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Background

You'll trigger this quest by reading the note "Contract: Muire D'yaeblen" on the notice board in Kaer Trolde in Ard Skellig (#1).


Walkthrough

From the note you'll learn that the muire d'yaeblen (aka drowners) in the area have started causing problems. To learn more about them, you'll need to talk to Bjorg at the shipyard (#2). He'll tell you that the drowners are more aggressive and organized than usual, and he'll recommend that you talk to two witnesses:

• Rurik (aka Boatwright's Apprentice). You'll find him right next to Bjorg. He'll tell you how drowners overturned his boat and killed his cousin Ulf.
  
  
• Tove (aka Skellige Woman). You'll find her in front of her house to the west (#3). She'll tell you how drowners killed her husband and son.

Both witnesses will mention the Kjerag Cliffs in their story. If you're in a hurry, then you can immediately head to the cliffs after talking to one of the witnesses. But if you talk to both, then you'll earn 25 xp.

The witness stories will give you two places that you can search along the Kjerag Cliffs (#4). At each spot you'll discover the smell of drowners, and you'll be able to follow the stench to their cave (via Exit A or B). When you enter the cave, you'll earn 25 xp.

Inside the cave, you'll encounter some level 18 drowned dead, and you'll also have to deal with some pockets of poisonous gas. The drowners should be old hat by this point. For the gas, you can either use Igni on it (to burn it up briefly) or you can quaff a Golden Oriole potion (so you can ignore it).

In the back of the cave you'll discover a creature's lair (#5). As you search through it, you'll find decorations and stored food, so you'll realize that it belongs to a water hag rather than a drowner. To corner the hag, you'll have to make yourself smell like a drowner so it won't realize that you're there. To that end, you'll automatically learn the recipe for Drowner Pheromones. You won't need any special ingredients for the recipe (and in fact you'll find all of them inside the cave), so you should be able to craft it right away.

After quaffing the pheromones, you'll need to hide in the southeastern part of the lair (#6). Shortly afterwards, the water hag Abaya will show up, and you'll have to battle her plus a pair of drowned dead. You'll be fighting in a dark cave, so it's a good idea to drink a Cat potion first so you can see when Abaya is about to spit. Then you'll just need to dodge the spit while dealing damage with your sword or signs.

When Abaya dies, she'll drop a Water Hag Trophy, a leveled version of the steel sword Daystar, and more. When you show the trophy to Bjorg (#2), you'll have two choices for your reward. If you demand a larger payment because you had to fight a water hag rather than just drowners, then Bjorg will grumble but pay you 435 crowns. Otherwise, he'll just pay you your negotiated fee. Either way, you'll also earn 250 xp.


1 - Notice Board


2 - Bjorg / Rurik


3 - Tove


4 - Kjerag Cliffs


5 - Lair


6 - Hiding Place


Exits

1. Underwater entrance to Drowner Cave.
2. Main entrance to Drowner Cave.