A Knight’s Tales – Witcher 3: Blood and Wine Quest

This guide is a walkthrough of a side quest in the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine DLC. The guide is composed of a map, map legend, and walkthrough to show readers exactly where to go and what to do to complete the quest.

Map Legend

1 – Castel Ravello Vineyard
2 – Bleeding Tree
3 – Lynx Crag

Background

You’ll trigger this quest by reading the note “Needed: Master Magicker!” on the notice board at Castel Ravello Vineyard in Toussaint North (#1).

Walkthrough

The note will indicate that Jacob the woodcutter is having problems with a witch. You’ll find Jacob and his dog Morholt to the west at a bleeding tree (#2). When you talk to Jacob there, he’ll tell you that when he cut into the tree, it started bleeding — which, according to legend, means that there’s a cursed girl inside.

When you examine the tree, you’ll detect that the blood coming from it is actually human, and when you turn on your witcher senses, you’ll hear sobbing coming from inside. Jacob will then tell you more of the legend, which will involve a woman named Daphne, her lover Gareth, and a spiteful witch living at Lynx Crag. He’ll even give you his book Tales and Fables so you can refer to the legend yourself. This conversation will earn you 50 xp.

To reach the top of Lynx Crag (#3), you’ll have to do some climbing. Along the way, you might run into a panther that will ignore you. When you reach the top of the crag, you’ll discover a witch’s hut, but nobody will be home. To learn more about the witch, you’ll need to go inside and turn on your witcher senses. You’ll find some items of interest, like a banned book of magic and some ground bones, but the only thing of importance is the bear hide. When you remove it, you’ll find some trophies hanging on the wall, including a Silk Kerchief. Picking up the kerchief will earn you 50 xp and also cause the witch and her panther familiar to show up.

When you talk to the witch, she intimate that the legend is true, and that she played a part in it. You’ll then have three ways to deal with her:

• If you humble yourself before the witch and ask her nicely to remove the curse, then she’ll agree to help you, provided that you give her a lock of your hair. She’ll then tell you what you’ll need to do. You’ll need to collect some of Gareth’s remains from the cave beneath the crag, you’ll need to burn the remains and the kerchief next to Daphne’s tree, and you’ll need to convince Daphne that Gerath is dead.
  
  There are two entrances to the cave beneath the crag. Inside, you’ll encounter two level 40 kikimore workers and one level 40 kikimore warrior. You’ll find Gareth’s remains on a ledge near a treasure chest. When you examine the remains (with your witcher senses on), you’ll automatically collect Sir Gareth’s Bone.
  
  When you return to Daphne’s tree (#2) and talk to Jacob, he’ll agree to cut and stack some wood while you wait until midnight to start the ritual. You’ll then need to light four pyres around the tree. This will trigger a cut scene where you’ll meet Daphne’s spirit. Daphne will ask you if Gerath remained true to her (he didn’t). Regardless of how you answer, Daphne will depart, and Jacob will pay you your negotiated fee.
  
• If you tell the witch that you’ll deal with the curse yourself, then she’ll smirk and wish you good luck. You’ll then have two ways to proceed. If you enter the cave beneath the crag and retrieve Sir Gareth’s Bone, then when you return to Daphne’s tree (#2) and perform the ritual, you’ll get the same result as if you had worked with the witch. But if you perform the ritual without the bone, then Daphne’s spirit will emerge from the tree as a wraith and attack you. This will force you to defeat her in battle (with Jacob’s dog Morholt helping you out). Afterwards, Jacob will call you a “bungler,” but he’ll still pay you your negotiated fee.
  
• If you threaten the witch, then she and her panther will attack you. The witch will toss nasty spells your way, while the panther will only use regular melee attacks, so concentrate on the witch. Once you’ve done enough damage to her, she’ll stop fighting and she’ll promise to lift the curse.
  
  However, when you return to Daphne’s tree (#2), you won’t see Jacob around. When you turn on your witcher senses, you’ll detect that Jacob fled to the east, chased by his dog Morholt. The tracks will lead you to Jacob’s corpse, where Morholt will attack you. You’ll then figure out that the witch freed Daphne from the tree, as promised, but that Daphne then possessed Morholt and killed Jacob. On the ground next to Jacob, you’ll find a pouch containing 123 crowns, which is probably about the same as your negotiated fee.

Regardless of your choice, you’ll earn 150 xp for completing the quest, and you’ll never see the witch again.

Note: If you complete the ritual correctly, then you’ll earn the Wisdom virtue for the quest There Can Be Only One.