"Beyond Hill and Dale" is one of several possible late-game quests from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood & Wine DLC. Geralt of Rivia is forced to choose between two forking paths near the end of the previous quest, "The Night of Long Fangs." The path to this quest begins when Geralt accepts Regis' request to bring Syanna to Dettlaff, ignoring the Duchess' orders.
"Beyond Hill and Dale" is a wholly unique quest; a total deviation in tone that finds Geralt and Syanna navigating an illusory world made up of fairy tale characters and other fantastical elements. Like so much else in The Witcher 3, "Beyond Hill and Dale" stands as a perfect example of why Blood & Wine is the gold standard for DLC.
Entering the Land of a Thousand Fables
Once Geralt has discovered Syanna's location in "The Night of Long Fangs," Geralt and Regis must locate The Land of a Thousand Fables, the book that contains the illusory world in which Syanna is hidden. Geralt must first retrieve the key from behind the painting, then unlock the slender cabinet. This is where the book can be found. A cutscene will be initiated when Geralt examines the book, sweeping him away to The Land of a Thousand Fables. "The Night of Long Fangs" will automatically conclude, and "Beyond Hill and Dale" will automatically begin.
Following the Yellow Brick Road
The first instruction Geralt receives upon entering the Land of a Thousand Fables is to follow the Yellow Brick Road. From the outset, there is no obvious destination. Geralt's best option is exploring in the same direction as the yellow marker on the edge of the minimap.
Keep in mind that there is no access to the main map during "Beyond Hill and Dale." Geralt must rely on memory and the minimap. During this quest, be careful when following the small white dots on the minimap ,as they do not always mark the correct route.
Something's Not Right
What at first appears to be a fantasy land of whimsical, fairy-tale wonder is quickly revealed to be something far more sinister. Geralt first realizes this when he comes across the corpse of a dwarf while crossing a bridge. Shortly after, he is attacked by an archespore.
Not long after the attack, Geralt begins to hear what sounds like the crowing of several birds. Using his witcher senses, Geralt will discover the sound's origin. As he gets closer, he'll hear a woman speaking, along with the classic cackle of a witch.
How to Defeat The Wicked Witch
When Geralt gets close enough, a cutscene will begin, revealing the voice he heard to be that of Syanna. She appears to be banging on the door of a large oven, trying to get at whatever is inside. With her is a decrepit old witch, saying things a decrepit old witch from a children's story would usually say. Before Geralt can get a word in edgewise, the witch gathers her broom and cauldron and initiates combat.
The Witch flies around Geralt, guarded by a large, protective bubble. Watch out for these attacks:
- Before fighting Geralt herself, the witch summons a single archespore. Defeat it quickly with cursed oil.
- Once Geralt has dealt with the archespore, the witch will begin swooping down across the fighting area, leaving a trail of poisonous 'soup' in her wake. The bubble disappears while this is happening, leaving her vulnerable to attack. Aard will knock her from her broom.
- While grounded, the Witch's broom will attack Geralt on its own.
- The Witch will use her caldron to create large explosions that leave behind large pools of "soup."
- Take out the broom first while keeping an eye on the Witch. Once she is alone, she is much easier to deal with. Use relict oil.
When the fight comes to an end, Syanna will open the oven to reveal a young boy, presumably the Witch's next meal. The boy is Jack, of beanstalk fame.
When in the Land of a Thousand Fables, simply visiting the meditation tab in the main menu will refill all bombs and potions without moving time forward. Make sure to use it after a fight!
How to Find the Location of Jack's Magic Beans
After talking to Jack, Syanna learns that the boy's magic beans have been hidden throughout the Fablesphere, as she calls it. According to Jack, the only one who may know where they all are is Joss, the boy who cried wolf.
Find Joss, the Boy who Cried Wolf
Continuing down the Yellow Brick Road from where Geralt fought The Wicked Witch, he and Syanna will encounter a gang of shadow pixies. These small, elemental creatures can be a handful in large numbers. Use elementa oil to end them quickly. Pixies will pop up throughout the journey, acting as the main enemy Geralt will encounter.
