Secondary Characters - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Database

Geralt encountered this young woman’s ghost in the uppermost room in the haunted tower on Fyke Isle. She told him that in life she had been the local lord’s daughter.

When enraged peasants stormed the tower, she feared they would ravage her honor if they found her alive and so took a magic potion that put her in a corpse-like state of paralysis. When she awoke, she found herself lying amidst the bodies of her family and servants, unable to move. She watched in helpless horror as rats feasted on the pile of corpses and began to nibble on her as well.

This grisly death must have somehow put a curse on her and the tower, for her ghost had wandered it in restless torment ever since. Geralt engaged his vast experience with such curses to search for a possible solution. Having learned that Anabelle had loved a simple fisherman named Graham, Geralt decided this man and the bond of true love the two youths shared could be their salvation.

Geralt agreed to take the young woman’s remains to her love to have him give her a proper burial. Geralt hoped this would lift the evil spell on the cursed isle and bring Anabelle peace at long last.

Sadly, what Geralt took to be the ghost of an innocent woman was in fact death and disease in spirit form - a being known as a pesta, or plague maiden. Having lured Geralt into the open, it killed the unfortunate Graham and then escaped to spread the pox and feed on human suffering.

It is possible that this incident caused the local outbreak of Catriona that devastated the kingdom of Kerack and sowed the seeds of the coastal city’s ultimate downfall.

Yet when Geralt tried to leave the tower, the wraith revealed its true nature. It turned out what Geralt took to be the ghost of an innocent girl was in fact a plague maiden - death and disease in spirit form.

Perhaps there was something in the girl’s words that had put Geralt on his guard, or perhaps his witcher instincts simply warned him in time - either way, Geralt knew what he was dealing with a literal second before Anabelle revealed her true nature. The spirit was in fact a pesta - a plague maiden, a terrible wraith which spreads death and pestilence.

Geralt did not meet Anna Strenger, the Bloody Baron’s wife, when he visited Crow’s Perch. Some time before his arrival this woman had disappeared in unexplained circumstances along with her daughter, Tamara.

Geralt did, however, receive a detailed description of the missing woman. Anna was a comely forty-something woman with green eyes and hair dark as raven wings which she kept tied in a tight bun behind her head.

Geralt discovered that Anna’s marital life had not been working out as well as she might have hoped. She had recently been pregnant, but lost her child for unknown reasons shortly before her disappearance.

When Geralt pushed the baron about the matter, the ugly truth finally came out. Desperate and miserable, Anna had fled, taking Tamara with her, after her drunken husband beat her badly.

The baron was convinced Anna had miscarried because of his actions, but Geralt was not so certain about this - he couldn’t stop thinking about the strange talisman meant to ward off evil power Anna had received from the pellar.

During their heart-to-heart the baron gave Geralt a somewhat clearer image of the Strengers’ married life. While her husband was off leading military campaigns, Anna would seek comfort in the arms of a childhood friend.

Once the baron discovered the truth, he fell into an indescribable fury and killed Anna’s lover, something which, predictably enough, further deepened the chasm separating the couple.

During his search for Anna Geralt discovered, to his great astonishment, that she and the gray-haired old woman in the swamp were one and the same person. The marks on her hands seemed to be symbols of some mysterious pact she had made with the Crones.

The situation grew even more entangled when Geralt discovered that, after fleeing Crow’s Perch, Anna had been taken captive by some gigantic beast who carried her off into the darkness. As If that weren’t horror enough, eyewitness testimony claimed her hands had burned with strange, glowing symbols shortly before this.

Perhaps this was precisely what the talisman Anna had received from the pellar had been meant to guard against?

Tamara only deepened Geralt’s sad understanding of her mother’s situation. The women had decided to flee together because they had had enough of the baron’s drunken rages and beatings. Anna hated her husband so much that she was ready to do anything in order to be free of the man - and the child he had put inside her.

Geralt put the facts together and realized the old woman in the swamps was, in fact, Anna, the baron’s missing wife. He also learned that the signs on her hands were symbols of the pact she had made with the Crones in order to get rid of her unwanted child.

Anna was found in the end, but the events she had witnessed and took part in had left such a deep mark on her body and mind that she would never again be the same. Her mind had quite simply cracked under the weight of it all, dropping her into an abyss of horror and despair.

Though Anna was found in the end, she was no longer herself, for a terrible curse had transformed her into a monster. The witcher had a good idea who had prepared this fate for her.

with a curse which made the fetus inside her wither on the vine, taking Anna’s life energy with it. In despair she turned to the pellar, who made her a talisman to hamper the evil magic’s influence. Anna had lost this during her fight with the baron and was thus rendered defenseless against the Crones’ magic.

After that, the worst was free to happen - the markings on her palms began to burn and a fiend dragged her to the heart of Crookback Bog, where she paid back her debt as the Crones’ slave.

Geralt snapped the evil spell afflicting Anna, restoring her true form. Yet the Crones had a included one last nasty pinch of vengeance in their vile brew that caused Anna to die as soon as she regained her freedom.

Anna’s loved ones had time only for a brief farewell before she parted.

Geralt snapped the evil spell afflicting Anna, restoring her true form. Yet the Crones had a included one last nasty pinch of vengeance in their vile brew that caused Anna to die as soon as she regained her freedom.

Tamara and the baron had time only for a brief farewell before she parted.

Despite the witcher’s best efforts, he did not succeed in lifting Anna’s curse. To the despair and horror of all who witnessed it, Anna Strenger died a horrible death, incinerated by the Crones’ last act of vengeance.

After Guthlaf, trusted seneschal to the an Craite jarls, passed away a portion of his duties were taken over by the jarl’s cupbearer, Arnvald. This elderly Skelliger did not possess the far-reaching authority of his predecessor, but still had managed to make himself irreplaceable in his few years in the position.

His purview included not only stocking the larders and cellars of Kaer Trolde but also seeing to the needs of the keep’s inhabitants, as well as the guests that visited it during feasts and other important ceremonies.

That is why his betrayal could not have come as a greater surprise. When caught, Arnvald confessed to his role in the murderous conspiracy, revealing his patron as well as his long-seething hatred for Clan an Craite.

That is why his betrayal could not have come as a greater surprise. His motivations, however, remained a secret that he took to his grave, for he died while trying to escape, killed on his patron’s orders.

Auberon Muircetach, also known as King of the alders, was ruler of the far-off land of Tir ná Lia - the world which is home to Avallac’h and the Wild Hunt. He died after being poisoned by Eredin Bréacc Glas, who then declared himself king. At the time of his death Auberon had been exhausted and embittered by over six hundred and fifty years of living.

