TL;DR
- A Towerful of Mice is a secondary quest in Velen. Suggested level is 6.
- You investigate a curse on Fyke Isle for Keira Metz using her Magic Lamp.
- There are 7 optional ghost scenes to find — each gives XP.
- The secret laboratory is accessed by pulling two levers both down on the top floor.
- You will meet a ghost named Annabelle and face a major choice.
- Best choice: Refuse to take her bones. Bring Graham to the tower instead. This prevents the Plague Maiden from escaping and earns 500 XP.
- Taking the bones to Graham earns only 300 XP and releases the Plague Maiden into the world.
A Towerful of Mice – Quest Overview
A Towerful of Mice is one of the most memorable secondary quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It takes place in Velen and is part of the Keira Metz questline. The suggested level is 6, but the story and choices here punch well above that level in terms of consequence.
The quest sends Geralt to Fyke Isle, a cursed island overrun with monsters, to investigate the source of an ancient curse on behalf of Keira Metz. Armed with her Magic Lamp and a Xenovox to keep in contact, you will uncover a tragic story of greed, betrayal, and dark magic — and make a choice that determines whether a deadly Plague Maiden is set free on the world.
Previous quest: An Invitation from Keira Metz
Next quest: A Favor for a Friend
How to Start A Towerful of Mice
This quest does not appear out of nowhere. You need to complete a short chain of quests first.
- Complete Wandering in the Dark — a main storyline quest where Geralt works with Keira in ancient elven ruins.
- During or after that, help Keira retrieve the Magic Lamp from the ruins. This starts the quest simply called Magic Lamp.
- Complete Magic Lamp and Keira will invite you to visit her at her hut. This starts An Invitation from Keira Metz.
- Visit Keira at her hut northeast of Midcopse. She will give you the Magic Lamp, the Xenovox communication device, and ask you to investigate Fyke Isle. A Towerful of Mice begins here.
Note: You do not strictly need to complete Magic Lamp to start An Invitation from Keira Metz, but doing so gives you important context for the quest ahead.
Step 1 – Sail to Fyke Isle
Once the quest begins, make your way to the shore near Keira’s hut. She has left a boat moored for your use. You can also grab any other boat from the shoreline or swim, but using Keira’s boat is the easiest option.
As you sail toward the island, Keira will contact you for the first time through the Xenovox to guide you.
The island is clearly cursed from the moment you approach. It is overrun with Drowners, Rotfiends, and Ghouls on the shores and paths. Rotfiends explode when they get low on health, so back away when one starts to stagger. Deal with any monsters between you and the tower as you explore.
Just in front of the tower entrance, you will encounter a Water Hag. Kill it before going inside.
Watch out for small dark clouds of black flies on the island. They damage Geralt over time. You can dispel them quickly with the Igni Sign.
Step 2 – Use the Magic Lamp to Find the Ghosts (Optional but Recommended)
Using the Magic Lamp on ghost locations is entirely optional, but each scene you witness gives you XP and fills in the tragic backstory of what happened on the island. There are 7 ghost locations in total: 3 outside and 4 inside the tower.
To use the Magic Lamp, open your quick access menu and equip it. Then activate it with your quick item button (Middle Mouse Button on PC, R1/RB on console). Look for glowing green spheres or the lamp icon on your minimap.
Ghost Locations Outside the Tower
- Ghost 1 – Near the entrance to the area around the tower, on the right side.
- Ghost 2 – At the very southern tip of the yellow search circle on the map, behind the tower.
- Ghost 3 – Just inside the outer walls, directly behind the tower before entering.
Ghost Locations Inside the Tower
- Ghost 4 – In the basement of the tower. Head downstairs through the door on the right as you enter.
- Ghost 5 – On the first floor, in a room where a ghost appears to be stealing from a chest. The ghost scene here reveals the peasants’ role in the massacre.
- Ghost 6 – On the second floor.
- Ghost 7 – In the third floor room or near the top of the tower, just before or inside Alexander’s lab.
Each scene shows what happened on the island during the massacre — peasants storming the tower to rob and kill Lord Vserad and his court. The story they tell is not black and white. Watch all of them before making any choices.
One body on the third floor is notably fresher than the rest — killed recently. Keep this in mind when you speak to Annabelle later.
Step 3 – Explore the Tower
Work your way up through the tower floor by floor. The place is infested with rats — living and dead. Use your Witcher Senses to examine clues and interact with ghost scenes as you go.
When you reach what seems like the top floor, Keira contacts you via the Xenovox. She tells you there is a hidden floor above with the mage Alexander’s secret laboratory, and you need to find a way to reach it.
Step 4 – Find Alexander’s Secret Laboratory
This is where many players get stuck. To open the secret passage, you need to pull two levers.
