A few areas were left unexplored during the trip from Blackbough to Midcopse, due mostly to reasons of level. No sense in messing with foes who have levels in the mid-teens earlier than necessary, especially without a Silver Sword upgrade! Now, however, if you’ve been following this guide you should be level twelve at the least - or perhaps a bit higher if you’re not playing in Death March difficulty. That being the case, there shouldn’t be anything that’s out of your league in the next bit of exploration. As always, however, if you’re having trouble, consider coming back later when you’re leveled more. There will always be a few odd areas with overpowering foes, usually guarding high-end Witcher gear you won’t be able to use for a long while anyways. Just the nature of the game; a few runs through each area are going to be necessary, unless you just blitz the story, but what fun is that?

Hidden Treasure: A Costly Mistake (Level 18) Walkthrough¶

Anyways, start out your exploration by finding a signpost (probably Crow’s Perch or The Orphans of Crookback Bog, depending on how the quest “Return to Crookback Bog” ended) and use it to fast-travel back to Hangman’s Alley, just west and slightly south of Midcopse. From there, keep heading along the coast to the west to find a “Hidden Treasure” event. Kill a pair of Drowners (level four) and loot a nearby corpse to find some “Smuggler’s Notes” , starting the quest “A Costly Mistake” . Read the notes, then swim towards a large, sunken ship to the south-west. In these waters you’ll have to dispatch Drowners (levels four and ten) with your trusty crossbow. Once they’re gone search along the submerged western end of this ship to find a chest which contains, amongst other goodies, the silver sword “Maugrim” . As usual, you can come back to this later if you wish to fish for a superior (higher level) version of this weapon. How is this a level eighteen quest again? Oh well…

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Plenty of Drowners dwell in the waters off western Velen (left), but even more dangerous foes can be found on nearby islands (right).

Guarded Treasure (Level 15)¶

From the sunken ship you just looted swim south-east to find a small island with part of a ruined ship on it. Search the remains of this derelict vessel to find a chest containing valuable loot. From here, swim south to find another island that provides a resting spot for a somewhat more intact ship. Along the southern end of this ship you’ll find another pair of treasure chests, one of which has exceptional loot inside.

Swim west to find another island, where you can find a “Guarded Treasure” event. To score the loot here, you’ll need to best a Noonwraith (level fifteen), which shouldn’t be any trouble at this point in time, at least not compared to Jenny o’ the Woods, with the Griffin Silver Sword in hand. Just remember what you learned back in White Orchard; if you attack while the wraith is outside of Yrden, you’ll deal about 10% of your potential damage, which is not a winning formula. Strong attack, then dodge back, and keep Yrden up, and if that fails, come back when you’re stronger. Between two halves of a sundered ship you’ll find a chest that contains the valuable loot you’re looking for. There are also several scattered barrels around.

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Decimate the horde of Pirates on the beach (left0 then swim in search of the wreckage containing the traesure they were looking for (right).

Hidden Treasure: Queen Zuleykas Treasure (Level 4) Walkthrough¶

Make your way back east to the shore, then follow the coast to the south to find a sprawling camp on the beach. This place is lousy with Pirates (level seven), around seventeen of them in all, including several archers. To defeat them you’ll have to use Quen to protect yourself, dodge around to get at the archers, and use the Axii sign to hopefully score some coup-de-graces. Defeat this horde, then search up and down the beach for various containers to loot, during which you should discover the “Coast of Wrecks” signpost. If you stray too far from the pirate’s camp, you’ll discover that some refugees - including a Merchant - have moved in.

More interestingly, you can find an “Unsent Letter” on a desk just east of the signpost. It mentions some sort of treasure the pirates were looking for, and sure enough you can search the various campsites on the to find some “Pirate’s Notes” , which, when obtained, starts the quest “Queen Zuleyka’s Treasure” . Read the notes and swim to the search area north of where you fought the Noonwraith a moment ago and dive to find a sunken ship. Dispatch any Drowners (levels four or ten) nearby, then swim into the ship, which you can enter through the eastern side. Inside you’ll find a large shell and a chest to loot, which will complete this event.

