"The Witcher 3": Treasure Hunt. Part 1: Velen
Treasure Hunt – a category of simple mini-quests, the essence of which comes down to finding a key and the chest or other storage it opens – random drawings, weapons (often relics), armor, rune stones and glyphs, crafting components and/or money. Since the contents of the treasures are randomly generated for a specific playthrough, I think there is no point in describing in detail what I personally found in them. Moreover, each such quest is a sad story of a life tragically cut short, unfulfilled hopes and unrealized plans for the future, or greed and foolishness. These tasks in themselves do not represent anything complex or confusing, and the main problem when completing them can only be the monsters lurking near the key or chest. Most missions in this category fall into the Hero's Journal under the "Treasure Hunt" section, but there are also those that are not recorded in the Journal at all. For the latter, I took the risk of coming up with my own names (after all, they need to be named somehow). In general, let's try to figure out where to search for what treasures in the vast lands of Velen/The No Man's Land and what level mobs your witcher might encounter. In my opinion, the recommended level for some of the quests discussed below is incorrectly indicated, i.e., does not correspond to the level of the strongest opponent encountered within this task. In such cases, I indicated my own level in parentheses next to the official value.*
SECRET WHARF
Recommended level: not indicated (4)
Location: east of the No Man's Land, a glade north of the road sign "Wharf".
Attention! On this map and all the others in this post, the key icon indicates the location of the key and/or document that activates the quest, while the chest icon indicates the location of the quest container with loot.
1. In the east of Velen, north of the Wharf, in the glade that separates the road from the shore of Pontar, Geralt may accidentally find the corpse of a soldier, and next to it – the notes of a Nilfgaardian, the reading of which activates the quest.
2. If the witcher manages to find the chest before coming across the letter, the quest will instantly be marked as completed. If he only learns about the treasures from the notes, he will have to search for them. A nondescript trail leads east from the corpse. It descends to the river, where there is indeed a modest, reed-covered wharf. Of all the chests and bundles piled there, the quest-related one is the box standing behind the boat, separate from the others. Around it, 4 level 4 drowners are hanging around. Tell Geralt to slay them – and your hub will be yours. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
[HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG]
Recommended level: (4)
Location: Bird Island south of Oxenfurt and east of the village of Toderas.
Bird Island – a strange place. Its entire surface is enveloped in thick fog, through which one can sometimes see nothing beyond one’s nose. Is it any wonder that it has been chosen by foglets – two 4-level individuals. For the witcher, they pose no particular danger, but for the two Velen folk who dared to search for treasures on the island, the encounter with them turned fatal. One of them found his end next to the skull of a gigantic extinct animal in the northwest part of the island. By rummaging through its pockets, Geralt will find a worn key.
The chest opened by this key will be revealed to our hero by a trail of footprints stretching across the island and well visible when the witcher's senses are activated. Next to the chest, he will discover the corpse of the second unfortunate soul, and within it, a couple of random crafting components. In general, nothing remarkable.
[ENDS IN THE WATER]
Recommended level: (4)
Location: northwest of Zalipye, at the bottom of the river. On the map, this place will be marked with the military trophy icon.
Approximately in the middle of the river, where a pair of 4-level drowners swims, lies a sunken boat, and in it – some skeletonized remains emitting a greenish glow. In the scraps of clothing remaining on the skeleton, the witcher will find a key, which unlocks the chest resting right there at the bottom near the boat. That’s essentially the entire quest.
UNLUCKY, SO UNLUCKY
Recommended level: 18 (4)
Location: on an old clearing overgrown with young pines, along the road, southeast of Devil's Pit.
1. Wandering through the forests and glades between Devil's Pit and the river delta, Geralt may come across traces of yet another tragedy befalling the inhabitants of this godforsaken land. A wagon transporting simple peasant wares. A dead owner, slumped against it. A bit to the side, two bloodied bodies – a woman and a boy. A thick wisp of swirling fog, swirling around the wagon, indicates the presence of a foglet (level 4) – the culprit for the death of an entire family. However, for the witcher, it poses no major danger. After dealing with the monster, our hero will inspect the corpse of the man and find a bouquet of flowers and a letter near him.
