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Background

During the quest Ladies of the Wood, you'll learn that there's an ancient power living under a giant tree on the Whispering Hillock. When you head over to that location to investigate the tree, a voice will order you to leave. Hearing that voice will trigger this quest.


Walkthrough

As you explore the hillock with your witcher senses, you'll discover a couple of corpses, one showing signs of fang marks. You'll also run into wolves and a werewolf. And then on the western side, you'll spot the entrance to a cave leading under the hillock (Exit A).

Inside the cave, you'll have to do some swimming -- during which you should keep your witcher senses on so you don't miss any treasure chests ($) -- but eventually you'll come to the creature causing the problems (#1). When you talk to it, you'll learn that it's the spirit of the druidess who used to protect the area -- until the crones moved in and murdered her. She'll ask you to free her from the tree's heart so she can save the orphans in the bog from the evil fate the crones have planned for them. This will give you two choices:

• You can work against the spirit. She'll be angry with you, and she'll send waves of endrega workers to attack you. During the waves, roots will block you from hitting the tree's heart where the spirit is trapped. But in between the waves, the roots will move out of the way, allowing you to deal damage. If endrega workers aren't too tough for you, then you might want to extend the battle so you can loot extra endrega parts at the end. When you kill the heart, the spirit will die as well.
  
  
• You can work with the spirit. She'll tell you that in order to free her, you'll need to find three things:
  
  
  • Raven's Feather. You should have found this already during the quest Ladies of the Wood (at #2, where you helped Johnny the godling reclaim his voice).
    
    
  • The spirit's bones. You'll find the grave of the spirit to the west (#3). If you turn on your witcher senses, then the grave marker will glow red, making it easier to spot. Inside the grave you'll find a Woman's Remains.
    
    
  • Black Mare. You'll find suitable horses a ways off to the south (#4). To bring one back to the spirit, you'll need to cast Axii on it, then mount it, and then ride it into the cave. You'll only be able to ride the horse into the back entrance of the cave (Exit B).
  
  When you bring the items back to the spirit, you'll have three options. If you attack the spirit, then that will be the same as working against it from the start (see above). If you trick the spirit, then it will die, and you won't have to fight anything. If you complete the ritual, then the spirit will take possession of the mare (turning it into a "back beauty"), it will promise to free the orphans, and then it will leave the cave.

Note: This quest will have a major impact on the future of Velen. If you kill the spirit, then Gran will survive, the Bloody Baron will survive, and everybody else will go on living as they were before -- except for the orphans who will disappear (probably into the stomachs of the crones). If you free the spirit, then the orphans will get away, but Gran will die, the Bloody Baron will die, the Baron's men will plunder the region, and Downwarren will get destroyed.


1 - Tree's Heart


2 - Raven's Nest


3 - Druidess Grave


4 - Black Mares


Exits

1. Front cave entrance.
2. Back cave entrance.