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Tesham Mutna is a main quest of The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion that brings the culmination of events throughout the extended storyline to a boiling point. It plays out the fate of the exiled princess, Syanna, based on Geralt's decision-making throughout this major contract in Toussaint. It also finally brings him face to face with the higher vampire Detlaff, whom the witcher has been tracking since arriving in the wine country.

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This quest can play out a few different ways depending on Geralt's choices, both leading up to the quest and during it. Chiefly, if Geralt wishes a happily ever after for both princesses, he should remember he is there in the service of Anna Henrietta, and anything that upsets her won't bode well for the witcher. Here's what you'll need to know to navigate the muddled events in Tesham Mutna.

Updated on February 12, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: While we were proud of this guide prior to our update, we've gone ahead and reformatted aspects of it so you'll have a sharper time getting to the heart of the matter.

Accounting For Your Choices

Syanna Geralt Land of A Thousand Fables Witcher 3 Blood and Wine

To start, Geralt will wind up meeting Detlaff at the Tesham Mutna ruins one of two ways:

  1. Take Regis' advice and get help from the Unseen Elder by visiting his layer in the What Lies Unseen quest, rather than trying to find Syanna. If Geralt goes this route, Detlaff will be forced to meet Geralt at the ruins after being summoned by the Unseen Elder, but he will be raring for bloodshed, bringing the quest to a quick head with the most difficult boss fight of the entire game.
  2. Detlaff will also turn up if you bring Syanna to Tesham Mutna, but you'll have to find her in The Land of A Thousand Fables first. By deciding to bring Syanna to the ruins, Geralt has made things a little more complicated for himself.
    • If he wants to save Syanna's life as well as his own skin, he'll have to be sure to get Syanna's ribbon back from the Little Flint Girl when in the Land of a Thousand Fables. The ribbon turns out to be enchanted and will port Syanna to safety, which will send Detlaff into a rage and commence the fight.
    • If Geralt doesn't give Syanna back her ribbon, Detlaff will kill Syanna before Geralt can react, then the witcher will be faced with the decision of whether to kill Detlaff or let him go.

Choosing to let Detlaff leave Toussaint unchallenged is the only way to avoid fighting him, but Geralt will have to answer for letting the beast who murdered the duchess' sister go free. This will ultimately land him in prison to see out the nonnegotiable Burlap Is The New Stripe quest. Any other way he goes about the quest the witcher will have to face off against the higher vampire one on one, so you'd best prepare for a tough fight.

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Detlaff Boss Fight

The Witcher 3 Higher Vampire Detlaff Face

The showdown against Detlaff is not to be taken lightly. In fact, you will want to take the time to build Geralt into an overpowered monster slayer, now that he has access to Grandmaster armor and an enhanced mutation tree, to ensure he can maintain the upper hand.

It's going to be a fierce battle, no matter what difficulty you're playing on, and it's broken down into three stages, each building in intensity from the last. Because this encounter is so monumental, we've already dedicated an entire guide to defeating Detlaff, but we will give you an overview here of what to expect with the turning of each phase.

Phase 1: Vampiric Form

The first vampiric form Detlaff takes on should look familiar as it is the same one Geralt faced when they first met back at the start of Geralt's investigations, only this time Regis isn't able to intervene.

The best way to approach this stage is to stay on guard, dodge behind, and follow up swiftly with a fast attack. If Geralt's having trouble with the footwork, he can use Igni to create more of an opening for himself. This is also one of those fights where it's worth keeping an explosive Quen shield active at all times.

Phase 2: Bestial Form

The second stage is where things really get tricky and many players have thrown down their swords in defeat. In this bestial form Detlaff spends a lot of time in the air, which after dealing with Griffins, Wyverns, and all sorts of winged beasts, you would think Geralt would overcome in a cinch. But using a bow is near impossible and even a far-reaching Aard or improved Igni isn't a feasible approach to knock him out of flight. The witcher will have to spend the rest of his time primarily dodging Detlaff's savage strikes or running away from a swarm of bats.

If Geralt can manage to knock Detlaff from the sky as he swoops in, then the witcher will earn a small opening, as will keeping a safe but proximity to him as he barrels into the ground. After landing, he will need to regather himself, giving Geralt only a vital few seconds to light into him.

Phase 3: Belly of The Beast

The third stage is more of a psych-out than anything. After dealing with Detlaff's bestial form, being thrown into his internal cavities to wreak havoc on his organs is a simple matter of knowing one's target and finding a rhythm. Detlaff wants you to fight his grotesque blood form that is relentlessly assaulting Geralt, but take notice of the bulging masses of flesh and blood protruding from the sides of, well, wherever it is Geralt has found himself.

These are Detlaff's three hearts, and they are the only thing that can hurt Detlaff in this phase. So instead of going on futilely hacking away at the incessant assailant trapped in Detlaff's body with Geralt, focus on nailing down a pattern that allows you to dodge him while consistently hacking away at his hearts.

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