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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Funeral Pyres

By
Nathan Garvin

Following the Nilfgaardian invasion, Velen has become a battlefield. "Corpse" iconCorpses pile up in the wake of the armies fighting for control of the north, and where there are corpses, there are necrophages. Help a priest dispatch the necrophages prowling the fields and dispose of the bodies they feast upon in the quest "Funeral Pyres" iconFuneral Pyres in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This page will provide a walkthrough for the aforementioned quest, including the outcomes of accepting or refusing the priest’s offer.

Quest Objectives

Starting Funeral Pyres

To start this secondary quest, head to Mulbrydale, which is located just southwest of the Hanged Man’s Tree signpost. From the western edge of town, follow a road west, then southwest until you find a Priest of the Eternal Fire standing near the road, along with two guards. Talk to the priest (who is slightly less rude than his guards) and he’ll tell you the good news - you get to serve the Cult of the Eternal Fire by burning some bodies, hence depriving some necrophages of a meal. He even promises to pay you. Seems like fairly standard Witcher’s work, so take the job and he’ll give you some holy oils to assist in your corpse disposal efforts.

Talk to a priest southwest of Mulbrydale to start the quest “Funeral Pyres”.

Burn the Bodies

There are three piles of bodies you have to burn, one of which is north of where you first met the priest. Backtrack along the road to Mulbydale and follow the road northwest from there until you spot the necrophages the priest warned you of feasting on some corpses left of the road. Dismount, apply Necrophage "Oil" iconOil to your silver sword, then head to the site of the feast - the debris suggests a skirmish of some sort - and kill a quartet of "Ghouls" iconGhouls. Once done, locate the pile of bodies in a shallow depression, douse them with oil and give the oily mess a shot of "Igni" iconIgni.

(1 of 3) At the northern pile of bodies, defeat the Ghouls,

Another pile of bodies can be found southwest of where you met the priest, and this pile is the only one not guarded by "Ghoul" iconGhouls. Instead you’ll find a Rotfiend (Lv6) here, and perhaps some Wild "Dogs" iconDogs (Lv1), although with any luck the former will take care of the latter. Speaking of, "Rotfiends" iconRotfiends are quick, nasty necrophages which prefer leaping attacks and fight very similarly to "Drowners" iconDrowners. Individually they’re not much of a problem, just dodge when they attack and counter with a strong attack when they leave themselves open, repeat until victorious. The only thing to be wary of is the fact that they like to go out in spectacular fashion, suffering apparent death-throes when low on health before violently exploding. Be sure you’re far away when they pop. Anyways, dispose of baddies, apply the oil, and ignite the corpses with Igni.

(1 of 2) Deal enough damage to a Rotfiend and it’ll begin its death throes.

Deal enough damage to a Rotfiend and it’ll begin its death throes. (left), Get some distance, as the injured Rotfiend will then explode, dealing massive damage. (right)

Two down, one to go. The third pile of bodies is southwest of "Mulbrydale" iconMulbrydale. When you get near you’ll find a man named Titus Gielas under assault from a pack of Ghouls. Fight off the Necrophages and save Titus, who will tell you how he came to be in this predicament, how the priest was involved, and consequently what the priest was actually paying you to do. Looks like we’re going to be having a more interesting end-of-job chat with the priest than it originally seemed. Finish burning the third pile of corpses, then head back north. It’s time to pay this priest a visit.

(1 of 2) At the third pile of bodies, assist a man being attacked by Ghouls,

At the third pile of bodies, assist a man being attacked by Ghouls, (left), and he’ll tell you the truth behind the priest’s scheme. (right)

Take or Refuse the Priest’s Bribe

As the priest said at the end of his conversation with Geralt, he can be found near the river to the north, near the Border Post. Make your way over there and talk to him, pick the dialog option “Took care of the graves.”, after which you’ll get two choices. If you pick “Agreed.” you’ll take the bribe and complete the quest, gaining some EXP and 60 "Crowns" iconCrowns for your silence. On the other hand if you respond with “I don’t take bribes.” you’ll refuse the hush money and the priest will decide to silence you with steel, since gold won’t do the trick. Despite their confidence in numbers, they’re pushovers, fighting identically to garden-variety bandits. Cut them down and you’ll complete the quest, earning the same EXP you’d have gained if you took the bribe, but you can loot the priest for 200 Crowns.

(1 of 2) Confront the priest near the river to the north and either accept the bribe,

Confront the priest near the river to the north and either accept the bribe, (left), or decline and fight the priest and his two guards. (right)

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    CD Projekt
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    24 June 2015
  • Last Updated
    22 August 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin (Haeravon)

Share this free guide:

You are Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster-hunter known as a Witcher. You’ve fully regained your memories since your miraculous revival and escape from the Wild Hunt, and have cleared your name of the false accusations of regicide. In the wake of the assassination of Foltest, king of Temeria, the north have been rent by warfare as Nilfgaard launches its third major invasion, and the northlands have been united under the insane king Radovid. Overshadowing these petty politics is the mysterious return of Ciri - Geralt’s adopted daughter, who is now being pursued by the Wild Hunt.

The guide offers the following:

  • A full walkthrough that’s more than just a listing of quests-it’s an “ideal chronological order” that will get you through the whole game and allow you to see and do everything the game has to offer.

  • Side quests, including monster contracts and treasure hunts for obtaining powerful Witcher sets.

  • Descriptions of decisions, quests, and events that influence the various endings of the game.

  • Crafting and Alchemy information.

  • General strategies on how to take down foes large and small, monstrous and humanoid, boss or mundane.

  • Information on how to complete all the Gwent quests and obtain all the Gwent cards, including detailed Gwent strategies.

  • Trophy/Achievement information.

MASSIVE UPDATE: 7th September 2016 ongoing

  • Added DLC quests “Fool’s Gold” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear”.
  • Organisational changes in the Velen section of the walkthrough to reflect the increased level of Griffin School Gear.
  • Organisational changes throughout the walkthrough to provide a “no skulls” path through the game.
  • Added Death March difficulty tips and commentary throughout the guide.
  • More XP reward numbers included.
  • Walkthrough now includes additional information based on patch changes.
  • Various typo and grammar fixes.
  • Added DLC pages for Blood & Wine, Heart of Stone
  • Lots more quality of life improvements

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