Strange Beast – Witcher 3 Quest

This guide is a walkthrough of a contract side quest in the Witcher 3 on the Skellige Isles. The guide is composed of a map, map legend, and walkthrough to show readers exactly where to go and what to do to complete the quest.

Map Legend

1 – Larvik
2 – Ambush Site
3 – Cave

Background

You’ll trigger this quest by reading the note “Contract: Monster on the High Road” in Larvik on Hindarsfjall in The Skellige Isles Northeast (#1).

Walkthrough

The note will inform you that a “ghastly creature” has been attacking people on the main road leading to Larvik. To learn more about the creature, you’ll need to talk to Thorleif in Larvik. He won’t know much, but he’ll tell you that Sverre took a crew of men to deal with the creature, but that only a few of them managed to survive. You’ll find Sverre and his friend Kaspar in the northern part of the town. They’ll tell you that the creature was large and had claws, and that it set an ambush using a cart.

When you go to the ambush site (#2), you’ll find the bloody remains of Sverre’s crew, and you’ll also spot some red clay. The clay will let you know that you’re dealing with a nekker warrior, and the ambush will make you think that the warrior must be sentient. These observations will net you 25 xp.

To find the creature, you’ll need to follow its tracks away from the ambush site. They’ll lead you to a cave to the northeast (#3). Not far into the cave, you’ll have to deal with some nekkers and poison gas. The nekkers should be easy, but the gas might prove damaging, so either run through it quickly and then heal yourself, or quaff some Golden Oriole first.

In the back of the cave, you’ll find the nekker nest. You’ll encounter three nekkers there right away, and then once they’ve been defeated, Hagubman the nekker warrior will show up. Hagubman isn’t wildly powerful, but he’ll keep summoning more nekkers, so try to kill him as quickly as possible. When Hagubman dies, he’ll drop a leveled version of the steel sword Devine, a Nekker Warrior Mutagen, a Nekker Warrior Trophy, and more.

When you return to Larvik and show the trophy to Thorleif, you’ll receive your negotiated fee plus 250 xp.