Bart, the troll guarding Dijkstra’s treasure, could have been the poster boy for the latest craze among Novigrad’s wealthy strata, a trend that had swept over everyone from bankers and merchants to underworld crime bosses. The fashion in question prized guards marked not just by fierce loyalty, but also by massive size, endless stamina and crushing physical strength. A well-developed intellect, on the other hand, was considered unnecessary and quite possibly detrimental to the guard’s performance. To be blunt, a good watchman should be brainless enough to render any thought of betraying his master impossible.

That is why trolls, ogres and, as a last result, magic crossbreeds were highly prized for such roles.

It can be difficult for a woman to gain the esteem of knights and warriors not accustomed to seeing female hands on the reins of power. It helps little when, like Birna, widow of King Bran of Skellige, the woman seeking power is filled with acrid disdain for her countrymen and their customs. One might argue that disdain is a valid reaction when, in the case of the passing of a man of power who embodies tradition, those customs call on her to follow long since outdated ritual and cast herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.

Justified or not, Birna’s desire to rewrite age-old Skellige traditions put her at odds with the jarls and made it unlikely she would be remembered alongside Calanthe of Cintra or Meve of Lyria as a successful and revered ruler.

Birna likewise refused to hide her disgust with the custom of choosing a ruler by vote of the jarls. She dreamed of establishing a hereditary kingship in Skellige and thought the ideal dynasty to hold it was her own, starting with her and Bran’s son, the young Svanrige.

In all probability it was this longing for power that drove Birna to concoct the conspiracy that ended in the massacre at Kaer Trolde.

The evidence gathered by Geralt and Cerys sealed Birna’s fate.

Birna fulfilled her dream of placing her son on the throne of Skellige, but her plans to control Svanrige’s every action were foiled. The freshly-crowned king quickly made it clear he would rule on his own.

Madman Lugos’ sole child and heir was a dour, strapping lad who was nothing like his father. His nickname dated from his childhood, when bruises often covered his body, supposedly from the rough and rowdy play Skellige boys engage in.

Yet others suspected they came from his father’s belt, rod or fists, for rumor had it Lugos Senior did not wish to spoil his only child and thus punished him harshly for any minor cockup or grander failure.

The events Geralt witnessed in the Cave of Dreams confirmed rumors of Lugos , troubled relationship with his father. Blueboy’s greatest fear turned out to be the Madman in his family tree.

Blueboy Lugos was one of the victims of the massacre that took place during the feast at Kaer Trolde. Later people claimed he had knocked one of the beast’s heads off by clobbering it with a barrel of beer.

True or not, that is how the skalds commemorate him in song to this day.

King Bran, former King of the Skellige Isles, lived a long and storied life. When he finally felt decrepitude taking a hold of him, he went into the woods to hunt a bear armed with only a knife - and thus ended his reign. It was remembered as an honorable and respected one, though some complained he preferred raiding to confronting the Isles’ long-term problems, and that he let his wife’s tongue wag too freely. Some connected the two, claiming Bran sailed out to fight overseas battles to put off dealing with the ones awaiting him at home.

The Crone known as Brewess was the middle of the three demonic sisters in terms of age - but the first in terms of size. Brewess was said to be a master concocter of magical mixtures, and, in the more ghastly legends, was said to know over a dozen different recipes for human soup.

During the Crones’ sabbath it turned out the sisters truly did feed on human flesh, cooking it up in infernal pots and spicing it with root from the cursed tree growing atop Bald Mountain.

she was slain by Ciri’s blade.

In those days rampant persecution and the smoke of a hundred pyres choked Novigrad’s air. This grim climate provided cover in which a great many bloody butchers built comfortable nests for themselves. Drummed-up conspiracies, mass arrests and show trials resulting in group executions were the favorite building blocks.

Caleb Menge, the fanatically ambitious commander of the Church of the Eternal Fire’s Temple Guard, was one such opportunist, his moment of triumph coming when he unmasked his superior, the former Temple Guard commander Chappelle, as a doppler in disguise.

Geralt first saw Menge lighting Chappelle’s pyre in Novigrad’s main square and had no doubt that, for this man, the appellation “fanatical whoreson” was too mild by far.

Which is why I was not pleased - to say the least - when an unfortunate turn of events led to my capture by the agents of this vile man.

The paranoid executioner never set foot outside his fortified headquarters without a crowd of armed guards to accompany him. Knowing my life was on the line, my friends decided to pursue a risky plan to infiltrate Menge’s offices - their only hope for a face-to-face meeting with the man.

Upon closer acquaintance, Menge only confirmed Geralt’s initial impression of his bestiality. Luckily the witcher’s blade ended this madman’s life and rid the world of one the more hideous monsters ever to walk its surface.

Menge only confirmed Geralt’s initial impression of his bestiality upon closer acquaintance. Luckily Triss’ dagger ended this madman’s life and rid the world of one the more hideous monsters to ever walk its surface.

This Aen Elle elf was one of Eredin’s advisors and also, on account of his extraordinary abilities, an important officer of the Wild Hunt. Calling on arcane magic Caranthir would guide the Riders of the Hunt along mystic pathways through time and space in order to reach other worlds.

He was also a master of more immediate forms of transport, such as the teleportation he made ample use of during the attack on Kaer Morhen.

Yet even with his tricks and spells Caranthir still died during the final battle against the Wild Hunt, his body swallowed up by the cold waters of the ocean.

Carduin of Kovir was once a wealthy and influential member of the Council of Sorcerers, a man known and respected by all the rulers of the North. After the Council imploded during the coup on Thanedd Isle, Carduin spared no expense in his quest to rebuild his brotherhood’s hard-won position.

This motivated him to take part in the eventful summit in Loc Muinne, during which a handful of mages seeking to reactivate the Council were forced to accept King Radovid’s patronage. After that Carduin found himself on the king’s leash, completely dependent on the whims and moods of a mad ruler whom he served not out of respect but fear. The mage’s pride, however, forced him to don a brave face and play out the hand fate had dealt him.

While in Skellige Geralt finally had the chance to meet Cerys an Craite, the younger of Crach’s two children. Known as Sparrowhawk to her friends, she was as fierce and swift as this name would indicate.

Cerys was an islander through and through and the spitting image of her father, having inherited all his courage, resolve and stubbornness. Dauntlessly she sought to prove at every turn that there was no task she could not fulfill as well as - or better than - any man in the islands, including her older brother Hjalmar.

Though Cerys’ decision to stake a claim to Skellige’s throne came as a shock to everyone else, she had thought it over quite thoroughly beforehand. Striving as always to outdo her brother, she intended to perform a great deed that would earn her widespread recognition and respect.

That is why she had sailed to Spikeroog to free Jarl Udalryk from the strange affliction that seemed to curse him.

