On May 19, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the biggest game of this spring, goes on sale. “Wild Hunt” is a turning point release for the series: if the previous “Witchers” were perceived by many as a product “for everyone,” then the new part is an unconditional blockbuster, ranking alongside giants like and. The scope and beauty of the third "Witcher" attracted a new audience who not only had not read Andrzej Sapkowski's books, but had not even launched the previous games. Especially for beginners, Gmbox has compiled a short guide to the heroes, geography and main events of the world of The Witcher.
Geography and history of The Witcher
The Witcher series takes place on a huge continent without a name. It was once inhabited by elves, gnomes and dwarves, but after several wars between the elves and dwarves, the latter retreated to the mountainous regions of the mainland, and the elves occupied the valleys and forests. Some 500 years before the events of the games, human colonists arrived on the continent and sparked a series of wars against other races. Humans soon became the dominant force on the continent.
Subsequently, elves and dwarves began to be considered second-class citizens in human society, they were allowed to settle only in small ghettos. Those who did not live in the ghetto had to put up with difficult conditions and settle in the most inhospitable regions of the continent that had not yet been conquered by people. Over time, racial discrimination has not disappeared anywhere - players observe it in the games of the series.
Today, the main players on the continent are one ever-expanding empire in the south and a conglomerate of states in the north.
Northern Kingdoms is an alliance of human states located north of the Amell Mountains. The inhabitants of these countries are called Nordlings. Most of the states belonging to the Northern Kingdoms are independent, so armed conflicts and territorial disputes, as well as dynastic marriages, are common between them. But when a threat from outside hangs over the countries of the region, they come to a consensus and stand shoulder to shoulder.
There is no single religion or pantheon of gods in the Northern Kingdoms, but two cults are most common. The first worships Melitele, the Mother Goddess who cares for her children. This cult is the most peaceful in the Northern Kingdoms; the tenets of its adherents are tolerance and helping one's neighbor.
Melitele's main rival is the cult of the Eternal Fire. Its clerics fanatically worship the Unquenchable Flame, which they consider the essence of all living things. This religion even has its own military formation - the knightly Order of the Flaming Rose.
Nilfgaard- the most powerful empire in the history of the Witcher world, located in the south of the continent. It is famous for both its thriving economy and its strong army with talented commanders. This empire, for the most part, expanded through the conquest of border countries, which after occupation became new provinces. Residents of the Empire believe that the only "real" Nilfgaardians are those who were born in the heart of the Empire, and not in the conquered lands.
The Nilfgaardian Empire frequently invaded and occupied parts of the Northern Kingdoms - their history of conflict includes two full-scale wars. In the second part of The Witcher, players witness the emergence of a third war, which will flare up in the new game. The final events of the First War were the Battle of Sodden Hill, in which the North lost as many as 13 out of 22 magicians, but was victorious, and the conquest of Cintra, one of the northern principalities, by the Nilfgaardians. The turning point of the Second War was the Battle of Brenna, in which the Nords defeated the Nilfgaardian forces and won.
Who are magicians
Triss Merigold is the most famous sorceress of The Witcher.Few events in the world of The Witcher take place without the participation of magicians. Mages are small in number, but have colossal power and strength both in their profile and in politics.
Few have the potential to become magicians, and such a gift carries risks. A person who discovers that he has such a gift (the so-called Source) must learn to control his own abilities, otherwise he will fall into a half-mad trance. For this purpose, schools of magic have been created, where talented children study for many years, gaining knowledge and mastering magic. Words such as magician, sorcerer and sorceress usually refer to people who have been trained in magical academies, such as Arethusa or Ban Arde.
Because of their powers, magicians age more slowly than ordinary people. They can draw energy from the four elements, teleport over long distances, heal, and, of course, kill in the blink of an eye. With all this, they also have enormous knowledge in science and politics, which makes them excellent advisers for high-ranking persons. Finally, they are well organized: at the beginning of the book saga, the magicians of the Northern Kingdoms resolved important issues within the framework of the Chapter of Sorcerers, and later female wizards formed the Lodge of Sorceresses, which included magicians of both the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard. True, during the events of the second game the Lodge ceased to exist.
