Bug: After 1.09 when using the Finger Snap gesture he may jumps down aggroed.
It happened on my most recent playthrough too.

If you go through the whole jogging across the Lands Between back and forth -marathon, and talk to Jerren after defeating the duo boss at the plaza prior to triggering the festival, talk to Iji, talk to Jerren about Iji and then again to Iji about Jerren... you can tell Blaidd at Siofra River what they said, instead of the Seluvis-Sellen route. With slight dialogue change, the quest progresses as usual after that.

I think patch 1.09 broke him.

He's always hostile when I enter the mistwood regardless of whether I did anything or not on 2 seperate new games I started. They must have screwed up his collision or something.

Got really scared for a second because I killed the sleeping runebear inside the ruins and then the realization dawned on me. But I heard the howling before I did, so we're good we still bros :)

I can tell you Astel isn't the trigger for him to appear at Ranni's Rise.

So, I may have messed up royally here, but after meeting with Blaidd in Siofra and going back to talk with Seluvis, I killed Seluvis and talked with the sorceress who then told me to go back and speak with Blaidd. But when I got back to Siofra, Blaidd was hostile and Ranni was missing. Is there any way to fix this issue, or am I just SOL?

Tell Iji's story

Blaidd is a fictional character.

Blaidd deserved better...I wish we could have saved him somehow. He didn't deserve to be betrayed by the one person he considered his close friend...all because Ranni is a selfish ***** who didn't care about anyone but herself.

dog guts