Cerys did what she set out to do - with the witcher’s help she freed clan Brokvar’s leader from the wraith that had tormented him for years.

Cerys accepted her defeat in her race for the crown against her brother Hjalmar with dignity. She also made it clear beyond all doubt that the new leader of Skellige had her full support.

Once again Sparrowhawk gave proof of her cunning, this time by unmasking Birna’s plot and cleansing the shame from her clan’s name after the infamous “bloody banquet” at Kaer Trolde.

All these feats convinced the Skelligers that Cerys was fit to be queen. Though it was clear it would take some time before the young ruler could step entirely out of her father and brother’s shadow, the greater part of the islanders were pleased and proud with their choice of ruler.

Sadly Crach’s daughter died alongside her brother during a failed attack on the Nilfgaardian fleet. The inhabitants of Skellige long mourned the brave Sparrowhawk’s premature death.

Geralt and I had long known that Chappelle, Chancellor of Security for the Church of the Eternal Fire in Novigrad, had died years ago and been replaced by a doppler masquerading under his name. We didn’t breathe a word of this to anyone, of course, for the change was decidedly in everyone’s best interest. The doppler had proved a reasonable creature deprived of the true Chappelle’s cruelty, and under his watch life in the city had much improved.

Sadly, the chancellor’s conciliatory style must have raised suspicions as a wave of terror and persecution began to swell over Novigrad. The doppler was found out, arrested and burned at the stake for the greater glory of the Eternal Fire.

A joke circulates about the back alleys and seedy taverns of Novigrad. It claims the dwarf Carlo Varese, one of the four leading lights of the local criminal strata, was, in his own way, a fierce proponent of racial coexistence. He applied this principle in a somewhat selective fashion, however.

Cleaver firmly felt that, as an assimilated dwarven resident of the city of Novigrad, he had every right to run his own business. Anyone who had a problem with the way he ran it or with the nature of his dealings - be they dwarf, human or halfling - revealed themselves a vile racist. And what was the only fitting thing to do with such scum? Why, feed them to a herd of ferociously hungry hogs – right after he sliced off their fingers with his namesake cleaver. Naturally, such tales could very well have been mere rumor and slander – but very few had the courage to test their veracity.

Cleaver was famed for his hot temper. What boiled his blood hottest of all, however, were folk who thought they could pull one over on him.

No wonder, then, that the attack by Whoreson’s thugs riled him somewhat. The violent tirade he directed at Wiley clearly contained not idle threats but promises he meant to keep, even if doing so meant leaving half a district of the city in ruins.

Oneiromancy, the magic art of deciphering the past and the future as they appear in dreams, is difficult for even a highly trained sorceress to master. Those born with the talent, however, excel at it without any formal education. Such was the case of Corinne Tilly, whose fame as a dreamer, as such diviners are known, had spread far and wide.

This gifted woman could not only dream of past events herself, but also induce revelatory dreams in persons searching for direction or answers to specific questions. These abilities proved to be of great use to Geralt in his search.

Skellige sagas brim with praise for war chiefs and warrior-braves of ages past, yet the saga of Crach, jarl of Clan an Craite and lord of Kaer Trolde, will outshine them all. It will sing of his strength, his courage, his wisdom, his generosity, his loyalty to friends and his relentless pursuit of his foes.

There will be few exaggerations in such a tale, for Crach, the mightiest of Skellige’s jarls, truly did possess all the traits of a hero. He aroused terror in his enemies - in fact, Nilfgaardian mothers would use his name to frighten their children into obedience, and all in that empire spoke in hushed tones of the infamous Tirth ys Muire, the Wild Boar of the Sea, who devastated coastal provinces during frequent and terrible raids.

Geralt had known Crach for long, since a time when as a young man the jarl had sought the hand of young Pavetta, Ciri’s mother.

After Bran’s demise, Crach could easily have claimed the throne for himself. Yet he preferred to support the claim of his son, Hjalmar. When his daughter Cerys announced her intention to seek the throne as well, the jarl also gave her his support, showing no favoritism when it came to his children.

To the islanders, honor is the most prized of virtues. Crach thus agreed without hesitation to live up to the pledge he made many years ago on behalf of himself and his entire clan and supported the search for Cirilla with any means Skellige could offer.

Crach also did not balk when the time came to stand and fight Eredin. Though Eredin killed Crach during this fight, the jarl’s death did not break the islanders’ spirit, instead becoming a model of how to die like a true hero.

Few jarls of Skellige were as honored and obeyed as Donar an Hindar, the eldest of their number. Despite his advanced age he remained the active leader of his clan and its representative at all official gatherings. The only person able to break his composure was Madman Lugos, whose clan had long feuded with the an Hindars.

Donar’s home was, like Freya’s temple, on Hindarsfjall. As befits a neighbor to the gods, Donar was famed for his wise, considered opinions and his piety. This last did not, however, extend to the gods of the Continent, whose rich sanctuaries he had often raided in his youth.

Geralt and I had known the doppler Dudu for years - from before the moment we had actually met him, in fact.

You see, we first unwittingly talked to him when he was in Novigrad impersonating another friend of mine, a halfling merchant named Dainty Biberveldt. Dudu had assumed Dainty’s form to use the merchant’s network of contacts for some business endeavors of his own.

Dainty was infuriated at first at his inability to locate the impostor who had inserted himself into his dealings, but when Dudu’s investments began generating sizable returns, the halfling changed his tune. He took the doppler on as a partner, introducing him to everyone as his cousin, Dudu Biberveldt.

Geralt learned that Dudu had crossed Whoreson Junior, one of Novigrad’s most ruthless crime bosses. That Dudu extracted himself from this predicament while only losing one eye should be considered a fortunate turn.

Ciri, Dudu and I had all embroiled ourselves in quite the fiasco, but unlike me, the doppler was not caught by the temple guard.

Dudu was a theater aficionado and frequent attendee of Irena’s mummers’ performances. Apparently he had even stepped in to replace indisposed mummers on several occasions - and, given his special abilities, proved himself a uniquely convincing understudy.

Finally, after a great deal of trouble and thanks to a clever ruse, Geralt was reunited with his old friend - and a certain imprisoned poet’s only hope.

To end Dudu’s story, let me just say that, as usual, he found a way to land on his feet. Dudu disguised himself as his one-time adversary, Whoreson Junior, and took over his business, announcing it was going clean and investing all its ill-gotten wealth in a legal (and very profitable) overseas trading company.

In a way, you could say he was living the “Novigrad dream.”

Geralt erroneously interpreted one of my notes to mean that Elihal and I had been a couple. Alas, while anyone would be thrilled to count this outstanding elf, wonderful conversation partner and superb tailor among their conquests, in fact no more than friendship and fine wine had ever passed between us.

