Overview
The Witchwoods is a mysterious forest located west of the Hernand Highlands. Known as the home of a witch, this dense woodland is seldom trodden by ordinary folk. Deep within its paths stands a solitary house surrounded by thorny vines. Despite locals never having actually seen the witch, the ever-blooming flowers and fresh fruit laid upon the table inside the house suggest someone, or something, inhabits the place.
Location
The Witchwoods is located west of the City of Hernand, in the Hernand Highlands. The area has its own fast travel point (Abyss Nexus), making return visits convenient. The Witch's House sits at the heart of the forest, identifiable by the thorny vines wrapping around the structure.
The Witch Elowen
Elowen is the Witch of Wisdom who resides in The Witchwoods. She is one of several witches scattered across Pywel, each offering services related to Abyss Cores and Abyss Gears. Elowen can be first encountered during the Black and White questline, when Kliff receives a sealed letter directing him to visit the witch in the woods.
After defeating the Kearush boss at Hernand Castle in Chapter 5, Elowen opens her Witch's House as a permanent shop. Her services include:
Extract Cores: Remove Abyss Cores from equipment
Embed Cores: Slot Abyss Cores into gear
Create New Cores: Craft new Abyss Cores from materials
Related Quests
The Witch of Wisdom is the faction quest associated with Elowen. After meeting her, players must cleanse four sanctums to complete her questline:
Sanctum of Benediction (Hernand)
Sanctum of Temperance (Grace Estate)
Sanctum of Penitence (Grace Estate)
Completing the questline rewards Blue Lavenders x20, Peonies x20, and Small Bones x20.
How to Access
During the quest, players are led to a small house southeast of The Witchwoods where a tied-up woman can be rescued by entering through a hole in the roof. She reveals herself as Elowen and marks the Witch's House location on the map. Full access to the shop is not available until Chapter 5, after the Kearush boss fight at Hernand Castle.
Witch's House Interior
Once Elowen opens her shop after the Kearush boss fight in Chapter 5, the Witch's House becomes a permanent crafting hub. Inside the house, players have access to:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Extract, embed, and create Abyss Cores. Also sells materials and recipes for core crafting. | |
Cauldron | Brew alchemy recipes including teas, dyes, and potions. This is the most convenient Cauldron in the entire Hernand region. |
General crafting services for creating equipment and consumables. | |
The Abyss Nexus outside the house entrance is a permanent fast travel destination. |
The Cauldron inside the Witch's House is particularly useful because it is directly adjacent to Elowen's Abyss Core services. Players can brew potions, manage their cores, and craft equipment in a single visit without traveling between locations.
Tower Treasure
A tower stands adjacent to the Witch's House. At the top of this tower, a treasure chest is accessible by jumping to a closed window on the upper floor and entering from the outside. The chest contains valuable loot. This is easy to miss on a first visit, so check the tower before leaving the area.
Mysterious Energy Puzzles
The Witchwoods contains three Mysterious Energy puzzles that reward Abyss Artifacts and unlock fast travel points when completed:
Puzzle | Location | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Southwest of the Witch's House, on the Alfonso Estate | Stand on the stone plate to push it down and activate the Abyss Nexus. | |
Phoniel Ranch on the Alfonso Estate, northeast of the Abyss Nexus | Enter the shack near the ranch to find a hidden ladder. Navigate past flamethrowers and pull handles in the correct slat order to unlock the Abyss Artifact. | |
North of Phoniel Ranch, in the northern Witchwoods | Burn foliage on all five pillars using Blinding Flash, then rotate the pillars to align them at the same height. Rewards an Abyss Cresset fast travel point. |
Duskwood Ancient Ruins
The Duskwood Ancient Ruins sit in the northern part of The Witchwoods, directly north of Phoniel Ranch. This puzzle site features five stone pillars that must be aligned to the same height. To begin the puzzle, use the Blinding Flash skill to burn the vines covering the mechanism and all pillars. The first pillar is fixed and cannot be moved. Rotate the remaining four pillars so they all match the height of the first. When all five pillars glow, the Abyss Cresset of the Witchwoods appears, granting an Abyss Artifact and a new fast travel point.
Nearby Sub-Areas
Phoniel Ranch: A farm on the Alfonso Estate near the Witch's House. Contains the Azure Moon Labyrinth puzzle entrance.
Duskwood Hill: The elevated terrain north of the forest where the Ancient Ruins are located.
City of Hernand: The nearest major settlement, located east of The Witchwoods.
Hernand Castle: Site of the Kearush boss fight that unlocks Elowen's shop. Located in the central Hernand area.
The Witch of Wisdom Questline
After meeting Elowen, players can pursue her faction quest, which requires cleansing four sanctums across Hernand and the Grace Estate. Each sanctum involves defeating waves of enemies and using Axiom Force and Force Palm abilities to place missing architectural pieces. The sanctums are unlocked in pairs:
Sanctum | Region |
|---|---|
Completing all four sanctums rewards Blue Lavenders x20, Peonies x20, and Small Bones x20.
Tips
The Witchwoods has its own fast travel point, so tag the Abyss Nexus during your first visit.
Elowen's Abyss Core services are essential for improving your gear. Visit regularly to extract, embed, and create new cores as you acquire Abyss Artifacts.
The sanctum cleansing quests involve defeating waves of enemies and using Axiom Force and Force Palm abilities to place missing architectural pieces.