Gothic 1 Remake The Almanac Quest Guide (Fire Mages)

The Almanac is a Swamp Camp quest in Gothic 1 Remake that begins during Chapter 2. Y’Berion wants you to retrieve a focus-stone-related book from the Fire Mages, and the task comes with extra pressure: another recruit, Talas, was sent earlier and never came back—so you’re stepping into the fallout.

Quest timing and where to go

Quest	Starts	Key locations	What you retrieve
The Almanac	Chapter 2	Old Camp Castle, Black Goblin cave, Swamp Camp	A book held by the Fire Mages (focus stones)

Because the book is tied to the Fire Mages, you’ll need to travel through the Old Camp area and then push into a Black Goblin cave to recover it. Expect a major spike in combat intensity once you enter—come prepared with plenty of healing and your best gear. This walkthrough breaks down how to start the quest, reach the cave, fight the Black Goblins, find the Almanac, and then bring it back to Y’Berion.

If you want to jump straight to a specific step, use the mission objective list below. Otherwise, read from the beginning for the full route and combat guidance.

How to start The Almanac quest
Travel to the Old Camp Castle
Find the Black Goblin cave
- How to fight the Black Goblins
- Directions through the Black Goblin cave
Bring the Almanac to Y’Berion
Speak to Cor Kalom

How to fight the Black Goblins
Directions through the Black Goblin cave

How to Start The Almanac Quest

Y’Berion’s request is straightforward: he needs a book connected to focus stones, currently held by the Fire Mages inside the Old Camp Castle. Talas was dispatched to get it and didn’t return, so now it’s your turn to track it down. While you’re there, you can also try to figure out what happened to Talas.

In-game objective – “I need the almanac from the Fire Mages.”

Travel to the Old Camp Castle

Head back to the Old Camp, then approach the entrance to the Old Camp Castle.

Once you arrive, you’ll find Talas alive and standing near the gate. Thorus won’t let him pass—apparently driven by a personal grudge—and Talas is still eager to prove himself to the people back at Swamp Camp.

Talas asks you to deliver a couple of messages. He wants to know when you’ve obtained the book, and he wants you to tell Y’Berion that he helped you recover it—even if that isn’t really the truth. You can refuse, accept, or push for a reward from him. If you press him hard enough, the payout can be 30 or 50 Ore Nuggets depending on how much trouble you make for him. Either way, regardless of what you say to Talas, you still have to enter the Old Camp Castle.

Inside the inner wall, you’ll locate the Fire Mages by turning left immediately into the castle courtyard. They spend their time in a church-like stone structure on the right side of the courtyard.

Milten is posted out front. If you ask to borrow the focus-stone book, he suggests you two can help each other. Milten explains that he lost it while traveling toward Swamp Camp. His plan is to have you retrieve the lost book, bring it to Y’Berion, and then return it to Milten afterward so his superiors won’t discover the loss.

Your character agrees to help.

Find the Black Goblin Cave

In-game objective – “I should find the almanac in the goblin cave.”

Milten tells you that the book was taken by Black Goblins during his travel to Swamp Camp. The incident happened near a bridge by a waterfall.

When you leave the castle grounds and head toward Swamp Camp, Talas stops you again. Your character updates him, and Talas offers to show you where the Goblins are so you can retrieve the book. You can refuse or accept—just note that once you commit to your choice, you can’t switch later. The directions below work for either route.

To reach the area, follow the path from Old Camp toward Swamp Camp for a while. You’ll need to cross the first bridge and climb the hill. After that, watch for a fork: taking the right-hand option leads you to another bridge.

This is where Talas’ assistance ends, but it still puts you in the correct place. Cross the bridge, save your game, then take the left path toward the nearby cave entrance.

How to Fight the Black Goblins

Near the path leading up to the entrance, you should spot two Black Goblins patrolling. Draw their attention, but try to lure them toward you so you don’t pull in extra enemies from deeper inside the cave.

These Goblins are a new variant compared to what you may have fought in Chapter 1, so they have a few extra threats to watch for.

New Enemy – Black Goblin

Black Goblins resemble regular Goblins in basic behavior, but they wear armor and use human weapons. That means they absorb more punishment and also deal out much higher damage.

Like other Goblins, they try to disrupt fights by throwing objects at you. The closer you are when they toss something, the more likely you’ll get hit. The key is timing: if you watch for the moment they throw, you can press the dodge input at the same time to avoid taking damage.

Because of their armor, these enemies can endure several strikes without being interrupted. Instead of rushing into a full combo, focus on finding an opening first. If you have Master training in one-handed weapons, you’ll benefit from a stronger three-hit combo that can deal more damage and stagger them more reliably.

Black Goblins carry Morning Stars, which hit fairly hard. Keep healing items available on your quick-access slots so you can use them mid-fight, and don’t get greedy when you find an opening—attack only when they expose themselves.

