Executive Overview
Released as part of the monumental next-generation update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in December 2022, CD Projekt Red’s narrative addition—"In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow"—breathed fresh life into one of the base game’s most tantalizing geographical anomalies: The Devil’s Pit. Long a dormant, unfinished quarry sitting broodingly in the heart of Velen, this sprawling excavation site transformed overnight into a claustrophobic chamber of horrors, historical reckoning, and high-stakes supernatural combat.
At its core, the quest serves a dual purpose: it acts as a gripping, morally ambiguous narrative set piece that explores the dark underbelly of religious fanaticism, and it delivers the highly coveted Forgotten Wolf School gear diagrams. Modeled meticulously after the distinct, rugged leather-and-stud attire worn by Henry Cavill in Netflix’s live-action The Witcher series, this armor set became an immediate must-have for completionists and fashion-forward witchers alike.
However, navigating the winding depths of The Devil’s Pit requires more than mere swordplay. The quest is densely layered with optional clues, environmental storytelling, a multi-phased boss fight against a demonic entity known as the Red Miasmal, and a delicate dialogue tree that dictates the fate of a corrupted soul and a misguided priest. This exhaustive guide provides an authoritative roadmap to conquering the quest, unlocking the optimal "good" ending, and securing the legendary Forgotten Wolf School schematics.
Detailed Chronology: Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Phase 1: Initiation at The Devil’s Pit
Your journey begins in the central Velen region. Make your way south of the sprawling hub of Novigrad and southwest of the academic enclave of Oxenfurt until you arrive at the imposing gates of The Devil’s Pit.
Upon arrival, you will encounter an anxious Eternal Fire Deacon standing near the camp’s entrance. The deacon is desperate, spinning a tale of foul plagues, corrupted men, and unholy horrors lurking within the bowels of the old mine. Agreeing to assist him sets the official wheels of the quest in motion.
Before descending into the true subterranean dark, you must first clear the surface levels of hostile deserters. Once the area is secured, locate the northwest exit—a heavy set of double doors etched with chilling, arcane white symbols. This serves as the threshold to the underground cave system.
Phase 2: Subterranean Exploration and Investigation
As you venture deeper into the mines, you will find the tunnels brimming with valuable loot. It is imperative that you scavenge thoroughly during this initial sweep; you will be locked out of these cavern areas once the quest concludes, making it your only opportunity to harvest rare crafting materials and items.
Beyond physical loot, the caves tell a silent story of suffering and betrayal. To unlock critical narrative context, optional dialogue branches, and essential crafting advantages for the upcoming boss encounter, you must actively search for clues:
- Corpes and Witcher Symbols: Inspect the remains of fallen travelers and crude markers left behind decades prior.
- Reinald’s Notes: Keep a sharp eye out for a total of five scattered journals and notes penned by a witcher named Reinald.
- The Magic Lamp: If you have previously progressed through Keira Metz’s questline, equip her Magic Lamp to reveal spectral echoes of the past, shedding light on the atrocities committed by the Order of the Eternal Fire against plague victims.
A mysterious, disembodied voice will soon echo through the tunnels, pleading for your help at the bottom of the pit. Interestingly, this voice will actively attempt to misguide you, warning you away from specific corridors. As a rule of thumb, always take the path the voice tells you to avoid. For example, when the tunnel splits and the voice urges you to go right, choose the left path to uncover hidden notes and contextual history.
Phase 3: Crafting Reinald’s Philter
Navigating the deepest recesses of the mine will eventually lead you to two vital discovery zones:
- The Alchemy Station: Here, you must thoroughly examine the area and read the priest’s hidden testament.
- The Reddish Shack: Located within a cavernous chamber populated by the ghosts of plague victims, this dilapidated structure houses the blueprint and requisite ingredients for Reinald’s Philter.
Once acquired, open your alchemy menu, navigate down to the "Quests" category, and craft the potion. While optional, reading the bestiary entry on the Red Miasmal and consuming or preparing this specific concoction will drastically swing the tactical pendulum in your favor during the impending confrontation.
Phase 4: Freeing Reinald and the Boss Encounter
At the absolute base of The Devil’s Pit, you will enter a vast, echoing arena containing a wretched human figure entombed directly within a massive stalagmite. Claiming to be Reinald, the original witcher of the Wolf School assigned to this cursed site, he begs for your release.