Attention. If Geralt, after dealing with the foglet, leaves this place, then upon returning he risks encountering a more serious opponent – a level 18 nekker. Moreover, this nekker appears at the wagon regardless of whether the quest has been completed or not.
2. Reading the letter activates the quest, and the game will prompt us to find the valuables near the wagon. The valuables, one should understand, are locked in a huge chest, which fell out of the wagon, and the key for it is located on the body of the woman lying nearby. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
ALL FOR THE GOLD
Recommended level: 12 (6)
Location: northern edge of Velen, an island west of the Border Post.
1. The island west of the Border Post, when Geralt visits it, will greet him with a pack of nekker (6 heads of level 6), stinking of a mountain of corpses and abandoned defensive structures. The niffers should surely be dismantled for ingredients, and the area where they were hanging out should be carefully searched. A separate corpse of a dwarf lying under the remnants of a watchtower will undoubtedly catch the witcher's attention. In his pockets, he will find a letter and a treasure key.
2. Reading the letter activates the quest, and the bloodstains on the ground, visibly seen when the witcher's senses are activated, will indicate where to look for the chest full of goods – under a pile of boards right next to the pile of corpses. Before clearing away the boards with Aard, it’s worth igniting the beehive above them with Igni, otherwise, the disturbed insects won’t let the witcher calmly rummage through someone else’s stash. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
Attention. Sometimes the mountain of corpses unexpectedly ignites. Be careful not to set your witcher on fire.
QUEEN ZULEYKA'S TREASURES
Recommended level: 4 (7)
Location: just north of the sign "Shore of the Shipwrecked", on the shore by the campfire.
1. The Shore of the Shipwrecked is a dreadful place, the refuge of numerous pirates. To explore it calmly, Geralt will have to send to the ancestors a good dozen of scoundrels (level 7), who somehow decided that together they could defeat a single witcher. Naive fools! After the battle, our hero will likely draw attention to a cot by the fire, on which someone left a pirate's notes.
2. Reading the notes activates the quest. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, it will conclude immediately after activation. Otherwise, what the pirates thought was Zuleyka's treasure, the mother of the current king of Kovir, will need to be searched for. And yes, again, it will be necessary to dive... The vessel with the treasures sank completely, and it can't be seen from the shore no matter how much you look. It lies in close proximity to the place where Geralt will seek for quest loot for the task "Dear Mistake" (see below). To reach the forged chest, one must first enter the hold, and this can only be done through a hole in the deck at the bow of the ship. Swim inside, turn right and there it is – a gigantic chest. As soon as the witcher opens it, the task will be completed. And don’t forget to loot the mega-shell nearby – it also contains loot.
BLOODY GOLD
Recommended level: 18 (9)
Location: northeast of the No Man's Land, abandoned military camp northwest of Fort White Owl.
1. While traveling through the semi-submerged islands off the coast of Pontar in the northeast of the No Man's Land, Geralt has every chance of stumbling upon an abandoned military camp, now occupied by drowners. In the camp, under a canvas stretched over half-collapsed tables, there are 6 creatures of level 4 hopping about. A few of their 9-level relatives roam the vicinity of the camp. After finishing off the drowners, the witcher will notice the corpse of a soldier under the awning, in the pockets of which he will find a blood-stained key and a blood-stained letter. These items are of no use to the corpse, but our hero can definitely find them useful. Naturally, the letter should be read.
2. The quest activates upon reading the letter. And if it states that the dead left bloody traces while wandering from the place where he buried the treasures to the camp, then the treasures should naturally be sought along those bloody trails. The witcher’s senses will help him locate them, and they will, in turn, lead him to a structure made of logs.
Geralt will only need to scatter the Aard to clear away the remains of the boards at the foot of the structure, and he will gain access to a chest of treasures. Once it is opened, the quest will conclude.
FROM FIRE [YES] TO THE FLAMES
Recommended level: not indicated (9)
Location: burnt-out hamlet northeast of Sworok and northwest of the Toderas village.
