Putrid Bog

Walkthrough

The area in the order you play it. Tick things off as you go: they tick off in the checklists below too.

1. 1

   Entrance Confrontation

   Approaching the wetland trail south from the Blighted Village (X: 47, Y: 315), you will encounter Auntie Ethel being interrogated by Mayrina's desperate brothers, Johl and Demir. You can either back Ethel, remain neutral, or accuse her of kidnapping, the latter causing her to vanish in a huff while dropping the first cracks in the area's pastoral disguise. If you side against the brothers or fail to calm them, they turn violent, while siding with them causes them to charge foolishly into the marsh ahead. Before following their path, inspect the nearby basket by the trail, but avoid eating its poisoned "fresh" apples.

   Rotten Apple: from the North Entrance (X: 47, Y: 315), head a few paces south along the dirt trail to a wicker Basket sitting at the edge of the pathHow: open the basket and take the apple New

   Tip: If you want to keep Demir and Johl from dying, knock them out using non-lethal melee attacks during combat here; otherwise, they will inevitably turn up dead deeper in the bog.

   Watch out: If you kill the brothers yourself or fail to handle them gently, Mayrina will blame and hate you later when you attempt to rescue her.

2. 2

   Shattering the Illusion and the Redcap Pasture

   As you head southwest into the central marsh, pass a passive check, attack a grazing sheep, or talk to one and succeed on a DC 15 Animal Handling check to shatter Auntie Ethel's illusion, exposing the verdant meadow as a corpse-strewn Putrid Bog. Piercing the disguise instantly reveals the docile sheep around you as bloodthirsty Redcaps and spawns the corpses of Demir and Johl in the bloodied shallows ahead if they survived the entrance. Eliminate the pack of four Redcaps before continuing through the snare traps and spiked water hazards toward the western ridge.

   Key fight: The Redcap Ambush

   Tip: Breaking the illusion awards the Eyes of the Wild Inspiration point to characters with the Outlander background.

   Watch out: Starting combat while the illusion is intact lets the Redcaps catch you surrounded, so trigger the reveal on your own terms with ranged attacks or conversation.

3. 3

   The Waterside Hollow

   Veer northwest toward the muddy coomb at (X: -27, Y: 304) to find an erratic, agitated Addled Frog hopping along the water’s edge. If you speak to it using Speak with Animals before Auntie Ethel is dealt with, keep your distance, as the maddened amphibian casts Mirror Image and spews lethal clouds of toxic discharge if agitated. Leave it undisturbed until Ethel is slain in her lair, at which point it regains its wits and gratefully leads you to a buried treasure cache.

   Addled Frog's Hidden Cache: from the waterside hollow at (X: -27, Y: 304), defeat Auntie Ethel in her lair, return to the Addled Frog, talk to it, and follow it across the shallow water to a dirt mound New

   Tip: Cast Speak with Animals before interacting with the frog so you can understand its warnings and avoid triggering an unexpectedly lethal low-level encounter.

   Watch out: Pestering the frog into combat before the hag is dead can easily wipe an unprepared party with its high Armor Class and wide-area venom clouds.

4. 4

   Gandrel's Outpost

   Travel south along the ridge overlooking Ethel's dwelling to find Gandrel the Gur monster hunter camping at (X: -25, Y: 241). Inquire into his mission to learn he is tracking a vampire spawn named Astarion, creating a lethal dilemma if your rogue companion is in tow. You can side with Astarion to kill the hunter and loot his unique heavy crossbow, let Astarion stealthily assassinate him during dialogue, or deceive Gandrel into withholding your camp's location so he survives to appear in the city later.

   Key fight: Hunter Gandrel Confrontation
   Gandrel's Aspiration: Carried by the Gur hunter Gandrel situated south of the Riverside Teahouse waypoint Don't miss

   Tip: Killing Gandrel while Astarion is in your party nets a substantial +10 companion approval rating from him.

   Watch out: Handing Astarion over to Gandrel results in your companion being knocked unconscious, kidnapped, and permanently removed from your playthrough.

5. 5

   Riverside Teahouse Exterior

   Continue down the path to the Riverside Teahouse waypoint and approach the exterior of Auntie Ethel's cottage at (X: -10, Y: 250). In the yard, you will find an inviting water well that claims to grant refreshment to weary travelers. Drinking from the well grants the Refreshed condition (+10 temporary Max HP), but be aware this blessing instantly inverts into the crippling Nauseated debuff once Auntie Ethel turns hostile against your party.

   Tip: Collect the nearby Riverside Teahouse waypoint now so you have an immediate fast-travel anchor back to the swamp when navigating across Act One.

   Watch out: Do not drink from the well if you plan on immediately heading inside to antagonize or fight Auntie Ethel, as the resulting Nauseated condition severely penalizes your combat rolls.

6. 6

   The Decrepit Sanctuary

   Head to the far southeastern corner of the swamp and jump across the slippery stone outcroppings until you reach the isolated island at (X: 85, Y: 212). The clearing erupts into battle against two regenerating Wood Woads, four Ancient Mud Mephits, and their endless swarms of Young Mud Mephits that explode into mud bursts upon death. Focus down the Ancient Mephits first to stop reinforcements, and use fire spells or torches on the Wood Woads to shut off their natural health regeneration and loot the Wood Woad Shield from their remains.

   Key fight: Ancient Mud Mephit and Wood Woad Ambush (Decrepit Sanctuary Island)
   The Sparkle Hands: Inside a wooden chest positioned at the root of a large stump within the Decrepit SanctuaryWood Woad Shield: Found on defeated Wood Woad sentries on the island in the Decrepit Sanctuary Don't missLetter to Kagha: Hidden inside a wooden crevice within the hollow trunk on the Decrepit Sanctuary island Don't missA hollow wooden crevice on the central island's massive tree conceals evidence linking Kagha to the Shadow Druids, discoverable via an automatic perception check upon walking directly behind the trunk.

   Tip: Fire damage permanently negates the Wood Woads' passive healing each round, making Alchemist's Fire and fire cantrips essential here.

   Watch out: Mud Mephits explode upon death dealing damage and blinding nearby units, so avoid bunching up your melee frontliners in the middle of them.

7. 7

   Uncovering Kagha's Conspiracy

   After clearing the island, circle directly behind the massive twisted tree stump at (X: 95, Y: 210) to trigger an automatic Perception check on a hollow Wooden Crevice. Searching the crevice uncovers a Letter to Kagha alongside the Rite of Thorns, providing damning evidence of her clandestine pact with the Shadow Druids. Tucked beneath the outer roots of the same stump sits a wooden chest containing The Sparkle Hands, perfect for unarmed monk builds.

   Tip: Read the Letter to Kagha immediately from your inventory to advance the "Investigate Kagha" questline before returning to the Emerald Grove.

   Watch out: If you permanently resolve the Goblin Camp and Tiefling celebration before looting this letter and confronting Kagha, the conspiracy questline is permanently locked out.

What you decide here and what it leads to.