Forest maids (possible quest spoilers)

[Starving bandit]

Had you guys any luck meeting them? The old guy gave me that quest, but I think it might be broken. I spoke with him in the village and he told me the stuff about forest maids and how he met them at young age. He also tells about a peasant who'd met them recently and proposes talking to him. However, when I talk to that peasant, there are no quest dialogue options. And i didn't find any other peasants with the same name (I really tried). I tried making a fire and waiting in the middle of the night (no result), but I feel like I'm missing something that peasant should've told me. Probably that there is some specific ritual summoning those forest maids, like the one with the waterfolk.
I feel like the quest might be broken because an old man and a peasant live in two different closely located villages (2 tiles away). I had another glitched out quest (the bird thief) with the same two villages. I did everything a quest asked and the thief never confessed (probably because he lives in another village).
Also, should this be in a bug-report section?

[PALU]

I've had characters meet them, yes. I haven't had a 100% success rate, but it's been reasonably good. I've never tried it without getting the quest, though.
If villages are sufficiently close to each other they act as a single village for quest purposes (according to what Sami said in a bug report thread recently).
I've frequently had bird thieves living in a different village from the victim (I'm not sure the thief has ever lived in the same village as the victim, actually).

[Starving bandit]

So what did that peasant tell you? Is there a ritual, or should you just wait at night by the fire during the Autumn? Is the location important?
Will the quest work if I just skip the part with the peasant dialogue?

[PALU]

It was a few characters since I got that quest, so my memory isn't 100%. You should be on moss covered forest ground away from habitation, and probably alone (i.e. no dog). A good amount of firewood should be used, a specific number of spruce branches should be used (5 or 6, I think), and I think there should also be non spruce branches.
It should be night, but probably before midnight.
I don't know if the procedure works without quest instructions, but I suspect it doesn't both based on what Sami has said, and on the fact that there ought to be minor additional ritual elements which aren't visible on the player level, and thus not mentioned.

[LaraXaby]

Note that if she shows up, she may want you to

Spoiler: show

chase and catch her, which I have never managed.

I don't think the quest completed with just seeing her, either, but that was several saves ago. A torch is almost necessary if you wanna try.

[Starving bandit]

Aw, that sucks. Are there any fixes to my situation apart from starting a new game?
Maybe a save file could be edited or something? Or maybe failed quests reappear after some time, so I could try it next year?
I really wanna try that quest, I liked the one with the waterfolk.

[PALU]

I don't know if these "unique" quests reappear, but other quests do.

LaraXaby's alternative is one possible one, although

Spoiler: show

I don't think there is any catching, just following, which usually is useless as she disappear around a tree rather quickly, but she may or may not leave something behind...

Also, I've never used a torch. UrW NPCs wear light vests, so they're visible at quite a distance provided there's a line of sight (at the meeting location is lousy from that perspective). I believe the quest is fulfilled by seeing her, although I don't know if she has to address you as well (so doing things preventing that from happening might fail the quest).

I like the forest maiden quest even better than the water folk one, actually (and I agree that one is good). Both can be repeated as you feel like it once you know how to perform the ritual.

[Starving bandit]

I hope someone reading this thread could leave precise ritual instructions, so I could try just doing the ritual on my own, hoping it would work. Maybe someone will have this quest in their completed logs.

So, what do we know exactly:

You should be on moss covered forest ground

Do you mean lichen covered tiles in any kind of forest, right? Or do you mean, like, the moss in swamps (sorry if I sound confusing - english is not my native language).

A good amount of firewood should be used

Are we talking about "firewood" or just everything that burns? If the first then is the amount of firelogs also exact?

a specific number of spruce branches should be used (5 or 6, I think)

Ie it either 5 or 6 or is it precise number and you just don't remember?

I think there should also be non spruce branches.

Also exact number or any?

[PALU]

- The ritual should be performed in the forest, and I end up in spruce infested forests. My recollection said moss, but cannot swear absolutely it wasn't lichen.
- Firewood. I've just used a single batch (i.e. about 20), which probably is overkill.
- It's an exact number of branches.
- For ordinary branches I've just cut a single batch from a suitable tree (may need to look around for one due to all the spruce).
- I believe I've placed them on the ground in the order mentioned, but it probably doesn't matter.

After some necromantic rituals:
"Forest maids are attracted to come at nighttime campfires in remote forests of spruce and moss by lighting the fire with seven spruce twigs in there along with good pile of other firewood.
Sleep on the moss by such fire and they may appear.

They can tease and seduce, but also to favor and reward. There are rumors of their most dearest being rewarded with clothes that never wear out, but I wouldn't know about that. Should you ever meet a forest maid my advice is to stay put, wait for her initiative and see where it goes."

The above was said by a third villager to whom the second one directed my character. It can also be noted that some of the things I've said above were incorrect (# branches) or an interpretation (usage of actual firewood).

[Starving bandit]

No, doesn't seem like it's working. Either I am missing something or you were right about it not triggering without quest conditions met. Thank you anyway.

[ANickel]

Has anyone managed to catch one yet?  I've had characters run after them naked, but with nothing to show for their heroic efforts.

[LoLotov]

I've never caught her after having her spawn, but I have a method that, for me, lets her spawn basically every time I try, including after finishing the quest (which didn't require receiving her gift, just seeing her once, extra dialogue with quest giver for having her speak with you). This works sleeping on snowed-over ground I knew to be mossy right outside my cabin, ~5 tiles from a lake, and it works in the dead of summer, miles and miles from home in the middle of a swamp. It's even made her show up at about 6pm in winter, as I was sleepy and it was dark enough for her to spawn already. She would also come back to the same spot several nights of trying to catch her in a row, so long as I didn't offend her by trying to talk. She won't trust you for a few days when you try that.

EDIT: The quest can only be failed by allowing time to expire without performing the ritual. Also you can complete the quest simply by seeing her, but there is extra dialogue with the quest giver if you don't frighten her off and allow her to speak with you. As I recall from someone on the old forum who DID get her item, it will disappear if you tell anyone about it, so if there is even more additional dialog with the quest giver when you catch her, using it might make your hard-won item disappear.

Building the fire and sleeping both have to be done on mossy ground, and the fire must be lit before midnight. After placing EXACTLY seven spruce twigs on the spot you want the fire, on top you build the rest large enough to burn well into the next day, usually an entire tree trunk and about 200 branches. Light it up and go to sleep nearby, not necessarily right next to the fire, just on mossy ground within the light. She shows up almost every time and begins her little routine of luring you into the woods. Of course, I also keep on as good of terms as I can with the spirits and usually bless the tree I cut down for the fire if I haven't done it somewhere else too recently.

Be careful in winter, I had a Forest Maiden lure me out onto soft ice and to my death by drowning. Could be the easiest way to catch her if the ice is thick enough, there are no obstructions to your vision, and you might be able to risk trying to ski after her rather than taking a torch.