[SPOILER] Crones & Baron Quest Consequences

[Udingo]

So when I doing the ladies of the wood quest, I thought that those ladies is evil because I saw their basement, so I freed the Vengeful Druid spirit, children escaped, Downradden destroyed, Crones didn't ate the children, Ana cursed and later dead, Baron hang himself, well ♥♥♥♥, what a mess outcome

Then I googled alternate ending:
children eaten, Druid spirit killed, Ana alive but crazy, Baron alive, Downradden safe and sound

First I was think that I chose poorly but then after think it again and again, my chose isn't bad at all :

1. The Druid killed by Crones and people in Downradden praised Crones, maybe helping Crones kill the Druid, and the Druid spirit destroyed Downradden as act of personal revenge

2. the children is innocent and they helped escape by the druid spirit, some say the druid spirit is evil but he kept his word, so I think he isn't, and maybe he look after the children too.

3. Ana is playing victim in here, she isn't innocent, she made contract with Crones and they got her soul, later cursed and kill her, why she didn't say sorry to her daughter (Tamara) and husband? Because she didn't want Tamara know that she made pact with the Crones to kill her unborn child (Dea) because she was sensitive*, Dea later cursed and became Botchling.

*She cheat her husband when the Baron was out doing skirmish & campaign, later found out, the Baron became Drunkard & hit her often then she pregnant and made pact with Crones to abort the child.

4. Baron hang himself, this proven that he actually love & care about his family thus what he say is the truth, and he helped Ciri too, what a good man, what a waste.

Summary : I chose the outcome that I think right and I have no regret about it, and Ana is the villain here.

[Janthis]

There's a certain kind of closure, I think, in the "bad" ending that you don't get in the other one. Anna regains her senses and is able to say goodbye to her daughter and husband before dying. The Baron hangs himself, but well, he's not exactly innocent. The people of Downwarren get murdered, but they're just a bunch of ignorant, superstitious peasants. The orphans are saved, and they are really the only innocents in the whole story.

But objectively, the tree spirit is a creature of chaos and madness. Releasing her, who knows what will happen down the line. The Crones are evil but seem to be fair and actually do help the inhabitants of the marsh, as long as they obey them. That's why killing the spirit seems to be the "better" ending, though not so much for the orphans.

In the end it doesn't matter. Without adding spoilers, you'll get to meet the crones later anyway and have another "talk" with them...

[Udingo]

Hmm, you guys have a point there, and I think there is no good ending, just a tragic situation all around, and you shouldn't have regret of what you chose

[HoJu Eructus]

I killed the spirit because it seemed the safest thing to do with the information I had at the moment. Letting loose another untrustworthy supernatural force before dealing with the current untrustworthy supernatural force in the area didn't strike me as too sensible. I am not sure what would I do in a second playthrough, even knowing the consequences of both decisions, it's not even clear what the lesser evil is.

[Vellari]

There is no good ending in this one (which is what makes the entire Bloody Baron arc so great). Someone always dies.

There is a not-so-obvious third alternative though. If you go to the whispering tree first and set the tree spirit free, the villagers are still toast, but the children are saved and since the Crones had not bargoned with you yet the Baron's wife goes unharmed.

Personally though, I always kill the tree spirit. It's not the Witcher way to free spirits, evil or otherwise.

[Udingo]

Originally posted by Vellari:

There is no good ending in this one (which is what makes the entire Bloody Baron arc so great). Someone always dies.

There is a not-so-obvious third alternative though. If you go to the whispering tree first and set the tree spirit free, the villagers are still toast, but the children are saved and since the Crones had not bargoned with you yet the Baron's wife goes unharmed.

Personally though, I always kill the tree spirit. It's not the Witcher way to free spirits, evil or otherwise.

But Geralt say himself to Vesemir or Vesemir to Geralt i forgot
Before we Witcher exterminate monster, no question asked, nowadays monster and human mixed up, some monster have compassion and some human just a monster inside

Witcher 1 : Geralt & Abigail
Abigail: What about your sword? I heard witchers carry two - a silver blade for monsters and steel for humans...
Geralt of Rivia: Both are for monsters.

