You won't spend a ton of time in White Orchard in The Witcher 3. This small, quaint area is only the setting of the game's beginning, before Geralt moves on to Velen. But do swing by the notice board at the White Orchard Inn while you're there.
Here, you can find a contract and help out a local man who is in desperate need of assistance to save his daughter. This contract is called 'The Devil by the Well', and it's actually the only Witcher Contract in the region. Here's everything you need to know about it.
How To Activate 'Devil By The Well'
There are two ways to activate and start this quest. The easiest is to grab the notice off the notice board just west of the White Orchard Inn. It was posted by a local man named Odolan. The second way to activate the quest is to speak to Odolan directly. Either way, he'll tell you about the problems he's facing and how you can help.
Odolan's daughter has grown terribly ill from drinking toxic water from a river filled with corpses, a friendly little reminder that Nilfgaard's war with the Northern Realms is anything but sanitary. The worried father needs clean water to help his child, but there's a contract-classic catch: a nearby Noonwraith must be dealt with before he can go.
Unlike White Orchard's other couple of side quests, 'Devil by the Well' won't auto-fail upon initiation of the main story quest 'Lilac and Gooseberries'. It will, however, be marked permanently incomplete if you don't handle it prior to 'On Thin Ice', another piece of The Witcher 3's core narrative much further on.
Investigating The Huts
Head to the abandoned village and, if it's early enough in the day, you'll see the ghost around the well. If you go at night, she won't be present. She'll only attack you if you get too close, so head toward the huts marked on your map. Only the eastern hut will have evidence that you can find using your Witcher Senses.
You'll find an old diary that indicates to Geralt why the Noonwraith has been bound to the well, possibly with a bracelet as the object holding her to this realm.
Next, you'll need to investigate the well itself. If the Noonwraith is there, you'll have a short fight with her before investigating further. Otherwise, have a look at the rope where you'll find a corpse hanging from it. Geralt will note that the bracelet probably fell into the well.
Finding The Bracelet And Battling The Noonwraith
It's time to take the plunge. If you're lucky enough to have already found the recipe for Killer Whale and created it, you can consume one to help with the dive. Regardless, dive in and look for the bracelet with your Witcher Sense. It won't be too hard to find. From there, follow the path along the cave and dive under the next pool before finding your way out, back into the village.
Before moving on, consider acquiring and applying Specter Oil to your Silver Blade to make the upcoming fight that much easier. When you're ready, burn the bracelet and corpse.
You can't do much damage to any kind of wraith when they're in their ghostly non-corporeal form. Use Yrden, and she'll become tangible, allowing you to strike her for some good damage. Occasionally, she'll spawn clones. While they're around, she'll try to heal, so make sure you take them out quickly.
Should You Accept Or Refuse Odolan's Reward?
Head back to Odolan and show him the trophy. He'll grant you 50 more XP and offer you the payment you negotiated earlier. You can, however, refuse the money out of kindness. You'll still get the experience, but he'll give you an amethyst instead of the coin. The quest will complete.
There's a bit extra you can do after this quest is complete, though. Odolan will tell you that the name from the diary, Claer, was once mentioned by the local herbalist Tomira, whom Geralt might be acquainted with if you've done the associated quests that put you in contact with her.
Speaking with Tomira now will earn you ten crowns, more experience, and a handful of handy alchemy ingredients. Thanks, Tomira!