Family Matters — best outcome
The Velen mega-arc has two big moral hinges: the Whispering Hillock spirit (free or kill it) and the Bloody Baron (lubberkin or botchling). The combinations gate four different outcomes for Velen — and Ciri's epilogue.
Outcome matrix
| Spirit | Botchling choice | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Free spirit | Lift curse | Orphans die, Anna survives → Baron leaves with her to heal |
| Free spirit | Kill botchling | Orphans die, Anna dies → Baron hangs |
| Kill spirit | Lift curse | Orphans live, Anna mute but alive → Baron leaves with her |
| Kill spirit | Kill botchling | Orphans live, Anna dies → Baron hangs |
Best outcome (most players' goal)
Kill the Whispering Hillock spirit AND lift the botchling curse. The orphans of Downwarren survive, the Crones lose Anna's soul leverage, the Baron leaves Velen alive with his wife.
Step-by-step
- During Wandering in the Dark, kill the spirit — fight Imlerith's hound rather than freeing the tree. Hard fight; Yrden + Igni works.
- During Return to Crookback Bog, lift the botchling curse at the manor.
- Confront the Crones. Refuse their bargain — fight them off with Imlerith's mask later.
- Take Anna out of Crookback Bog. The Baron leaves to find her a healer in Skellige.
If stuck: if your Crones encounter feels truncated, you progressed Ladies of the Wood without grabbing Imlerith's mask in The Final Trial. You need it to break the Whispering Hillock illusion.