Geralt found this out when he visited Elihal’s tailor shop, where he also got a first-hand glimpse at the elf’s unusual hobby - adopting the dress and mannerisms of those different from himself in race, sex and social status.

Most druids in Skellige differ from the deeply-rooted Continental stereotype of a graybearded old man in white robes bowing before sacred oaks, taming wyverns and pestering local lords with petitions to add yet another species to the list of protected beasts. Ermion, Geralt’s old acquaintance, was no exception in this regard.

This stiff-bearded, spindly man was the leader of the Druids’ Circle in Skellige. He was also Jarl Crach an Craite’s advisor on matters of magic and the mystical, as well as on any and all issues requiring more refinement than a well-timed uppercut or a hard-swung axe.

Ermion was known to be obstinate and to have a tendency, quite rare in Skellige, to consider all possible consequences of a particular course of action before it was undertaken. All this meant that conversing with him demanded a considerable amount of time and patience.

Given all this, one can hardly be surprised that Yennefer and Geralt’s “rash” and “highly irresponsible” actions regarding the magic anomaly - stealing a priceless artifact from a private chamber being first among them - put Ermion quite out of sorts.

However, despite his difficult character and his somewhat testy relationship with Geralt, Ermion agreed at once to travel to Kaer Morhen and help defend Ciri from the Wild Hunt’s forces.

When persuasion and reason failed, Ermion would, as a last resort, turn to violence - and then he became a foe to be reckoned with.

Madman Lugos found this out personally when, in a fit of rage, he attacked Ermion and Geralt. As they had in the past, witcher and druid stood side by side and fought a common enemy.

the first round of selections, the murderous Changes, the Trial of the Grasses, and training on the Gauntlet - the witchers’ daunting obstacle course. They also received hidings together for more than one act of childish delinquency. When they became adults, they walked the Path separately, but still reconvened at Kaer Morhen nearly every winter to wait out the cold, drink to their successes and remember fallen comrades.

Though Eskel never gained Geralt’s renown, he equaled the White Wolf in experience and carried out his contracts with care and efficiency. Death had almost taken him many times during his hunts, yet in an ironic twist the hideous scar on his face came not from a monster’s claw but from the blade of Deidre Ademeyn, his highly unpredictable Unexpected Child.

Perhaps this traumatic experience lay at the root of Eskel’s dislike for Yennefer, though he tried not to let this get in the way of his friendship with Geralt.

Eskel took active part in the defense of Kaer Morhen, standing bravely in the face of overwhelming odds to fight one of the Hunt’s generals. When Vesemir died, he took over responsibility for watching over the witchers’ keep.

Geralt had been in situations where he could not prevent someone’s death on more than one occasion. In fact, you might say he had grown accustomed to that particular form of agony. It is another thing altogether, however, to stand powerless and watch the unjust, cruel execution of an acquaintance for whom one has developed a fondness.

Such was his lot as regards Felicia Cori, a young sorceress whom Geralt had met while chasing the kingslayer, Letho. Though Geralt had not gotten to know her deeply, he had nonetheless taken a liking to this former pupil of Philippa Eilhart, who had seemed to him a pleasant and enterprising young woman. Yet she was a wielder of magic and, as such, met her end on a pyre.

Many brave warriors answered Hjalmar’s call to join him in reconquering Undvik from the Ice Giant. Among them - Folan, son of Ulf, Hjalmar’s frequent comrade in battle and dear childhood friend. Folan, a member of Clan Tuirseach, was a fearless sailor and an unequaled archer, and so did not hesitate to join this dangerous expedition that stood to shower him in glory.

It would have ended horribly for him, however, had the witcher not kept his wits about him and saved him from the clutches of hungry trolls by winning a riddle contest.

Folan proved his skill with a bow by riddling the Ice Giant with arrows during the final fight against the colossus, a deed recounted to this day during Kaer Trolde feasts.

In order to pay the White Wolf back for saving his life, Folan set out with Hjalmar defend Kaer Morhen against the Wild Hunt. There, far from his native land, Folan fell in battle while fighting side by side with his friends.

The Free City of Novigrad had known no king’s rule for nearly two hundred years. Francis Bedlam surely had this fact in mind when he anointed himself the King of Beggars, a title that mocked the pomposity of crowned heads while simultaneously stealing a bit of said pomp for itself. Bedlam was a pragmatic man, a trait of great use in his profession, which involved managing a network of thieves, beggars, tramps and street urchins that trickled through every part of the city.

His contacts provided him with the freshest gossip and tastiest morsels of information, and the cut he took of his “subjects’” earnings guaranteed a sizeable income for the maintenance of his “court” in the Putrid Grove.

Francis despised fanaticism and prejudice in equal measure, which meant that mages fleeing the witch hunters’ pincers often turned to him for protection.

either serve their country unquestioningly or die in prison.

Fringilla Vigo, a mistress of magic holding office in the vassal duchy of Toussaint, refused both options and instead joined the infamous Lodge of Sorceresses, whose aim was to stand up to the dictates of kings and emperors. These bold ambitions were never fulfilled, however, and Fringilla Vigo lived in fear that her ties to this subversive organization would be discovered and she would meet a quick end at the hands of the emperor’s executioners.

One must mention here that Geralt first met Fringilla at the ducal palace in Beauclair many years ago, when we were there enjoying the hospitality of my one-time love, Duchess Anna Henrietta. The witcher, always a sucker for sorceresses, conjoined with Madame Vigo during this time in a quite lively relationship that surely was no cause of joy for Triss or Yennefer.

All indications were that Fringilla had been arrested and remained in a Nilfgaardian prison, undoubtedly awaiting execution for acts of high treason.

She was later released, however, thanks to a bargain Yennefer had struck with Emhyr.

The devil Fugas held a position of great prestige and responsibility during the Crones’ sabbath - that of goon restricting access to the peak. He in no way resembled Torque, the irritating but harmless “deovel” Geralt and I had encountered many, many years prior.

In size, Fugas resembled a somewhat overgrown troll, and he likewise displayed a troll’s lack of subtlety. There was not a jot of mischievous puck or cunning verbal trickster about this “devil.” Instead, he did his job with the commitment and professionalism of a Novigrad bouncer.

Trying to stop Geralt, though, turned out to be Fugas’ dumbest and last idea, ending both his life and his flourishing career in the Crones’ employ.

Intelligent, composed and endowed with massive charisma, Ge’els enjoyed the respect and trust of the inhabitants of the Aen Elle world as well as that of their previous ruler, Auberon Muircetach.

For this reason Ge’els not only retained his high-ranking position after Eredin took power, but also became one of the new king’s most powerful allies, acting as his viceroy while Eredin traveled at the head of the Wild Hunt.

