Unlike most monsters, Trolls aren’t uniformly evil. They’re not a manifestation of some human moral failure nor are they mindless beasts infesting old battlefields in search of carrion. So when Geralt stumbles across a Troll being harassed by a mob of Nekkers, he finds himself inclined to intervene. Help the Troll fend off the Nekkers in the secondary quest Harassing a Troll in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Quest Objectives¶

Starting Harassing a Troll¶

One of several unnamed quests in the Velen region, you can only start this quest by stumbling upon it during exploration - you won’t find a quest marker for it until you’re nearby. To this end you’ll need to make your way to the northwestern edge of the island the Inn at the Crossroads is located on. You can do this by following a road northwest from the aforementioned in, following it until you find some Nekkers (Lv6) stalking around some burned-down houses. From here head west to the coast, then follow the coast northwest. You should stumble upon the Troll’s camp.

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You can find a Troll getting pestered by Nekkers at its unmarked camp northwest of the Inn at the Crossroads.

Help the Troll Fend Off the Nekkers¶

When you arrive you’ll find a half dozen Nekkers (Lv2) attacking a Troll named Boris. Geralt will joke about whether the Troll has enough money to hire him, but don’t take it too seriously - head on into the fray and let your silver sword support the Troll. Against so many weak enemies, Igni is a good option here, and the Troll is strong enough to draw aggro without you having to worry about him dying. Cut down all the Nekkers and wait a moment for the Troll, named Boris, to talk to you.

The monster will thank you for your help and tell you what’s in the pot - an old family recipe, apparently - and one of the ingredients just so happens to be “one nekkro. For flavorful.” This is probably what provoked the Nekker attack. Say whatever you wish and Boris will confirm that there are no humans in his pot, because “Mans some gibber interesting”. Probably a good thing the Troll views humans as more interesting to talk to than to eat. Not to be rude, the Troll will give you a reward, an Elf Head. Elves and humans are distinct enough to the Troll, apparently, and either don’t gibber interesting, or their culinary properties (“Elfies good, Like tometoo.”) outweigh their conversational value.

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(1 of 3) The Nekkers are numerous, weak, and focused on the Troll - perfect time to use Igni!

The Elf Head has no real value - it can be sold for 1 Crown, but it can’t be dismantled. Junk in the purest sense of the word. On the other hand, you’ll get a small amount of EXP for assisting the troll. That said, it’s not all a waste, as there are two parcels in the vicinity of the Troll’s camp, both of which can yield valuable loot, including crafting components, alchemy materials, even the odd diagram or formula.