1. The ashes of the hamlet northeast of Sworok have been chosen by guls (4 level 9 specimens), and until Geralt slays them, they won’t let him examine the area peacefully. But once they are gone, one can start the treasure hunt. Behind the hut, burnt to the ground and filled with charred corpses, our hero will spot the entrance to the cellar. The doors are locked, but against Aard, they will not withstand.
Inside, there will be a man's body, and near him – a crumpled note and a key from the treasure chest.
2. Reading the note activates the quest. If you believe what is written, shortly before his death the man had hidden a treasure chest somewhere in the vicinity of the hamlet. The owners are definitely dead now, and it’s doubtful that the witcher will be scolded for deciding to take their belongings. Geralt will find the treasure chest on the other side of the hamlet, in a haystack. As soon as it is opened, the quest will conclude.
HIDDEN FROM THE WORLD
Recommended level: 9
Location: deserters' camp along the road leading from Marauder's Bridge to the village of Toderas.
1. Three deserters (level 9) have set up camp along the road southeast of the Marauder's Bridge. They might still be alive had they not come up with the absurd idea of attacking the passing witcher with swords. The fight was short-lived, and a professional monster hunter (including in human form) emerged victoriously from it. Searching the opponents' bodies, Geralt will find a letter on one of them.
2. Reading the letter activates the task. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, it will conclude immediately upon activation. Otherwise, let’s send Geralt to search for the stash of valuables. As the letter indicates, the loot stolen by the bandits, now seemingly unclaimed after their disgraceful demise, is hidden somewhere nearby their camp. Sure enough, the coveted chest will be found across the road on a hill, under a birch tree. The nekker of level 6 may obstruct the looting, but as soon as it is opened, the quest will conclude.
UNARMED DEAD
Recommended level: 9
Location: south of the shrine of Duan Hen, bandit camp on the shore.
1. There are indeed such quirky people who believe that in a sword duel, quantity matters most. Once again, Geralt found himself having to convince the five deserters of level 9 attacking him that skill is what matters. The witcher's arguments proved quite persuasive – none of them survived, and on the body of one of his recent foes he found robber's notes and a common key.
2. Reading the notes activates the quest to find the chest that the key opens. It will be located to the east of the bandit camp, in a pit by the road, under the watch of two deserters of level 9. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
DROWNED WEALTH
Recommended level: 4 (10)
Location: northwest of the sign "Gallows Alley", a drowned man at the water's edge.
1. Gallows Alley – a gloomy place. Along the road, gallows, hastily constructed, stand, drowners roam along the shore, feasting on the corpses of those they have slain, and a bit west of all this frenzy, the river has washed up a drowned man disfigured by a long stay in the water. It is hard to say what prompted Geralt to check his pockets, but from there he extracted a damaged letter.
2. Reading the letter activates the quest. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, the quest will conclude immediately after activation. Otherwise, the drowned treasures will need to be searched for. It seems the unfortunate man was a smuggler. The cargo he was carrying never reached the shore and now lies somewhere at the bottom of the river. Why not check the secluded spot north of the place where the body was found? Indeed, not far from the shore, there are remnants of a sunken ship, patrolled by two drowners of level 10 (crossbow will help Geralt). Among the wreckage of the ship, the witcher will find a huge mollusk shell and a box containing a random sword. As soon as the latter is opened, the quest will conclude. By the way, the shell also drops loot.
DEAR MISTAKE
Recommended level: 18 (10)
Location: west of the sign Gallows Alley, behind an abandoned village, on the shore almost at the tip of the cape.
1. No matter where the witcher turns while traveling through Velen, he keeps hitting upon human suffering and death. Here’s another poor soul who fell victim to either bandits or a couple of drowners (level 4) wandering nearby. After finishing off the beasts, Geralt rummaged through the pockets of the dead man, slumped against the shore rocks, and found smuggler's notes.
2. Reading the notes activates the quest. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, the quest will conclude immediately upon activation. Otherwise, the merchant’s goods mentioned in the notes will need to be found. For example, among the wreckage of that ship that can be seen in the distance. The sought-after loot lies in a chest at the bottom near the right side of the sunken vessel, closer to the stern. Diving down to it shouldn’t be too hard, if not for the drowners. Three monsters of level 4 and three of level 10 patrol nearby. In short, do not relax and do not forget about the crossbow. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT
Recommended level: 4 (10)
Location: at the abandoned village by the river south of Devil's Pit.