Though Ge’els was one of the most influential of the Aen Elle, power had never been among his driving aims. According to Avallac’h, his loyalty and sense of right and wrong constituted a weakness that could be used - possibly to tip the scales of the final battle.

As predicted, Ge’els acted out of loyalty to his former king and withdrew support for Eredin once he learned the truth about Auberon’s death. This momentous act portended important ramifications for the outcome of the coming battle.

Graden was one of the witch hunters in King Radovid’s service. Unlike a great many of his comrades, he came across as a level-headed fellow, one free of prejudice, at least in his dealings with witchers.

Geralt’s subsequent encounters with Graden confirmed his suspicion that the man was not a typical hunter. Graden was unorthodox in his methods, prioritizing results over ideological purity and a strict adherence to the hunters’ codex, even though, as he was undoubtedly aware, this approach would hardly endear him to his superiors.

After the affair in the swamp was over, he returned to Oxenfurt, taking Tamara with him.

Graham was a simple fisherman from an even simpler village, Oreton, yet the role he had played in local events was anything but. Fyke Isle, the tower, the curse - he had been a key part of it all. Geralt had learned from Anabelle about the deep feelings the two had shared, but the rest of their tragic story only emerged later…

Exactly how the young man had participated in the incident in the tower remained rather unclear. What was certain was that he tried to defend his beloved and fled Fyke Isle right after what he thought was her death…

Stories about poor fishermen in love with their lord’s daughters are not wont to end happily, but even the most tragic-quilled poet would find what Graham and Anabelle experienced excessively cruel. Their desire for happiness and mutual love was defeated by the cruelty of fate and the greed of men, damning the young couple to eternal suffering – Graham without his love at his side, Anabelle as a tortured soul wandering between the living and the dead.

There was nothing left to the witcher but to bring the young man Anabelle’s earthly remains, hoping that a proper burial would bring peace to the girl’s spirit and lift the curse.

Yet though the evil spell was indeed broken, this story still did not have a happy ending. A devious ghost of the plague was freed, and Graham became its first victim…

Graham filled Geralt in on the rest of the story, one in which youthful longing for happiness lost out to fate’s cruelties and human greed. Having learned there was a slim chance he could save his beloved’s ghost, the fisherman set out at once to help the witcher lift the curse weighing down on the isle.

Yet though the evil spell was indeed broken, this story still did not have a happy ending. Despite his courage and dedication, Graham died while saving the one he had never ceased to love.

In times of war one often encounters those who have suffered cruelly at the hands of fate. Geralt was thus not shocked to meet the woman who the children in the Velen swamps called Gran, though she seemed to have suffered manifold unspecified ills.

Whatever her woes, it was clear she cared for the war orphans in her charge with love and devotion.

Gran bore strange marks on her hands that burned with living fire. In time they proved to be signs of her indentured servitude to the Crones. How exactly the old woman had come to be in their power, however, remained unknown.

When Geralt heard from the fisherman about burning marks on Anna’s hands, he quickly added one and one to draw a conclusion. Though recent events had changed her nearly beyond all recognition, the Gran he had met in the swamps must have been the Bloody Baron’s wife.

When Geralt saw the marks on the woman’s hands, he quickly realized she must be the Bloody Baron’s wife, though changed beyond all recognition by the hardship she had suffered.

Geralt’s first attempts to talk to her came to nothing. He was only able to break through her mistrust with the help of a godling named Johnny. A few words from the latter convinced Gran to help Geralt talk to the mysterious Ladies of the Wood.

Considering the way spy corps of all stripes tend to function, “Hendrik” was undoubtedly not this man’s real name. Nevertheless, that was the only appellation the witcher knew for His Imperial Majesty’s nose to the ground in Velen.

After asking around, Geralt learned a “Hendrik” lived in the village of Heatherton.

Sadly, Geralt arrived too late. The village had been ravaged, its inhabitants slaughtered and Hendrik’s service to Nilfgaard terminated in a most violent and disturbing manner.

Yet the agent showed such determination before he died that Vattier de Rideaux, chief of the imperial spy corps, surely beamed with pride if he ever heard of it. Despite undergoing horrific tortures, Hendrik preferred to die in agony rather than reveal where he hid his reports. They remained in his hut for Geralt to find, providing him with several pieces of important information.

Young Hjalborn was the nephew of Holger Blackhand, the jarl of Faroe, and one of the claimants to Skellige’s crown.

Despite his young age he had already managed to achieve some renown, both during overseas raids and while fighting the monsters dwelling in the dangerous regions of the archipelago. His deeds had earned him enough fame, name-recognition and treasure that he stood a good chance of being elected king.

Halbjorn’s courage and bravery were not enough, however, to save him from the massacre of Kaer Trolde.

The saying “like father, like son” fits Crach and his first born son to a tittle. Young Hjalmar took after his father in both posture and character, and many predicted that in time he would overtake his elder in the honor and fame he would gain.

An extremely able, broad-shouldered swordsman, he had the makings of a superb warrior, and his charisma and tendency towards almost mad bravura meant he could stir the hearts of loot- and glory-craving youth from all Skellige’s clans.

All these traits made Hjalmar an obvious choice for the next king of Skellige. He thus did not hesitate to stake his claim when the time for this arrived and immediately set off for Undvik to prove his heroism by battling the legendary Ice Giant.

Hjalmar accomplished what he set out to do. Fighting side by side with the witcher he defeated the fierce colossus of Undvik.

Though his sister was chosen to be ruler instead of him, Hjalmar did not bear a grudge and decided to lend her reign all his strength, an act that showed surprising political maturity.

Young an Craite proved his valor when he and the witcher avenged the guests murdered during the infamous “Bloody Banquet” at Kaer Trolde. By this deed he also cleared his family name of all dishonor.

All these feats convinced Skelligers that Hjalmar was fit to be king. Though it was clear it would take some time before the young ruler could step entirely out of his father’s shadow, most islanders were pleased and proud with their choice of ruler.

When discussing Hjalmar’s heroic deeds it surely must be mentioned that he did not hesitate to support Geralt by answering his call and defending Ciri at Kaer Morhen.

Hjalmar’s hot temper turned out to be his doom in the end. Young an Craite died alongside his sister while leading one of the first attacks on the Nilfgaardian fleet.

It is my humble opinion that the most one can learn from staring at the innards of a gutted animal is whether the poor beast was infested with parasites. Nevertheless, Hjort, like many other druids of Skellige, placed a great deal of trust in both haruspicy and chiromancy (and oneiromancy as well, though that’s more understandable, dreams being the royal route to one’s soul).

Word was that he commanded a great deal of respect and esteem amongst his fellow practitioners, having more than once accurately prophesied the future and interpreted the meaning of obtuse dreams. This druid was devoted to Clan Brokvar with all his heart, and his knowledge and ability made him an excellent advisor, one in whom the jarl of Spikeroog, Udalryk of Clan Brokvar, placed a great deal of trust.