Who are witchers
The main character of the series Geralt is a witcherWitchers are traveling monster slayers for hire, trained in Witcher Schools that include merciless mental and physical conditioning and mystical rituals. Since childhood, when their abilities make themselves known only in hints, future witchers consume mutagenic mixtures and undergo other tests in order to prepare for clashes with the most dangerous monsters - most of their opponents have inhuman speed, strength and other deadly abilities. Essentially, a witcher is a mutant raised specifically to hunt and kill all kinds of evil spirits. Because of the “processing”, witchers live a long time and have an immune system that is resistant to many diseases and potions that are dangerous to ordinary people. Witchers are distinguished by high strength, speed and endurance and quick reflexes; their wounds heal quickly. They are also sterile.
Witchers are trained in special schools. It is known about the existence of the Wolf, Snake, Griffin and Cat Schools. Geralt, the main character of the series, studied at the School of the Wolf.
Who is Geralt
Geralt's medallion is a sign of his belonging to the School of the WolfGeralt of Rivia is a witcher, the son of the sorceress Visenna, who soon after his birth took him to the witcher School of the Wolf - the fortress of Kaer Morhen. At school, Geralt went through numerous mutations that gave him inhuman physical and mental abilities. Afterwards, he was selected for additional, more dangerous mutations, and he was the only one among the other young witchers who managed to survive them. His white hair, completely devoid of pigment, is a side effect of these experiments. After completing his training, he, like all his brothers in the workshop, became a hired killer of monsters. However, unlike other witchers, he often found himself at the center of the most important political events, despite the fact that he tried to stay as far away from politics as possible and adhere to neutrality. Despite his attempts to remain aloof, Geralt often has to make difficult choices.
At the end of the book saga, Geralt dies in Rivia, defending non-humans during a pogrom - another act of human racism against other peoples. However, in the game series he returns to life, however, without remembering both his past and his acquaintances and friends.
Women play an important role in Geralt's fate - you can read about them in .
Who is Geralt fighting?
A typical day for GeraltThe Witcher universe is filled with terrifying monsters and dangerous creatures, some of which come from Slavic mythology and Polish folklore. Therefore, here you can find goblin, mermaids and mermen along with the inventions of Western fantasy - elementals, gargoyles, wyverns and griffins.
In the new game, a more dangerous threat will appear and play a leading role - the Wild Hunt mentioned in the title.
The Wild Hunt is a horde of ghostly horsemen led by the King that suddenly appears in different parts of the world and also suddenly disappears. People believe that it appears mainly during winter. The appearance of the Wild Hunt is an omen of misfortune, death and an imminent war. But despite oral evidence, many believe that this is simply a magical phenomenon, and not a horde of ghosts.
What happened before the events of "Wild Hunt"
Emhyr var Emreis - Emperor of NilfgaardBefore the third game, Geralt encountered the King of the Wild Hunt and his ghosts, both in person and in dreams. However, now the Wild Hunt will become Geralt's main enemy. In parallel, Geralt, one of the few remaining witchers in the world, has to find the Child of Destiny, a girl with ashen hair, a living and extremely unstable weapon that all the forces of the world want to control. At the same time, in the background, a third war breaks out between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms.
“The Witcher 2” talked about the murders of the rulers of the Northern Kingdoms: first, a mysterious killer killed Demavend, the king of Aedirn, and then Foltest, the ruler of Temeria. The Lodge of Sorceresses was accused of these crimes. At the end of the second game, in 1273, the kings of the north, the magicians and the Nilfgaardian ambassador gathered in the city of Loc Muinne. The Assembly was called to determine the future boundaries and balance of power in the Northern Kingdoms and to restore the Council and Consul of the Sorcerers. Over time, it became clear that the order of the murders was Emhyr var Emreis, Emperor of Nilfgaard, and not the Lodge. Thus, another conflict broke out between the North and the South.
It is not yet known what stage the war is at before the start of the third game. What is known is that the Nilfgaardian army has crossed the Yaruga River and is marching north, taking advantage of the chaos in the lands of the slain kings. It seems that Geralt will once again be at the center of historical events, although he would like to remain on the sidelines.
Dear readers! There are probably Witcher experts among you. If you think that we have missed any details that are important for beginners to understand Wild Hunt, please add us in the comments and we will expand this material.
