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The Witcher 3 is set in a world bursting with criminals and their violence, but one particularly grisly situation comes in the form of a terrible serial killer who is roaming the streets of Novigrad. As part of the quest 'Carnal Sins', Geralt will have to investigate a string of murders to find the true culprit.
If you're looking to complete this side quest — and don't mind a little gruesome violence — it just so happens our guide's got you covered.
Updated September 21, 2023, by Sean Murray: It's easy to miss who the true killer is in Carnal Sins. We've revamped this guide with improved formatting and breakout tips to avoid missing the murderer.
Priscilla Attacked
This quest is available after completing 'Cabaret', which opens up following completion of the main story quest 'A Poet Under Pressure'. It begins with Geralt speaking to Dandelion at the Chameleon. A messenger from the local hospital will come in and let you both know that Dandelion's good friend Priscilla has been attacked. The two of you will head to the hospital.
When you arrive, you'll find the head doctor, Joachim von Gratz, examining Priscilla who has been the victim of a horrible attack. The doc will tell you that Priscilla isn't the first to fall victim to this style of attack. He'll then task you with heading to the morgue to examine the last victim, in hopes that you might be able to root out this killer.
The Sewers
Geralt and the doctor will head to the morgue via the sewers underneath Novigrad. Head into the depths and make your way to the spot marked on your map.
On the way, you'll face off against some Drowners and a Water Hag. They're not too hard to defeat; just use your fire-based attacks like Igni and Dragon's Dream if you have trouble.
Von Gratz will chatter about the attacks, explaining that he feels Priscilla will be fine but that he worries about her singing voice. Finally, you'll come to a ladder to climb up into the morgue.
The Morgue
Once they've arrived at the morgue, Geralt will need to perform an autopsy. You'll need to look for the body of the dwarven woodcarver in the northeast. You can go through each of the dialogue options if you wish, and then tell the doctor your verdict. You'll be interrupted by two people: the coroner, Hubert Rejk, and the Reverend, Nathaniel Pastodi.
You can talk to the doctor about these two men after you leave, but he won't offer much info on either of them beyond some vague details. He will mention, though, that Hubert "hasn't changed" much in 30 years, still looking relatively youthful compared to himself. Curious.
You'll now have three leads: the body collector, the site of the woodcarver's death, and the location of Priscilla's attack.
Three Leads
The Collector's Debt
The closest lead is the body collector, so it's wise to head there first. You'll find him at a scene where some bodies are being collected. Talk with Eustace, the Collector, and he'll get antsy as you ask him questions. You'll need to bribe him with 200 Crowns or delude him with Axii if you have Delusion's second level. If you choose the latter of the two options, you'll receive 40 experience points.
Toward the end of the conversation, he'll make a comment about Priscilla and you can choose to punch him. We're not saying you should, but you totally should.
The Woodcarver's Murder
Next, head to where the woodcarver was killed to investigate what happened. You'll find the marker on your map near Hierarch Square. Knock on the large wooden doors to find a dwarf who is a bit wary of who is knocking. Once he lets you in, you can talk to him about the other dwarf who was killed.
Use your Witcher Senses to find a pool of blood and some drag marks, as well as some burned statues. You'll also find a 'Concerned Citizen's Sermon', which implicates the Church of the Eternal Fire.
Find the locked workshop and have the dwarf open it for you. You'll find some more stuff in here that needs investigating by using your Witcher Sense. Afterward, you can speak with the dwarf again before heading out. The final location to investigate is the spot where Priscilla was attacked.
The Scene Of The Crime
You'll find a guard here that tells you there's been another victim. Use your Witcher Senses to look around the area. Eventually, a woman with some thugs will attack you. After winning the fight, she'll tell you that they were in the area to take down Priscilla's attacker, since the culprit tends to return to the scene of the crime.
Using your Witcher Senses again will reveal a formaldehyde scent trail. Follow it and investigate along the way to eventually find another 'Concerned Citizen's Sermon'. Geralt will mention that the killer seems to have leaped up a wall that even a Witcher couldn't easily scale.
Head back to the coroner, who is nearby, and speak with him again to learn a few more things. Importantly, one of those things is that there's a note naming the next victim.
The Killer At The Vegelbud's
Geralt will decide to go directly to the Vegelbud residence. You'll speak with Ingrid Vegelbud, who tells you of the pyre burning on the grounds as a result of Patricia's doubt in her faith. Unluckily, you'll see a truly terrible scene where Patricia has been roped up and murdered. Luckily, you've at least arrived right as the murderer is leaving.
Chase him until you run into some guards who think you're the killer. After you fight them for a little while, a cutscene begins where Ingrid defends you and allows you to perform an autopsy on Patricia's body. You'll find a note explaining that Sweet Nettie of Crippled Kate's is the next victim.
Nathanial And The Alternate Quest Conclusion
Make your way to Crippled Kate's whether by fast travel or a long horse ride. Inside, talk to a man who tells you that Sweet Nettie is upstairs with an important client. Find Sweet Nettie and Reverend Nathaniel upstairs. You'll have to react quickly to a timed dialogue quicktime event.
If you choose "Try it asshole" or any other angered response that follows, you'll have to fight him. If you go down this road, you'll end up killing him and the quest will end shortly after. However, you will have failed to determine who the true murderer is.
For a more thorough finish to the quest, keep your best behavior when speaking to the Reverend, and he'll give you the information you need. During the conversation choose the dialogue option "Just like that? No formaldehyde?" and then "So who left the letter on Patricia's body?" He'll tell you where to find the real killer.
After that, you can leave him to torture Sweet Nettie, or, if you have a conscience, use Axii on him or fight him to get her to leave her alone. If you decide to kill him at this point or with the earlier option, you'll get 100 experience points, Tracker's Trousers, a poker, and a diagram for the Ard Skellige Aketon. If you use Axii on him, you'll get 40 experience points.
Clash With The Katakan
From there, travel to the warehouse marked on your map in the Novigrad Docks. You'll find the coroner with some formaldehyde. He'll admit to the crimes and tell you why he did what he did. He took it upon himself to carry out the will of the Church. Needless to say, a battle erupts.
Use Quen and Igni when possible, and definitely make use of your vampire oil. Black blood will also come in handy. Watch your back and keep swinging when you have a clear shot, and he should go down pretty quickly.
Loot the body for the silver sword Deargdeith, a Katakan mutagen, and a batch of Rubedo. Head back to talk with Dandelion and Priscilla, who is recovering. The full version of 'Carnal Sins' thus concludes.
For finding the true killer, you'll receive 500 experience points, a diagram for Assassin's Boots, and a Lesser Svarog Runestone.
If you opt to kill Nathaniel before learning the identity of the true culprit, you won't receive these final items and experience points. However, the true murderer will leave a note at the morgue explaining who he is and that he's skipping town, so you will still learn who it is, albeit with less satisfaction.