- Turn on your Witcher Senses on the top floor. You will see scrape marks on the floor where a wall section moves, and a handprint that highlights the lever on the opposite wall.
- Find both levers in the room. You need to set both levers to the down position.
- Once both levers are down, a secret door will open, revealing the passage to the laboratory.
Entering the laboratory earns you 100 XP.
Inside the lab, you can find The Mage Alexander’s Log, Part One on a desk and The Mage Alexander’s Log, Part Two on a shelf. These explain that Alexander was using rats to study diseases — which adds dark context to the curse. Loot the lab before continuing.
Tip: Use the last set of stairs in the laboratory to reach the roof. Walk along the planks on the outer wall to find an additional chest up there.
Step 5 – Use the Magic Lamp to Contact Annabelle
In the laboratory, use the Magic Lamp near the glowing spot in the corner. This triggers a scene unlike the others. The ghost you contact actually acknowledges Geralt’s presence and speaks directly to him.
Her name is Annabelle, the daughter of the previous Lord of Velen, Lord Vserad. She tells her story: peasants stormed the tower to rob and kill her family. Her lover, a fisherman named Graham, could not stop them. She took what she believed was poison to avoid capture, but it turned out to be a paralysis potion. Unable to move, she was left helpless as the mice devoured everyone around her.
She asks Geralt for help. This is where the quest splits.
The Big Choice – Help Annabelle or Refuse
This is the most important decision in the quest. You have two main paths.
Option 1: Take Annabelle’s Bones to Graham (Help Annabelle)
If you agree to help, Annabelle gives you her remains. You travel to the village of Oreton, west of Fyke Isle, and knock on Graham’s door. He opens up, admitting that he was the one who led the peasants to the tower — though he claims he did not know Annabelle was still alive.
You hand over the remains. Graham is visibly devastated. You leave the hut.
Moments later, you hear a scream. Go back inside. Graham is dead, his body surrounded by rats. Annabelle’s ghost floats above him — but now revealed in her true form as a Pesta (Plague Maiden). The curse on Fyke Isle is lifted, but Annabelle is now free to roam the world and spread plague.
Geralt was tricked. Annabelle was not a lost soul but a deadly Plague Maiden the entire time. Removing her bones from the island freed her from her prison.
Reward: 300 XP
Option 2: Refuse to Take Her Bones – Bring Graham to the Tower (Best Choice)
If you refuse to take the bones, or if you try to leave the conversation without agreeing, Annabelle does not trust you. She reveals her true form as a Pesta (Plague Maiden) and attacks.
You cannot permanently kill her yet — the curse must be broken first. Fight her enough to drive her out of the tower. She will flee outside. Chase her. Once her health bar depletes during this encounter, she will vanish.
Keira then advises you to visit Graham anyway. Go to Oreton and speak to him. Explain the situation. Graham agrees to come to the island and face Annabelle himself, to give her the chance to forgive him.
Escort Graham back to Fyke Isle. When you arrive at the base of the tower, two Wraiths will attack. Deal with them using your Silver Sword and Yrden. Treat them like standard wraith enemies.
Inside, Graham and Annabelle are reunited. He kisses her. The kiss kills Graham — but it also breaks the curse. Annabelle is at peace, her spirit moves on, and the Plague Maiden is never released into the world.
This is the morally better outcome and the one that protects the world from the Plague Maiden’s spread.
Reward: 500 XP
Best Choice Summary
- Refuse and bring Graham to the island — Better story outcome, curse fully broken, Plague Maiden never escapes, 500 XP.
- Take bones to Graham — Easier on paper, but the Plague Maiden escapes into the world, Graham dies anyway, and you earn only 300 XP.
Step 6 – Return to Keira Metz
After the curse is lifted, return to Keira and report what happened. She thanks you and the quest ends. The next quest in her storyline — A Favor for a Friend — becomes available.
Note: This quest has a cutoff with a small related secondary quest called Lynch Mob. If you want to complete Lynch Mob, do it before you return to Keira and finish A Towerful of Mice.
Combat Tips for This Quest
Rotfiends on the Island
- Apply Necrophage Oil to your Silver Sword for bonus damage.
- Back away when a Rotfiend starts staggering — they explode on death and deal significant damage if you are too close.
- Use Igni to kill the black fly clouds quickly so they do not slow your movement.
Water Hag at the Tower Entrance
- Apply Necrophage Oil here too — Water Hags are in the same enemy category.
- Use Yrden to slow her down and create openings.
- Dodge her burrowing attacks by moving sideways rather than backward.
Plague Maiden (Pesta) Fight
- The Pesta cannot be permanently killed during the first encounter. You only need to damage her enough to drive her out.
