How I Almost Overlooked Aerondight—Your Essential Guide

How I Almost Overlooked Aerondight

After pouring more than 70 hours into Blood and Wine—perfecting Corvo Bianco’s vineyards, hunting every monster, and chasing every sunset over Toussaint—I finally realized I’d missed the single greatest silver blade in my arsenal. Aerondight, that legendary Arthurian sword, was quietly charging in my quest log, waiting to turn every monster contract into a fireworks show. Here’s how I almost let it slip by, plus a step-by-step guide so you won’t make the same mistake.

What You Need Before You Begin

Setting yourself up properly saves headaches later. Before you track down Aerondight’s quest, make sure:

• Blood and Wine Expansion: Aerondight is locked to this 2016 DLC. Own the Complete Edition or install it separately.
• Geralt at Level 30–35: You’ll face a tough duel and high-level foes. Hitting the low- to mid-30s gives you breathing room.
• Opened Toussaint Region: Finish “The Blood of Elves” or fast-travel to Toussaint after installing the DLC.
• Basic Gear: A mid-tier silver sword (Feline or Manticore) and medium armor let you clear early Knightside Virtue tasks without issue.

Pro tip: You don’t need to “hunt virtues.” The five deeds auto-track. Just complete them naturally while exploring Toussaint.

Triggering “There Can Be Only One”

You can start the quest two ways—both funnel into the same knightly challenge:

• Beauclair Notice Board: In the city center, scan the quest boards for “There Can Be Only One.”
• Lac Celavy Hermit: Fast-travel to Lake Celavy, sail to the little island, and meet the mysterious Hermit.

Either approach has the Hermit laying out one stipulation: prove you embody five knightly virtues. No riddles—just chivalric deeds.

Mastering the Five Knightly Virtues

You need exactly one qualifying deed per virtue, so pick the easiest you’ve already unlocked. Below are five clear examples I used during routine exploration:

Compassion: Sparing the Shaelmaar

During The Beast of Toussaint, when you face the rampaging Shaelmaar, choose the dialogue option to spare it. Many players kill it outright. Mercy here unlocks your Compassion virtue.

Honor: Keeping Your Word

In the pheasant-roast quest for the hunters, they’ll ask you to betray one of them for more coin. Refuse outright and honor your original contract. That straightforward choice nets your Honor deed.

Valor: Winning the Joust

Enter Beauclair’s tourney and defeat three knights in one-on-one jousting. You can also rescue a trapped guard in Katakan Caves—he falls during a cave collapse. Either action registers as Valor.

Wisdom: Outsmarting the Rabbit Riddle

The talking rabbit puzzle appears again in The Beast of Toussaint. Ask the right questions in the correct order (“What is your favorite color?” followed by “What do you fear?”) and you claim Wisdom without a single sword swing.

Generosity: Donating to the Chimney-Sweep

In In the Belly of the Beast, a chimney-sweep boy begs for crowns. Hand over at least 500 crowns. If you’re short, loot nearby bandit camps or vineyard cellars; I always find enough coin after roaming for monsters.

Vital tip: If you accidentally botch a deed, reload before heading to the Hermit and swap in another qualifying action.

Tracking Your Progress

Open There Can Be Only One in your quest log. You’ll see five icons:

1. Gold glow for completed virtues.
2. Greyed-out for remaining tasks.

This clear visual lets you immediately identify which deed to finish. No more wandering the map guessing which virtue you missed.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Overkilling early tasks: Killing the Shaelmaar instead of sparing it will cost you Compassion—reload and choose mercy.
• Skipping dialogue cues: Don’t rush through rabbit riddles. Follow each option precisely or Wisdom won’t register.
• Under-levelled Geralt: Attempting the joust at level 20 made me reload three times. Wait until at least level 30 for a smoother fight.
• Insufficient crowns: You can visit Monster Nests and Contracts in Toussaint for quick coin farming if your budget is tight.

The Final Duel with the Hermit

Once all five virtues show gold, sail back to Lake Celavy’s island. The Hermit unmasks himself as your ultimate sparring partner:

• Potions & Oils: Drink Thunderbolt, apply Relict Oil, and keep Swallow active for constant heals.
• Guard Break: Use heavy attacks or a charged Aard blast. Spamming light swings won’t break his defense.
• Teleport Patterns: He’ll vanish and lunge. Dodge sideways—front rolls often place you directly in his path.
• Defensive Signs: Keep Quen shield up. On Death March, one Hermit combo can wipe you without it.

Claiming Aerondight

With the Hermit down, the Lady of the Lake rises from the waters to crown you with Aerondight. In my playthrough, the cutscene gave me chills—the music, the glow, and that first taste of a charged blow. From then on:

• Each landed hit fills a hidden meter.
• At full charge, guaranteed critical strike.
• Every full meter permanently boosts the sword’s base damage—so by mid-game, no other silver blade compares.

Comparing Aerondight to Other Silver Swords

Before Aerondight, I relied on crafted Feline and Viper blades. Both have strong base damage and attack speed, but only Aerondight grows stronger mid-battle. If you’re speed-running contracts, Aerondight’s scaling crits cut fights dramatically short. It’s truly in its own tier.

Gear and Build Recommendations

• Fast-Attack Builds: Combine with Greater Chernobog or Wraith runestones to rack up meter quickly.
• Sign Selection: Quen is mandatory during target practice. Avoid Yrden or Igni when charging—you need sword hits exclusively.
• Armor & Decoctions: On Death March, I ran full Ursine with Tawny Owl and Swallow for extra stamina and regen.

Advanced Tips I Wish I Knew

• Save Before the Duel: One mistimed reroll can cost you hours—always keep a pre-fight save.
• Reset Enemy Spawns: Fast travel to Corvo Bianco, then back to Toussaint for fresh monster nests if you need more Valor runs.
• Adrenaline Regen: Mix Giant’s Toad decoction with an adrenaline-focused build for mid-duel healing.
• Explore Optional Caves: You might stumble on extra crowns and contracts that count toward your deeds.

Conclusion

From grabbing the notice-board quest to wielding Aerondight, expect around 5–6 hours depending on your map knowledge. But every minute feels legendary. Aerondight isn’t just another trophy blade— it’s a crescendo to your silver-sword journey. Charge it with every blow, unleash crits, and let Toussaint’s beasts quake at your feet.