Chort

Chorts are relicts, smaller kin of the fiend, and the Witcher 3 bestiary still counts them among the most dangerous monsters known to man. They roam dark, ancient forests and raid farmsteads, devouring livestock, people and anything else they can eat. Folklore often confuses them with sylvans, but chorts can’t speak and only grunt, snort and moan. The name comes from Slavic myth, where a chort is a malicious demon, the pagan cousin of the devil.

A chort fights by charging straight at its opponent to knock them down, then biting, kicking and slashing with its claw-tipped paws. Its claw attacks are fast and sweep wide. It heals quickly, and its size and four-legged stance make it resistant to Aard.

In The Witcher 3 you can run into a chort near Woesong Bridge in White Orchard. The contract Mysterious Tracks from Lindenvale leads to the Howler, a chort hiding in a cave. You lure it out with a chort lure brewed from fiend dung and crow’s eye, and the reward includes a chort trophy and the sword Azure Wrath.

Combat strategy

The chort’s charge is both its main threat and its main weakness. Bait it into charging, roll aside at the last moment, and if you can, let it smash into something solid. While it recovers, its flanks are open. Hit hard, then get out before the claw swipes start. Keep Quen up, especially in tight spaces like the Howler’s cave, where its charge can also make you bleed. Fire works very well, and so does poison gas. The bestiary itself advises against meeting one head-on, so let the chort make the first move and punish its mistakes instead of rushing in.