There are many fearsome creatures in the world ofThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt— from hulking griffins to manipulative djinns. That said, not every creature in the game is an enemy. Some are docile and more than willing to help Geralt in his quest to find Ciri.
One such creature is the godling. InThe Witcher3, the player can meet a total of three, with two of them playing a significant role in the main questline. Despite their childish appearance, however, godlings are much older — and smarter — than they first appear.
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Friendly Woodland Creatures
Godlings are a type of Relictand are a similar size to human children - though it’s easy to tell children and godlings apart as the latter have pale blue skin and large eyes that are either yellow or blue. They also adorn themselves with little clothing, making use of frayed rags or tattered fabrics.
Godlings are rare in theWitcherworld, but they can be found in forests or swamps (though there are some exceptions). These creatures often reside in burrows or hollowed-out stumps and are emotionally attached to their territory. Given this, godlings are known to protect and care for any who reside within that territory. In return, they simply ask for respect and perhaps some food or tools. However, they try to go about their actions while remaining unseen as they are, by nature, shy creatures.
That said, there are some instances wherein a godling will interact with humans. Because they’re drawn to happiness and innocence, godlings often show themselves with children. At times, they will also converse with adults, but this is rare, likely because they don’t feel safe with them. Additionally, godlings are not fond of rude behavior, which only gives the creatures more reason to avoid adult humans and their villages.
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Godlings in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
There are two notable godlings inThe Witcher 3— Johnny and Sarah. Contrary to the bestiary entry, Johnny isn’t very shy. He’s a talkative godling who enjoys the art of speechcraft. He lives close to the orphanage in Crookback Bog and is friends with the children there. He is also close to Gran (later revealed to be Anna Strenger) asin the quest “Ladies of the Wood,”he’s able to convince her to help Geralt get in contact with the infamous Crones.
Before this, Geralt had done Johnny a favor by giving the godling his voice back. Apparently, that wasa punishment from the Crones, who heard Johnny speaking badly of them. They stole his voice away and sealed it in a bottle, which then ended up in a harpy nest. A blackbird that was Johnny’s friend found it for him, but he had no way of retrieving it until Geralt showed up. This suggests that Johnny didn’t just have a good relationship with the children and Gran, but the animals of Crookback Bog as well — except the ravens. According to Johnny, the ravens only served the Crones.
Sarah, the other godling, also contradicts the details in the bestiary entry. Instead of living in woodlands or marshes, Geralt finds her residing in a housewithin the walls of Novigrad. During his search for the oneiromancer, Corrine Tilly, he finds out that the woman has taken on a job from one of the town’s noblemen. This nobleman’s newly purchased home is apparently haunted, and he wants Corrine to find out why. Sarah ends up being the answer.
When Geralt asks Sarah why she was “haunting” the house, she explains that the place was empty for some time, so she moved in. She only began haunting it when the nobleman showed up because she didn’t want to live with him. At this point, the player can decide to either banish Sarah from the house or let her stay. This will progress the quest and also affect Sarah’s fate.
Letting Sarah stay in the housewill prompt the player to lie to the nobleman, telling him that the house is uninhabitable because of the presence of a demon. Returning to the home later will reveal that Corrine and Sarah have decided to live together there, and the two have a sort of mother-daughter relationship.
On the other hand,evicting Sarah requires Geraltto burn a bundle of burdock herbs in the stove, as godlings don’t like the smell of it. This forces Sarah to leave and find another home. Later, in the quest “Bald Mountain,” Geralt will find Johnny and Sarah together in the Sabbath celebration. Though Johnny will be mad at the Witcher for driving his new friend out, Sarah will reassure them that it’s alright, as the events led her to meet Johnny.
Ciri will express surprise that Sarah was able to walk all the way from Novigrad to Crookback Bog safely. To this, Sarah will explain that the birds helped her, and a blackbird told her about Johnny, which is how she found him. This, once again, demonstrates the godling’s affinity with nature and animal life.
The Cost of Human Progress
Johnny and Sarah are members of a dying species. As the humans of the Continent continue to expand and industrialize their settlements, the world’s natural landscapes dwindle. ThisleavesThe Witcher 3’s woodland creatures— godlings included — with little choice but to move out of their homes. Perhaps Sarah was a victim of this, which is why she opted to live within the walls of the city instead.
This is a bit strange, however, as it’s said that godlings value the peace and quiet of their surrounding environment. If nearby human settlements become too populous, godlings often abandon their home and walk off in search of another. Then again, Johnny and Sarah have proven that they are unlike the godlingsdescribed inThe Witcher 3’s bestiary entry, so this doesn’t really come as a surprise.
That aside, there’s no doubt that the godling population (and that of other forest creatures) are on a decline. According to one Professor Dorregaray, the lands surrounding villages and towns used to befull of protective nature spirits. Now, however, it’s near impossible to find buccas, lutins, or godlings. Further, godlings are always the first woodland dwellers to leave. “Such is the price we pay for civilization’s forward march,” the professor writes.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
