Novigrad is a dump. Honestly, even with the golden sunlight hitting the Great Temple of Eternal Fire, the city feels like a rotting carcass covered in silk. Most players spend their time hunting down Dandelion or playing Gwent in the Rosemary and Thyme, but then you hit it. The side quest that changes the entire vibe of the game. People call it "Carnal Sins," but if you look at the internal files or the community shorthand, we’re talking about The Witcher 3 The Sins of the Flesh themes that turn a fantasy RPG into a gritty, David Fincher-style noir thriller.
It starts with a corpse. Not just any corpse, but a victim of ritualistic, surgical precision.
Most quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt involve hitting a monster until it stops moving. This isn't that. You aren't just a mutant with two swords; you’re a detective trying to understand a serial killer who thinks they are doing "God’s work." It’s messy. It's frustrating. And if you aren't paying attention, you will absolutely kill the wrong person and let a monster walk free.
The Anatomy of a Novigrad Murder
Priscilla gets attacked. That’s the catalyst. For anyone who actually likes Dandelion—and I know he’s polarizing, but his relationship with Priscilla is surprisingly sweet—this hits hard. You find out she’s been doused with formaldehyde. Her throat was nearly cut. This isn't a random mugging.
You end up in the morgue with Hubert Rejk, the city's coroner. This guy is the definition of "unsettling." He’s smart, efficient, and way too comfortable around dead bodies. As you perform the autopsy on a dwarf named Eustace, the game forces you to look at the details. You're checking the liver. You're looking at the chest cavity. CD Projekt Red didn't hold back here. They wanted you to feel the clinical coldness of the crime.
Here is the thing about The Witcher 3 The Sins of the Flesh narrative arc: it plays on your prejudices. You see a "Message from the Concerned Citizen" left on the bodies. It rails against immorality. It attacks the "sinners" of Novigrad. Naturally, your mind goes to the religious zealots of the Eternal Fire. It’s easy to blame the guys in the red robes because they’re already jerks.
💡 You might also like: Stuck on the Connections hint June 13? Here is how to solve it without losing your mind
Why You Probably Messed Up the Ending
Let’s be real. You probably killed Nathaniel Pastodi.
He’s the priest of the Eternal Fire you find in the Crippled Kate’s brothel. He’s standing over a woman with a red-hot poker. He’s a total scumbag. In any other game, killing him would be the "Good Ending." You'd lop off his head, feel great about yourself, and get a quest completion notification.
But The Witcher 3 hates you.
If you kill Nathaniel immediately, the quest ends. You "solve" the murders. Except, you didn't. If you actually talk to him—if you suppress the urge to ignite his face with Igni for five minutes—you realize he’s just a garden-variety sadist. He didn't kill the others. He’s just a jerk taking advantage of the chaos.
The real killer? It’s Hubert Rejk. The coroner.
📖 Related: GTA Vice City Cheat Switch: How to Make the Definitive Edition Actually Fun
The twist works because it’s foreshadowed by the lore books you probably didn't read. Hubert is a Higher Vampire. Not the "I want to suck your blood" kind, but the "I am an ancient, ideological predator" kind. He’s been around for centuries. He thinks Novigrad has lost its way, and he’s using the "Concerned Citizen" persona to "cleanse" the city.
When you finally confront him in the warehouse near the docks, the tone shifts. He isn't scared. He’s disappointed in you. He looks at Geralt—a fellow "monster"—and expects a level of understanding. When he transforms, the fight is fast and brutal. If you’re underleveled, his health regeneration will ruin your day. Use Black Blood. Use Moon Dust. Don't let him breathe.
The Moral Ambiguity of Being a Witcher
What makes The Witcher 3 The Sins of the Flesh themes so enduring is that there is no perfect outcome. Even if you kill Hubert, Priscilla is still scarred. She might never sing the same way again. The city is still full of religious fanatics.
You saved some people, sure. But the "Concerned Citizen" notes stop because the hand holding the pen is dead, not because the sentiment behind them has vanished. The hatred is still there.
I’ve seen some players argue that Hubert has a point. They look at the corruption in Novigrad and think, "Well, at least he was targeting the bad guys." That’s the trap. Hubert wasn't a vigilante; he was a narcissist with a god complex. He killed a woodcarver because the guy was "rude." He attacked Priscilla because she was an artist who represented "frivolity."
👉 See also: Gothic Romance Outfit Dress to Impress: Why Everyone is Obsessed With This Vibe Right Now
He wasn't cleaning the city; he was pruning it to fit his personal, stagnant vision of morality.
How to actually "Win" this quest
If you’re going back for a replay or hitting this for the first time on the Next-Gen update, here is how you handle it like an actual Witcher:
- Read the Autopsy Notes: Don't just click through the dialogue. Look at the specific injuries. The formaldehyde is a huge clue. Who has access to that much preservative? A coroner.
- Exhaust Nathaniel’s Dialogue: Even if it makes your skin crawl, let him talk. He will eventually mention that he received the letters too. This is the moment Geralt realizes he’s looking at a copycat, not the mastermind.
- Prepare for a Higher Vampire: These aren't Fledders or Garkains. Hubert is fast. He has high physical resistance. If you don't have the Superior Vampire Oil, you're going to be swinging a butter knife at a brick wall.
- Check the Alleyways: After the quest, look for more notes. Sometimes the game leaves little environmental storytelling nuggets that suggest the "Concerned Citizen" ideology has deeper roots than just one vampire.
This quest is a masterclass in subverting player expectations. It takes the "Monster of the Week" format and turns it into a psychological profile of a city in decline. It reminds us that in Geralt's world, the most dangerous monsters aren't the ones hiding in the sewers—they’re the ones holding the scalpel in the morgue, convinced they are the heroes of their own story.
Don't rush the ending. Novigrad is a place where the truth is usually buried under layers of filth and religious dogma. Digging it up is the only way to actually do your job.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
- Alchemy is King: Before heading to the warehouse to face Hubert, brew Black Blood (Superior). It turns your blood into a toxin that damages him every time he bites or strikes you. It's essentially "passive DPS" for a fight where the boss moves too fast to pin down.
- Investigate the Woodcarver’s Workshop: There is a small detail most people miss. If you look closely at the "Sermons" found near the bodies, the handwriting changes slightly. It’s a hint that Hubert was trying to mimic the local zealots to throw the Temple Guard off his scent.
- Axii is your friend: When talking to the witnesses in the morgue or the brothels, use Delusion level 3. It unlocks dialogue paths that reveal just how deep the "Concerned Citizen" influence went among the lower classes.
- The Priscilla Letter: Keep the letter you find on Priscilla. It’s one of the few items that explicitly links the ritualistic nature of the crimes to the specific chemicals found in the coroner's office.
By the time the credits roll on this quest, you realize that The Witcher 3 The Sins of the Flesh isn't about solving a crime. It’s about realizing that even a Witcher can’t fix a broken society; he can only stop the bleeding for a little while.