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Overview
Hexe Marie is a boss encountered in Crimson Desert, fought in a location known as the Smoking Lands. Titled the "Follower of Darkness," she commands crow magic, shadow manipulation, and summoned minions across a two-phase battle. Marie has roots in the Black Desert universe, where she first appeared in 2014, but her story in Crimson Desert stands on its own. After the fight concludes, she flees rather than dying, leaving the possibility of future encounters open.
Lore
Hexe Marie is described as a woman who was "enraptured by the mesmerizing shadows" and "infused darkness even into her own child." She holds a deep grudge against the Greymanes for killing her child from Raventine Monastery, and this vendetta drives her to confront Kliff directly. During the encounter, she attempts to deceive Kliff and recruit him to her cause before the fight begins, blurring the line between ally and enemy.
Boss Profile
Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
Boss Name | Hexe Marie |
Title | Follower of Darkness |
Location | The Smoking Lands (urn stockpile area) |
Type | Humanoid (Witch) |
Phases | Two (Blue HP bar, then Red HP bar) |
Key Abilities | Crow magic, minion summoning, teleportation |
Outcome | Flees after defeat |
Arena
The fight takes place in the Smoking Lands, specifically in an area filled with stockpiled urns. These urns are not just set dressing; they are directly tied to Marie's minion-summoning abilities. The arena is relatively open but the presence of urn clusters and summoned minions can make positioning challenging, especially during Phase 2 when the battlefield becomes increasingly crowded.
Attack Patterns
Hexe Marie has several named attack patterns that she uses throughout both phases of the fight.
Attack | Phase | Description |
|---|---|---|
Crow Swarm | Both | Quick primary attack where Marie sends a cluster of crows at the player. Fast and difficult to react to at close range |
Crow Barrage | Both | Wider area-of-effect attack with multiple waves of crows. Covers more ground than Crow Swarm and can catch players mid-dodge |
Crow Storm | Phase 2 Only | Channeled spell that drops crows from the sky in a frontal cone. Signaled by purple-hued casting animations. High damage if caught in the cone |
Relocate | Both | Marie transforms into a murder of crows and reappears at a random location in the arena. Used to maintain distance and reposition for attacks |
Minion Types
Marie summons two distinct types of minions from the urns scattered around the arena. Managing these adds is critical to surviving the fight.
Minion | Description |
|---|---|
Earthen Warriors | Clay automatons with urn-shaped heads. They are the weaker of the two minion types and attack in groups. Individually not very threatening but dangerous when they swarm alongside other attacks |
stronger Earthen Warriors | Larger, stronger minions made of stacked clay pieces. They hit harder and have more health than Earthen Warriors. Should be prioritized for elimination |
Phase 1 (Blue HP Bar)
During the first phase, Hexe Marie relies on Crow Swarm and Crow Barrage attacks while periodically summoning waves of Earthen Warriors. She uses Relocate to keep her distance when the player closes in. Her attack patterns in this phase are manageable once the player learns to read the crow animation telegraphs and prioritize clearing minion waves before they accumulate.
Phase 2 (Red HP Bar)
When Marie's health drops into the red bar, her abilities escalate significantly. She begins using Crow Storm, a devastating channeled attack that drops crows from the sky in a frontal cone. The purple-hued casting animation provides a brief warning window. She also starts summoning stronger Earthen Warriors alongside Earthen Warriors, making add management more demanding. Her Relocate usage increases in frequency, making it harder to maintain consistent damage pressure.
Strategy
Prioritize stronger Earthen Warriors over Earthen Warriors when both are present. Swordsmen deal significantly more damage and can interrupt your attacks on Marie
Use ice arrows and explosive arrows to control minion swarms efficiently. Area-of-effect damage helps clear groups of Earthen Warriors quickly
Evade crow attacks by backsliding rather than side-dodging. The cone-shaped attack patterns are easier to escape by moving directly away from Marie
Close distance for melee damage whenever Marie finishes a Crow Barrage or Crow Storm, as she has brief recovery windows after these channeled attacks
Watch for the purple-hued casting animation that telegraphs Crow Storm in Phase 2. This is the most damaging attack in the fight and must be avoided
Do not over-commit to attacking Marie while minions are active. Getting surrounded by Earthen Warriors while Marie launches Crow Barrage is one of the most common ways to take lethal damage
Elemental weapon imbues (particularly fire) are effective against both Marie and her summoned minions
Rewards
Defeating Hexe Marie provides exclusive equipment tied to her shadow and crow magic abilities. Equipping her gear grants access to her signature dark arts combat style. She also drops Abyss Fragments and crafting materials used for weapon and armor upgrades. Notably, Marie flees after the fight rather than dying, so the encounter does not conclude her story arc.