The Witcher 3: Ladies of the Wood walkthrough
Here's how to complete the Ladies of the Wood quest in The Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt enters murky territory in Ladies of the Wood. After having hunted down a witch, Keira Metz, Geralt now has to turn to his notes once more to go about finding another elusive witch, who may bring him closer to finding Ciri.
If you need a helping hand, here's our guide on how to complete the Ladies in the Wood quest in The Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3: Ladies of the Wood walkthrough
Following the Wandering in the Dark quest in The Witcher 3, follow the path out of the cave and use the Eye to dispel the illusion masking the exit. Have a last chat with Keira, unlocking the secondary quest An Invitation from Keira Metz, if you also completed Magic Lamp.
You are miles from any fast travel points (unless you’ve been going off-schedule) and so is your target, so now is as good a time as any to start learning to use boats. Open the world map to plot a route to your goal (zoom out, and use L3 to find you and your goal), setting custom waypoints to help you navigate.
On the way you can stop by an island with a hidden treasure; watch out for the Drowner ambush! Once you collect the loot you’ll trigger the treasure hunt Sunken Chest, which you may as well do; it’s right here. Ping the Drowners with your magical underwater crossbow for best results.
When you finally reach the waypoint, examine the shrine. You must then follow the path – it’s not very difficult, hey – until you reach a little hamlet. There, you can chat with some kids and their granny for a bit. I don’t know if it’s possible to get the info you need out of them then and there, or if they always get upset with Geralt, but you’ll eventually figure out there’s one lad in particular you need to talk to. Enter the hut and try to speak with him, only to have Gran throw you out.
Go outside and talk to the kids. Agree to play hide and seek with them. When the countdown finishes, use your Witcher Senses and follow the footsteps to find the first child in a hut. Wander around until you find another set of prints and repeat. One is behind some ferns, and one is in a pile of branches behind a hut (you can climb on the roof and go over, or just walk around). The last one is behind the hut with Gran in it; you can see the trail going back in through the side door, out the window, and then away around to the opposite end of the building.
Since you won the game, the kids lure Gran away, after which you can chat with the kid. He’ll give you the info you need, and you can continue on – although it’s worthwhile pausing to listen to Gran’s parenting.
You’ll likely encounter some Drowners and a Water Hag. Once they’re down, find Johnny’s footprints and follow them. You’ll have to fight off another pack of Drowners on the way, but there’ll be no more incidents on the way to Johnny’s burrow.
When you’ve learned a bit about Johnny, follow him, fighting off one Drowner ambush on the way. Go around in the HorsePS indicated direction to climb up the ridge. Here, you’ll battle some Harpies; wait till they get close then ping ‘em with your crossbow, quickly moving in to attack while they’re grounded. Loot their nest once they’re dead, then return to Johnny.
I liked him quite a lot more when he was mute, personally. When you’ve had a jaw, follow him back to the village, dealing with any Drowners and Water Hags that intercept you.
Back at the village you’ll have several slabs of dialogue before being dispatched on another errand. Doesn’t anyone in Velen just want to tell Geralt what he wants to know? Loot the hut thoroughly before you leave; there’s a trapdoor leading to a basement, too.
Head north through the swamp following your HorsePS, optionally cleaning out some bandits on the way (they don’t have much to make it worth your while). Speak to the Ealdorman in Downwarren and show him the dagger to get the details of your mission. Better visit the merchant while you’re here!
When you approach the new waypoint, it starts to rain and sh*t gets a bit weird. Look around for a bit until the quest updates and suggests that you find a passage under the hill; it’s to the west, so trot down there to battle a werewolf near the entrance. Draw from the nearby Place of Power before heading in by climbing a couple of ledges nearby.
Inside the cave, you have to dive through an underwater cave to reach the centre of the hill. Chat with the thing inside to learn the truth (possibly) of why this strange being is causing trouble.
Now, the Whispering Hillock quest will kick off, and you must choose what to do with the creature. Because this is The Witcher, there's no guaranteed 'good' route. If you're not too sure what to do next, take a look at our guide to completing the Whispering Hillock and then return to speak with the Ealdorman in Downwarren.
Once that's completed and you've wrapped up any loose ends, it's time to see what Novigrad is all about. Continue our walkthrough with our guide to Act One - Novigrad's quests.
For more help on your journey, here's our The Witcher 3 guide and walkthrough, as well as our Hearts of Stone walkthrough, and Blood and Wine walkthrough. These pages contain tips and guides to help you throughout your adventure as Geralt of Rivia.