Witcher 3 is chock full of fantastic side quests, so it’s quite easy to miss many of them. But there is one quest that even most completionists overlook. I’d even go as far as calling it the most hidden quest in Witcher 3.
I only found out about it by randomly running across a post on Reddit. The top comment reads, “I’ve spent 400 hours in this game and have never seen this.”
As it turns out, this rare quest is in the middle of nowhere in Skellige, and the only way to find it is to randomly sail your boat around the isles.
More specifically, you have to sail around the northern end of Ard Skellig, the largest island in the Isles. When you hug the coast to the east of the Ancient Crypt fast travel signpost, you’ll find a quest marker and a man chained to a rock being attacked by harpies.
When you approach him, you’ll pick up the hidden quest: Crime and Punishment. After killing the harpies, the man, Yorg, will tell you he was framed for the murder of someone called Gretter.
You then have the option of freeing him or leaving him to die. Although freeing the man completes the quest, the story goes much deeper. Is he telling the truth? How was he framed?
As it turns out, you can get answers to these questions, making this quest exceptional.
Head to the village of Rogne, located in northern Ard Skellig, east of Kaer Trolde. Here, you’ll find a second quest marker northwest of the village.
When you approach, you’ll see a group of villagers mourning the death of Gretter. Among them is Yorg’s little sister; talking to her will start part two of the quest.
She will explain that she didn’t like their uncle Gretter because he was fat and stinky. So she lied to Yorg that Gretter “did things to her,” implying sexual abuse. In a fit of rage, Yorg killed him and was punished for the murder by being tied to the rocks.
This quest is interesting not just because it’s so hidden but also because it highlights the difficult and impactful decisions that you have in the game.
In this case, you may have chosen to let Yorg die because you didn’t believe him, and you would never know the full story if you didn’t explore further.
The design of ‘Crime and Punishment’ reflects the game’s overall approach to side quests – not mere fillers, but stories with depth and moral ambiguity, enriching the world and challenging players’ perceptions of right and wrong.
This quest’s moral complexity can be contrasted with other amazing Witcher 3 quests, like ‘The Bloody Baron’ or ‘Family Matters,’ showcasing CD Projekt Red’s dedication to crafting multifaceted narratives.
Gleb has been playing PC games since the late 1990s and has always enjoyed RPGs the most (Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, WoW, Dark Souls, etc.). He had tons of fun playing Witcher 3, so he made this website for discussion, guides, and other info related to the Witcher game, books, and cinematic universe. He travels the world as a digital nomad and spends his time working on website projects, practicing kickboxing, and telling people how awesome intermittent fasting is.