Blood and Wine endings
Both sisters survive only on Syanna's path, and only if five things line up: you read two entries in the court governess' notes, hear Syanna's story in the fairy-tale land, get her ribbon back, and say two lines to her in her cell. Miss the ribbon and Dettlaff kills Syanna at Tesham Mutna, which lands Geralt in prison. Miss any of the rest, or go after the Unseen Elder instead, and Syanna kills her sister at the ceremony.
How Blood and Wine ends
The game checks these in order after Tesham Mutna.
- 1
Syanna died at Tesham Mutna
Anna Henrietta has Geralt thrown in prison, and Dandelion talks her into letting him go. The duchess lives.
Game facts:
q704_syanna_dead >= 1 - 2
Geralt talked Syanna round in her cell
The sisters argue in front of the court and make peace. Both live.
Game facts:
q705_syanna_correct >= 1 - 3
Anything else, including the Unseen Elder path
At the ceremony Syanna pretends to reconcile and stabs Anna Henrietta with a hairpin. A guard cuts Syanna down.
Game facts:
q705_henrietta_dead >= 1
The cell conversation only happens on Syanna's path (the game checks that the fairy-tale land is done), so going after the Unseen Elder always ends with the duchess dead.
The choices, in the order you meet them
Syanna or the Unseen Elder
The Night of Long FangsAfter the vampire attack on Beauclair, when Regis asks how Geralt wants to deal with Dettlaff.
- "Considering freeing Syanna. Let's talk to Damien."Syanna's path
The trail leads to the palace playroom and a book, The Land of a Thousand Fables, where Syanna is hidden. This is the only path where both sisters can live.
Game facts:
q704_to_damien_with_regis - "Leaning towards no nonsense. Orianna, let's find her."Duchess dies
Orianna can introduce Geralt to the Unseen Elder, who can summon Dettlaff. Syanna is never freed, and Dettlaff dies at Tesham Mutna.
Game facts:
q704_to_oriana_no_regis - "Don't know. Need to think about it."Decide later
Regis leaves Geralt to think it over.
The governess' notes
Beyond Hill and Dale...At the palace, reading the court governess' notes about the sisters as children. Read both of these entries; the others don't count.
- ""Syanna gave me a drawing…""Needed for both sisters
Syanna's nightmares, which Geralt links to the Curse of the Black Sun.
Game facts:
q704_know_syannas_dream - ""The girls quarreled today…""Needed for both sisters
Anna Henrietta struck first, but the duke blamed Syanna alone.
Game facts:
q704_syanna_blamed
Syanna's story
Beyond Hill and Dale...In the Land of a Thousand Fables, once you have the red bean from the Big Bad Wolf and Syanna asks if Geralt wants to hear what happened to her.
- "All right - tell me what happened."Needed for both sisters
She tells him about her exile and the bandits who took her in. This unlocks the first of the two lines in her cell.
Game facts:
q704_geralt_interested_pt2 - "You're just less interesting than you think."Duchess dies
Geralt tells her he's met plenty like her. The cell conversation can't go the right way after this.
Syanna's ribbon
Beyond Hill and Dale...The girl who sells flint in the fairy-tale land has the ribbon Artorius Vigo gave Syanna as a child to protect her.
- "I'll pay you for the ribbon."Syanna survives Tesham Mutna
Geralt pays and gives the ribbon to Syanna.
Game facts:
q704_ribbon_found - "Let's play cards for the ribbon."Syanna survives Tesham Mutna
Win the round of gwent and the ribbon is Syanna's. Lose and you can still pay.
Game facts:
q704_ft_ribbon_won,q704_ribbon_found
Dettlaff kills Syanna
Tesham MutnaOnly without the ribbon. Dettlaff kills Syanna at Tesham Mutna and Geralt decides what to do with him.
- "Stand and fight."Dettlaff dies
Geralt and Regis kill Dettlaff.
Game facts:
q704_syanna_dies_dettlaff_dies - "Leave. Go."Dettlaff lives
Geralt lets Dettlaff go, and Dettlaff vows to stay away from humans.
