Well Hello There Fellow Gamers And Hivers
In the previous episode of The Witcher 3 Saga I was still searching for The Baron's wife and daughter and that led me to the Crones Of Crookback Bog. Also known as The Sisters who are vile and evil sorceress's. At the Lodge I met a Godling who'm I helped to gain his voice back so that he can further help me to convince The Baron's wife Anna to speak with The Sisters.
The Sisters took in Ciri while she was running from The Wild Hunt. No doubt they had other ideas than to help her and I needed to know what happened there after. Although it does sound like Ciri managed to escape from them.
The Sisters gave me a task to fulfill and this required me to find and kill a dark powerfull force hidden away under a great oak tree in Velen.
Finding The Ealdorman Of Downwarren
The first lead I got was to talk to the ealdorman of Downwarren and find out what the problem in the village was. The Sisters also gave me a blade that I had to hand over to this ealdorman and remind him of the price that needs payment. I have no clue as to what price but I am sure it involves blood, it always does.
I found the small village of Downwarren in the thick of the forest, it would seem that there isn't much to this village other than a few houses and a trader. Might be why these people are so stuck in their ways of the old.
Finding the ealdorman wasn't a complicated task after all since the village had little to no inhabitants. He was a lot older than I thought he'd be and have lost most of the hair on his head.
I asked him a few questions about the dark force under the great oak tree and he gave me more than I needed. The dark force first showed up around three years ago and ever since then people have lost their minds and the forest grew darker and darker.
Every now and then men rally up with their axe's and head down to the great oak tree to cut it down and burn the corruption out of the land, yet none ever return. Even those that wander to close seem to dissapear.
The Dark Force Under The Great Oak Tree
I was left with a few problems now. Knowing that The Sisters themselves are a evil force of witchery and dark arts and they sent me to get rid of another dark force hidden away in the woods.
Which path do I choose?
One evil force proclaims another evil force more darker and wants me to rid them off this burden?
I suppose I'll have to find out for myself what is really going on in these woods.
Now finding the great oak tree once again didn't prove hard, it was big, very big and has died out sometime ago.
As I neared the tree I heard a voice whispering to me "Why have you come" almost as if it was afraid of me. It must have known that I came to destroy it, yet I found some interest in this now, I need to know why The Sisters wants me to destroy this "Dark Force"
What could they possibly gain from this?
I found a cave entrance just below the great oak tree and decided to follow it down, this is where I found the source of this dark power hidden away far beneath the great oak.
It didn't seem to see me as a threat, at-least not yet.
I started questioning this dark entity and from what it told me was that The Sisters murdered him because he defied them and their plans. He was once a part of the lodge and he stood in there way so he had to be killed.
He claimed that the children from the lodge was in danger and that he alone could save them if he was freed. The Sisters killed him and cursed his soul, but he vows that if he is freed he will save the children and do his best to stop The Sisters Of The Lodge.
I am left choiceless, it's either kill the one bad to give more power to the next or save the one bad and kill out the other bad.
It would seem that which ever path I follow it would have the same outcome, sort of. The last play through I helped The Sisters to get rid of this dark force. This time around I will help this dark force to be freed.
I had to find his bodily remains somewhere in the swamps, along with that I had to bring raven feathers and a great black mare in order to complete the ritual and set this dark force free.
After the ritual the dark force entered the great black mare. As it would be the force claimed that he would uphold to the promises he made me and would go through with saving the children of the lodge.
Even though I set him free I have an idea that I would meet this dark force again and sooner than I think.
The Crones Of Crookback Bog
After releasing the dark force trapped beneath the great oak tree I asked for the payment requested by The Sisters. The ealdorman went about without hesitation.
It would seem a ear is the price of The Crones. A somewhat light payment since death is the norm is this forsaken world of ours. None the less I returned to Crookback Bog and delivered the payment.
Now I wonder what The Crones would say and how they would react knowing that I let the dark force free to roam the world as he pleases. It doesn't really matter what they think or say because at this point The Crones are more of an enemy to me than the dark force in the jungle.
However The Crones are a force to be reckoned with!
Needless to say The Crones weren't all that happy about me keeping the dark force alive and even more unhappy about the fact that I freed him. However I did as we agreed I helped the ealderman of Downwarren and the villagers there. So they were compelled to give me the information as the agreement was.
With that said they were keen on meeting me again, but for vengeance.
The tales are in fact true, Ciri did teleport into the swamp land. She carried a terrible wound though but The Sisters retrieved her from where she fell unconscious. Not to help her but to feed on her and then hand her over to Imlerith.
A bunch of deceiving witches!
Fortunately enough Ciri has made it out yet again, escaping the clutches of the Wild Hunt.
Time is running out they are gaining ground on her faster than I thought they would, it would only be a matter of time before they eventually catch up to her.
I hope Yennefer has made better progress than I've made thus far.
Until the next episode! Keep on gaming like you've only got one life left!!
Dated 23/04/2023
Connecting the people of #HIVE across South Africa. #hive