Walkthrough

Ladies of the Wood is a main quest in Velen. This quest is the key to finding out about, both, Ciri’s encounter with the witches of Crookback Bog and the Bloody Baron’s wife.

To start this mission, you need to complete “Wandering in the Dark” and read the book Keira Metz gave you aptly titled “The Ladies of the Wood.” After that, head toward the marker in the swamps.

When you arrive, you’ll find a creepy sign with a statue that leads to Trail of Treats, just like the girl talked about in “Ciri’s Story: King of the Wolves.” Use your Witcher Senses and follow the red tracks. Or you can just follow the trail to the heart of Crookback Bog, where you will find some kids playing. An elderly woman the kids call Gran strolls up on you chatting with her grandchildren. She doesn’t like you pestering them and sends one of the kid to timeout. Unfortunately, that’s the kid that knows about someone named Johnny. Go talk to the other kids to enlist their help in distracting Gran so you can talk to the boy about his friend Johnny.

The kids are willing to help you, as long as you play hide and seek with them, or bribe them with some sweets (you've picked up on the Trail of Treats). If you play Hide and Seek; use your Witcher Senses to locate the hidng kids. Follow the footsteps to the four kids. Two can be found behind the house straight ahead; one in a pile of hay, the other in a bush. One kid is behind the house where Gran is, and the last kid is inside the adjacent house. When they have all been found, they hold up their end and distract Gran. If you bribe them with the sweets, they'll go distract Gran right away. 

Go inside and talk to the boy about Johnny; turns out that Johnny lives nearby in the bog itself. Follow the marker and leave the houses. You’ll come across Drowners and a Water Hag. Kill them and activate your Witcher Senses. You’ll spot a small set of footprints. Follow them to Johnny’s burrow. You’ll try to question the odd looking kid (who turns out to be a Godling), but he can’t speak. Follow the kid to help him reclaim his voice.

He takes you to a small cliff edge. Climb up to inspect a raven’s nest. Fight the three harpies and, possibly, a wyvern, and then check out the nest. Grab the bottle and a feather. Take the bottle to Johnny and he’ll get his voice back! Johnny has seen Ciri. Where? In the village you were just at! Follow Johnny back to convince Gran to help you.

Gran is convinced and channels the Crones so Geralt may speak to them. They will tell you about Ciri, but only after you clear a dark spirit from a nearby village. Go to the village of Downwarren, which is marked on your map. Talk to the ealderman to learn more specifics about this evil spirit. With the information in hand, ride Roach to the spooky tree. A mysterious voice comes out of nowhere warning you to stay away. Ignore that and approach; a werewolf is in the area; kill the monster and head inside. When you are inside, a new quest titled “The Whispering Hillock” begins.

When the tree spirit is either alive or dead, go back to the entrance to the cave to talk to the ealderman. Depending on what you did with the tree spirit, the ealderman will have a different reaction. Either way though, he will cut off his ear. Take the ear back to the village in Crookback Bog. The Crones reveal themselves. Give them the ear and head the tale of Ciri’s short time there.