Quick Links
It is well known that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features some of the best story content in all gaming. Whether it be the small side-quests that reward exploration, or the remarkable depth of the main story, CD Projekt Red set the bar incredibly high.
The quest "Bald Mountain" perfectly exemplifies The Witcher 3's approach to storytelling. Following Vesemir's death, Geralt and Ciri decide to take the fight directly to the heart of the enemy. Like so much of the content in the game, the actions depicted here - and the questions they raise - are steeped in moral ambiguity. It is these narrative choices that elevate The Witcher 3 to its lofty status among games.
Warning! The Following Guide Contains Major Spoilers For The Witcher 3: WIld Hunt Main Story!
Cirilla Wants Revenge
"Bald Mountain" takes place during a series of important main quests that occur back-to-back. Following "The Battle of Kaer Morhen" and "Blood on the Battlefield," Ciri is desperate to avenge Vesemir. She informs Geralt that the man responsible, Imlerith, will be visiting the Crones from Crookback Bog during their gathering on Bald Mountain.
While there are different dialogue options Gerlalt can choose from, they all end with Geralt joining Ciri on her mission. The two of them leave without telling the group and arrive at The Road to Bald Mountain several days later.
Ascending The Mountain
When Geralt and Ciri arrive, it is clear that several people have ascended the hill before them. Using Geralt's witcher senses will reveal several sets of footprints they can follow up the hill.
The first significant area the two will reach is the first base camp. Here several peasants gather, awaiting the blessings of the Crones. It is possible to sit and converse with Stregomir, an elder who seems to be the authority on the Crones and their yearly gathering. Exhausting his dialogue options will provide a vast amount of information about the event itself, and what the blessing of the Crones truly entails.
Meeting Johnny Again:
Continuing up the hill, Geralt and Ciri will run into Johnny, the godling who helped Geralt in an earlier quest. If Geralt banishes Sarah during "Novigrad Dreaming," she will also appear. Conversing with Johnny will reveal even more details about how to get in to see the Crones.
Meeting Thecla
Johnny and Stregomir explain that Thecla, an old blind woman, decides who is chosen to see the Crones. After the conversation with Johnny, continuing straight ahead will reveal Thecla's tent. Entering the tent will initiate a cutscene. She informs Ciri that she will be chosen, but states that Geralt must first complete a challenge if he wishes to see the Crones.
Thecla's Challenge:
- Thecla tells Geralt to follow her to a small cliff overlooking a pool of water. She shows Geralt a coin known as the Defier's Oren, then throws it in the pool of water.
- The challenge requires Geralt to simply retrieve the coin.
- If Geralt has the KIller Whale potion, he should use it before jumping in. It will make locating the coin far easier.
- Jump in and kill the drowners with the crossbow. The coin rests at the lowest point in the underwater cave.
- Upon exiting the water at the edge of the cave, turning right will allow Geralt to avoid fighting the fiend. Should Geralt choose to fight, it is a standard fiend, vulnerable to relict oil.
- Return to the tent and show Thecla the coin.
Once these steps are complete, Geralt will be instructed to show the defier's oren to the 'gatekeeper.' Thecla's assistant will then lead the two up the mountain.
Fugas The Gatekeeper
Upon entering the next area, Geralt and Ciri will meet Fugas, a sylvain in charge of the gates that lead to the top. He has no problem letting Ciri pass, but when Geralt shows him the coin, he claims it is the sign of a 'death sentence.' Before Geralt can protest, Fugas attacks.
Fighting Fugas:
- There is nothing particularly special or difficult about this sylvain fight. He is susceptible to relict oil, so applying it liberally will end the fight quickly.
- His most dangerous attack is his flaming breath, which builds up the burn status very quickly.
Once Fugas has been dealt with, Geralt and Ciri realize it's time to move on to their final targets. The two play 'rock, paper, scissors,' which Geralt wins best two-out-of-three, earning the right to pick his target. He decides to face Imlerith himself, leaving the Crones for Ciri.
Ciri Faces The Crones
At this point, Ciri becomes a playable character once again. Having lost her bet to Geralt, Ciri descends into the Crones' lair, prepared to fight. Follow these steps to defeat the Crones:
- Remember the fight is 1 vs. 3. With that in mind, use Ciri's Blink skill to deal considerable damage to all three at once.
- Ciri can only heal over time, she has no potions. Be mindful of this if her health is getting low!
- When not using Blink, focus on a single Crone. Eliminating one makes the fight significantly easier.
- Charge is most effective against the Brewess (basket-face), as the Weavess and Whispess can easily avoid the attack by dematerializing.
- All three Crones can do significant damage, especially at higher difficulties. Make sure to stay mobile and use Ciri's Dash function often.
Once Ciri defeats all three, a cutscene will begin in which she discovers the Weavess is still alive. She quickly snatches Vesemir's medallion from Ciri's belt and escapes the cave in her non-material form.
Geralt Faces Imlerith
While Ciri is down below facing the Crones, Geralt makes his way to the peak of the mountain to face Imlerith. Before he reaches the summit, use the Quen Place of Power. Defeat Imlerith with the following tactics:
- While there isn't stages per se, in the first section of the fight Imlerith focuses on his shield, hiding behind in after striking. Because it only covers half his body, it is possible to attack his back side.
- Use Quen often, the boost from the Place of Power can make a huge difference.
- As the fight progresses, Imlerith will become much more aggressive. He will wildly swing his giant mace, teleport behind Geralt, and cover his body in a protective ice layer.
- During this phase, using Igni to remove the ice layer is very effective. As sign use is key, a stamina-friendly potion such as Tawny Owl can be a big help.
- The goal is to get Imlerith down to roughly 5% health. Once this happens, a cutscene will begin. This marks the end of the fight.
Do not forget to loot Imlerith's body! The Magic Acorn is acquired, giving Geralt two skill points when consumed!
Return To The Group
After Geralt and Ciri complete their mission for vengeance, they will meet and descend together from the mountain peak. When they reach the first base camp, Stregomir will ask what they are supposed to do now that the Crones can no longer bestow magical acorns upon them. If Geralt has not yet used the acorn he retrieved from Imlerith's corpse, he does have the option to give it to Stregomir. However, should he choose this, he will no longer receive the two skills points.
After they finish with the peasants, Geralt and Ciri will be free to return to Novigrad. Once they meet back up with the group at Dandelion's establishment, "Bald Mountain" will come to a close, opening up the final act of The Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions launch on December 14.