[Udingo]

FOUND ALL 5 CHILDREN FROM CROOKBAG BOG AT NOVIGARD ORPHAN SCHOOL
All safe and sound have severe amnesia, thanks god, now I'm happy I chose that ending

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800855207
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800849510
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800849896
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800850080
Here when they still at Crookbag bog
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800849760
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=800850288

[Xerica]

i let the kids get eaten to save baron and crazy wife.

Why you might ask? The kids were sent to the witches by parents, or village elders because they cant feed them. The kids ate. were happy.. till the end. If the kids are saved..who is going ot feed them? who is going to care for them? wont be barons wife, she dies as punishment ><. baron is dead. Town wont take them in. hard enough as it is with the barons soldiers in charge.


I know its harsh to say , but the kids are better off passing on.

This is medevial times at the worst. It is horribaly they get eaten, but they could starve after being freed. they cant defend for themselves either.

[Udingo]

Originally posted by Zerican34:

i let the kids get eaten to save baron and crazy wife.

Why you might ask? The kids were sent to the witches by parents, or village elders because they cant feed them. The kids ate. were happy.. till the end. If the kids are saved..who is going ot feed them? who is going to care for them? wont be barons wife, she dies as punishment ><. baron is dead. Town wont take them in. hard enough as it is with the barons soldiers in charge.


I know its harsh to say , but the kids are better off passing on.

This is medevial times at the worst. It is horribaly they get eaten, but they could starve after being freed. they cant defend for themselves either.

The kids will be delivered to orphan school in Novigard if you let the druid spirit help them escape, they will feed & cared well there, I presume, so it has good ending actually
Baron hang himself , it's his decision, so too bad for him :(

[awesome1ru]

Originally posted by Vellari:

There is no good ending in this one (which is what makes the entire Bloody Baron arc so great). Someone always dies.

There is a not-so-obvious third alternative though. If you go to the whispering tree first and set the tree spirit free, the villagers are still toast, but the children are saved and since the Crones had not bargoned with you yet the Baron's wife goes unharmed.

Personally though, I always kill the tree spirit. It's not the Witcher way to free spirits, evil or otherwise.

yeah no one would have known about the third alt if u didnt read spoilers

[dobies4ever]

Originally posted by Vellari:

There is no good ending in this one (which is what makes the entire Bloody Baron arc so great). Someone always dies.

There is a not-so-obvious third alternative though. If you go to the whispering tree first and set the tree spirit free, the villagers are still toast, but the children are saved and since the Crones had not bargoned with you yet the Baron's wife goes unharmed.

Personally though, I always kill the tree spirit. It's not the Witcher way to free spirits, evil or otherwise.

So has anyone actually done this and can report back? Is there a third cutscene where it shows what happens with Anna? Does she stay in the swamps to finish her year of service? Does the Baron still commit suicide?

I'm just completed that particular quest and I opted with saving the tree spirit because I found the Crones' rule absolutely repugnant and based on the information I had at the time I figured Ciri might have tried to win the black mare in service to the tree. So it felt like I might have been trying to complete what she had started before fleeing from the agent of the Wild Hunt.

And I'm a little shocked at the Baron's suicide. I mean, when Tamara denies being his daughter I had to seriously question if the Baron was actually her father or if Anna married the Baron because she was already pregnant with her lover's child (I have a very suspicious mind, ask anyone). But I was left unsure when Anna said it was good to see husband and daughter together, it sounded like she may have partially forgiven him. Which may have gotten Tamara to reconsider cutting her father out of her life. But then the Baron kills himself ending the possibility of reconciliation. Which kind of made sense since he'd spent his whole life avoiding hard emotional decisions by using alcohol but it made far more sense that with the loss of his wife he'd just crawl back in a bottle.

P.S. Just got the Baron's payment. Considering the amount of legwork Geralt did, the Baron was kind of a cheap bastard as well.