Cast the Aard sign (a concentrated telekinetic blast) to shatter the stone prison. However, salvation is short-lived; the freed figure is indeed Reinald, but his mind and body are violently hijacked by the Red Miasmal.
Crucial Decision Point: Reinald (now heavily influenced by the entity) will demand that you hand over Reinald’s Philter. Do not give Reinald the potion. Yielding to his request complicates the combat phase significantly. Instead, keep the elixir for Geralt to consume.
The Boss Fight: Two Distinct Phases
- Phase One (Possessed Reinald): Reinald will constantly shroud himself in a protective Quen shield. Refrain from mindlessly hacking away at him, as doing so drains your stamina and deals negligible damage. Instead, drop a Yrden sign to trap his movements, and follow up with an Aard blast to successfully force the Red Miasmal to temporarily manifest outside of Reinald’s physical form.
- Phase Two (The Red Miasmal): Stripped of its human vessel, the Red Miasmal transforms into a grotesque, spectral abomination. This creature possesses the ability to teleport across the arena, summon aggressive lesser minions, and unleash a devastating ranged energy wave. Maintain high mobility, dodge its ranged attacks immediately following its teleports, and chip away at its health pool using silver blade oil and signs.
Quest Outcomes & Dialogue Trees
Following the tumultuous defeat of the Red Miasmal, Reinald collapses and issues a final request: he demands that you bring the surviving Eternal Fire priest down into the pit to face justice.
Branch A: Refusing to Bring the Priest
If you deny Reinald’s request and return alone to the surface, you will confront the Deacon outside. You are given the choice to either detail the horrific atrocities and cultist crimes that occurred in the depths, or dismiss the matter by stating the details are irrelevant. Ultimately, this path yields a bleak status quo; the dogmatic priest refuses to believe your testimony, leaving the overarching mystery unresolved.
Branch B: Bringing the Priest to Reinald
Complying with Reinald’s wish initiates a tense confrontation between the ghost of the wronged witcher, the terrified priest, and Geralt. This conversation branches into two distinct narrative conclusions depending heavily on your choice of dialogue:
- The Good Outcome: By successfully making a compelling, compassionate, and logical case for the priest, you can convince Reinald to spare his life. In this resolution, the priest undergoes a profound spiritual awakening, renounces the Order of the Eternal Fire, and dedicates his remaining days to founding a makeshift hospital right inside The Devil’s Pit to care for the afflicted. Reinald’s tormented spirit finally achieves closure and fades away peacefully.
- The Bad Outcome: If you fail to defend the priest properly through dialogue choices, Reinald’s vengeance overrides his reason. He slaughters the priest in cold blood, leaving his ghost trapped in endless agitation. Consequently, the surface camp and quarry of The Devil’s Pit become permanently overrun by vicious ghouls and lingering dark energies.
Securing the Optimal Dialogue Choices
To secure the "Good Outcome" and save the priest, you must select dialogue options that advocate for his capacity to change and highlight the fact that he was merely a blind follower manipulated by a corrupt institution. Pick at least two (preferably more) pro-priest dialogue lines when prompted during the tense dialogue tree at the end of the quest.
Rewards and Collector’s Value
Regardless of whether you achieve the utopian hospital ending or the grim, ghoul-infested tragedy, completing "In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow" guarantees a premier reward: all diagrams for the Forgotten Wolven armor and weapons.
Upon completing the primary confrontation, you will automatically unlock the treasure hunt quest titled "Scavenger Hunt: Forgotten Wolf School Gear Diagrams." Following these quest markers allows you to gather the various crafting pieces across Kaer Morhen and Velen, enabling master blacksmiths to forge the iconic Netflix-inspired witcher gear set across its various upgrade tiers (Enhanced, Superior, Mastercrafted, and Grandmaster).
Future Outlook & Industry Impact
The inclusion of "In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow" marked a fascinating new chapter for CD Projekt Red’s post-launch support philosophy. By utilizing a free next-generation console and PC update to seamlessly weave high-end fan service—such as the Netflix armor—into deep, lore-abiding narrative quests, the developers proved that older open-world flagships could continue to mature years after their initial release.
As the gaming industry looks ahead to the eventual horizon of The Witcher 4 (Project Polaris), quests like "In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow" stand as a masterclass in environmental storytelling, proving that even a previously discarded map asset like The Devil’s Pit can be reborn into a haunting, unforgettable chapter in the legendary witcher’s storied career.
