Guides / The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Whispering Hillock Cave
Deep beneath an ancient oak in Velen lies an organic cavern housing an entity known as the heart of the tree. You must swim through flooded tunnels to confront this trapped entity and choose between destroying it or gathering ritual components to release it into the wild. This decision dramatically alters the fate of the Downwarren villagers, the swamp orphans, and the Bloody Baron's family.
- Region
- Velen (No Man’s Land)
- Levels
- Level 5–8
- Getting there
- Located south-southeast of the village of Downwarren, directly beneath the massive Ancient Oak, with the main cave entrance on the western/lower flank at the base of the hillock near an Igni Place of Power.
- Connects to
- Ancient Oak, Downwarren, Crookback Bog
- Related quests
- The Whispering Hillock · Ladies of the Wood
Services and people
Quest NPCs 1
- Tree Spirit · Trapped spirit who speaks to Geralt and can be freed or destroyedCentral subterranean chamber under the roots of the ancient oak
Invaders and enemies 3
- Tree Spirit · Beating heart/mass of roots fought if Geralt chooses to destroy itCentral subterranean chamber
- Endrega Workers · Summoned enemies defending the spirit's heartCentral subterranean chamber
- Endrega Drones · Summoned enemies defending the spirit's heartCentral cavern chamber
The short version
What matters
- •Defeating the Werewolf outside the entrance rewards a valuable Werewolf mutagen along with pelt and crafting materials.
- •The submerged chests along the flooded tunnel contain world-pool diagrams and assorted loot reachable by diving with Witcher Senses.
- •Choosing whether to kill or free the Tree Spirit dictates whether Downwarren is wiped out and its original NPCs disappear.
Common mistakes
- •Expecting to meet the Crones of Crookback Bog, the Downwarren Ealdorman, or Gran and the orphans in this cave; they are exclusively found in Crookback Bog or Downwarren.
- •Freeing the spirit without realizing it razes Downwarren and permanently removes the village's original non-player characters.
What you can skip
- •Do not search the cave for merchants or service vendors, as none reside inside Whispering Hillock Cave.
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
Approach the Ancient Oak
When you arrive at the Ancient Oak above the Whispering Hillock, whether pursuing the main quest "Ladies of the Wood" or handling it as a secondary quest, deal with the pack of wolves prowling the surface approaches. Before heading toward the hillside entrance, swing by the western base of the hillock to draw power from an Igni Place of Power.
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2
Defeat the Entrance Guardian
As you near the primary cave opening on the hillside beneath the oak, confront the hostile Werewolf standing guard by the Place of Power. Slay the beast to clear the cavern threshold and claim its remains, which include a werewolf mutagen, werewolf pelt, and cured draconid leather along with crafting materials.
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3
Plunder the Flooded Cavern
Step inside the cave and wade into the partially flooded subterranean tunnel leading beneath the ancient oak's roots. Activate your Witcher Senses to spot the submerged chests resting underwater along the flooded approach, then dive beneath the surface to retrieve random diagrams and loot before pressing forward.
Tip: Witcher Senses will highlight chests submerged in the water along this passage.
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4
Confront the Tree Spirit
Advance into the central subterranean chamber directly beneath the ancient oak roots to discover the beating heart and mass of roots entombing the trapped Tree Spirit. An event triggers as you speak with the spirit, forcing you to choose between destroying the entity or agreeing to release it from its prison.
Watch out: Releasing the entity later leads to Downwarren being razed by the spirit, causing the original villagers there to disappear.
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5
Slay the Heart of the Tree
If you refuse the ritual and resolve to eliminate the spirit, attack the pulsating mass of roots in the cavern chamber to initiate the battle. The trapped heart summons defensive waves of Endrega Workers and Endrega Drones that you must cut down before you can finish off the heart, yielding drops like Endrega claws, Endrega chitin, Endrega venom, and lesser mutagens.
Key fight: The Ghost in the Tree (Heart of the Tree) -
6
Undertake the Ritual of Freedom
If you instead accept the spirit's proposal to free it, prepare to exit the cave to track down the necessary ritual elements: grave remains, raven feathers, and a wild black horse.
Watch out: Freeing the spirit seals the fate of Downwarren, causing its standard non-player characters to disappear forever once the village is ruined.
Choices here
What you decide here and what it leads to.
Dealing with the Tree Spirit
Speaking to the trapped entity's beating heart inside the central subterranean chamber
- Destroy the spirit→ triggers a fight against the heart and waves of defending Endrega Workers and Drones, permanently killing the spirit
- Agree to free the spirit→ requires gathering ritual materials (raven feathers, grave remains, and a wild black horse) to release it, which subsequently leads to the destruction of the village of Downwarren and the disappearance of its original inhabitants while adding loot to the ruins
Releasing or slaying the spirit is a mutually exclusive branching story decision that permanently alters Downwarren.
Checklists
Key fights May be incomplete
Enemies: The trapped spirit's pulsating heart and multiple waves of summoned Endrega Workers
Threats: The spirit shields itself behind an impenetrable barrier of roots while continuously summoning swarms of Endrega Workers that deal physical and poison damage from swarm charges; the heart itself has no offensive mobility but remains shielded whenever adds spawn
Tactics: Stay on the main central platform and use Quen to mitigate Endrega strikes while dispatching each summoned wave using silver attacks and crowd-control Signs; once the minions fall, rush the heart and cast Igni to burn away the protective bramble barrier, exposing the pulsating flesh for heavy melee combos before retreating as the next wave of Endregas spawns
Enemies
Summoned in waves to defend the heart of the tree when choosing to fight.
Patrols outside the cave entrance near the Place of Power and regenerates health quickly once damaged.
Tips
- If you decide to destroy the heart, use the Igni sign to blast away the defensive vine barrier shielding it, leaving the exposed core open to rapid sword attacks.
Not listed for this area: items, secrets, shops and people.
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