Hjort had tried to alleviate the suffering brought on by his jarl’s strange condition, but despite his efforts no progress was made in stopping the decline in Udalryk’s mental health.

The dour-faced jarl of Faroe owed his nickname to the dark coloring of his hand and forearm, left there by frostbite he suffered when his longship hit an underwater boulder during a freak autumn blizzard.

Even judging by Skellige standards, where pillaging and plundering are practically rites of passage, Holger was considered a brutal pirate and raider. This opinion surely resulted from the fact that he attacked the villages and ships of enemy Skellige clans with as much verve as he did the coastal settlements of Cidaris, Novigrad and Nilfgaard.

The wave of religious and racially-motivated killings that swept through Novigrad in the spring of 1272 coincided with Hubert Rejk’s term as coroner at the city morgue.

Because of this he was overworked and additionally had to bear the harassment of his dislikeable superior, Reverend Nathaniel. It is thus no surprise that he came across as unpleasant and sarcastic when Geralt and he first met.

Furthermore, it was clear there was bad blood between him and Joachim von Gratz, a fact that did little to improve the already rather stiff atmosphere at the morgue. Nevertheless, having learned the reason for Geralt’s unexpected visit, Hubert made it clear Geralt and Joachim could count on his help.

It turned out that Hubert had once been Von Gratz’s teacher and mentor. Yet when Von Gratz’s involvement in the student movement led to bloodshed, Hubert felt he had no choice but to denounce his advisee in order to avoid an escalation of violence.

Hubert proposed to help the witcher perform an autopsy on the serial killer’s latest victim, which revealed valuable new clues.

Rejk might have succeeded in shifting the blame to another suspect if not for the witcher’s perspicacity. Geralt had already figured out Rejk was the true murderer, but was shocked to learn he was also a powerful vampire.

Luckily Geralt had considerable experience and a honed skill set to draw on for fighting such a creature. He killed the beast and ended his twisted moral crusade.

When it turned out Rejk had been behind the murders from the very start, Geralt could only curse his short-sightedness and stupidity. It was too late to repair his earlier mistakes. The crazed fanatic escaped justice and left to continue his sick moral crusade elsewhere.

Imlerith - a general of the Wild Hunt and a frequent guest in Geralt’s nightmares - had been chasing Ciri for quite some time, striving to deliver her to his ruler, Eredin.

This powerful and brutal warrior had fought in the countless battles and campaigns for conquest waged by the Aen Elle in other worlds. He prized physical confrontation above all else, seeking out direct, bloody skirmishes where opponents pit their strength, agility and training against each other in a contest to the death.

Imlerith attacked Kaer Morhen along with the rest of the Hunt. There the keep’s defenders witnessed heart-wrenching proof of this warrior’s dangerous might. Vesemir, who had spent most of his long life with a sword in his hand, heroically stood to fight this foe but, to everyone’s great despair, was bested after a bloody and hard-fought confrontation and perished at this monster’s hands.

Regardless of race or birth, most warriors share common desires and delights. Imlerith was no exception. Avallac’h informed Ciri that he was wont to wallow in corporeal pleasures and would take advantage of his stay in our world to attend the Crones’ sabbath.

Geralt and Ciri thus decided to meet him there and engage him in a final confrontation. Geralt won this battle, killing Imlerith and thus avenging the death of his master, Vesemir.

Irina Renarde’s vast experience in the performing arts had made her not just the informal leader of the mummers’ troupe known as the Foxen, but its brightest star as well. This talented artist was famous for her brilliant performances as the leading lady in both comedies and tragedies.

Her performance in such acclaimed plays as “Love in a Time of Contempt,” “The Barber of Kovir” and “Seven Brides for Seven Emperors” had made her name well-known to any with even a modicum of interest in culture and the arts.

We met Joachim von Gratz, chief surgeon at Vilmerius Hospital, in very unfortunate circumstances. My Priscilla had been attacked and he was tending to her wounds.

I must admit I was so shaken I hardly remember our first meeting, save that he was a cool-headed doctor who seemed to know a great deal about the previous murders and offered his help investigating the matter.

It seemed the surgeon was no stranger to violence, for he bore a formidable scar worthy of a veteran of the Battle of Brenna.

Geralt also noted that Von Gratz seemed quite experienced at navigating the sewers and fighting the monsters dwelling within it.

It was hard not to notice that Joachim von Gratz did not care much for the city coroner, Hubert Rejk, who dropped in unexpectedly on Geralt and the doctor at the morgue.

It was hard not to notice that Joachim von Gratz did not care much for the city coroner, Hubert Rejk, who dropped in unexpectedly on Geralt and the doctor at the morgue. When asked why, von Gratz explained that, thirty years earlier, Hubert had denounced him to the authorities for his political activities.

The coroner confirmed what his former student claimed, yet added an additional detail - he had made his denunciation only after von Gratz’s activities had resulted in several deaths.

In the end von Gratz was eliminated as a suspect, but like Geralt he had to admit defeat in his attempts to outwit the psychopathic murderer.

When the children in the swamp clearing first told Geralt about Johnny, the witcher had every reason to suppose no such person actually existed. It was difficult to imagine anyone living in such inhospitable surroundings without quickly becoming food for drowners or water hags.

Geralt thus suspected Johnny was the figment of childish imaginations, an imaginary friend for lonely orphans. Long years of experience, however, told him not to ignore any possible lead, so he decided to search the nearby swampland for any additional signs of Johnny.

It turned out the orphans were not lying - Johnny really did exist. He was not a human child but a godling, one of a rare breed of creatures that can be found scattered about the Continent’s wildernesses.

Unfortunately Johnny had lost his voice in circumstances he obviously could not explain, and so neither could he provide much in the way of answers to Geralt’s questions.

Once Geralt had helped him regain his voice, however, he talked up a veritable storm, giving the lie to all the tales of these legendary beings’ supposed shyness. Johnny also agreed to convince Gran to put Geralt in touch with the Ladies of the Wood.

I know from personal experience that a good heart, noble reflexes and the wrong word at the wrong time can get a fellow in all sorts of trouble. Johnny learned this as well when he tried to intercede on Gran’s behalf with the Crones and succeeded only in attracting their wrath.

Geralt had thought his and Johnny’s paths would never cross again, but fate had other plans. When he and Ciri arrived at the Crones’ sabbath they ran into Johnny. He was with Sarah, another Godling Geralt knew from a previous adventure in Novigrad.

