The specters of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are as powerful as they are terrifying. Common wraiths can be encountered wandering the world in hopes of completing their unfinished business. However, there are two types of wraiths that are unable to pass on for specific reasons — noonwraiths and nightwraiths.
Multiple contract quests in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have the player hunting down noonwraiths and nightwraiths. There is one in White Orchard, another somewhere in Velen, and yet another in one of the districts of Novigrad.
The Ghosts of Tortured Brides
Noonwraiths and nightwraiths are specters born from women who were brutally killed before their wedding. Their vengeful souls are unable to find peace and, thus, wander the fields in search of those who wronged them — often, cheating lovers or vicious rivals. Despite this targeted hatred, these specters are dangerous even to innocent civilians as they are hostile to any person that crosses their path.
Noonwraiths and nightwraiths are horrifying in form, appearing as pale almost skeletal women. Their skin is in a state of decay, with some even missing their lower jaw, revealing a long, flaccid tongue. Their dresses are dirty and tattered, swaying wildly in the breeze as they dance across the fields. Sometimes, these specters can even be seen wearing flower crowns, perhaps a ceremonial piece for local weddings.
Both noonwraiths and nightwraiths are commonly found in The Witcher 3's rural locations, near the spot where they were killed. As their names suggest, noonwraiths are usually spotted during midday, when the sun is at its hottest, while nightwraiths often appear during the darkest hours of the night. That said, they can also appear during other times, though they won’t be as powerful.
The existence of such specters has had a significant impact on the farming communities in the Northern Kingdoms’ countryside. For example, farmers often halt their work during midday, though this is not to get out of the sun, as they instead want to avoid the noonwraiths and their wrath. These peasants also fear for their lives in the dark of night, as there is a belief that nightwraiths can sneak into their huts and kill them in their sleep.
Though of the peasant folks’ many beliefs concerning these specters, the one closest to reality is the notion that one should not pick up any seemingly discarded wedding implements, like rings or veils, found in the middle of the field. This is because noonwraiths and nightwraiths are tethered to the mortal world by items that are of great emotional significance to them. Thus, to permanently expel these specters, it is necessary to destroy these objects alongside them.
Noonwraiths in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The first contract quest that players can come across in The Witcher 3 is “Devil by the Well,” and involves a noonwraith. This noonwraith circles the abandoned town’s well, unwilling to let the peasants of White Orchard draw water. As such, Geralt must expel the specter. In doing so, he learns that the noonwraith was once a woman named Claer. She had lived with her beloved, Volker, in the abandoned town before the lord of the land massacred its entire population. To lay her soul to rest, Geralt had to destroy an ornate bracelet that had belonged to her — a gift that had been from Volker.
The other noonwraith can be encountered after triggering the contract quest “The White Lady.” This can be started in the area of Novigrad, specifically in the town of Farcorners. Before the Witcher arrived, one group of brave souls tried to take matters into their own hands. Full on alcohol, these men marched to the fields and tried to shoo the noonwraith away. Unfortunately, all of them were killed, drained of all their life force. The peasants didn’t dare bury them, as they all feared the noonwraith’s wrath.
This noonwraith used to be a woman named Luzi. She was to be married to an old blacksmith from the city, but she didn’t want that for herself. Thus, she fled and took her own life with a silver dagger. Geralt needed that dagger to lure the noonwraith in and banish her from the mortal world permanently.
Nightwraiths in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The final contract quest involves a nightwraith. The “Jenny o’ the Woods” quest can be undertaken by journeying to the town of Midcopse in Velen. Here, Geralt learns of a wraith haunting the woods close to the village, scaring any who come across it. He later learns that the nightwraith had been a woman named Zula before she was brutally murdered.
Zula was a resident of Midcopse and had entered a romantic relationship with another local named Ontan. However, another man named Bokhai also fancied Zula and grew jealous of their relationship. Despite knowing of Zula’s relationship, Bokhai pursued her, professing his love for her. Zula did not like this, stating that Bokhai’s love for her was fierce and frightening, wholly unlike Ontan’s. Growing fearful of Bokhai, Zula and Ontan decided to flee the village, but Bokhai found out about this. Thus, he tailed Zula, killed her in the woods, and buried her in a shallow grave.
Both Ontan and Bokhai’s whereabouts are unknown. However, Zula’s soul is unable to pass, and she becomes a nightwraith. In the quest, Geralt notes that he has no way of lifting Zula’s curse. This is likely because Zula wanted to be reunited with Ontan. Thus, he had no choice but to defeat her.
Noonwraiths and nightwraiths are sorrowful monsters. They are not violent or bloodthirsty by nature, unlike other creatures such as the hym. Rather, their souls were warped by strong, negative emotions — perhaps regret, anger, or hatred — which then forced them to remain in the mortal world. Now, they roam the fields in hopes of taking care of their unfinished business, even though this isn’t always possible. Defeating them and banishing their souls, then, is a kindness.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.