The Shrike’s Anthem is an optional Chapter VII (Witch Hunt) side quest in The Outskirts of Valor Mortis. William finds a torn song sheet praising the Shrike that is missing four verses. The Mice, the orphan children hiding across the ruins, sing those verses from twig burrows scattered around the Island of Whispers. The whole quest fits into one pass through the area. Finding every verse also earns William standing with the Mice, which matters later in the story.
Quick answer: At the Island of Whispers Lantern, collect the Torn Page titled Shrike’s Anthem. Then visit four Mice burrows on the island; Shrike symbols usually mark them. Finding the final verse finishes the quest.
How to start The Shrike’s Anthem
Rest at or travel to the Island of Whispers Lantern in The Outskirts. Head right along the broken wooden planks and use the half-sunken houses as stepping stones to reach the far side. The page lies on the ground beside a Shrike symbol, around 32 metres from the Lantern. Pick it up to start the quest.
A “New Side Quest” banner confirms it. The first journal entry notes that the song is missing four verses. The page itself only gets as far as “Here comes the Shrike” before it tears off.
Shrike symbols drawn on walls and beams are the game’s only signposts for this quest. A Mice burrow is almost always close to one.
All four Mice burrow locations on the Island of Whispers
The burrows are tangles of woven sticks tucked inside ruined buildings. Walk up to one and interact, and the children recite their part of the song. All four sit along the main route forward from the page, so the order below follows the natural path through the island.
Burrow 1: The side house before the bridge
Follow the muddy main path forward from the page and fight through the enemies. A group of Howlers waits near a bridge. Before you cross, look for the ruined house on your left with a dead horse lying outside. Go in through the broken wall, then drop down or climb the ledge inside to reach the burrow beside the wooden wall.
Burrow 2: Behind the crates in the shed past the bridge
Cross the stone bridge into the open yard. Some enemies here stand still until you get close, so move carefully. Enter the building on the left that has a Shrike symbol on it. Inside, turn left, smash the wooden crates blocking a small gap, and crawl through. The burrow is ringed with lit candles.
Burrow 3: The sunken houses by the water
Burrow 4: The rafters of the ruined house
This burrow is easy to miss because it sits away from the forward route. If you find yourself climbing higher through the building, go back to the beams and look to the side.
The Shrike’s Anthem verses and journal updates
Each verse is added to the quest journal as soon as you hear it. The entry also tells you how many verses are still missing, so the journal is the easiest way to check your progress.
| Verse | Lyrics | Journal says |
|---|---|---|
| First | “Here comes the Shrike, / Here comes the Shrike, / The Shrike will put you on a spike!” | Three left |
| Second | “The Shrike will make you scream and squeal, / The Shrike will stretch you on a wheel!” | Two left |
| Third | “It sees the truth, / It knows your lies, / Its loyal spies have many eyes.” | One left |
| Final | “Defender of the ones who bled, / The one who’s singing for the dead, / The sweetest song you’ve ever heard, / All hail the tiny butcher bird!” | Quest complete |
Marnie and Teddy sing the earlier verses. The last one is sung by the Mice together as a choir.
How to tell The Shrike’s Anthem is complete
The quest finishes as soon as the final verse plays, and you don’t have to walk anywhere to hand it in. Three things confirm it worked:
- A pop-up awards 3,000 Catalysts and a Tiny Whisker Gift.
- The final journal entry says the Mice are happy with the finished ode.
- The Shrike’s Anthem moves from Active to Completed in the Side Quests menu.
Shrike’s Anthem reward and route pickup values
Two items matter on this run. One is the quest reward. The other is an Empty Ferrofluid Flask in an ornate red chest along the route. You’ll find the chest behind the houses near the water fence, close to the narrow gap you squeeze through on the way to the last burrow. It’s optional, but worth the short detour.
| Item | Type | What it does | Key figures |
|---|---|---|---|
 Tiny Whisker Gift | Consumable | Grants 3,000 Catalysts on use | Max carried 99, sells for 3,000 |
 Empty Ferrofluid Flask | Upgrade material | +1 Ferrofluid Flask charge at a Lantern | Price 5,000 |
 Ferrofluid Flask | Consumable | Heals on use | Base potency 50, max carried 5 |
Finishing the quest pays 3,000 Catalysts directly, and the Tiny Whisker Gift holds another 3,000 when you use it. That makes the total payout 6,000 Catalysts. The Mice hand out Tiny Whisker Gifts in five different conversations over the game, and you can hold up to 99 of them. That means you can keep them in your inventory until you want to spend the Catalysts.
To use the Empty Ferrofluid Flask, open “Upgrade Ferrofluid Flask” at any Lantern. It adds one extra flask charge. Louis’s Laboratoire also sells one from the start of the game, and chests in several other regions contain more. The chest copy on the Island of Whispers saves you 5,000 Catalysts.
Mice friendship: When to finish The Shrike’s Anthem
This quest won’t advance the story, though the Mice remember your actions. Completing the anthem can earn up to 3 Mice friendship points, the biggest single gain in The Outskirts. The Mice assess your friendship total in Napoleon’s Prison and Entropy. To receive their Entropy reward, you must have earned at least 10 points before entering Napoleon’s Prison. Fast travel is unavailable in either area. Complete the anthem before reaching the Fortress’s High Tower to ensure these points count.
