Family Matters - The Witcher 3

At the conclusion of the Ciri flashback, you will resume your conversation with the Bloody Baron. The time has come to begin your investigation into his missing wife and daughter.

After you finish speaking with the Baron, proceed upstairs and head to the large room at the east end of the hallway. This is the only room you have to search to proceed with the quest. Using your Witcher Senses, examine the following objects which will be highlighted red in the room.

Candlestick
Off-colored wall
Painting of baron and his wife
Wardrobe behind painting
Fresh flowers
Wooden pillar near the desk
The candlestick again

Tamara’s room is optional, but will provide additional information. In order to complete it, locate the following items

Letter to Tamara
Ugly Doll
Incense and an old key

With the rooms completed, use your Witcher Senses to follow the trail of red mist to the next clue halfway down the stairs.

Return to the Baron with the talisman and ask about the things you’ve found. The Baron will tell you about Pellar in Blacksbough and a woman in Midcopse. Head to Blackbough to find the Pellar. Once you have made it to the hut using the quest marker, you will see a group of bandits gathered outside his home. You have the options of threatening them, offering to cure their friend, or attempting to use Axii. Keep in mind that they will not accept a bribe to leave. Afterwards, speak to the Pellar which will trigger the Princess in Distress quest.

Return to the Baron at Crow’s Perch, as you reach the castle you will see a raging fire. Upon reaching the keep you will have the option to save a man trapped in the burning stables or not. If you choose to save him, head to the stables and climb the ladder. From there, march deeper into the stables towards the quest marker using Aard when necessary to clear debris. After climbing down the ladder inside the barn, head to the main door and open it to save the man.

Regardless of your decision, you will have to fight the Baron. Like most fist-fights, parrying is a very effective technique to beat him. Another method would be to dodge around him and attack from behind. After defeating him you will have a conversation with the Baron. Afterwards, you will follow the Baron to the botchling’s grave, where you have to decide its fate.

The choice you make here will have little impact on the Baron’s storyline but it will change how you complete the quest.

Geralt during the Family Matters quest in The Witcher 3

Lift The Curse Path

If you chose to lift the curse, you will have to escort the baron and the botchling back to the keep. Wraiths will occasionally attack the group which you will have to defeat. They will be easier to defeat if you trap them with the Yrden sign, but they can still be dispatched without using it. Immediately after the wraiths are dispatched, cast the Axii sign on the botchling to calm it down. If you don’t use Axii fast enough than the botchling will become angry and you will have to go down the other path. Continue this pattern of killing wraiths and calming the botchling until you reach the keep.

After the cutscene, sit and wait until the lubberkin appears. Follow the lubberkin outside the castle to a smokehouse. Search near the lubberkin with your Witcher Senses for a bracelet, clothing, and a horseshoe. Once you find all the clues, continue following the lubberkin to a horse corpse. Investigate the bones, head, ribs, saddle, and the missing horseshoe. Afterwards it will lead you to the final stop at a fisherman’s house. Head inside and complete the conversation within.

Geralt following the Lubberkin in The Witcher 3

Kill the Botchling Path

If you failed to calm the botchling or chose to kill it, you will have to defeat it in battle. Whenever it falls below half health, it will begin to regenerate health. Casting the Axii sign will stun it and stop the health regeneration. Additionally, using cursed blade oil will enhance your damage against it. Once you’ve defeated it, Geralt will collect a vial of blood and decide to speak to the Pellar.

Follow the quest marker to the Pellar’s house and enter the conversation with him. Once he agrees to the ritual you escort him to the Wolven Glade, defending him from wolf attacks along the way. When you arrive, prepare to fight several waves of wraiths before lighting the 3 fires. During the ritual some of the fires will go out, allowing wraiths to enter the ritual circle. Quickly relight the fire by either interacting with it or using the Igni sign, before defeating the wraiths that entered the circle. Repeat this until the Pellar completes the ritual.

With the ritual completed, you have the choice of proceeding directly to the fisherman’s house or escorting the Pellar home. This choice doesn’t have any significant impact except for an experience award for escorting him home. Once you arrive at the fisherman’s house, head inside and begin the conversation.

Paths Converge

Regardless of the choice you made, the two shall converge at this point. Speak to the Baron before finding Tamara in order to get a doll and a letter of safe conduct from him. This will also start the Ciri’s Story: The Race quest.

Head to Oxenfurt and give the letter of safe conduct to gain entry. Follow the quest marker to Tamara’s house and speak to her to attempt to convince her to come home. After you talk to her, return to the Baron to report the news about his daughter. Assuming you have followed this walkthrough for the quest order, you can now also tell him about Anna.

If you haven’t completed Ladies of the Wood yet, you will have to complete that quest before finishing this one.

Once you tell the Baron about Anna, you will begin a Ciri flashback and complete the quest.