The Witcher is the hero of a computer game, the main character of a series of books, the face of a future TV series, and so on. Nowadays it is difficult to find a person interested in cinema and games who is not familiar with the universe from the works of Sapkowski. Some read the series of books by the Polish author, another part of the fans got acquainted with the first parts of the games in 2007 and 2012, and others plunged into the fantasy world only with the release of the final part “Wild Hunt”. In the near future, a Netflix series will be released on this topic. Now is one of the best times to get acquainted with the world, find out who a witcher is and appreciate books with games.
Origin of the character
The appearance of the hero can be interpreted from several angles. If we move away from the canon of the game and book series, the Witcher is a hero of Slavic mythology. In origin, the word “witcher” is derived from “witch.” The hero has magical powers and can turn into wild animals (wolf, horse, etc.). All witchers are divided into natural and trained. The Natural is distinguished by a small tail and an inverted reflection in the eyes. A trained witcher has no specific traits from an external point of view.
Origins in the books
In Andrzej Sapkowski's novel, the question of who a witcher is is given a slightly modified answer, although the fictional universe is not so far removed from Slavic mythology. The books focus on only one witcher - Geralt of Rivia. In Sapkowski's world, all witchers are created in an unnatural way - at a young age, children are experimented with through mutation, thanks to which they gain magical abilities and other skills. Later they are trained in martial arts and handling bladed weapons. As a result, the witcher becomes a monster hunter. He does his work only for money and prefers to remain neutral in personal and political matters.
An ordinary family life or working lifestyle will not work out for a witcher. Firstly, all witchers are sterile, and secondly, ordinary people believe that they pose a threat to the population. Therefore, the attitude towards them is extremely biased.
Books about the Witcher
Andrzej Sapkowski published a series of novels consisting of 9 books, published from 1986 to 2013. Outside the series, the stories “The Road of No Return” and “Something Ends, Something Begins” were written. They are not directly related to the story of Geralt, but represent the story of his parents.
At the center of the events of the books is the aforementioned Geralt of Rivia. Many charismatic and key characters gather around him, on whom the main storyline is tied. In addition to involuntary participation in political squabbles and the usual orders for monsters, Geralt helps Princess Ciri, who is a surprise child. Unwittingly, the girl becomes the center of attention for politicians, the lodge of sorceresses and others. All because the princess’s descendant will be able to predict the fate of the world.
Geralt and the sorceress Yennefer became her adoptive parents and passed on her sword skills and magical spells to the heroine. Along with Geralt, Ciri becomes the main character of the books. In addition to the two characters mentioned, there are many well-developed side characters in the books: Dandelion, Zoltan and others.
World of books
Where the Witcher plays the main role, they are very different from the usual fantasy. The author places a more modern model of human behavior in a traditional setting for the genre, which creates an interesting combination. Because of this, the reader can easily compare himself with the book heroes, where the witcher is not alien to human feelings and doubts, the world is ruled by greed, where there is a clash between layers of the population and races, and familiar political conspiracies are considered, etc.
The color of the book world is impressive - upon first reading, you can get confused in the number of races, organizations, states, and even more so in their interaction (who is “friends” with whom, who is plotting, and so on). Because of this, the world is extremely unstable. All the key characters are on a powder keg and are afraid of betrayal, murder, and assassination attempts.
Against the backdrop of all the instability, the author shows that the world cannot be divided into “black” and “white”. All actions can only be divided into shades of gray, so there are no completely positive heroes, and in the actions of villains one can also find personal motivation and reasons for their actions.
The novel is not complete without a bright love line with intrigue, the constant need for choice, and even a bit of humor. In general, Sapkowski shows in his book all the topical problems, weaving mythology and fantasy into them, which results in a solid work.
In 2010, the author announced the continuation of work on the series, as he had new ideas and thoughts that could be implemented in the book universe. The latest novel, Season of Dreams, was published in 2013. In addition to the main line of books, a comic book series of 6 issues was released. In 2001, a full-length film and TV series based on the novel were released, and in 2017, development of a television series based on the books officially began. The project is currently at the stage of writing the script and selecting the cast. Andrzej Sapkowski acted as a consultant in its creation.
Game series
In 2007, the Polish studio CD Projekt RED released the first part of The Witcher series. At that time, the developers had no experience in creating games, so the first part received mixed reviews. However, over time, the gaming community embraced the role-playing game and it became a classic. The project was released in the Role Playing Game genre.