1. At the eastern tip of the abandoned village, more specifically, the wharf, behind a dilapidated boat, a corpse reclines in the water near the rocky shore. Geralt will find an unsent letter on him, which speaks of some chest that sank in the river and a danger that lurks beneath the water in that place. Once the letter is read, the quest activates.
2. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, the quest will conclude immediately after activation. Otherwise, the game will send us to search for the chest at the bottom of the river in close proximity to the abandoned village. The catch is that it is guarded by one or two drowners of level 10, so before diving down, don’t forget to prepare the crossbow for battle. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
DROWNED CHEST
Recommended level: 4 (10)
Location: on an isle south of the island Kolomnica.
1. The brick structure on the tiny isle south of Kolomnica is now just ruins. One might wonder why poke one’s nose there? However, fools, as is well known, are found everywhere. Here’s another Darwin candidate who lost his stupid head while hunting for treasures. After dealing with four drowners of level 4 cavorting around the corpse, Geralt searched the dead man's pockets and found bloody notes. Indeed, the man sought riches only to find his end. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean our hero shouldn’t try his luck...
2. Reading the notes activates the quest. If the quest chest has already been looted by this time, the quest will conclude immediately upon activation. Otherwise, the witcher will face a rather banal task – find the chest with loot among the sunken part of the collapsed building. The problem is that there are quite a few chests underwater, and each has solid loot – good luck figuring out which of them is the right one! The location of the "correct" container will be hinted by the drowners (three of them, level 10). If one dives down (I recommend drinking Otter, if your Geralt has it with him) right next to them (and don’t forget to shoot them in the process), one may notice a tunnel formed by chunks of brick walls leading to the depth. That’s where a couple of the needed chests will be found. As soon as our hero opens them, the quest will conclude.
THE SHORE OF THE SHIPWRECKED
Recommended level: 13 (15)
Location: a group of three islets south of the sign Widow’s Grotto.
1. Smuggling – a reliable source of income for the local population. It’s a profitable but dangerous business. Goods may sink, and competitors may rise up in arms against you. At one of the islets near Widow's Grotto, where swamp monsters of level 15 (4-6 individuals) are found, Geralt will stumble upon the remains of a shipwrecked boat. Among them, there is a surprisingly intact chest, and inside it – a letter.
2. Reading the letter activates the quest. As usual, everything was as it should be. Smuggling cargo, the boat broke up, people died, and the goods became practically unclaimed. One chest sank, and two others were cast onto a neighboring islet. The first one, when the witcher’s senses are activated, is visible even from the shore. Three drowners of level 10 are swirling around it, but the witcher has no reason to fear them.
The second chest is also visible from the spot where the letter was found.
The third lies nearby the second, behind a little hillock. As soon as Geralt opens all three chests, the quest will conclude.
DON'T PLAY WITH THE GODS
Recommended level: 15
Location: elven ruins by Lake Morchko, north of the village of Stozhki.
1. The witcher knew from experience that elven ruins are a dreadful place. Once again, peering into the ancient ruins, he encountered five ghosts of level 13. When he dealt with them and Geralt finally had a chance to examine the area calmly, he realized he was far from the first to dare venture here. But unlike his predecessors, he at least remained alive. On the body of the bailiff slumped against the base of a column, the witcher will find an unsent letter and a key to the chest.
2. Reading the letter activates the quest. The chest with loot will be found right there in the ruins – just climb up the stairs to the remnants of the gallery. However, before our witcher can unlock it, he will have to battle a poultrified of level 15. Once it is reduced to a handful of ingredients, nothing will hinder our hero from smashing the barrels with Aard that block the chest and seizing its contents. As soon as it is opened, the quest will conclude.
BATTLEFIELD TROPHIES
Recommended level: 20 (18)
Location: northeast of the No Man's Land, abandoned line of defense with ballistae northwest of Fort White Owl.
