Bestial Burden Achievement

In this guide, I’ll explain step by step how to find and save the Venemist, unlocking the secret rare achievement "Bestial Burden", which can obtain from the quest "From the Cradle to the Grave"
Note: This is an alternative way to defeat the Manticore.

Step 1: Get the special quest

Once you reach the friendship reputation level at the Rotten Willow Inn, talk to L'Owcrey, who is sitting at the table. He will give you the quest "From the Cradle to the Grave", where you need to retrieve the artifact "Bone Cradle" from the Burial Cave for him.


Go to the Burial Cave marked on your map.

Step 2: Get the Venemist book

When you arrive at the Burial Cave, you’ll find the book "Biblia Amyntirios Mageias" near the entrance. Pick it up and read it. You don’t need to enter the Burial Cave yet.

Step 3: Go back to L'Owcrey / Gather the ingredients

After you have the book, return to the inn and talk to L'Owcrey again. A special dialogue will appear when the book is in your inventory. He will then tell you that the Manticore, the boss in the Burial Cave, is actually the Venemist and that there is a way to heal him with an elixir . However, you will need a few ingredients for that.

You will need the following ingredients 1x:

Crawler eye

Mindwort

Handful of amber

Crawler eye can obtain by killing and skinning crawlers with advanced survival skills, but the easier way is to buy it in Brynn at the shop in the southeast corner (marked with a red potion icon next to the well).

Mindwort can be found almost everywhere in the wild. Alternatively, you can buy it at the same shop in Brynn where you get the crawler eye or at other herbalist shops.

Handful of amber can be obtain from chests or sarcophagis but also bought almost anywhere. In Brynn, it’s available at the pawn shop in the northeast corner (marked with a three-coins icon).

Step 4: Obtain the Essence / Fight against Manticore

Once you have the ingredients, return to L'Owcrey and give them to him. After the dialog follow him out to his secret laboratory.












L'Owcrey will brew the Essence of Deliverance, but it will take 5 hours to complete. You can either come back later or sleep 5 hours in the inn.

With the Essence of Deliverance, you now have the ability to transform the Manticore back into the Venemist. However, the essence must be used when the Manticore is near death.

Prepare for battle and return to the Burial Cave. Save your game at the entrance by sleeping.

Enter the cave and fight the Manticore. During the fight, your character will indicate when the Manticore is almost dead, signaling that it’s time to use the elixir (approximately when the Manticore has less than 20% HP).






















At this point, select the Essence of Deliverance and throw it at the Manticore.

You only have one chance to hit the Manticore with the elixir. If you miss, die, or use it too early before the Manticore has lost enough HP, reload your savegame and try again.

If you succeed, the Manticore will start speaking again and transform back into the human Venemist.
Now you will also unlock the achievement "Bestial Burden".

(Special reward) Meet the Venemist in Brynn

After saving the Venemist in the Burial Cave, you can later meet him in the Close Harbor Tavern (southeast in Brynn). If you talk to him there, he will give you a drink and the "Venemist Talisman".