Game facts:
q704_syanna_dies_dettlaff_lives
Syanna's cell
Pomp and Strange CircumstanceAfter the bootblack and the poorhouse confirm Syanna's plan to kill her sister, talk to her in the tower. Say both lines, in this order.
- "Cause she turned her back on you, forgot about you."Needed for both sisters
Only if Geralt heard Syanna's story in the fairy-tale land.
Syanna admits it: "Bravo, Geralt. Yet another riddle solved."
Game facts:
q704_geralt_interested_pt2 >= 1,q704_turned_her_back - "Ever thought to forgive her?"Saves both sisters
Only after the line above.
If Geralt read both of the governess' entries, this is the line that saves them.
Game facts:
q704_turned_her_back >= 1,q704_syanna_blamed >= 1,q704_know_syannas_dream >= 1,q705_syanna_correct
The endings
Both sisters live
Pomp and Strange CircumstanceSyanna's path with the ribbon, both governess entries, her story and both lines in the cell.
After the ceremony, Sylvia Anna faced her accusers. When Geralt had spoken to Syanna earlier, he had broached some sensitive issues. These now came to the fore, and a heated argument erupted between the sisters. Those valuing convention and decorum undoubtedly considered it an unsavory public airing of matters private. Yet my own heart inclines me to think it a fortunate turn of events. For we cannot know what might have happened had there been no release of resentments that had accumulated over decades.
Upon quitting the palace Geralt rejoined Regis at his crypt. They indulged in some well-deserved respite while sipping Regis' exquisite (as they both assured me) mandrake hooch.
Game facts: q705_syanna_correct >= 1, q705_henrietta_alive >= 1
The duchess dies
Pomp and Strange CircumstanceSyanna lived through Tesham Mutna, or was never freed, and wasn't talked round in her cell.
After the ceremony, Sylvia Anna faced her accusers. Alas, her interrogation ended in tragedy. Though her murderous scheme had been thwarted when her "murder weapon," the vampire Dettlaff, had been removed, Syanna decided to see the matter through. Feigning a willingness to reconcile, she tricked all those present and ran a hair pin through her sister's heart. Anarietta died instantly, and no one, not even the witcher with his lightning fast reflexes, could prevent it.
A woman of great beauty, in the prime of her life, Anna Henrietta breathed her last at the foot of her own palace. As she died her thoughts went to the undersigned… Grief grips my heart as I write this, tears flow of their own from my eyes.
The bad seed, Sylvia Anna, perished immediately afterwards, without trial or due process cut down by a ducal guardsman loyal and true.
Game facts: q705_henrietta_dead >= 1
Syanna dies, Geralt goes to prison
Burlap is the New StripeNo ribbon, so Dettlaff killed Syanna at Tesham Mutna.
During her final confrontation with the Beast of Beauclair, Sylvia Anna, sister to Her Highness Anna Henrietta, had died tragically. The duchess was understandably distraught, for she had just recently been reunited with her long lost sibling. She was also understandably irate with Geralt and had the witcher thrown into the dungeon. There, in a somber mood, he awaited his sentence, expecting the worst.
Though at base she is known to have a heart of gold, Anarietta is also known to be highly impetuous. The smallest misdeed can at times bring a severe penalty, especially if she deems the transgression a personal offence. Believe me, I know.
Game facts: q704_syanna_dead >= 1
Dettlaff killed without Syanna
Tesham MutnaGeralt went after the Unseen Elder.
Though higher vampires seem to differ entirely from us, upon closer examination their passions, emotions, prove human to the extreme. Thus, Geralt and Regis quite rightly did not expect the Beast of Beauclair to be pleased as they headed towards Tesham Mutna to meet him. When, unaccompanied by Syanna, they finally faced Dettlaff, the vampire flew into a rage. He lunged at Regis and Geralt, intent on tearing them to shreds. Yet the duel ended with his defeat and, at the last, his demise.
Game facts: q704_syann_not_found_dettlaff_dies >= 1