To get the Ravenous Flock Manual, finish Smoke and Ashes, cross the river northwest of the Briar Sloughs tower, and follow wind chimes, yellow cloth, and cairns uphill. Defeat the Ravenous Bear, inspect the bloody knife and body, then copy the central glyph. Read the manual in your inventory afterward so the ability becomes available in the Witchcraft tree.
Confirm the starting conditions
- Complete Smoke and Ashes first. Bear Trouble has no quest giver: its trail begins with wind chimes on the mountain path, so do not treat the lack of a quest marker as a failed route.
- Travel to Briar Sloughs, on the mountain path south of Laslea Glen. Use the tower in that area as your landmark, then look northwest for a place to cross the river.
- Stop and listen after crossing. The route does not simply follow the main road: wind chimes, yellow cloth in the trees, and cairns create the uphill trail. With the weapon sheathed, the listed PC default for Focus is holding right mouse; use the binding shown on screen when an interaction prompt appears.
Follow the wind chimes to the clearing
- Cross northwest of the tower and climb toward the chimes. At each group, check the nearby trees and cairns, then move toward the next sound. This keeps the route from breaking on the slope.
- The route passes an abandoned camp and a waystone. Keep using Focus on the ground and follow the bear and human traces into the wooded clearing; do not turn back after finding the camp.
- The clearing contains the Ravenous Bear. Make space before the fight so trees and rocks do not block your escape from its charge and heavy slam.
Beat the Ravenous Bear
- The bear's charge and its rear-up, forward slam are recorded as unblockable. Do not try to catch them with a directional block. Hold a movement direction and press Space to dodge sideways, then wait for the animation to finish before attacking.
- Save directional blocking for ordinary attacks. The listed PC default is W, A, S, or D plus right mouse; your Controls menu is the source of truth if you have remapped it.
- After a successful dodge, make one safe attack sequence and reset your position. The checked sources verify the chime route, bear fight, and investigation, but it does not establish a fixed level, damage value, or required weapon, so this guide does not invent them.
Inspect the knife, body, and glyph
- Do not leave after the bear falls. Search the west side of the clearing around the cave and stone pillars for the bloody knife. Source checks show an inspection of its engravings and dried blood.
- Inspect the body as well, noting the fresh wound and symbol on its forearm. The knife and body are both part of the investigation chain; if the central glyph does not progress, return and make sure both have been examined.
- Return to the glyph in the middle of the clearing and copy it. This awards the Ravenous Flock Manual. Use the journal or acquisition prompt as confirmation rather than relying on a particular inventory-slot position.
Actually unlock the ability after collecting the manual
- Open your inventory and read the Ravenous Flock Manual. Obtaining it alone does not mean the ability is learned; the manual makes the ability available in the development tree.
- Open the Witchcraft tree and confirm Ravenous Flock appears, then learn it when the game’s displayed conditions are met. This guide does not state an unverified point, resource, or level cost. If it is still absent, confirm that the manual was read, not only that the glyph was copied.
Fix common blockers
If you can hear chimes but cannot find the next set, return to the last group you inspected. Use Focus to check the yellow cloth in the trees and the nearby cairns, then climb toward the louder sound. The first chimes beyond the river are the real route start.
If the bear is dead but the glyph does not advance, inspect the bloody knife and body again. Both clues appear before glyph copying in the walkthrough; after checking them, return to the central glyph and read the manual in your inventory for the final step.