Devourer, or Black Annis,[1] are said to derive from a tale of Baba Yaga where a man happened upon a devourer. If so, a disclaimer is required: the tale was softened. It provides only a faint idea of what can happen to a stray traveler who should have the misfortune of passing near a devourer's lair.
In Witcher 3, the Devourer is a necrophage species akin to rotfiends, resulting from a Polish mistranslation. Its lore is rooted in a Baba Yaga tale where a man stumbles upon a Devourer. This creature personifies children's fears of a wicked witch. A scene in the game where Geralt protects a child from a Devourer underscores its terrifying nature.
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What is the connection between the Devourer and Baba Yaga?
Originating from a Baba Yaga tale, the Devourer, or Black Annis, represents a perilous encounter for any traveler unfortunate enough to pass near its lair. The tale, however, is a softened version of the actual threat posed by the creature.
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What does the Devourer in Witcher 3 look like?
In Witcher 3, the Devourer is a hag-like necrophage, akin to rotfiends. It has a dog-like appearance with its hair pulled back. This creature is the embodiment of children's fears, resembling a menacing witch with a hooked nose, drooping breasts, and a swollen, wrinkled belly. Its open mouth curves into a spiteful grin, enhancing its terrifying presence, as illustrated in a flashback of Geralt defending a boy from it.
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Why are Devourers often referred to as night witches?
Devourers, also known as night witches, resemble elderly, unattractive women and are notorious for their malicious behavior. They favor fresh, warm human flesh, but will consume carcasses. These creatures hunt in groups, or 'sabbaths', during the night. They are infamous for deceiving and tormenting their victims. However, stories of them flying on broomsticks at midnight and living in gingerbread houses are unsubstantiated.
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What does the Devourer feed on in Witcher 3?
In Witcher 3, the Devourer is a Necrophage that scavenges near human settlements, often in caves and ruins. It incapacitates its victims before consuming them. The Devourer is immune to standard poisons and resistant to knockdowns, but vulnerable to silver and Necrophage Oil. It shares a relation with rotfiends and is typically found near corpses.
"Devourers are often called night witches, because they resemble old, ugly women and are famous for their witch-like viciousness. These creatures gorge themselves on human flesh; although they willingly eat carcasses, above all they crave flesh that is fresh and warm. Devourers hunt after dark in groups that peasants refer to as sabbaths. They like to deceive their victims and torture them, but there is no truth to the tales of their midnight flights on broomsticks and their gingerbread houses."
In Chapter IV, during the Temptation quest, agreeing to help the Blacksmith (rather than refusing with the, "Sorry but I promised your wife," line) will give Geralt a bestiary entry for Devourers and their alchemical components, if you do not have the information already. You will still be able to complete the quest for either the Blacksmith or his wife.
Until the third game, Geralt only encountered female devourers resembling old and ugly hags. In the third installment, he met male individuals. He also learned they are cousins with rotfiends.
Combat tactics[]
Quen helps guard against their attacks, but be mindful of rotfiends, which also like to join the fight and can quickly overwhelm you. A blizzard potion will help tip the odds in your favor and make the fight easier: after you build up your adrenaline points, the enemies will move in slow motion allowing you to avoid hits and makes attacks a lot easier.
Like their cousins, the rotfiends, devourers will explode when their health reaches a certain level. When you see them start to choke and their heads swell, back away quickly. Their death attacks can damage nearby enemies as well.
There is an abandoned town called Toderas northwest of Benek and northeast of Reardon Manor, forming a triangle, where you find a pack of looters arguing. After you complete the event, however you wish to do so, simply fast travel somewhere else and then back to Toderas and there should be 4-5 devourers spawned along with possibly an alghoul.
Developer CD PROJEKT RED's characterization of the devourer taken from the Monsterbook, which was enclosed with the Collectors Edition of the computer game The Witcher for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic:
Like the noonwraith, this monster is strongly rooted in Slavic lore. It began with a name mentioned by Sapkowski; the idea that the devourer should resemble an old, menacing woman followed soon after. The artist strove to create the ugliest possible hag, and thus was born the devourer. In its final form, the devourer is a hag with a wonderfully hooked nose, drooping breasts and a swollen, wrinkled belly. Its open mouth curves into a spiteful grin, and the protruding tongue and pulled back hair make it resemble a dog panting after a chase.
The devourer embodies children's nightmares of a mischievous, sadistic witch waiting to carry off naughty children.
In an illustration of one of Geralt's flashbacks, the witcher defends a boy from a devourer. The way she glares at the urchin explains the fear in his eyes.
Notes[]
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt there's a monster with the same name as the hag-like necrophage in The Witcher. However, this is a distinct species, related to rotfiends. This naming inconvenience comes from a mistranslation from the original Polish: in the first game the devourer is originally called "zjadarka" whereas in the third game it's call "pożeracz". Both words mean similar things, hence the confusion.
