Sarasti

Sarasti is an ekimmara, a vampire that had been sleeping in an old elven ruin beneath the village of Byways. Villagers digging for treasure woke it up, and it began killing them and the Nilfgaardian soldiers sent to the area. Geralt describes it as an old and dangerous specimen that regenerates quickly, causes heavy bleeding with its claws, and can vanish into thin air.

Ekimmaras are fast, cruel and strong enough to shatter good armor with a single blow. Their regeneration means a slow fight favors the vampire.

In The Witcher 3 Sarasti is the hidden culprit of Contract: The Mystery of the Byways Murders, a level 22 contract in southwestern Velen. You can start it from the notice board in Oreton or by finding Byways overrun by ghouls. Clearing the ghouls brings out two survivors who are obviously hiding something. If you keep pressing them instead of leaving, the trail leads to a hut and the tunnels below, where Sarasti waits in tight quarters. Fighting it is optional. It drops the ekimmara trophy and the sword Bloed Aedd.

Combat strategy

The tunnels give you little room, so set up before you reach the lair. Vampire oil and Igni are the core of the fight, and you want to hit hard and finish quickly, because its regeneration will undo a cautious approach. The bestiary recommends combining Yrden and Quen with strong attacks.

Quen protects you from the bleeding it causes, and Yrden helps pin it when it tries to disappear. Swallow or a bleed-resistant setup is worth having on hand. You’ll also have just cleared the ghouls in the village, so restock and meditate before heading down the planks into the tunnels.