In the original 2001 Gothic, players spent the entire game running around the Colony on foot. Gothic 1 Remake changes this by introducing the game’s first-ever mount: a rideable Scavenger. Getting one is not straightforward, as it requires tracking down an easily missed NPC and completing a specific side quest.
To start the quest, you need to head toward the New Camp. After leaving the Old Camp, take the lower path at the fork. Look for a small camp off the main trail where an NPC named Cohsel tends to his animals.
Talk to Cohsel and ask about his tamed Scavenger. You will need to keep talking to him and press him on the topic until he finally agrees to help you tame one of your own. This will kick off the side quest “Beak Performance.”
Gathering the Materials
Cohsel doesn’t give away his secrets for free. He will ask you to gather three specific sets of materials to craft a whistle and saddle for your new mount:
- 5x Kingstide: These purple flowers grow underwater. The easiest place to find them is on the lake beds near the New Camp. Dive into the large pond surrounding the camp’s entrance to forage for them.
- 3x Wolf Skins: You can obtain these by skinning wolves yourself, provided you have learned the skinning skill. If you lack the skill, you can purchase them from hunters like Cavalorn (who can be found between the camps, see key characters for vendor locations).
- 2x Leather Straps: These are common crafting components. You can buy them from the blacksmith in the Old Camp or from Fisk. Alternatively, check out our beginner tips for details on scavenging crates around the camps to find them for free.
How to Summon and Ride Your Scavenger
Once you deliver all the materials to Cohsel, he will tell you to wait. Find a nearby bed and sleep until the next day (or wait until midnight has passed). Return to Cohsel, and he will hand over the Scavenger Whistle.
To ride:
- Open your inventory and equip the whistle.
- Use it to summon your Scavenger.
- Walk up to the beast and press F to mount or dismount.
- If you want to show your mount some appreciation, press R to pet it.
Scavenger Mount Limitations and Tricks
While the Scavenger is a great way to traverse the rock-strewn terrain of the Colony, Alkimia Interactive kept the game’s hardcore roots intact. Your mount comes with several important rules:
- Settlement Restrictions: The Scavenger is easily spooked. You cannot ride it into major hubs like the Old Camp, New Camp, or Swamp Camp. It will refuse to cross the thresholds.
- No Combat: Scavengers are not battle-hardened warhorses. If you get too close to hostile beasts or Orcs, your mount will panic and run away, leaving you to fight on foot.
- The Bunny Hop Speed Trick: The movement physics in the remake allow for some fun traversal optimization. If you ride your Scavenger downhill and jump at the right moment, you can build up significant momentum. Bunny-hopping across flat plains is currently the fastest way to get across the map.
Using the Scavenger whistle is a massive time-saver, especially in the later chapters when you are constantly backtracking across the Colony to fetch runes or deliver messages. Make sure to grab it early in Chapter 1 before you fully commit to one of the three camps.