The events of the plot develop immediately after the end of the book line. The player begins his adventure in Kaer Morhen - the home of all witchers, where they grow up and undergo training. Geralt has lost his memory, so he will have to restore and remember all the events on his own and with the help of his friends. In addition to this problem, throughout the game you will have to solve the riddle of the Salamander group and look for the stolen witcher secrets.
Part two: "Assassins of Kings"
The continuation of the series was released in 2012 on a new engine and with new features. At this time, the developers had a larger budget and experience, so the new product turned out to be more beautiful and well-developed. However, the whole impression was spoiled by poor optimization on PC and the lack of mods for The Witcher.
The plot begins after the events of the first part. Geralt still has not regained most of his memory, and after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on King Foltest, he becomes his personal guard. During the next battle, a mysterious assassin in a cassock attacks the king and achieves his goal. Geralt is found at the crime scene, as a result of which he is accused of attempted murder. The Witcher does not linger in the dungeon thanks to a staged escape. From this moment on, the search for Foltest's killer begins.
"Wild Hunt"
The most popular and large-scale part of The Witcher series was released in 2015. A huge free world, the best graphics at the time of release and a continuation of the beloved plot with familiar characters. "Wild Hunt" received some of the highest ratings in the history of the industry from most publications and critics.
The game begins with the White Garden, where Geralt and Vesemir stop for the night. Because of the events in this village, the heroes have to stay and help the residents get rid of the monster, and along the way, delve into the ongoing situation with the war and the parties.
At the end of the chapter, Geralt meets Yennefer, which is where the search for Ciri begins. The entire “Wild Hunt” is tied to the story of Cirilla and her adventures. At some point you will have to play as the heroine.
However, Geralt remains the main character. In his company you explore large cities, help residents, receive tasks from politicians, visit a beautiful island and much more.
Results
Now you know who a witcher is and where he is found. After the release of the third part of the games, the audience of fans of Sapkowski's universe expanded significantly. Many fans of The Witcher began to read the Polish novels, and also became acquainted with the classic parts of the Witcher games. If you are interested in the story of Geralt, then quickly purchase books or install The Witcher games!
In this article you will learn:
Almost all creatures began their journey into fantasy from folk legends and tales. But there are those who first appeared on the pages of works of fiction. We're talking about witchers.
Who are witchers
They are specially created to fight monsters. And they start training witchers at the age of 10. It was at this time that they were forever taken away from their parents, and gradually ordinary boys were created into a universal machine for destroying various monsters. The path to becoming and training a witcher is very difficult and long. Although there are not so many such students, since parents never willingly gave up their sons, only a few students became real witchers. Future witchers are taught all the tricks of hand-to-hand combat, but they don’t recognize bows at all. At the same time, students are exposed to unique complexes from plants that cause changes in the composition of the blood, and at the same time the genetic code of practically no longer a person changes. After such painful procedures, witchers become invulnerable to various poisons, magic, diseases and even sudden temperature fluctuations. Also, witchers themselves know how to use magic, and at the same time they do not use words or gestures. Most of all, they are taught to distinguish the habits of different monsters, as well as methods of destroying them.
People fear and hate witchers, although they are often hired to protect settlements from various evil creatures.
They never attack first those they consider to be intelligent creatures. But monsters and evil spirits attack first, trying to destroy the enemy very quickly. Witchers do not interfere in all local or religious conflicts, and always try to remain neutral.
Before each battle, these warriors try to use their elixirs. If any other creature drinks them, they will die instantly. These potions increase the strength of witchers, but for others they are a potent poison. The medallion, which represents the school of this warrior, is of great benefit to the witcher. Without this medallion, all elixirs lose their power and energy.
Mentions
Witchers are sometimes mentioned in fairy tales. But all attempts to find them in legends failed. The Witchers came to readers and viewers after the release of several books by the Polish writer Adrzej Sapkowski. It was his works that made a huge splash on almost all fantasy fans. For the first time, this writer tried to completely change the stereotypes of all creatures. And he completely succeeded. Wood elves, instead of noble warriors, turned into bandits who hated people. The dwarfs, that is, the gnomes, turned out to be greedy and bloody battle-loving creatures. Even plants in the works of the Polish writer could become cannibals. And the most interesting thing is that the witchers were more honest and better than all creatures, and even people.
