The “Lackey” quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance can be a tricky one, sometimes even bugging out and preventing players from completing it or related quests like “The Mutt.” This guide will walk you through the intended steps of the quest, from finding the missing huntsman Vostatek to dealing with the poachers and retrieving his horse, Pepik. We’ll also talk about the possible rewards you can earn based on your choices. Be aware that there is a bug where Vostatek stops responding after some initial stages of the quest, especially if it’s started and then left undone for a very long time, which might influence other quests as well. We’ll touch on this bug and possible workarounds, though unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed fix within the game itself.
How To Start Lackey Quest
While searching for Vostatek on the east side of Trosky for “The Mutt” side quest (or if you just happen to be looking for him), you’ll instead encounter his worried wife, Zlata. Vostatek has vanished without a trace, and Zlata has no idea where he could be. This kicks off “The Lackey” quest. Everyone else seems to think he’s just off on a bender, but Zlata fears something more serious has happened and asks you to investigate his disappearance.
How To Find Huntsman Vostatek
Your first step in finding Vostatek is to chat with his son, Vitek. Go north to where the two ponds intersect. Going north from this point, Vostatek will be cornered by three wolves. Trick here: do not kill wolves if you intend to get Lent trophy. If you want that trophy, be prepared to take out the unconscious wolves with punches. They’re coming one after another, but you can make do.
Once you’ve dealt with the wolves, Vostatek will climb down. He’s injured his leg and needs help getting back to his camp. He’ll ask you to carry him and fetch his horse, Pepik. If you refuse, you won’t be able to finish the quest. So, pick him up and start following his (often contradictory) directions. Ignore his confusing instructions and instead follow the river north until you reach the Hunter’s Camp.
You could take him straight home from here, but that’ll hurt your reputation, and he’ll only give you a measly 25 Groschen. A better option is to drop him off at the Hunter’s Camp, bring him some water, and then he’ll ask you to find Pepik while he rests. Again, refusing will damage your reputation, so agree to find his horse.
How to Kill the Poachers
Now it’s time to find Pepik. Head southeast to the marked location on your map – you’ll find the post where Pepik was tied up. Follow the trail, and you’ll soon stumble upon a hunting horn. Interact with it, and you’ll see a saddle and some horse tracks appear on your map, marking the poachers’ camp. It’s located on a cliff, further southeast along the road.
The poachers’ camp is home to five enemies. You could just sneak in, grab Pepik, and run, but that means missing out on all the loot. It’s much more rewarding to take them out. A direct fight is possible, but a stealthy approach is recommended. Try infiltrating the camp at night – two of the poachers will be asleep, making them easy targets. Eliminate the rest and then thoroughly loot the camp, including a cave at the back.
Once all the poachers are dealt with, you should find Pepik somewhere in the middle of the camp. Lead him back to Vostatek at the hunter’s camp. Talk to Vostatek, and Henry will fill him in on what happened at the poachers’ camp (your actions will determine the story). You can then choose to return to Vostatek’s house with him or go separately. Either way, you’ll need to go to his house to finish the quest. Talk to Vostatek there, and he’ll reward you based on how you handled everything.
- 80 Groschen: You get the full reward if you eliminate all the poachers and bring Pepik back unharmed.
- 45 Groschen: You’ll receive a smaller reward if you fail to kill all the poachers or Pepik dies along the way.
- 25 Groschen: The smallest reward is yours if you skip the whole horse-finding and poacher-fighting business and just bring Vostatek straight home.
Lackey Quest Bugged
So, you were busy with the Brunswick stuff and stumbled upon the Lackey quest. You finished it, told him you’d meet up later, and didn’t think much of it. Hours later, you’re working on the Mutt questline and realize you need to see that same Lackey guy! What a cool connection, right?
But when you get to his house, he’s just standing outside, totally unresponsive. You wait, he just does his usual NPC walk around his house, and you still can’t talk to him. You’re pretty sure it’s a bug. You even tried attacking him – he doesn’t react, his family doesn’t care, and you can even kill him! But then the quest fails, and reloading doesn’t fix anything. So, it seems like you’re stuck and might be Mutt-less.
On the bright side, even though the Lackey quest is bugged for you, you can still find Mutt by looking up his location online. So, at least there’s that!