1. Abandoned military camps, watchtowers, ballistae, and other evidence of recent combat actions are commonly found along the shores of Pontar. In one of those gloomy spots, Geralt will come across the corpse of a bailiff, who met his end beside the torn-up carcass of a dog. However, before the witcher investigates all this, he will need to pacify the water witch of level 18, wandering nearby. On the bailiff’s body, there will be a crumpled note and an accompanying key. Reading the note activates the quest.
2. The bloody trails on the grass will lead the witcher to the base of a watchtower. There, behind some barrels, is a chest with the loot the unfortunate bailiff had hoped to acquire. Now, it will belong to Geralt. He just has to clear the barrels with Aard and use the key. As soon as the chest is opened, the quest will conclude.
[THE DEVIL KNOWS WHAT IT IS]
Recommended level: (22)
Location: southern end of the Kriwoakhish Bogs, stash southwest of the road sign "Kimbult Road".
1. Life in Velen is hard and dangerous. If the active army and deserters don’t keep away, monsters, which swarm the forests and bogs, will rip you apart. They don’t care whether you are an honest person or some bandit – anyone will be devoured without a trace. Thus, the devil (level 22), who settled at the southern edge of the Kriwoakhish Bogs, didn’t refuse himself the pleasure of devouring human flesh. After dealing with the monster, Geralt can take his time examining the remains of those he has slain. On the body of a man, he will find a key and a bandit’s note.
2. Reading the note, unfortunately, does not activate any quest. The key, however, will prove more useful. With it, the witcher will unlock the doors leading to the bandit’s lair, thereby gaining access to their loot. Quite a catch, however: rare crafting components, a decent sword, and the blueprint for the master silver sword of the Wolf School as a bonus (provided that you have the expansion with 16 free DLCs installed).
UNHEARD REQUEST
Recommended level: 28
Location: south of the village of Klyki on the spit, near a burnt hut.
1. The charred remains of the hut, the bloodied dead man, and the monster that is lurking nearby. How many times in his life has Geralt faced such a scenario? No matter what they say, war never changes. There’s no meaning in death or truth in it. Yet, there is a witcher, for a fee, and when there’s no one to pay, then just risking his skin for others’ peace and safety. A grave hag of level 28 is a serious opponent, but our hero has slain even more dangerous beasts. After the battle, nothing will hinder him from inspecting the body of the man by the fence. He will find a crumpled sheet and a key from the burnt house.
2. Familiarizing himself with the sheet activates the quest. It seems that, when the house was still standing, its former inhabitants hid some valuables away. All of the owners are now dead, and it’s unlikely anyone will mind if the witcher takes their property. Our hero will find a chest with loot at the western wall of the house. As soon as it is opened, the quest will conclude.
DOWRY
Recommended level: 32
Location: northeast of the No Man's Land, the shore of Pontar, north of Fort White Owl.
1. Before starting the quest, Geralt must deal with a basilisk of level 32 that is lurking nearby.
Advice from Goffer. If you fight the winged creature on the riverbank and take a precise shot with the crossbow at the very moment the monster hovers over the river surface, it will fall into the water and drown. This trick significantly simplifies the victory over an opponent hopelessly superior to the witcher in level.
Once Geralt has dispatched the dragon, nothing will prevent him from examining the body of a woman in a red skirt and a red hood at the water’s edge. From her, he will find a slightly bent key and a not-sent letter. Take both.
Apparently, Jeannette was not meant to enjoy the happiness of family life. Just like Kurt, her husband. Most likely, his bloodied body is impaled on a stake a few meters away from the corpse of the young woman.
2. Using the key taken from the woman, one must open the chest beside the boat, which is also left on the shore. As soon as it is opened, the quest will conclude.
This concludes the treasure hunt in Velen. Ahead of the witcher lie treasures in Skellige, around Novigrad (within the paid expansion "Hearts of Stone") and in Toussaint (within the paid expansion "Blood and Wine"), and we will certainly help him find them.
Acknowledgment. Special thanks to Goffer for the advice on slaying the high-level basilisk in the quest "Dowry".