

Hopefully, our old friend Triss will have seen her. This quest launches Geralt’s journey in Novigrad to look for Ciri. Gather the object Triss needs and then engage her in conversation. The Pyres of Novigrad is a main quest in Novigrad. Continue after Triss and then swim west until you reach the center of the area. You will find a torch by the center pillar and then push a loose brick to discover a secret entrance. Stick by Triss, take out the Drowner and use your Witcher Senses to investigate the location. Now take Geralt to the east and you will run into Triss and the King of the Beggars. Enter the storage room, ascend the ladder, kill the thieves and walk into Putrid Grove. Kill Drowners and use his Witcher Senses to find a body containing a key. If you prefer to do things the hard way, go outside of this city and head to Glory Gate, where Geralt will discover the entrance to the sewer. Otherwise you will need to fork over 50 Crowns or use Axii level two to avoid paying. If you know the passphrase you will be able to enter without much pushback. I lost the thief after the scene but I was then able to go the the beggar over the street (NW corner of square) and progress in the quest.Now travel to the next marker on the map and tell the people there that you are a freak. I kept doing this until I got him towards the West end of the street by the band that plays in the square. He got scared and ran away from me towards the square. Next, I positioned myself in front of him so his back was towards the square and used Igni. That didn't quite work out as he'd eventually circle around me. When a cloaked figure came by, I tried to bump/push him towards the square. On the street that goes W/E at the bottom of the square, I went East, past the juggler/begger/guards, to the intersection where the street comes down and curves to the East.

I figured that I'd have to force one there. In fact none ever showed up in the square. the location of Triss Merigold, two available ways of locating her, how to meet with King of Beggars and how to find Triss's bag. No thieves (cloaked figures / shady characters) ever showed up in or near the yellow circles. On this page of the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt guide, you can find a walkthrough for The Pyres of Novigrad story quest.

Talking to beggars didn't get me anywhere.
