Leshen

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Template:Infoboxbestiary2 “We never hunt in these woods. Never. Even if it means the whole village starves.”—Mulliver, ealdorman of Hoshberg in lower Aedirn

Leshens dwell in dense, primeval woods. Fiercely territorial creatures, they hunt with stealth and cunning as their only companions. They use their inborn magic to control the plants and animals within in their territory—and so, when stalking them, half the battle is merely getting near enough to strike. Leshens old enough to earn the appellation “ancient” wield advanced skills and tactics that make them particularly dangerous.

In some areas of the world these creatures form the center of local cults. Peasants living near their woods make offerings to them, usually of hares and birds, though human blood is not unheard of. This fact has given rise to many legends about helpful leshens chasing game towards hunters, helping lost travelers find their way in the forest or saving them from bandits. Sadly, these tales do not have an ounce of truth in them. Leshens see men only as sources of energy on which to feed. They drain the life force of those who live nearby until only limpid husks remain.

Some leshens create magic totems that increase their strength, in such cases these totems should be destroyed before or while fighting them. Furthermore, some leshens can create for themselves a kind of immortality in the following way: the leshen wounds a lost traveler passing through its woods with its claws and casts a black magic curse on him. For as long as the individual marked in this way stays near its territory, the leshen will be reborn every time it dies. Such leshens can only be defeated by driving away or killing the person they have marked.

In combat leshens use not only their long claws but also their many allies: wolves, who unfailingly answer their call, or ravens, which harass and distract the leshen’s opponent. Leshens are also able to bend plant life to their will and make it aid them in battle. It is a witcher’s good fortune that leshens do have one weakness—they are extremely vulnerable to the Igni Sign.

Combat Tactics

Leshens do not fight alone. They can summon swarms of crows to distract and harass their enemies, even call upon wolves to fight with them.

When facing a leshen, watch for them to dig their root like arms into the ground. This is a sign that they are commanding the roots to strike. This attack has surprising range, and can only be rolled away from. Leshens are slow, but powerful melee fighters, and can cause serious injury if allowed. Dodge or roll away from the swipes of their claws.

Igni, and any bombs that can potentially cause fire damage, such as Dragon’s Dream, are useful against leshens. While a leshen burns, it will be unable to defend itself.