Guides / The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Dragonslayer's Grotto
Dragonslayer's Grotto is an underground tomb and monster den located west of Reardon Manor and northwest of Downwarren in Velen. Geralt navigates subterranean halls choked with toxic swamp gas, breaks crumbled walls with the Aard sign, and reaches the burial site of George of Kagen. Exploration centers on defeating resident monsters and retrieving valuable diagrams connected to the Witcher School of the Griffin.
- Region
- Velen (No Man’s Land)
- Levels
- Level 11
- Getting there
- Northwest of Downwarren and southwest of Reardon Manor, marked directly by the Dragonslayer's Grotto signpost on the surface just outside the entrance.
- Connects to
- Downwarren, Reardon Manor
- Related quests
- Scavenger Hunt: Griffin School Gear · A Warm Welcome
Services and people
Invaders and enemies 3
- Wraiths · Hostile monsters encountered in the entrance corridor and gas tunnelsEntrance corridor and cavern section
- Ekimmara · Boss vampire encounterFinal burial chamber
- Leshen · High-level hostile monster that can wander into the areaOuter exterior entrance or inside the ruins
Services 1
- Dragonslayer's Grotto · Fast-travel signpostRight near the exterior entrance
The short version
What matters
- •Defeating the level 11 Ekimmara to harvest an Ekimmara Mutagen, Ekimmara Hide, Vampire Saliva, and Vampire Fangs.
- •Utilizing the Eye of Nehaleni to dispel the illusory rock wall at the rear of the burial hall for an easy exit outside.
Common mistakes
- •Walking carelessly through the gas-filled tunnel; the swamp gas is poisonous and ignitable.
- •Panicking about missable loot; neither the Scavenger Hunt diagrams nor the Ekimmara encounter are permanently locked out by story progression.
- •Getting caught off-guard near the entrance or inside by an unexpected high-level Leshen that can wander in due to proximity glitches.
What you can skip
- •Searching the dungeon for vendors, repair specialists, friendly NPCs, or quest-givers, as none are present inside or around the den.
Walkthrough May be incomplete
The area in the order you play it. Tick things off as you go: they tick off in the checklists below too.
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1
Approaching the Exterior Ruins
When you reach the exterior ruins in eastern Velen, located west of Reardon Manor and northwest of Downwarren, discover the "Dragonslayer's Grotto" fast-travel signpost near the entrance. Look for the stone archway marked with a Witcher Griffin School insignia before stepping into the cave, which functions as an indoor Monster Den.
Watch out: Be aware that a high-level Leshen can wander into the encounter near the outer entrance or deeper inside due to proximity glitches.
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2
Clearing the Entrance Corridor
As you descend into the entrance corridor of the ruins, prepare your weapons to engage a small pack of level 7 Wraiths. Once the specters are destroyed, head deeper into the hall until your forward progress is blocked by a cracked stone wall. Clear the passage by casting the Aard sign against the damaged masonry.
Key fight: Entrance & Tunnel Wraiths -
3
Traversing the Poisonous Gas Corridor
Enter the cavern section exposed by the broken barrier, keeping clear of the ignitable, poisonous swamp gas that blankets the floor. Defeat the additional Wraiths hovering in the vapors as you press on toward the far end of the tunnel. When you hit a second crumbling rock barrier, cast Aard once more to blow open the way forward.
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4
Defeating the Burial Chamber Guardian
Step through the blown-open passage into the final catacomb of the legendary witcher George of Kagen. A boss encounter against a level 11 Ekimmara vampire will immediately initiate in the burial chamber. Slay the monster to safely harvest materials from its body, including an Ekimmara Mutagen, Ekimmara Hide, Vampire Saliva, Vampire Fangs, and random leveled gear or crafting components.
Key fight: Tomb Guardian -
5
Looting Witcher George's Tomb
After eliminating the vampire, climb the stone stairs up to the elevated platform holding the central tomb.
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6
Dispelling the Illusory Exit
Head to the rear of the burial hall beyond the vampire's lair to find a fake rock wall. Interact with this illusory stone structure using the Eye of Nehaleni quest item obtained from Keira Metz to banish the facade. Proceed through the newly opened pathway to take an alternate escape route leading directly back outside.
Tip: The illusion never vanishes on its own, so you can dispel it whenever you possess the Eye of Nehaleni.
Checklists
Items
0/4
Secrets May be incomplete
0/1
Key fights May be incomplete
Enemies: Wraiths (Level 7)
Threats: Teleportation slashes, incorporeal evasion, and flanking inside tight, dark spaces.
Tactics: Lure them into the Yrden magical trap to force them into a corporeal state to deal full damage. While fighting in the lower corridor, hit the gas pockets with Igni or a fire bomb to cause explosions against them while ensuring Geralt is standing outside the blast radius.
Enemies: Ekimmara (Level 11)
Threats: High-speed leaps, heavy melee damage, health regeneration, and invisibility cloaks.
Tactics: Keep Quen active to block heavy lunges, continuously ignite it with Igni to stop its health regeneration, and dodge rather than parrying its claws.
Rewards: Ekimmara Hide, Ekimmara Mutagen, Vampire Saliva/Fangs
Enemies
Specters lurking throughout the initial corridors and side chambers
Acts as the chamber guardian near George of Kagen's tomb
Tips
- Drink a Golden Oriole potion or use the Igni sign to briefly burn away the explosive poisonous gas clouds filling the corridors before moving through.
Not listed for this area: shops and people.
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