My guide walks you through the “Beasts of Khorinis I–V” questline in Gothic 1 Remake, earning you free hunting skills and the “The Anatomaniac” achievement.
Gothic 1 Remake hides five Bestiary volumes throughout the Valley of Mines. Find them and bring them to the hunter Cavalorn, and you’ll not only learn valuable information about the creatures roaming the game world, but also unlock free hunting skills without spending a single learning point. Complete the entire questline and you’ll also earn “The Anatomaniac.” To make sure you don’t miss anything, I’ll walk you through every step.
Where to find Cavalorn: Your teacher for monster lore
Cavalorn lives alone in a hut between the Old Camp and New Camp. He keeps his distance from the major factions, but knows the creatures of the Valley of Mines inside and out.
As soon as you hand him the first Bestiary book, he’ll ask you three questions about its contents. So make sure you read it first! Answer correctly and you can move right on. Fortunately, wrong answers aren’t a problem either, as Cavalorn will simply repeat the questions.
After the short test, he teaches you a new hunting skill and sends you out to collect specific trophies to prove you’ve mastered it. The respective quest is only complete once you show him the required trophies.
Cavalorn’s location on the map:
The best part: None of the hunting skills Cavalorn teaches you cost any learning points, saving you valuable resources. At the same time, the trophies you harvest can be sold to merchants for good money, making this questline one of the best ways to make money in the game.
Tips for hunting beasts
Whenever possible, avoid killing large numbers of creatures such as Lizards, Swampsharks, or Shadowbeasts until you’ve learned the corresponding hunting skill from Cavalorn. Kill them too early and you’ll miss out on valuable trophies that can’t be collected retroactively.
That means you should bring every Bestiary volume you find to Cavalorn as soon as possible before heading out on any major hunting trips. When dealing with dangerous enemies such as Minecrawlers in narrow tunnels, try luring individual creatures away from the group instead of fighting an entire swarm at once.
Lizards are best fought from a safe distance so they can’t roast you with their fiery breath. When dealing with Swampsharks, stay on the walkways, use ranged weapons or magic, and don’t let them lure you into deep water.
All Bestiary book locations on the Gothic 1 Remake map
The map below marks the locations of all five volumes. Underneath, you’ll find more detailed directions as well as everything you need to know about Cavalorn’s tasks and the skills you’ll unlock.
Bestiary Volume I
The Bestiary of Khorinis I is inside Jan’s hut by the lake west of the New Camp. Wait until Jan is outside fishing, then sneak through the hole in the wall. The book is sitting on the table. Since Jan’s hut is only a stone’s throw from Cavalorn’s hideout, you can complete the first part of this questline very early in the game. Alternatively, you can buy the first Bestiary for 9 Ore Nuggets. Head to the Old Camp and talk to Fisk.
Task and reward for “Beasts of Khorinis I”
- Along the upper spine
- They amplify their calls
- To better defend their feeding grounds.
Cavalorn then teaches you Take Skull Armor, allowing you to harvest skull plates from Scavengers.
Bestiary Volume II
The Bestiary of Khorinis II can be found either in Wolf’s hut in the New Camp or inside a hidden chest in the Old Mine. Your best bet is to visit Wolf at night while he’s asleep and the mercenaries outside are less attentive. You’ll find his hut toward the back of the cave (see screenshot).
Task and reward for “Beasts of Khorinis II”
This time, there are no questions to answer. Instead, you need to obtain the Pheromone Gland of a Minecrawler Queen. You won’t encounter one until Chapter 2, at the end of the Minecrawler Nest.
- Here’s our Chapter 2 Minecrawler Nest walkthrough, and here’s our Minecrawler Queen boss guide
Cavalorn then teaches you Extract Organ, allowing you to harvest organs from Bloodflies, Lurkers, and Fire Lizards.
- Tip: If you’d rather keep the Pheromone Gland, knock Cavalorn out without killing him and loot him afterward. When you return later, he’ll have forgotten all about the beating and you can continue the questline as if nothing ever happened.
Bestiary Volume III
The Bestiary of Khorinis III is hidden in a cave in Orc Territory southwest of the Old Camp. Warning: Orcs and Orc Hounds roam the area, so come prepared for a fight. Go through the gate guarded by the soldiers and hug the rock wall on your left until you spot an old cart. From there, head left into the cave.
Task and reward for “Beasts of Khorinis III”
After handing the book to Cavalorn, you learn Take Scutes, which allows you to harvest Bone Scutes from Lizards and Dermal Plates from Razors. Cavalorn asks you to bring him three Bone Scutes as proof. You can find Lizards near the shipwreck in the northeast, in the area in front of Xardas’ Tower, and along the riverbanks between the Old Camp and the Swamp Camp.
Bestiary Volume IV
The Bestiary of Khorinis IV is located inside Shrat’s hut in the Swamp Camp. The hut is tucked away between the Swampweed gathering sites along the western rock wall, deep in the southern part of the swamp. Keep an eye out for the small dwelling beside the rocks (see screenshot).
Task and reward for “Beasts of Khorinis IV”
Cavalorn then teaches you Take Shark Skin, allowing you to harvest skin and plates from Swampsharks. You need to bring him two plates and one skin, all of which can be harvested from a single slain Swampshark. You’ll also receive 250 Ore as an additional reward. Swampsharks are extremely dangerous, however, so it’s best to tackle this quest later in the game once your Strength is above 50. Strong armor such as the Minecrawler Plate Armor (Guide) certainly won’t hurt either.
- Tip: If you’re currently in Chapter 4, combine this fight with the Ulu-Mulu quest (Guide). That way, you won’t have to fight the Swampsharks more than once.
Bestiary Volume V
The Bestiary of Khorinis V is located in Xardas’ Tower and only becomes accessible late in the game (Chapter 4 walkthrough). The book is on the round table at the very top of the tower and covers Shadowbeasts.
Task and reward for “Beasts of Khorinis V”
Cavalorn asks you to bring him the skin of a Frost Shadowbeast as a trophy. You’ll encounter this unique monster during “The Temple of Innos” quest in the northern tundra. Head to the Old Mine. From the wooden fence at the entrance, look to your left for a steep rock wall leading toward a Goblin cave (here’s how to learn Climbing). Make your way through the cave and continue across the snowy cliffs until you reach the Frost Shadowbeast. You’ll also have to deal with several Tundra Wolves along the way.
The Frost Shadowbeast is one of the most dangerous enemies in the game, so make sure you have strong equipment and plenty of healing potions before taking it on. After completing this final part, you learn Extract Spine, allowing you to harvest spines from Shadowbeasts, and unlock “The Anatomaniac.”