Guarded Treasure (Level 4)¶

Return to shore near the “Hidden Treasure” event you just cleared, follow the shore south-west, then west to find “Guarded Treasure” event. Kill the nearby Drowners (level four) and loot a chest and a corpse near a dead whale. Near a broken tree to the west you’ll find another corpse worth looting.

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Kill some Drowners then search for some treasure near a dead whale (left), then swim to find more treasure (right).

Hidden Treasure (Level 4)¶

Circle around the dead whale - if you’re squeamish, try not to stare at its spilled intestines - and swim to an island to the south-west, where you can find a chest with worthwhile loot inside. From here, swim south-east to find a Hidden Treasure event underwater. Kill a groups of Drowners (level four) then search a chest near the southern edge of the search area.

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Clear the Pirates out of the seaside fort (left) then search a chest to find the Diagram: Griffin Steel Sword - Enhanced (right).

Bandit Camp (Level 7)¶

Swim south to reach a small peninsula then make your way inland (to the south-west) to find some ruins, now occupied by a host of Pirates (level seven). Kill them, then, from the northern entrance to these ruins look south-west and go up a short flight of stairs to find a chest, which contains the “Diagram: Griffin Steel Sword - Enhanced” . Score. This will go nicely alongside your Griffin Steel Sword - Enhanced… once you hit level eighteen, anyways. Of less interest, you can loot the Pirate Captain for the “Pirate Leader’s Notes” which links this group of pirates to the horde you killed to the north.

Smugglers Cache¶

Loot a dug-up grave to the east of the ruins to score another shot at some decent loot, then head south-west of the ruins. Dive into the water and swim to the south-west to find a “Smuggler’s Cache” event, where three chests-moored to barrels-have been sunk. Help yourself to even more loot, then cackle gleefully as you swim back to shore.

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Renegade occupy an Abandoned Site (left). Once they’re gone, peasants will return to worship their creepy idol (right).

Abandoned Site (Level 5)¶

Return to the ruins and follow a road to the north, then north east, until this road forks. No sense in backtracking to the north… or east, for that matter. In fact, screw the roads! Troop off into the wilderness to the north-east to find an Abandoned Site. If you were hoping to be done with killing large groups of humans… well, you’re out of luck here. A horde of Bandits (level five and six) occupy a camp here, including plenty of archers. At least here you can use tents to provide cover against missiles, if you find that effective. Once the Bandits are dead, refugees will move in, and this area - unlike the other refugee camps you’ve created - will get a signpost, aptly named “Refugees’ Camp”. There will also be an Herbalist here. Loot the camp, burn down a number of bee hives for their delicious honey, and read some signs talking about some cleansing fire at some Devil’s Leap.

Abandoned Site (Level 5)¶

Leave the religious refugees to their idol worship and head south to reach a road running east-west, which you should follow east until it bisects another road running north-east/south-west. Go south-west to reach another Abandoned Site occupied by Bandits (level five). Yes, another camp full of baddies. At least there are fewer archers this time around. Dispatch them and some peasants will move into this site and resume operating the boatyard. Loot the area, search a central tent to find an “Unsent Letter” on a table, then peruse the wares of a nearby Merchant.

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Kill the Wild Dogs who are feeding on a corpse in the forest (left) then return to tell the crying woman the bad news (right).

Loves Cruel Snares (Level 10) Walkthrough¶

One more event to do before this bout of exploration ends and another one begins. Head east to find a crying woman, who tells you that her betrothed ran into some trouble in the woods. Never a good sign for peasants, but usually a sign that a Witcher’s silver sword is required. Offer to help her out to start the quest “Love’s Cruel Snares” .

Activate your Witcher Senses to find some foot prints heading south-east. Follow them to find a search area in the forest, where the foot prints continue, eventually ending a pack of Wild Dogs (level ten) guarding a corpse. Put the very bad dogs down then search the body - looks like you’re not going to be ending this exploration section on a happy note. Return to the weeping woman, who composes herself, accepts the unspoken truth, and offers a reward. Accept it or decline it, as your fancy strikes you; you’ll get more XP if you turn down the monetary reward.