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Hangman's Alley

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition guide · Investigating the location during the search for the Baron's family ✓ Checked against sources

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Hangman's Alley is a coastal location in northern Velen situated along the Pontar River, featuring a small riverside campsite. Geralt visits or passes near this area during the Velen storyline, encountering a squad of Nilfgaardian deserters and a lynching incident. Clearing the immediate hostile presence allows Geralt to explore the campsite and search for clues or salvage.

Region: Velen (No Man’s Land) / Spitfire Bluff
Levels: ~4–7
Getting there: Head directly west-northwest from Crow’s Perch or west/southwest from Blackbough along the main dirt road leading toward the northern coast of Spitfire Bluff.
Connects to: Blackbough, Crow’s Perch, Coast of Wrecks, Wastrel Manor, Keira Metz’s hut
Related quests: Lynch Mob · Family Matters · A Favor for a Friend · Sunken Treasure · A Costly Mistake

Services and people

Quest NPCs 2

Nilfgaardian deserter · Subject of execution during the quest Lynch MobRight by the Hangman's Alley signpost
Local peasants · Attempting to hang a captured Nilfgaardian deserter during Lynch MobNear the fast travel signpost

Invaders and enemies 1

Hostile local peasants · Engage in a fight if intervening during Lynch MobNear the fast travel signpost

Services 1

Signpost · Fast-travel pointAt the road junction

The short version

What matters

•Rescuing the captive Nilfgaardian deserter during "Lynch Mob" by the signpost before the quest expires.
•Defeating the Deserter Leader to collect the cage key and liberate the barber, who moves to Claywich.
•Recovering the relic silver sword Maugrim from the underwater chest off the western coast.

Common mistakes

•Riding past the signpost without stopping; doing so or starting "A Favor for a Friend" causes "Lynch Mob" to fail permanently.

What you can skip

•Searching the crossroads for vendors, upgrade services, or underground dungeons, as none exist here.

Walkthrough

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

1
Approach the Crossroads

Follow the road heading west from Blackbough toward Velen's western coast until you spot a path lined with hanged peasants near a tree. You will find a fast-travel signpost directly at this road junction beside a small waterfront dock. Note that this area features no underground dungeons and lacks any merchants or crafting services.
2
Intervene in the Lynch Mob

Approaching the signpost immediately triggers the secondary quest "Lynch Mob", where an angry crowd of local peasants prepares to execute a captured Nilfgaardian deserter. You must decide whether to let the execution happen or attack the peasants to defend him. If you choose to protect the soldier, you will enter combat against the hostile crowd.

Watch out: This quest permanently fails and locks out if you bypass the scene without intervening, or as soon as you begin "A Favor for a Friend".
3
Explore the Northwest Coastline

Walk over to the coastline situated just northwest of the signpost. Inspect the shore to discover a washed-up corpse carrying the water-damaged letter key item.

Water-damaged letter: northwest of the Hangman's Alley signpost, on a washed-up corpse lying along the coastlineHow: search the corpse New
4
Raid the Bandit Camp to the West

Head west from the Hangman's Alley marker to a coastal encampment where a band of deserters holds a captive barber as a Person in Distress. Slay the Deserter Leader and his gang, then loot the Deserter Leader to acquire leveled armor, weapons, and the Cage key (Hangman's Alley). Use this key to liberate the barber, who will subsequently relocate to Claywich.

Cage key (Hangman's Alley): directly west of the Hangman's Alley signpost at the coastal bandit encampment, on the body of the Deserter LeaderHow: loot the defeated Deserter Leader New
5
Search the Shore and Sunken Wreckage

Move along the shore west of the signpost to find a ruined boat with a corpse lying beside it, which holds the Smuggler's notes key item. Dive into the waters just off the coast in this area to locate sunken wreckage containing an underwater chest holding the relic silver sword Maugrim.

Smuggler's notes: west of the Hangman's Alley signpost along the shore, on a corpse lying beside a wrecked boatHow: search the corpse NewMaugrim: west of the Hangman's Alley signpost, inside a sunken chest among underwater wreckage off the coastHow: dive underwater and loot the chest New

Choices here

What you decide here and what it leads to.

Fate of the Nilfgaardian Deserter

Upon approaching the signpost during the quest "Lynch Mob"

Kill the hostile peasant mob→ Saves the captured Nilfgaardian deserter's life
Let the peasants execute the deserter→ The peasants hang the captive deserter

Missable event that fails if you ignore it or start "A Favor for a Friend"

Checklists

Items

0/4

Water-damaged letter: northwest of the Hangman's Alley signpost, on a washed-up corpse lying along the coastlineHow: search the corpseCage key (Hangman's Alley): directly west of the Hangman's Alley signpost at the coastal bandit encampment, on the body of the Deserter LeaderHow: loot the defeated Deserter LeaderSmuggler's notes: west of the Hangman's Alley signpost along the shore, on a corpse lying beside a wrecked boatHow: search the corpseMaugrim: west of the Hangman's Alley signpost, inside a sunken chest among underwater wreckage off the coastHow: dive underwater and loot the chest

Enemies

Deserter

Weak to Steel sword, Igni, Axii

Armed humans who attack on sight with standard melee weapons.

Drowner

Weak to Necrophage Oil, Igni, Firestream

Found lurking near the muddy riverbanks around the alley.

Tips

Use Axii to stun human deserters carrying shields, exposing them to an instant execution strike.
Watch for high-level water hags or drowners roaming the wetlands just outside the alley camp limits.

Not listed for this area: secrets, shops and people.

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Bald Mountain

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Sources checked: fextralife.com, fandom.com, thegamer.com, guides4gamers.com, game-checklists.com, cdprojektred.com, gamespot.com, arrpeegeez.com, gamerant.com