In the Ard Skellig side quest The Sad Tale of the Grossbart Brothers, Djenge Frett’s death causes an immediate failure. He charges headlong at three level 26 foes, making his survival—not defeating the brothers—the main problem. The approach here keeps Djenge out of combat until the threat has passed.
Quick answer: Agree to team up, then cast Axii on Djenge to hold him in place while you run ahead and kill all three Grossbart brothers yourself with Aard and Igni.
Where to start the quest and reach Djenge Frett
The quest begins at Blandare, east of Rannvaig on Ard Skellig, where Djenge calls out to Geralt near the signpost. The suggested level is 26. How the quest plays out depends entirely on whether you have already run into the brothers during your travels.
If you have already killed the Grossbart brothers, telling Djenge where their bodies lie closes the matter for 20 Crowns and 50 XP, but no quest log opens and there is nothing left to keep alive. The keep-alive problem only exists if the brothers are still breathing when you first speak to him.
With the brothers still alive, Djenge heads south and the two of you part ways. Travel to the Grotto, a partly flooded cave on the southeast coast of Ard Skellig, east of Fyresdal. Fyresdal to the west and Redgill to the north both have boats you can take down to the southern shoreline. Sail to the cave at water level, step out, and head inside to unlock the Grotto fast-travel marker.
Keep Djenge Frett alive in the Grotto fight
Inside the cave, take the path on the right. You can loot the containers here along the way. Follow the tunnel deeper until you meet Djenge again, where he asks whether you will team up to hunt the brothers.
If you told Djenge no but still want to salvage the quest, you must let him reach the brothers and start fighting before you join in to save him. Striking the brothers before Djenge does can fail the quest even if he survives the battle.
The three Grossbart brothers
All three are level 26 and attack together, which is what makes Djenge so vulnerable. Jesse Grossbart fights with a sword, Hegel with an axe, and Manfred with a bow. Clearing them in quick succession stops the bowman from chipping away at Djenge while you deal with the melee pair.
Rewards and Grotto loot
With all three brothers dead and Djenge still alive, he thanks Geralt and completes the quest. You can confirm success when the quest log updates to the finished entry and you receive 50 Crowns and 25 XP. The brothers themselves carry nothing of note, but the chests in the room they were guarding hold the real payout.
- Diagram: Enhanced Ursine Armor
- Diagram: Longclaw
- Diagram: Nilfgaardian Guardsman’s Armor
- Diagram: Axeman’s Boots
- Diagram: Alder Folk Boots
- Manuscript page: Superior Samum
- Manuscript page: Dancing Star
- Manuscript Page: Superior Relict Oil
Sweep every chest before you leave the cave. The crafting diagrams and manuscript pages here are worth far more than the Crowns, and there is no reason to return once the fight is over.
