The Elven Ruins are a sprawling underground complex in the far south of Velen, entered through a cave mouth in the hills. Beyond the entrance, stairs lead down into cold, half-flooded halls of carved stone, where pale gas hangs in the air and old elven inscriptions curl across the walls. Deeper in, projections left behind by a mysterious elven mage flicker into life, and every chamber feels designed to be understood rather than simply walked through.

The place is dangerous. Drowners and water hags haunt the flooded rooms, wraiths drift through the gas-filled halls, foglets and dopplers lurk in the passages, and stone gargoyles and a golem stand guard over the deeper vaults. A Place of Power for the Yrden sign waits along the way for anyone who wants to catch their breath.

In the game, the ruins are the setting of the main quest Wandering in the Dark. Geralt goes in with Keira Metz, who has unfinished business with the mage, and they find Wild Hunt warriors already there, hunting Ciri as well. The projections show that the elven mage, later revealed to be Avallac’h, had been following her trail. Afterwards, Keira may ask Geralt for help with a magic lamp, which leads on to the quests Magic Lamp and A Towerful of Mice.