Working out how to speak to Captain Thomas in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the first task you'll have to contend with when you arrive at Trosky Castle. After you start a brawl at the wedding in Semine, you and Hans find yourself under lock and key, and what's worse, he's been sentenced to death as a poacher.
The only one who can identify Hans as a noble is Captain Thomas, the wary commander you met at the very start of the game. Unfortunately, this soldier is at death's door following a bandit ambush, and you'll have to wake him up if you want his help.
Doing so will require you to sneak around Trosky Castle and complete a few tasks before the bell strikes twelve and Hans is taken out to be hanged. I'll describe and show the best route to reach Thomas with minimal sneaking, as well as how to get your hands on the tonic you need to help him.
How to reach Captain Thomas
You'll need to infiltrate the inner castle in order to reach Thomas. The clip above shows the exact route, but I'll also describe it below from where you start in Trosky Castle after finishing the wedding quest:
- Head through the stone archway and up the stairs to the building straight ahead above the well
- Open the door and head up stairs on your right into the kitchen
- As you arrive in the kitchen, climb the stairs to your left, and go through the door at the top
- Turn left and head to the far end of the pantry and climb the stairs there
- Climb the next staircase as well and the one after. There may or may not be a guard at the bottom of the second set of stairs—throw a rock to distract him if so and slip past
- Keep climbing staircases until you reach the tower where Thomas is being cared for by his sister
Adela will tell you that Thomas needs a special tonic from the physician, but he's currently away with the lord, so you'll have to find it instead. Side note: If you're not of the god-fearing persuasion, I recommend stealing the golden crucifix from the altar in the next room while you're here, since it's a good opportunity with the priest absent.
Where to get a lockpick
Unless you're really good at convincing people, you'll need a lockpick to open the physician's chest and get the necessary ingredients for the tonic Thomas needs. The clip above shows the route from Thomas to the physician's quarters, while also grabbing a lockpick along the way, but I've also put the step-by-step instructions below:
- Head back the way you came. There will likely now be a guard, and a servant girl sweeping at the bottom of the stairs. Wait for the servant to leave and throw a rock to slip past the guard
- Just before you descend back down into the kitchen, open the door at the far end of the pantry, and the door after that to enter a courtyard
- Hug the left wall and then slip through the gate into a further courtyard with a blacksmith and lots of guards
- Continue along the left side by the stables to avoid the guards' attention and grab the lockpick from the small container on the shelf at the far end against the left wall
- Go back through the gate and climb the battlements. Keep an eye out for the patrolling guard while you make your way along the right side and through the door at the far end
- Head through the door at the end of the chamber and keep climbing stairs until you reach a dead end corridor with a door on your left and a door on your right. Head through the right door to enter the physician's room.
Inside, you'll find Katherine, the mysterious woman you previously met in Troskowitz. You might be able to convince her to help you, but if not, you'll have to take matters into your own hands.
It's worth noting that you can also purchase lockpicks from the stablehand, though you'll need to steal enough groschen to get them since he won't buy stolen items. The above method is far easier than this, and you only need one lockpick for a very easy lock.
Where to find the Fever Tonic
Assuming Katherine didn't help you, grab the physician's journal from the shelf just by the door, read it, and then use your lockpick to open the very easy locked chest in the middle of the room. The potion you need to make is a Fever Tonic, which requires:
- Three feverfew
- Two ginger
- One elderberry leaf
I'd also take this opportunity to pinch a belladonna and a nettle to craft yourself a weak Saviour Schnapps, so you can save once this is done. Thankfully, you'll have the recipe for the Fever Tonic in your alchemy book so you can craft it. Now, head back the way you came, distracting the guard at the stairs with a thrown rock once more, and you'll complete the quest upon arriving at the tower.
Alternative approach: Speak to Thomas without sneaking
If you'd rather not risk getting caught by the guards, you can also get free rein of the castle by helping the chamberlain, who's having some stomach issues. He's moping around in one of the castle's kitchens, near the courtyard stables. By passing some skill checks during your conversation, you'll identify the problem and be tasked with creating some medicine—specifically, a digestive potion.
The guards will then let you go to the physician's chambers, where you'll need to go anyway to make Thomas's tonic. You'll still need the lockpick, just like the method above, so you can access the physician's chest. You'll also need some charcoal, which you can get from the same container as the lockpick.
Once you've created the potion, return to the chamberlain and mention that you'd like to pray for him, after which he'll allow you to go to the chapel, where Thomas is recuperating.
