefully, Lord Semine pleads with Hashek to leave Olda in exchange for information about the band of bandits.
As the situation continues to boil over, when prompted, you can advocate for a fair trial. But it’s your next choice that really matters.
If you say “nothing should burn”, that puts you in a fight against the burgrave and the Trosky soldiers.
When they’re defeated, you can grill the Semines on what happens next. Olda repeats the same line about the bandit leader being a noble who “cares” for the commonfolk and that von Bergow is a traitor. However, with the Burgrave dead, it becomes clear that the only way out is for the Semine’s to flee, the manor to be burned and Henry and Hans to lie about what happened.
Despite Capon’s apprehension, von Bergow swallows what you feed him, and the quest progresses to the next step where you’re invited to a meeting of vassals to discuss the assault on Nebakov.
Alternatively, if you lump in with the Trosky knights, a fight breaks out as Lord Semine refuses to give up his son. In the ensuing battle, Lord Semine is knocked unconscious, but other characters like Captain Gnarly and the Bailiff’s daughter Agnes are killed.
You find Olda at the top of the main tower in the loft space. He pleads his innocence and righteousness in riling against von Bergow before you’re given the option to send him to be tried or let him go. You need to send him to be tried, otherwise Hashek will overhear and attack you and Hans. Either way, since Hashek’s bloodlust cannot be sated, Olda is put to death there and then. The fortress will then be reduced to ashes as a warning against any who would stand against von Bergow. So, whatever, your actions, the Semine manor is raised.
Report to von Bergow in the morning and you can either let Capon speak for you, or drop the Burgrave in the mire. Piping up that the Burgrave ordered Olda’s death angers von Bergow, but don’t push your luck, condemning the actions further will get you a scolding from von Bergow, but either way the quest will now conclude and you will be put on the same path as if you hadn’t revealed the treachery with the For Victory quest!
Following the relatively linear events of For Victory, you’ll recieve another quest, Divine Messenger, before picking back up with a more non-linear, choice-driven quest in Finger of God.
For more item locations, explainers and quest help take a look at our in-progress Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 walkthrough!