In The Witcher 3, Geralt can come across two different sylvans. Both can be found in the region of Velen. Although they live two very different lives.
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The Woodland Devils of the Northern Realms
Sylvans are a rare type of relict that can be found in the woodlands of the Northern Kingdoms. They’re large, bipedal creatures with the features of a goat — pointy ears, horns, and cloven hooves. According to the bestiary entry, they aren’t dangerous creatures as they much prefer staying away from humans. Though they do enjoy playing tricks on them as well as eating farm crops.
Despite their avoidance of humankind, sylvans are also known to help farmers by fertilizing their fields, keeping birds and caterpillars off their crops, and even watching over the farmlands. That said, they’d also be content with lazing around — smoking, eating, and drinking the days away. What they decide to do ultimately depends on their whims and, perhaps, how nearby villages treat them.
Because of the shape of their horns, sylvans are often referred to as “demons” by the common folk. However, these creatures are not related to demons. They’re much more akin to the elves of the Continent as both have Elder Blood in their veins. And much like their distant elven relatives, sylvans can live for a long time — some for over 100 years.
Should the need arise, sylvans can cooperate with other sapient creatures — often elves or monsters. Communication isn’t a hurdle as sylvans know both Common Speech and Elder Speech. On the flip side, these creatures can also put up a fight if their safety is threatened. Their blows are devastating at close range, and they can also breathe fire that melts through armor. As such, it may be preferable to settle matters with sylvans without resorting to violence.
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The Gluttonous God of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
In The Witcher 3, Geralt can come across two peasants in a ruined structure, just south of Wastrel Manor. Note that this can only occur after the player has gotten the Eye of Nehaleni. The peasants will be arguing about some sort of curse that’s befallen them, each blaming the other. Approaching the peasants will trigger dialogue where they’ll explain their worship of an “Allgod.”
According to the peasants, the Allgod is an ancient deity that was revered by their forefathers. It was first discovered when a man named Roslav of Oreton went to the ruins in the forest to gather some wood. Suddenly, a nearby shrub burst into flames, with seemingly no cause. Then, Roslav heard something speak to him from underground. It demanded offerings and obedience — both of which Roslav and the other villagers provided.
However, when the Nilfgaardians invaded, the villagers struggled to scrounge up food and other such resources for their offering. This is around the time Geralt happened to pass by, and the peasants explain that the Allgod wasn’t happy with their offering. The unseen deity threatened them with a curse. Unless they provided “a rafter of bacon and a barrel of beer at least,” the rivers would fill with frogs, and their crops would be picked off by swarms of locusts.
Should the player agree to help the villagers, the quest “A Greedy God” will trigger. Geralt will have to talk to the Allgod through the altar then find a way underground to meet it face-to-face. After dispelling a magical illusion to one side of the ruins, the player can walk down to the former building’s basement, where they’ll find a sylvan. The relict had been living there for over a century. It admits that it had wandered into the cellar one winter and made a fire so large that it accidentally set a shrub up top on fire, inadvertently granting the creature its god status.
The sylvan doesn’t attack Geralt when he descends. Instead, the two have a conversation, wherein the supposed Allgod maintains that it isn’t leeching off the villagers because, in return, it gives them blessings, absolutions, and advice. Though he refuses to continue if they keep giving him worthless offerings. At this point, the player can choose between killing the Allgod, convincing it to accept the scraps, or simply letting it have its way and forcing the villagers to make more offerings. After, the brief side quest ends.
Regardless of what the player chooses, this entire quest showcases the cunning nature of sylvans. Despite becoming the Allgod completely by chance, the sylvan saw an opportunity and took it. And it had no problem with keeping up the act for well over a century, feeding off the town’s misguided faith.
The Crones’ Personal Guard
There’s another sylvan that can be encountered in the game, albeit without as much backstory as the Allgod. This sylvan is named Fugas, and it serves the Crones of Crookback Bog. In the quest “Bald Mountain,” Geralt and Ciri will need to gain access to the Ladies. However, only three young and attractive individuals are chosen for the honor each year.
To circumvent this, Geralt agrees to undergo a trial that, when completed, would allow him to meet the Crones. After finishing it, he and Ciri are sent to a cave system, where they’ll come across the sylvan. It will allow Ciri to pass but try to kill Geralt as he was given a death sentence by passing the trial. After defeating Fugas, the player can then get to Imlerith and the Crones.
Despite Fugas’ short appearance, the encounter has interesting implications. It confirms that sylvans can cooperate with other monsters. However, unlike other sylvans, Fugas lacks the relict’s characteristic mischievousness and cunning. It even says so in the journal entry, which reads, “There was not a jot of mischievous puck or cunning verbal trickster about this “devil.” Instead, he carried out his task with the commitment and professionalism of a Novigrad bouncer.”
Overall, sylvans seem to be a more complex relict type than even witchers give them credit for. Though they’re known to be clever tricksters who like to limit their contact with humans, there exist some outliers who, for one reason or another, do not follow this path. It makes for a more nuanced monster and an even more interesting world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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