Botchling

"Saying a botchling's ugly is like saying shit's not particularly tasty: can't say it's a lie, but it doesn't exactly convey the whole truth either."

- Lambert, Witcher of the Wolf School

Botchlings are one of the most repulsive creatures that a Witcher will have to face. They are literally born dead, the result of unwanted babies that are discarded without a proper burial or being given a proper name. They appear to look like a partially decayed fetus, their unformed flesh twisted with hate, fear and malice. They will feed on the blood of pregnant women, because they are driven mad with hunger, their victims often die as the result. Upon nightfall, the botchling emerges from its lair to seek out expectant mothers and drain the strength of their unborn child as the mother sleeps. The signs that this may be happening to someone start out in the form of troubling dreams, then fever moving on to delirium and a general overall weakening of the flesh. After the botchling has fed for a few nights, the pregnant women becomes enfeebled and is unable to defend herself, this is when the botchling will attack directly, using its long, sharp fangs to drink her blood until both the mother and unborn fetus perish. At normal times a botchling will stand around a foot and half in height, but when it becomes threatened or gorged with blood, it will change form. It becomes something that appears more like a deformed man, hunched over, walking ape-like on its forearms. It is stronger and fiercer in this form, hurling itself into direct physical contact with its opponents using its sharp claws as weapons.

This curse can be lifted and transformed into a Lubberkin- which is a guardian spirit of the hearth that watches over its family that it was born in to.

In the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Geralt encounters a Botchling while speaking with the Bloody Baron. If Geralt decides to have the baron embrace the disfigured child, the Botchling will become pacified, but if Geralt decides he wishes to take a different route and use the Botchlings blood the Botchling will assume a more hideous and ferocious form.

Lubberkin
Lubberkins are friendly spirits that comes from a transformed botchling. Through an elven naming ritual, a botchling is transformed into a lubberkin. In the quest, Family Matters, Geralt can choose to lift the curse on the botchling that was created from the miscarriage of Philip Strenger's and Anna Strenger's child. If the ritual is completed, the lubberkin will help Geralt with his quest.

Combat
Should you choose to kill the botchling instead of helping it, be prepared. When it changes to a larger more fearsome creature, it fights aggressively. Watch out for its sharp claws.

The more damage you deal to it, the more enraged it will become, and will grow spines similar to those of an Alghoul. It is during this time that the botchling will begin to regenerate at alarming rates and if the spikes are struck with a sword they will inflict damage upon the attacker.A botchling is susceptible to Axii, you can use this weakness to pacify the monster, it will in turn retract its deadly spines and be temporarily immobilised so that you can circle around and strike at its flank. The Axii sign will also prevent it from regenerating while it is under the sign's effects.