Return to Crookback Bog – Witcher 3 Quest

This guide is a walkthrough of a side quest in the Witcher 3 for the area of Velen. 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 – Downwarren
2 – Orphan Village
3 – Johnny’s Burrow
4 – Johnny

Background

At the end of the quest Family Matters, you’ll tell Bloody Baron what happened to his wife Anna. This will disturb him, and he’ll ask you to go with him to Crookback Bog so he can rescue her from the crones. If you agree to do this, then you’ll trigger the quest.

Walkthrough

You’ll need to meet the Baron and his men in Downwarren (#1). Depending on how you completed the quest The Whispering Hillock, the rest of the quest will play out in one of two ways:

• If you freed the cursed spirit, then when you reach Downwarren, you’ll find the buildings on fire and most of the villagers dead. The one-eared ealdorman will still be there, though, and he’ll tell you that a black mare showed up and drove everyone mad. The Baron won’t think much of this, and he’ll head for the orphan village. Along the way you’ll get attacked by drowners, rotfiends, and a water hag, but you’ll have the Baron and his men with you, so the battles should not be tough.
  
  When you reach the orphan village (#2), you’ll find Tamara, Graden, and a few other witch hunters there fighting some drowners. After helping them to finish the battle, they’ll begin searching the village for Anna — and they’ll find her, now transformed into a water hag. Soon after this discovery, the village will get attacked by more hags and drowners, plus a fiend. Defeating these creatures will earn you 200 xp.
  
  With the village clear, Tamara will want to know if there’s a way to cure her mother. You’ll decide to check in on Johnny to see if he knows anything. However, when you reach his burrow (#3), you’ll encounter a hag and some drowners there, and Johnny won’t come when you call for him. But if you turn on your witcher senses, then you’ll detect Johnny’s footprints, and they’ll lead you right to him (#4). Johnny will tell you that the crones changed Anna into a hag right after taking some of her hair and going down into the cellar of one of the buildings in the village. Learning this will earn you 50 xp.
  
  When you return to the village, you’ll automatically tell Tamara and Graden what happened to Anna. You’ll then decide to search the cellar where the crones went. You’ll find it in the large eastern building where the portrait of the crones is hanging. Graden will go with you.
  
  In the cellar, you’ll find a strange altar with four dolls in front of it. Graden will inform you that witches thread hair through dolls to gain power over their victims. You’ll just have to figure out which one represents Anna. The doll with the hollyhock flower is the right choice (when you talked to the Bloody Baron earlier in his garden, he might have told you that the hollyhock flower is Anna’s favorite).
  
  If you take the right doll, then you’ll receive a Crones’ Doll, and Anna will transform back to human — but the curse won’t end and she’ll soon die. If you take the wrong doll, then it will burst into flame — and so will Anna, and she’ll be dead before you get back to her. Either way, you’ll earn 300 xp, and the Baron will invite you back to Crow’s Perch to receive your pay. However, when you get there, you’ll discover that the Baron has hanged himself, and you’ll receive your 100 crown payment from the sergeant. You’ll also find one of Tamara’s Cloth Dolls at the Baron’s feet.
  
• If you destroyed the cursed spirit, then the quest will play out roughly the same — except for three exceptions. When you reach Downwarren (#1), it will still be a bustling village (minus the two peasants hung by witch hunters). When you reach the orphan village (#2), Anna will be insane but she won’t be a water hag, so you won’t need to visit Johnny or play with dolls. At the end of the quest, Anna will survive, and the Bloody Baron will take her to visit a hermit who supposedly has healing powers. You’ll still receive 100 crowns and 500 xp total for your efforts.