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Witcher - a character in Slavic mythology with witchcraft abilities. Also known as: sorcerer, werewolf, sorcerer.
Origin of the term
The name possibly comes from “to know” - to know, to have information about something, knowledge; “Poppy” - Goddess Makosh, who weaves the threads of destinies. That is, the “witcher” is the one in charge of destinies, the one who can control them. A related term is “witchcraft”, “Vedas”, “witch”, “knowledgeable” in something, “tell”, “witchcraft” - magic, witchcraft, sorcery, sorcery, divination.
Classification
According to legends, a witcher, like a witch, can be born and trained. You can become a witcher by selling your soul to the devil already in adulthood.
- U natural born no hair, beard, mustache, vertical pupils.
- Trained- no different from a normal person.
Rarely are witchers mentioned who are loyal to people: they charm diseases, heal people and animals, forbid witches from doing evil, and protect people.
Another point of view. Witchers, like human witches, are carriers of secret knowledge (constantly accumulating their knowledge and developing abilities to inhuman levels), received at birth as a gift, or transmitted from other witchers or witches. In the pre-Christian period (during paganism), witchers were hired to deal with wickedness, or other cases where a mercenary was needed with knowledge of combat, magic, poisons, medicine, manipulation, capable of managing things inaccessible to an uninitiated person. It is assumed that witchers could be adherents of: the dark side, light in practice, and gray ones who used their knowledge both for good (both in light matters) and for harm (and in dark ones); they can also be classified according to their way of life: wandering, hermit and village, wandering, mercenaries - who for a reward did various jobs using their skills and knowledge (usually gray or dark), the witcher became a hermit in two cases, in the first when he was expelled for dark cases and in the second, when he himself left to pass on his knowledge to a student in the wilderness, a village witcher who lived near the settlement (there could be several of them in one settlement). Ordinary people were afraid of witchers, as well as other bearers of the secret of knowledge, such as shamans, priests, magicians, witches, etc. With the advent of Christianity, they were declared evil spirits and began to be persecuted, and new myths also appeared, that in order to become a witcher, you need to sell your soul to the devil, before this period there were witchers in the land of the ancient Slavs, but no one had heard of the devil there yet , the devil appeared here along with Christian mythology.
Peculiarities
A witcher has two souls: human and demonic.
Abilities and habits
The witcher sees through all the witches and sorcerers in the area, controls the witches who confess to him the harm they have caused to people.
At night, through a hole under the kneecap, under the thigh or under the tailbone, the witcher's soul can leave the body.
On the eve of Christmas and Easter, witchers gather at crossroads, dance, have fun and be nice to each other, and also fly to Bald Mountain.
Often has a bad character. He often uses his abilities to settle scores with his enemies.
He has skills in freely handling human organs: he can take out a person’s eyes and return them to their place without any harm to him. He can also blow into his mouth and take out all his teeth. In addition, he has an “evil eye” - he can look into a person’s eyes with such a look that he will immediately get sick and die in a few days.
He knows how to control bees and disperse clouds. The mermaids' spells are powerless against him. The Witcher is capable of being a werewolf: he turns into a horse, a moth, a wolf, etc.
The witcher does not lose his power even after death: he fights with the dead on the graves, not letting them into the village, and always wins.
Recognition
A witcher can be recognized as follows: if you bury the bones of lamb's legs under the church threshold, then the witcher will not be able to leave the church. Also, if you throw a horse shoe and a stone into boiling water, the witcher will suffer and come to the house to cure the cow he has spoiled.
When a witcher dies, there is a drought or, conversely, long, lingering rains.
Precautions
Like any person who has sold his soul to the devil, a witcher may well become a ghoul after death, so it is better to bury him according to an old rite established to protect against witches: drive an aspen stake into his heart, place him face down in a coffin, cut the tendons on his legs to discourage I had to wander around the village at night and put aspen chips in my mouth.
Source
- "Dictionary of Slavic mythology"
I have always been amazed and pleased by Andrzej’s manner of reinterpreting legends, myths and superstitions, making them play with new facets that fit perfectly into the world and are perfectly adjusted to each other. He looks at them from a completely new angle. Which speaks volumes about his incomparable talent.)))
