The Witcher 3 - To Bait A Forktail, Eskel, forktail fight, horse-race

Once The Final Trail is complete, you'll automatically be deposited outside the castle gates, ready for your next quest. Make sure that the newly-added To Bait a Forktail quest is active, then begin your hunt for Eskel. Immediately activate your Witcher Senses and examine the horseshoe prints on the ground.

To Bait a Forktail

Follow the tracks left by Eskel's horse using your Witcher Senses

With your Witcher Senses still tingling, follow the print tracks down the hill. Cross the stream at the bottom and resume the trail on the other side. As the prints veer off into the undergrowth to the right, follow them up the steep incline until you stumble across Eskel's horse, Scorpion.

Examine the area around Eskel's horse for tracks using your Witcher Senses

To continue, examine the human prints on the ground close to Scorpion.

Follow Eskel's tracks using your Witcher Senses

Next, follow Eskel's prints further up the mountain until they disappear.

Look around for more tracks left by Eskel using your Witcher Senses

Turn around, reactivate your Witcher Senses and look toward the base of the nearby tree on the left. Examine the glowing bark to retrieve a delightful clump of goat hair.

Follow the smell using your Witcher Senses

With the goat's scent now in your nostrils, use your Witcher Senses to follow the odour trail as it drifts its way further up the mountain. Deal with any wolves that you meet along the way.

Follow Eskel's prints using your Witcher Senses

Eventually, you'll stumble across Eskel's prints again. Follow them through the undergrowth toward the bleating goat. When Eskel emerges from the bushes, work your way through the conversation.

How to track and kill the forktail

Fight the forktail

Shortly, the forktail lands, drawn to the stench of the goat. Immediately head into the clearing and begin attacking. The forktail has a number of moves: from a distance, it will either shoot venom or attempt to charge at you. In closer quarters, the creature will launch into the air and slash with its claws, or spin around and thwack you with its tale. At this point in your adventure, however, you should have little trouble bringing it down.

Chase the forktail

When the forktail takes flight, follow it further up the mountain using the objective marker as a guide. Stop when you reach the rock ledge ahead.

Follow the forktail's blood trail using your Witcher Senses

Climb the ledge and activate your Witcher Senses. Examine the blood stains on the ground then scale ledge number two. Continue along the mountain path and, when the blood trail ends, investigate the footprints in the grass. Resume the trail and enter the cave nearby.

Find and kill the forktail

Inside the cave, follow the winding tunnel until you locate the forktail. Finish what you started and defeat the creature to proceed. When it's dead, speak with Eskel to acquire the forktail spinal fluid. All you need do now is make your way back to Kaer Morhen.

Return to Kaer Morhen

Retrace your steps and leave the caves. Your horses are waiting outside so, if you're in the mood for a spot of competition, agree to race Eskel back to the fortress.

Beat Eskel back to Kaer Morhen

You should know your way around a horse race by now, so bring Roach up to his top speed and begin charging down the mountain. The route back is a winding one so use the blue line on your mini-map as a guide, ensuring that you don't stray off the path and lose the race.

Ugly Baby (continued)

Spend the evening with the other witchers

Cross the courtyard and make your way back inside the tower to rejoin the other witchers. Question Vesemir about an alternative method of curing Uma. When Vesemir leaves, inquire what else needs to be done before the evening passes. Work through the dialogue options to catch up with your friends and to learn what Yennefer has in store for Uma. Once she leaves, continue talking to the boys until Eskel takes his turn to go to the kitchen.

- Keep reading for our guide to finishing No Place Like Home, the next quest in the game.

- For the rest of our Witcher 3 walkthrough, head back to the index page of this article.