You pick up a simple contract in the Bits. Some monster is chewing on people near the docks. Standard Witcher stuff, right? Then you walk into a warehouse and find Lambert—the prickly, cynical "brother" you haven't seen in ages—already elbow-deep in an Ekimmara's guts. That’s how Following the Thread starts, and it’s easily one of the most polarizing quests in The Witcher 3.
What looks like a monster hunt quickly spirals into a globe-trotting revenge flick. Lambert isn't there for the coin; he’s there for blood. Specifically, the blood of Jad Karadin.
The Ghost of Aiden
Most players side with Lambert immediately because, well, he’s family. He tells a story about a fellow Witcher named Aiden from the School of the Cat. According to Lambert, Aiden was a good guy—a rarity for "Cats"—who got cold-bloodedly murdered by a gang of assassins led by Karadin.
But here’s the thing. Aiden wasn't exactly a saint. He was part of a school known for political assassinations and unstable temperaments. Lambert’s bias is massive. He’s grieving, and he’s projecting a lot of his own self-loathing onto this quest.
The Quest's Secret Fail Condition
Did you know you can actually break this quest before it even starts? If you visit the island of Faroe in Skellige and clear out the village of Trottheim before getting the "Following the Thread" objective, you might find yourself in a world of glitchy hurt.
There's a separate quest called Flesh for Sale. If you do it first, you can rescue slaves from the pirates. But if you kill everyone in Trottheim too early, Hammond—the guy Lambert wants you to find—might not spawn correctly. Or the guards will just instantly attack you, skipping some of the best dialogue in the game.
Pro tip: Do not fast travel directly into Trottheim. Approach on foot or by boat from the eastern shore. It keeps the scripts from tripping over themselves.
Is Jad Karadin Actually "Good" Now?
This is the meat of the quest. You eventually track Karadin to a fancy house in Novigrad. He’s retired. He has a wife. He has adopted kids. He’s a "merchant" and a "philanthropist."
Basically, he’s pulling the ultimate "I’ve changed" card.
A lot of fans argue Karadin is lying through his teeth. They point to the letter you find on Hammond’s body. In that letter, Karadin tells Hammond he’s done with the slave trade, but he also suggests other merchants who might be interested. That’s not exactly the behavior of a reformed man; it's the behavior of a man covering his tracks while keeping his professional network intact.
Then there’s the family. Some players think the wife and kids are literally "staged" to make Geralt hesitate. It’s suspicious. The timing is too perfect.
The Choice: Kill or Spare?
Honestly, the game doesn't punish you either way. If you let Lambert kill him, Karadin dies, his wife screams, and Lambert feels... nothing. He doesn't get the closure he wants. He just walks away.
If you spare him, Lambert is furious for about thirty seconds, then gets over it. You can still play Gwent with him later. You can still get him to help at Kaer Morhen.
What happens if you spare Karadin?
- Lambert remains grumpy but stays your ally.
- You get more XP (usually 90 XP compared to 70 for the kill).
- Karadin continues his life in Novigrad.
- Geralt maintains his "neutrality," though it feels a bit hollow.
What happens if you kill Karadin?
- Lambert gets his revenge.
- You can loot Karadin's body (though he doesn't carry anything legendary).
- The "School of the Cat" storyline feels more complete.
Why You Should Probably Kill Him
I’ve played this through four times. The first time, I let him live because I wanted Geralt to be the "bigger man." The second time? I realized Karadin’s story about Aiden’s death is full of holes.
He claims Aiden was "agitated" and they had to kill him in self-defense. But Karadin was leading a band of professional killers. They cornered a lone Witcher and took his swords. In the Witcher world, taking a man's swords is a death sentence anyway.
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Karadin isn't a victim of circumstance. He was a predator who got rich enough to buy a new identity.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you're heading into this quest, keep these steps in mind to get the most out of the narrative:
- Talk to Crach an Craite first. Before you go to Faroe, talk to Crach about Hammond. He’ll give you extra context and a reward for dealing with the pirate.
- Don't skip the dialogue with Vienne. In the Seven Cats Inn, you can choose to fight the elves or talk them down. Talking them down is the "canon" Geralt move, but fighting gives you a bit more loot.
- Check the letter. Read the note on Hammond carefully. It’s the only real piece of evidence that contradicts Karadin’s "saint" persona.
- Finish "Flesh for Sale" first. If you want to see everything, do the slave-trading quest on Faroe before you meet Lambert at the Nowhere Inn. It adds a lot of weight to the world-building.
Ultimately, Following the Thread is about whether a monster can ever truly stop being a monster. Whether you believe Karadin’s transformation or Lambert’s rage is entirely up to you. Just make sure you get that Ekimmara hide first; those are hard to come by.