Chapter 3: Howling Hill

1. Homestead

The Goldleaves had word of someone calling himself a Greymane in the back alleys of Hernand. That lead is Marius, an old friend, and it starts the rebuilding of the company: an alliance with Marquis Serkis, a camp on Howling Hill, and a first look at what is happening inside St. Halssius's House of Healing.

• 1

  Old Friend: find Marius

  Go to the back alleys in the north of Hernand (behind the inn) and talk to Marius, who is leaning on a wall. This is a cutscene and nothing more.

• 2

  First Step to Rebuilding: Marquis Serkis and Howling Hill

  Head south to Oakenshield Manor. A servant outside lets you in to see the Marquis. After the scene, follow a soldier on foot and then on horseback to Howling Hill and speak with Marshal Middler. Damiane joins here. Game8 says she is playable from this point; Eurogamer.es unlocks her during A Fresh Start, the next objective, where you can switch to her for some of the Howling Hill tasks. This objective also unlocks the camp itself, the mount Brianto and formal alliances with House Serkis and House Celeste.

• 3

  A Fresh Start: build the camp

  Four chores at Howling Hill, in any order: carry three sacks one at a time to the marked spots; take the mallet from the table and drive the tent stakes (four stakes, three hits each); equip the pickaxe, break the rocks under the tent and push the wagon inside; and lift the banner onto its stand with Nature's Grasp. This gives x5 Iron Ore.

• 4

  Reward for Their Sweat: feed the workers

  Pick up the recipe by the camp pot to learn Clear Soup, then cook two servings of Modest Clear Soup: one Tough Meat, one Barley and one Water, all lying on the same stool as the recipe; more ingredients are on the tables and in the supply crates, and they can be swapped. Serve the workers, then switch back to Kliff to carry on. Reward: Clear Soup x10.

• 5

  Return of the Comrade: escort Marius from The Scrapfold

  Marius is in the middle of The Scrapfold. Offer to escort him, call your horse and wait for him to mount as a passenger, then ride back to Howling Hill; you dismount automatically at the camp for a cutscene. Beggars at The Scrapfold will surround you and want coins if they get close.

• 6

  Familiar Curses: get into the House of Healing

  St. Halssius's House of Healing is east of Hernand, and there are three ways in. Sneak: follow the road to the right of the main entrance, cut through the alley by the main building, climb onto the roof and drop through an open window. Disguise: buy the St. Halssius Priest Outfit for 10 Silver (Game8 says from a guard to the right of the main entrance, PowerPyx from a man at the corner of the bridge) and walk in the front. Visitor pass: buy the St. Halssius Visitor Pass for 10 Silver from Aflred at the Church of Hernand, show it to the guards and wait. Inside, head for the main building at the end and up to the second floor's south wing, where a man is fighting the patients.

• 7

  Familiar Curses: follow Yann

  That man is Yann, one of the Greymanes. Follow him through a wooden door, across the roofs and into a cottage; when he comes out, board the Pywell Wagon and ride to Nas River Fishing Dock, then walk into the marked area to finish. This is also where you learn of a brainwashing helmet made in Delesyia, and a Greymane named Ross is recruited along the way.

2. The Face Behind the Mask

Naira and Andrew went to Glenbright Manor and have not been heard from. What Kliff finds there is a massacre and a trail, and the trail belongs to the Devil of the Reed Field, the chapter's boss, hunted across the Steel Mountains to a reed field with an altar. Before setting out, the advice is: around fifty Grilled Meat, plate armour from the Hernand merchant, and an upgrade at the blacksmith.

• 1

  Return: speak with Marius

  Back at the Greymane camp, Marius is at a table in front of the tent. You meet Duane during this conversation. A shortcut for getting there is the sky island above the camp and a skydive down.

• 2

  Traces in the Manor: Glenbright Manor

  Ride south to Glenbright Manor in Grace Estate, Count Grace's home. You are ambushed on entry: five guards. Once they are down, go up the stairs on the right and along the hall to the study on the second floor, where a wounded servant lies by the window. The Iron Door Key of Grace Manor is on the desk next to him.

• 3

  Nonhuman: pick up the trail

  This is where Tracking unlocks. View the servant's memory, "Grace Manor", with the Visione, climb out of the window and point the Lantern (or use the Blinding Sword) to reveal a yellow trail. Follow it to Reedfield Graves, fighting or bypassing the groups on the way (you can skirt the houses). The trail ends at a hut, and entering it finds Andrew and Naira in a cutscene.

• 4

  Seed of Unease: hunt the Devil through the mountains

  The marker disappears after the hut; the Lantern's yellow line leads west and then southwest into a canyon. The Reed Devil ambushes you there with minions; hurt it until it vanishes, then keep following the line. The chase runs through the Steel Mountains and the Mountain of Frozen Souls with elite enemies and repeated ambushes, then up a mountain trail to the south for one last ambush before a large reed field. Follow the faint trail to an altar by a tree and examine the doll (a small straw figure) at its centre.

• 5

  Dance with the Devil: the Devil of the Reed Field

  Game8 describes a two-phase fight: parry and counter in the first phase; in the second the Devil is invincible until you destroy all five totems, which also removes its clones, after which the first-phase approach works again. PowerPyx describes three: a one-on-one where most moves can be parried (except the wind-up lunge, which must be dodged), a phase with five scarecrows and four clones where destroying the scarecrows dismisses three of the Devils, and a final one-on-two with red energy waves that travel in a straight line and have to be rolled past. The reward is Sunset Reed Cloth Gloves, and you can learn Swift Stab from the Devil during the fight. The cost: Andrew is injured, and Count Grace is killed by the Reed Devil.

3. Pioneering

The last quest of the chapter is about the camp: checking on Andrew, chasing a rumour of Greymanes who traded swords for axes, and running the first Howling Hill expansion mission. It ends with the company back together and Chapter 4 starting.

• 1

  Hope After Draught: check on Andrew

  Return to Howling Hill and enter the main tent. The cutscene shows Andrew will recover and Yann arriving at camp.

• 2

  Scattered Comrades: speak with Marius

  Marius has been talking to an informant since daybreak. One short conversation with him at the camp sets the next objective.

• 3

  Rumors from the Sawmill: Luke and Ronald

  The rumour is of Greymanes cutting wood at a sawmill. Game8 sends you to Unicorn Cliff to meet Luke and Ronald; PowerPyx places the sawmill, Timberham Sawmill, near the Coalvale Workshop, where Luke is sitting down, and has you recruit him. This objective gives 1,000 Camp Wood, an Abyss Artifact and x5 Fine Timber.

• 4

  A Gentle Touch: the Dragon Head Totem

  Back at Howling Hill, go to the shrine and examine the Dragon Head Totem (the totem to the left of the shrine). Take the letter from its mouth (Shakatu's Letter) and read it in your inventory. That unlocks camp expansion. This gives 200 Camp Oats, 200 Camp Coins, x6 Thick Hide and x5 Iron Ore here.

• 5

  Bustling Hill: dispatch the expansion mission

  Open the map, select the Howling Hill camp, go to the Mission List tab and dispatch the Howling Hill Camp Expansion mission with Freeswords; Luke and Ronald will do. The job takes eighteen in-game hours, which you can wait out with side content or sleep through at a bed (twelve hours) or a campfire; resting once skips part of the progress.

• 6

  Greymanes Reunited: back to camp

  When the expansion reaches 100%, return to the camp and walk into the marked area for the reunion cutscene. That ends Chapter 3 and starts Chapter 4 straight away.

4. Chapter 3 Completion

Before Leaving Howling Hill...