Wild at Heart

A Bleak Lookout in Blackbough

Read a Notice Board (such as the one at Crow’s Perch) and look for a missive from a local hunter named Niellen, whose wife Hanna has gone missing. He’s beside himself with worry. Canter on over to the village of Blackbough, find Niellen (he’s usually standing outside his cabin), and speak with him.

Niellen’s story matches the one he pinned to the Notice Board, but your talk is interrupted by Margaret (Niellens sister-in-law) who mentions a friendship with the butcher’s wife. You now have two objectives:

Start with an interrogation of the villagers. The chicken-plucking Glenna is only a fence-hop away. Ask about Hanna and Glenna reckons she was a cheerful sort, but probably got eaten by wolves (or howlers) while picking mushrooms. Now head over to the blacksmith’s, where your conversation yields results from the blacksmith’s children (who Hanna minded from time to time) the boy swears he saw Hanna enter the woods with another woman.

Torn to Pieces

Now enter the woods to the northwest of Blackbough. Expect pockets of wild nekkers and wolves to dispatch. Once you reach the objective area, you can find a pack of wolves surrounding a corpse that could be a clue. However, once you dispatch the wolves to clear the way for the investigation, Margaret suddenly interrupts your search. She pleads with you to end the search and lie to Niellen that his wife is dead. You have two opportunities to agree to this. You can:

• Agree, receive 55 crowns from Margaret, return to Niellen and lie to him regarding his wife’s fate, and receive an additional 10 crowns.
• Agree, receive 55 crowns from Margaret, and continue to complete this quest.

• Refuse, receive a verbal tongue-lashing as Margaret walks off, and continue your woodland search.

Slightly southwest of the center of the objective area is a grim discovery; the rotting corpse of Hanna who has been literally torn to pieces. Close by is the body of a dog; examine that to see long cuts made with lengthy claws. Note the claw marks on the ground around the dead dog, too. You know what made these lacerations…

Near to the dead dog are paw marks near an upright stone where the werewolf climbed a tree. Close by is a tuft of fur, and a stench you can follow through the woods. Look up with your Witcher Senses as you spot the scent moving through the tree branches, and track it back to the ground, eventually finding some shredded clothing. While this is happening, expect to encounter more wolves and a bear.

Look northwest from the discarded clothes, and find the hunter’s quarters (Isolated Shack signpost), and enter the premises. On a bed are some Mysterious Notes. Read them to confirm your suspicions of werewolf activity.

Now exit and inspect some freshly-dried blood to the side of the structure. Venture under the property, to a hidden cave with a door you need to smash open using Aard.

End: A Lycanthropeless Romantic

Enter the cave, and follow the tunnel until it opens up into a large cavern. If you arrived during daylight hours, meditate until nightfall. Meditate inside the cave, and the wolves (and werewolf) approach from the outside. A wolf charges you, followed by the fearsome werewolf himself! Begin combat with this lycanthrope, whittling his health down to almost naught. As you’re about to inflict a killing blow, a shrill voice interrupts you. It’s Margaret, again!

Revelations abound: It seems the werewolf is Niellen himself! Furthermore, it seems Margrit has become besotted with Niellen—to such an extent that she lured her own sister to a savage demise by the claws of her own husband! And now no one can stop her love of Niellen. Well, except for you and the hairy beast you’ve brought to heel. Conclude this quest with an important choice. You can:

• Kill Niellen the werewolf, stopping him from murdering the (insane) Margaret, leaving her to flee.
• Leave Niellen the werewolf, who slays Margaret despite her protests of love, before turning on you. Niellen will follow you, and plead you put an end to his suffering.

Either way, you get a reward. You a key from Niellen’s corpse. This opens a chest inside the Isolated Hut, for an additional (random) reward— a diagram and other goods. There are notes in the hut too, revealing the true horrors of lycanthropy.