7 Weirdest Witcher 3 Enemies (And What They Represent)

A desiccated corpse draped in dried flowers and rags, the noonwraith is one of the more strangely beautiful enemies you can stumble across on The Witcher 3 map, a floating, ethereal entity that will then spin around and lick you within an inch of your life should you get too close to her wildly flailing tongue. Noonwraiths are described in-game as "the spirits of young women and girls who died violent deaths right before their weddings," which aptly reflects their ceremonial dressings - and there is, of course, some good old Slavic folklore that ties into this tidbit.

Wilas, in Western European culture, are a type of female vampire that has been killed before their wedding night, cursed to become supernatural creatures in the wake of their death. In folklore, wilas are far more wholesome looking and love to dance naked, with Polish lore dictating that they control the winds so appear ghostlike and billowing when they choose to show themselves. Wilas are far closer to fairies, however, even though they have a forceful, vengeful streak to them should you choose to anger one.

However, Noonwraiths are more likely a personification of heatstroke, which Slavic folklore has dubbed 'Lady Midday'. Labourers working in the afternoon fields were often at risk of dying from sun exposure, creating the legend of Poludnitsa - a woman that strikes them down when the sun is highest should they have the misfortune of being around for her appearance.