You cannot walk to Witchwood in Fable: it is an island off Albion’s mainland, and you reach it by Cullis Gate once the main story opens it up with the gold quest Find the Archaeologist, which Maze gives you at the Heroes’ Guild. Accept that quest, use the Cullis Gate as Maze instructs, and you arrive at the Witchwood Cullis Gate. This guide covers the original Fable from Lionhead (2004) and its re-releases, and below we walk through the unlock, the route from the gate to Knothole Glade and the Arena, and how to get back quickly later.
Which Fable This Guide Covers
This is about the original game, which today is played as Fable: The Lost Chapters (PC, 2005) or Fable Anniversary, the HD remaster released on Xbox 360 in 2014 and on PC through Steam later the same year. On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox 360 version of Anniversary runs through backward compatibility. The route to Witchwood is the same in all versions, including the 2004 Xbox original.
If you were searching for the upcoming Fable from Playground Games, our Fable release date and platforms roundup covers that game instead.
Why You Cannot Reach Witchwood Early
Witchwood is, per the community wiki, a mist-filled evergreen forest on an island off the coast of the mainland. No road connects it to the rest of Albion, so the only way in is the Cullis Gate network, the Old Kingdom teleporters the Heroes’ Guild uses to move Heroes around.
The Witchwood gate does not become available until the story sends you there. Per the community wiki, Witchwood is accessible from the Find the Archaeologist quest onward. If you are still working through the early quest cards and cannot find any way to Witchwood on the map, that is expected: keep progressing the main gold quests at the Guild.
Step by Step: Unlocking Witchwood
- Progress the main story until Maze’s Request appears. It follows the Find the Bandit Seeress quest in the community wiki’s quest order. Maze asks you to find an old friend of his, an archaeologist, who has gone missing in Witchwood.
- Accept Find the Archaeologist in the Heroes’ Guild. This is a gold quest, so it is part of the main story rather than an optional side job.
- Use the Cullis Gate. Maze tells you to take the Cullis Gate to reach Witchwood. The community wiki lists a gate at the Heroes’ Guild, and your arrival point is the Witchwood Cullis Gate, the first area of the island.
- Continue into Witchwood Stones. The Witchwood Cullis Gate area connects only to Witchwood Stones, where the archaeologist is sealed behind a Demon Door.
Expect a fight on arrival. The community wiki lists rock trolls, bandits and balverines around the Witchwood Cullis Gate, and it is the first place in the game where rock trolls appear.
Solving the Demon Door at Witchwood Stones
The Demon Door at Witchwood Stones asks you to spell out its name by hitting the stones around the clearing. You can buy the name from a man at the Temple of Avo (for a ruby, or by beating it out of him), but per the community wiki you can also just spell it directly: the name is HITS.
- The broken stone is H.
- The stone diagonal from it is I.
- The stone one south of the I is T.
- The last stone is S.
“Hit” really means strike them, with your weapon or your fists. Pressing the interact button (A on Xbox) near a stone tells you its letter without triggering it, which is the safest way to check. Once the door opens, you find the archaeologist inside and the quest wraps up. Witchwood Stones also has a silver key in the small pond opposite the Demon Door, so if you already have a rod, see how to get a fishing rod and fish it out while you are there.
The Route Through Witchwood
Once you are through the Stones, Witchwood opens into six connected areas, per the community wiki:
- Witchwood Cullis Gate: the arrival point from the mainland.
- Witchwood Stones: the Demon Door puzzle above.
- Temple of Avo: a quieter spot where you can donate to the good god Avo.
- Witchwood Lake: the hub connecting the Temple of Avo, Knothole Glade and the Arena Entrance, with traders passing through.
- Witchwood Arena: where the Hero later proves himself against monsters and other Heroes.
- Knothole Glade: the island’s main village, with a tavern, shops, a blacksmith and a tattooist.
Knothole Glade is also the one town in the game that lets you walk around with a drawn weapon, because balverine attacks are constant. Everywhere else, you will want to know how to put your weapon away before guards get involved.
Getting Back to Witchwood Later
After your first trip, returning is much easier. Per the community wiki, the Guild Seal lets you teleport to any Cullis Gate from anywhere, and Witchwood has two: the Witchwood Cullis Gate and one in Knothole Glade.
The community wiki recommends pushing on to Knothole Glade right after Find the Archaeologist and unlocking its Cullis Gate. The next main quest, White Balverine, takes you back to Witchwood, and a gate in the village saves you the walk through the forest. The Arena, which becomes a major story stop later, is also reached through Witchwood Lake, so you will be returning several times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you walk to Witchwood in Fable? No. Witchwood is an island, and you reach it by Cullis Gate after the main story unlocks it.
What quest unlocks Witchwood? Find the Archaeologist, a gold quest Maze gives you at the Heroes’ Guild after Maze’s Request.
What is the Demon Door’s name at Witchwood Stones? Per the community wiki, the name is HITS. Strike the matching stones in that order to open the door.
How do I get back to Witchwood quickly? Use the Guild Seal to teleport to the Witchwood Cullis Gate, or to the Knothole Glade gate once you have reached the village.
Is Witchwood different in Fable Anniversary? The layout and route are the same. Anniversary updates the visuals and interface but keeps the areas and quest order from The Lost Chapters.