The witchers learned both godlings had received an offer they couldn’t refuse from the Crones and, willing or not, would have to attend the sabbath. They had no intention of tarrying there long, however, and when the first opportunity arrived they seized it and left that filth-ridden place. Before they did, Johnny told Geralt and Ciri what to do to gain access to the peak of the mountain, where Imlerith himself was celebrating the dark feast.

Geralt had thought his and Johnny’s paths would never cross again, but fate had other plans. When he and Ciri arrived at the Crones’ sabbath they ran into Johnny. It seemed the godling had received an offer he couldn’t refuse from the Crones and, willing or not, would have to attend the sabbath. He had no intention of tarrying there long, however, and when the first opportunity arrived he seized it and left that filth-ridden place.

Before he did, Johnny told Geralt and Ciri what to do to gain access to the peak of the mountain, where Imlerith himself was celebrating the dark feast.

Geralt first met Keira Metz when she literally dropped on top of him out of nowhere. During the infamous coup on Thanedd Island, Keira was defenestrated and nearly landed right on the witcher’s head. The next time Geralt saw her, in the swamps of Velen, was shocking in a different way - the luxury-loving sorceress was the last person he expected to see in such a grim and barren place.

Geralt later learned the reason for this, and Keira’s fate gave him ample fodder for contemplating the cruel whimsies of the wheel of fortune. Once the esteemed advisor to the now late King Foltest, she had been chased out of Temeria when she lost that ruler’s trust. Later she joined the Lodge of Sorceresses, which earned her the hatred of Redania’s king and Nilfgaard’s emperor alike. Because of this, she had gone deep undercover, posing as a cunning woman, a village witch of sorts, deep in the Velen boondocks. It was not at all difficult to tell that she despised every minute of this.

Keira quickly seized on the witcher as an impromptu assistant. In return for showing him where a certain mysterious elf dwelled, she asked Geralt to help her retrieve a magic lamp from the nearby elven ruins.

lifting the curse from the tower on Fyke Isle. Curses and favors being what Geralt does best, he obliged.

Keira had never stopped longing for the luster of life at a royal court. Thatch-roofed huts could hardly compare to elegant ballrooms and palace gardens. One day she decided to organize an interlude from Velen’s grim atmosphere by treating herself to a sumptuous meal.

Acquiring the refined ingredients proved less trouble than finding an appropriate dinner partner - that is, until Geralt showed up. The witcher gladly accepted the sorceress’ invitation -and continued saying yes all evening.

Keira had never stopped longing for the luster of life at a royal court. Thatch-roofed huts could hardly compare to elegant ballrooms and palace gardens. One day she decided to organize an interlude from Velen’s grim atmosphere by treating herself to a sumptuous meal.

Acquiring the refined ingredients proved less trouble than finding an appropriate dinner partner - that is, until Geralt showed up. The witcher gladly accepted the sorceress’ invitation for dinner - but, showing unusual restraint, turned down her other, decidedly unambiguous propositions.

Sadly, an evening that started out so nicely ended quite unfortunately for the witcher. Keira put him to sleep with a secretly-cast spell. Clearly, she wanted to hide something from him…

It turned out that Keira had played the witcher like a well-tuned harp, strumming all the right chords to keep him occupied while she stole the mage Alexander’s notes from Fyke Isle. She was planning to use the notes as a bargaining chip while making a deal with Radovid. His plague research could be her ticket back to life without lice, ticks and omnipresent filth.

Though her planned move was as stupid as it was risky, Keira was deaf to all Geralt’s arguments. In the end he had to admit he had no right to stop her, and so Keira left, taking Alexander’s notes with her.

In the end Geralt succeeded in squelching Keira’s mad plan to bargain with a man whose favorite negotiating tools were red-hot pincers and burning pyres. Keira changed her destination from Oxenfurt to the decidedly safer confines of Kaer Morhen.

Keira was determined to get her way, but Geralt could not allow her to carry out her plans. Both refused to budge, leading to a fight in which Keira Metz lost her life.

During the battle for Kaer Morhen Keira fought bravely against Eredin’s minions and saved Lambert from certain death.

Later it turned out that fighting side by side had forged a bond between Keira and Lambert and they decided to continue developing it after the battle was over. This confirmed my theory that witchers and sorceresses clearly share some mystical mutual attraction.

Sadly the sorceress’ desperate plans fell apart in the face of Radovid’s cruel madness. Keira Metz shared the unhappy fate of so many of her fellow mages and was executed on Radovid’s orders.

Geralt never found out why Keira had cast that spell, nor why she had expressed such an interest in Fyke Isle. Her execution, however, gave indisputable proof that her plan, whatever it was, ended in failure.

The youngest among the witchers of Kaer Morhen, and perhaps the last ever trained within its walls, by the start of our tale Lambert had proven his chops many times over, having hunted down many a mighty beast and traversed nearly all the Continent’s realms several times over.

Yet he had also developed a reputation for arrogance and sardonic humor, and his gruff and at times excessively blunt manner could irritate even his fellow witchers of the School of the Wolf. Whatever his vices, it went without saying that Lambert would brave the fires of any hell for his companions.

If destiny truly chooses which boys become witchers, then in Lambert’s case it had made a twisted, cruel choice. After hearing his story, Geralt had to admit that Lambert had every reason to be unenthused about the lot fate had granted him.

A chance encounter of two witchers hunting the same ekimmara turned into a tale of old friendship, murder and vengeance. The moral of the story? Don’t mess with Lambert.

Though Lambert made no secret of his hatred for Kaer Morhen, when the time came to stand in its defense, he did so without a second thought.

Sadly, during the battle Lambert found himself overwhelmed by enemy forces. Relief came too late and he was cut down by the Wild Hunt’s warriors.

During this battle he came within a hair’s breadth of losing his life. Luckily, Geralt arrived in the nick of time and together they held back his attackers.

During this battle, he came within a hair’s breadth of losing his life. Luckily Keira arrived in the nick of time and together they held back his attackers.

It just might be that Lambert and Keira’s later (and somewhat unexpected) relationship came about as a result of that moment, when they fought for survival at each other’s side. It is also possible it was a simple matter of two attractive people taking a liking to each other. At any rate, only time could tell what would become of the couple.

Some friends you see after many years apart and you immediately develop a headache. Not out of antipathy, but as a somatic premonition of the hangover sure to follow your drunken reunion. Seeing others, however, gives you an itching pain in your back and a desire to reach for your blade.

For Geralt, Letho of Gulet had a foot in both of these camps. This renegade witcher of the School of the Viper had the blood of at least two Nordling kings on his hands, the fruit of his cooperation with Nilfgaard’s emperor, Emhyr var Emreis. Accused of these crimes, Geralt was forced to chase down Letho to clear his own name. Though both walked away from their final confrontation in the ruins of Loc Muinne alive and unharmed, Geralt did not think he would ever see Letho again.

