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Anca gives Compel Soul, Astral Communion, Burning Blood, and Mercurial Fervour during the prologue. The other six abilities come from manuals or quest progress, with Ancient Circles, Haunted Sites, and Pilgrimage of Power activities providing reliable routes.
Life Lock is unlocked during Who Pulls the Strings in the Manumit chain. Anca, Vera, the Peddler of Wonders, Mevasser, the Uriash Matriarch, and the Sanzhana merchant can provide manuals after their access requirements are met.
Evidence checked September 20, 2026. Fixed activities and quest unlocks are separated from random bookcase finds and merchant duplicates.
Pair the Witchcraft route with the Best Early Skills, Skills & Builds, Anca Quest & Romance and Map & Collectibles.
Which Witchcraft abilities need manuals?
Anca gives Coen Compel Soul, Astral Communion, Burning Blood, and Mercurial Fervour near the end of the prologue. The other six abilities require a manual or a quest unlock, while duplicate manuals improve abilities you already know.
| Ability | Reliable unlock or manual source | Useful alternate source | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | Ravenous Flock | Complete Pilgrimage of Power: Bear Trouble, west across the river from Laslea Gate | Pilgrimage of Power: Fanatics, northeast of St. Tyna's Grove | | Cycle of Ruin | Ancient Circle at the west end of Cursed Chasm in far-west Briar Sloughs | Witchcraft merchants after their quest gates open | | Soul Reaping | Ancient Circle east of Maragir in Maragir Wealds | Haunted River Massacre or the Silts Tower route | | Unholy Vitality | Haunted: Site of Crucifixion south of Maragir and Eerie Knoll | The final encounter in Echoes of Silenced Bells | | Soul Stigma | Ancient Circle northeast of St. Tyna's Grove Tower | Check unlocked Witchcraft merchants for another copy | | Life Lock | Automatically unlocked during Who Pulls the Strings in Aurelius' tower | Advance the Manumit chain beginning with The Firebrand |
For upgrades, Burning Blood has a manual at the Ancient Circle southwest of Eerie Knoll. Mercurial Fervour has another copy on the top floor of St. Tyna's Convent library during Echoes of Silenced Bells.
Witchcraft merchants
- Anca becomes a vendor at Crossroads Inn after Echoes of Silenced Bells.
- Vera is in the eastern Briar Sloughs swamp, southeast of Mert's Mill.
- The Peddler of Wonders is in the Midden west of Svartrau.
- Mevasser lives in Neustadt, Svartrau, in the house beside the stone arch near the central square.
- The Uriash Matriarch is reached during Lacra's A Song of the Mountain.
- The Sanzhana merchant requires the Sanzhani questline, including Gone Home, Letters to Lunka, and Pearly and Precious progress.
Merchant inventories are best used for duplicates and missed abilities. Ancient Circles, Haunted Sites, and Pilgrimage of Power quests remain the most direct exploration route.
Recommended order
Start with Bear Trouble for Ravenous Flock, then clear the Maragir Ancient Circle for Soul Reaping. Continue west into Briar Sloughs for Cycle of Ruin, and finish the St. Tyna's Grove activities for Soul Stigma and Unholy Vitality. Life Lock comes later because it is attached to the Manumit questline rather than a free-roam pickup.
Source check
The fixed locations, prologue unlocks, merchants, and Life Lock quest gate were cross-checked against PC Gamer's Witchcraft manual guide. Random bookcase finds are intentionally not presented as guaranteed locations.