Just down from the pixies, Geralt and Syanna will come across two unicorns, making travel much faster. And then, almost immediately, they find Joss. His name and history notwithstanding, this time he is actually surrounded by wolves. Once defeated, Joss' lying self will "reveal" the location of the three magic beans.
How to Collect the Red Bean
Grandma's House and The Big Bad Wolf
The Red Bean is found at Grandma's house, in the possession of the Big Bad Wolf. When Geralt and Syanna first arrive, the wolf is in no mood to play.
Geralt must retrieve the Red Hood from Little Red Riding Hood's corpse. It can be found at the bottom of the well. Simply jump in and dive to the bottom to retrieve it. Return to the Big Bad Wolf so he and Syanna can play out their little game.
Fighting the Big Bad Wolf is essentially just a wolf fight, as the bestiary lists him as a simple beast. Use beast oil to add attack power to Geralt's sword attacks. Use Igni, as most beasts are vulnerable to fire. Geralt will automatically cut the Red Bean from the Big Bad Wolf's belly.
How to Collect the Yellow Bean
The Yellow Bean is found with Longlocks. This bean is not at att difficult to collect. Geralt needs to make his way up the tower and into the main chamber. Inside he will find Longlocks' long-dead body, along with her specter. The fight is similar to the wraith variants, except her healing power is more advanced. Use specter oil to increase attack power. She will summon minions that allow her to heal. Kill these off as quickly as possible to avoid her healing to full health.
Once she is dead, simply take the yellow bean from the pillow on her bed.
How to Collect the Blue Bean
This final bean is located with the Three Little Pigs. When Geralt arrives at their location, he will find a single brick house. Use Aard to blow it down! The Three Little Pigs will attack as soon as the house is gone. They are vulnerable to Beast Oil, Igni, and Yrden.
Once they are dead, the Blue Bean sits on a small table inside what remains of the home.
Visiting the Girl who Sells Flint
Once Geralt retrieves the three beans, the only fable that will remain marked will be the Girl who sells flint. Visiting the young girl is required if looking to achieve the 'good' ending.
The girl can be found selling all sorts of interesting products in the single 'normal' settlement in the Fablesphere. Speak with the girl to learn about Syanna's ribbon. Geralt must acquire this, and the only way to do so is to beat the young girl at Gwent.
Plant the Magic Beans and Fight the Cloud Giant
When Geralt and Syanna are ready to make their exit, follow the guide markers to the location near Longlock's tower. A much larger group of pixies will be there waiting. Once they are defeated, Geralt can plant the three magic beans.
As he and Syanna reach the top of the beanstalk, the Cloud Giant will be waiting. Defeat him with the following tactics:
- Use ogroid oil.
- Draw the giant towards the electrified scrap piles. If he hits them with his weapon, he will take damage and be briefly stunned.
- One of his most common attacks is doing a cannonball into the clouds, disappearing momentarily. Watch for the clouds beneath Geralt's feet to indicate where he will come back up. When he lands, he swings a massive overhead attack with his weapon. If Geralt dodges, the giant will pause for a moment before bringing the weapon up, leaving him vulnerable.
- The giant is vulnerable to fire; use Igni
Romancing Syanna
It's probably more appropriate to say that Syanna romances Geralt. If Geralt chooses to go stark raving mad, he needs only choose "Let Syanna have her with you," and they will have their little fantasy, cloud-based romance scene. Like his secret encounters with Shani and Kiera, nothing will happen with Yennifer or Triss if Geralt agrees to be Syanna's...friend?
Take Gesheft Before Leaving the Fablesphere
Before Geralt bids adieu to the land among the clouds, make sure to grab one of the best relic silver swords in the game.
After the Cloud Giant fight, as Geralt and Syanna make their way towards the bridge to the castle and on to the exit, look out for a will o' the wisp. If Geralt approaches it, it will lead him down under the bridge and into a cave. Inside, there is a fire pit with a sword in it. Let Geralt have his Dark Souls moment by igniting the flame. After doing so, Gesheft will be free to take.
With this, simply return to Syanna, and she will escort Geralt to the exit. Returning to Beauclair will bring "Beyond Hill and Dale" to a close and begin "Tesham Mutna."
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.