It thus came as quite a shock when he happened across Letho in a barn loft somewhere in the war-ravaged Temerian borderlands.

It turned out Letho’s former employer was less than satisfied with his performance and had set a variety of blood hounds on his trail. In these circumstances, the presence of another witcher to guard his back was more than welcome. Geralt, however, could not shake the bad taste left in his mouth by their prior interactions and went his own way, leaving Letho to clean up his own mess.

It turned out Letho’s former employer was less than satisfied with his performance and had set a variety of blood hounds on his trail. In these circumstances, the presence of another witcher to guard his back was more than welcome. Geralt remembered the care Letho had given Yennefer and, in a show of solidarity, decided to help his former companion deal with his pursuers.

In order to shake the hounds off his trail, Letho had decided on a risky maneuver – faking his own death. His plan would have worked perfectly, too, had Geralt’s hero reflexes not been a tad overstrung, causing him to butcher any and all witnesses who might have spread the news.

In order to shake the hounds off his trail, Letho had decided on a risky maneuver – faking his own death. Although Geralt had no forewarning of this, he improvised with aplomb and sent Letho’s pursuers off convinced they had rid the world of a kingslayer.

After that, there was nothing more for Letho to do but disappear. He and Geralt shared a brief farewell and then went their separate ways once more.

After that, there was nothing more for Letho to do but disappear. Geralt proposed he hide out at Kaer Morhen for a while, and after a bit of thought Letho agreed.

Though some of Geralt’s companions did not extend Letho a very warm welcome, the decision to invite him to Kaer Morhen proved wiser than Geralt could have known. During the battle against the Wild Hunt Letho proved his courage and valor while contributing to the victory over the Red Riders.

Baroness Maria Louisa la Valette was the talk of Temeria in her time. This noblewoman had been King Foltest’s mistress and even bore him two illegitimate children.

This caused quite the scandal and prompted several notable families to take up arms in revolt, only to be bloodily crushed by the king’s forces, who took La Valette Castle during a hard-fought siege.

Sadly, this siege led to the death of the baroness’ eldest son. Sword in hand he had fought to defend his mother’s honor but fell to Geralt of Rivia, who was with King Foltest at the time.

No one could blame Louisa la Valette for harboring a deep-seated hatred for the witcher, a hatred which became quite apparent the next time they crossed paths.

To the baroness’ good fortune Geralt of Rivia was with King Foltest at the time and saved her son Aryan from the fate that otherwise would have been his for having participated in the revolt.

Louisa la Valette thus had every reason to think quite highly of the witcher and her esteem became quite apparent the next time they crossed paths.

Though Madman Lugos, jarl of Clan Drummond, was nothing special in terms of size or strength, most men in the isles still stepped aside when they saw him coming. Eternally feuding with his neighbors, Lugos had a reputation for a furious and violent temper and managed to get into shouting matches with even the usually-placid Donar an Hindar.

Yet Lugos’ biggest rival was Crach an Craite, whom he accused of stealing part of his domain (which in his reckoning encompassed all of Ard Skellig). The clans’ quarrel went back hundreds of years and there was nothing to indicate it would end while these two fierce enemies lived. Lugos hated Crach with a passion dampened only by the laws of Skellige and the disproportionate balance of power between the two clans.

Seeing his own son die and Crach an Craite’s child take the throne of Skellige proved too much for Lugos to bear. Enraged and embittered, he refused to listen to reason and attacked the witcher, thus picking a fight that could only end one way.

The full list of Margarita Laux-Antille’s outstanding mental, spiritual and physical attributes would consume a mountain of parchment. Rita, as her friends called her, once held the position of rector at the Aretuza Academy for Sorceresses on the Isle of Thanedd - the same school attended by her famous ancestor, Ilona Laux-Antille.

Quite unusually for one of her profession, Margarita showed no interest in politics - it was only care for the good of her school that led her to join the Lodge of Sorceresses.

Finally, her beauty deserves mention as well. It was said that not even the marble likenesses of goddesses and nymphs chiseled out by the greatest sculptors could rival this sorceress’ figure.

Yet with all her astuteness Laux-Antille still could not escape the same fate that so many of her fellows met. She had been arrested some time before our tale begins and was staying in the Oxenfurt prison, awaiting a summary and pre-determined trial.

Only Geralt and Yennefer’s daring jailbreak saved Margarita from certain execution.

Morvran Voorhis - commander of the Alba Division, an officer of the highest rank and a pure-blooded aristocrat, one who with pride could call himself a Nilfgaardian, a designation reserved only for native-born inhabitants of the empire’s capital and its immediate surroundings.

At the time of their first meeting Geralt had no idea what an important person had been assigned the task of “asking him a few routine questions.” Knowing the witcher, however, knowledge of Morvran’s rank and status would not have made much of a difference.

The witcher encountered Voorhis again some time later in Novigrad. There the Nilfgaardian general was taking advantage of the city’s neutral status to enjoy the company of Baroness Louisa la Valette.

Those in the know claimed Voorhis’ rank and experience made him a shoo-in to succeed the emperor in the event Emhyr decided to hang up his crown.

Reverend Nathaniel, supervisor of the city morgue and cleric of the Church of the Eternal Fire, was a man with a vile character - and a stormy past. Before donning the frock he had served for years as the city torturer.

One would be hard pressed to find a more inferior candidate for a pastor than a former hangman - but, as the saying goes, in Novigrad anything is possible.

To say that Geralt caught Nathaniel red-handed would be an ill-considered pun. Nevertheless, the situation in which Geralt found him clearly indicated this was the man behind the recent wave of killings and so the witcher struck him down in a swift act of justice.

Afterwards, however, a new victim’s body was found and Nathaniel’s name was cleared - well, of the killings, that is, for nothing could absolve this priest of his countless other sins.
To say Geralt caught Nathaniel red-handed would be an ill-considered pun. Yet though the situation Geralt found him in clearly proved Nathaniel was a cruel sadist, it did not prove he was a serial killer. Geralt kept a cool head and decided the priest was not the man he was after.

Before leaving, though, he made sure the degenerate would not hurt poor Nettie any more.

Nevertheless, Geralt still felt Nathaniel deserved death. At times I have thought Geralt too eager to play judge, jury and executioner - but this time, I took no issue with his actions.
Not tarrying any further, Geralt raced off to catch the true perpetrator.

Otrygg an Hindar, Jarl Donar’s grandson and heir, was the youngest of the claimants to Skellige’s throne. He dreamed of the heroic deeds and daring raids he would one day lead his subjects in accomplishing.

Otrygg never got to live out those dreams, however. During the tragic feast that came to be known as the “Bloody Banquet” he lost is life when a furious bear tore his flesh to small pieces.