- She is a spectral enemy, so use your Silver Sword.
- Cast Yrden to make her corporeal and vulnerable to sword damage — without it your hits do almost nothing.
- Apply Specter Oil to your Silver Sword for bonus damage against ghosts.
- Use Quen for protection from her poison and fly cloud attacks.
- Burn the black fly clouds with Igni to keep your movement clear.
Wraiths at the Tower (Bring Graham path)
- Same principles as fighting any wraith. Use Yrden to make them vulnerable and Specter Oil on your Silver Sword.
- There are two of them at once, so place your Yrden trap in the doorway so both walk into it.
Quest Rewards Summary
- 100 XP – For discovering Alexander’s secret laboratory
- 50 XP – For each ghost scene witnessed with the Magic Lamp (optional)
- 500 XP – For completing the quest via the Refuse path (best outcome)
- 300 XP – For completing the quest via the Help path (bones to Graham)
- No Crowns or item rewards for quest completion itself
How This Quest Fits the Keira Metz Questline
A Towerful of Mice is the third quest in Keira’s five-quest storyline. The choices you make here and in later quests determine whether Keira survives the game. The ideal path through all five quests leads to Keira going to Kaer Morhen, surviving the battle there, and having a strong ending.
For this quest specifically, the better outcome is to refuse Annabelle and bring Graham to the island. It is the morally cleaner resolution and prevents the Plague Maiden from escaping.
The next quest, A Favor for a Friend, follows directly. From there the questline leads into For the Advancement of Learning, where the most critical choice for Keira’s survival takes place. Do not demand Alexander’s notes in that quest before convincing her to go to Kaer Morhen — doing so turns the conversation hostile and forces Geralt to kill her.
Related Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Guides
- All Quests in Order – Complete Main Quest List
- All Endings Guide – Keira’s fate affects the game’s ending.
- Bestiary Guide – All Monster Weaknesses – Covers Rotfiends, Water Hags, Wraiths, and Plague Maidens.
- All Monster Trophies Guide
- How to Heal in Witcher 3 – Useful before tackling the island at low level.
- Meditation Guide – Recover health and potions between fights on the island.
- Level Up Guide – All XP sources and the level cap explained.
- Best Builds Guide – Sign builds pair especially well with the magic-heavy nature of this quest.
- Skill Tree Guide
- Enchanting Guide – All Runewords and Glyphwords – Upgrade your gear before tackling harder content.
- Wine is Sacred Quest Guide – Another quest with key story choices.
- All Romance Options – Keira Metz is one of Geralt’s romance options.
- Ultimate Achievement Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best choice in A Towerful of Mice?
The best choice is to refuse Annabelle’s request and instead bring Graham to the tower. This prevents the Plague Maiden from escaping into the world, fully breaks the curse, and earns you 500 XP — more than the alternative.
What happens if you take Annabelle’s bones to Graham?
Graham is killed by Annabelle, who reveals herself as a Plague Maiden. The curse on Fyke Isle is technically lifted, but the Pesta is now free to spread disease across the land. You also earn only 300 XP instead of 500 XP.
How do I open the secret laboratory in the tower?
Go to the top floor and use your Witcher Senses. Look for scrape marks on the floor where a wall moves. Find both levers in the room and set both to the down position. The secret passage to Alexander’s lab will open.
How do I defeat the Plague Maiden (Pesta)?
You cannot fully kill her in the first encounter. Use Yrden to make her corporeal and vulnerable, then attack with your Silver Sword coated in Specter Oil. Burn her fly clouds with Igni. Once her health bar depletes, she flees. The curse must be broken through story means to resolve the encounter permanently.
How many ghost scenes are there in A Towerful of Mice?
There are 7 optional ghost scenes in total — 3 outside the tower and 4 inside. Each one you watch with the Magic Lamp gives XP and reveals more of the island’s tragic backstory. Watching all of them before reaching Annabelle gives you the full picture for an informed choice.
Does A Towerful of Mice affect the main story or ending?
Not directly. But it is part of the Keira Metz questline, and your choices throughout that full questline affect whether Keira survives and appears at Kaer Morhen. Her survival contributes to the best possible ending. See our all endings guide for full details.
Can I miss A Towerful of Mice?
Yes. The quest has a cutoff — it must be completed before reaching The Isle of Mists in the main story. After that point, secondary quests in Velen become unavailable. Do not leave Keira’s questline unfinished if you want the best ending.
What does the Magic Lamp do in this quest?
The Magic Lamp lets you interact with Places of Haunting — locations marked by green glowing spheres. Activating the lamp at these spots triggers short scenes of past events, giving context to the massacre at Fyke Isle. It also lets you contact and speak with Annabelle’s spirit in the laboratory, which is the quest’s main objective.