After you clear the first pair of Goblins on the approach toward the cave, move closer to the entrance. There’s another Goblin off the path to the left that you’ll need to fight as well. When the fight starts, you’ll likely draw a fourth Goblin out from the cave. Stay alert, because that fourth enemy often throws objects before you even realize it’s engaged.

Entering the cave itself becomes significantly harder. Bring multiple torches with you, since you’ll need to pull them out and place them as you go. Also stock up on healing items—this cave holds more than a dozen Black Goblins.

Work deeper into the cave and deal with more Black Goblins as you encounter them. In the first slightly-open area, you may find three or more at once. Backing up is usually a good idea to create distance from the large cluster; ideally, you back away far enough that only one enemy is within reach. Many Goblins only wander so far from their starting position, so they should turn around once you’ve retreated enough.

If you have magic options like Firebolt—or damaging magic scrolls—this is a good moment to use them. You’ll often need to keep attacking while moving backward at full speed to thin the crowd.

Even if you eliminate a few enemies, more may have noticed you because of the fighting. You’ll likely have to keep breaking up the group. Use nearby corners to gain distance from Goblins that can throw projectiles from farther away, and keep yourself protected from ranged harassment.

If you choose to lure Goblins toward the entrance and fight them there, remember they patrol. That means previously cleared spots can fill back up later as enemies re-enter your area. Don’t assume you’re safe just because you cleaned out one section once—you should clear the majority of enemies in the cave before you relax.

Directions Through the Black Goblin Cave

This cave has multiple dead ends, so follow the route carefully to reach the end. As a general rule (unless a specific area says otherwise), you’ll mostly find mushrooms in rooms and along walkways throughout the cave.

From the entrance, the path slopes downward. When you reach a fork, take the right-hand route as the main path. The left-hand option leads to a small room at the end with little more than a torch.

In the next right-side room, there’s a central pillar. A passage wraps briefly around it to the left, but both directions open into a larger room. From there, you’ll see two more routes—left and right. The left path takes you deeper into the cave.

If you go into the right chamber, expect 4 to 6 Goblins to clear out. The reward is worth it: in a corner chest, you’ll find a new weapon, the War Sword. It deals 34 Edge Damage and requires 24 Strength.

Taking the left passage brings you quickly to a room with a torch in the center in front of a large rock. The room itself is small, but watch the left corner—patrolling Goblins approach from that side. After you clear the threat, continue left along that path.

When you face the torch on the wall, there’s a path branching left and right. The left path contains a few ingredients but ultimately ends in a dead end. The right path—past the glowing blue mushrooms—is the way forward.

In this room, continue down the right-hand descending route. There’s a small drop followed by a second one. Don’t take the second drop yet. More Black Goblins will spot you as you fall and corner you. These enemies are worth damaging from range when possible. Leave a torch near the ledge edge, then thin them out by attacking from afar. If ranged attacks aren’t an option, back out further until the Goblins lose interest, then return to catch them off-guard.

If you’ve handled all enemies up to this point, you should be ready to explore the next sections.

The next area is a large room. You’ll find a side jail space with little inside, plus a ledge you can climb up to access a climbable wall—though you can only use it if you have the required climbing skill. In the main space on the left, you’ll spot a small wooden door.

Open the door and you’ll soon reach the goblin camp’s stash. There’s valuable junk here, including wine and crafting materials like iron. You’ll also find a Mace, a fairly strong blunt weapon. A chest sits nearby, holding small items and two notable finds: a Ring of Greater Life (which grants extra HP) and The Almanac! You’ve finally retrieved what you came for.

With the Almanac in hand, make a quick save in case enemies surprise you on the way out. Then leave the cave the same way you entered. Don’t forget to pick up any torches that have gone out along your route.

Bring the Almanac to Y’Berion

In-game objective – “Time to bring the almanac to Y’Berion.”

Once you’re outside, Talas will have a short conversation with you if you traveled with him. He claims he fended off swarms of bloodflies while you were inside, though you’ll still need to head back to Swamp Camp either way to deliver the book to Y’Berion.

When you bring the Almanac to Y’Berion, he’ll ask about Talas. What you say depends on your earlier interactions with Talas. You can claim Talas helped you, or you can call him useless.

After that, Y’Berion offers a choice of one of three rewards:

Scrolls (3x Sleep Scrolls)
150 Ore Nuggets
Potions (5x Extract of Magic Energy)

Then Y’Berion asks for your help again. He wants you to talk to Cor Kalom about the concoction he’s preparing for the Brotherhood’s ritual.

Speak to Cor Kalom

In-game objective – “I should see Cor Kalom.”

Cor Kalom is in his lab, just as you’d expect. Step out of the temple and you’ll reach the base of his treehouse almost immediately.

Once you begin speaking with Cor Kalom, The Almanac mission finishes and you earn 2,500 Experience Points. Keep talking, and the next quest, The Minecrawler Nest, will start.

Gothic 1 Remake The Almanac Quest Guide: Fire Mages and Missing Talas

Quest timing and where to go

How to Start The Almanac Quest

Travel to the Old Camp Castle