The Witcher 0.5
Andrezej Sapkowsk
CHAPTER 1
The Voice of Reason: One
The Witcher pretends to be sleeping but is woken by the girl that smells like camomile. They have sex.
The Witcher
I. The white-haired Rivian arrives in Wyzim. He passes the first hotel and goes to a less reputable one called The Fox. He orders a beer and asks for a room. He is given the beer, but is told there are no vacancies. A group of tavern patrons are offended by his presence saying all Rivian are thrives. When they tell him to leave? He insists on finishing his beer first. They attack him and he draws his sword, quickly killing all three. The bartender vomits at the site of the pooling blood. Guards come rushing in and demand the Rivian put down his blades. He tells them he will willingly go with them to the castellan. When they argue, he uses his right hand to draw a symbol in the air. He then allows them to lead the way. He puts away his sword and dagger, but the other customers are still terrified of the stranger as he leaves with the guards.
II. Velerad was d the castellan of Wyzim. He is not happy the Witcher is in his office and tells him he will be sent to the dungeon soon. The Witcher, Geralt, pulls out a proclamation written by King Foltest. Velerad asks to see his Witcher medallion and Geralt show it to him. Velerad knows there are strange and dangerous things lurking about and his attitude changes. He calls for beer to be brought to them. Geralt asks for information on the proclamation. Back when the king was still a prince, he slept with his sister Adda and got her pregnant. He wanted to marry her which made things tense because Vizimir of Novigrad wanted him to marry his daughter. Adda gave birth to a disfigured little girl. It is said that neither mother nor daughter survived. Instead of being burned or hurried in the wilderness, the king insisted his badgered be put in a sarcophagus under the palace. Geralt says one of the Knowing should have been sent for. Velerad says they came later, but the child had grown in the sarcophagus and become a striga. The wizards came with ideas, but none of them was able to keep the striga from coming out at night and killing. One suggested it was a spell upon the girl that made her that way and removing the spell would make her a normal girl. That wizard was killed in his attempt to cure her, but the idea stayed with Foltest. It is now 14 years since the girls birth and 7 years she has been killing in the palace. No one lives there currently. They are in the brink of war with Vizimir over border posts. Geralt asks about the people who have tried. There were two previous witchers. The one left when he heard the striga was not to be killed. The other met with the townspeople about “accidentally” killing her, but he left after seeing her in action. The rumor was said the villagers collected 800-1000 to be paid against the king’s offered 3000. Geralt says an accident could happen and to have the villagers prepare 1500. Velerad tries to haggle, but Geralt knows this is a dangerous job and if it could be done for less it would have been done already. Velerad offers to take him to the new palace himself and warns Geralt not to mention anything to the king about accidents.
III. Geralt is taken to the king to discuss the princess. Foltest says the curse is to be removed and demands the Princess is not to be killed under any circumstances. After he leaves, Geralt asks the king’s advisors, Segelin and Ostrit, for more information about the Princess. The curse is supposed to be broken by someone staying with the sarcophagus for an entire 24 hours, but no one has been successful and has been killed. They say she looks like a striga with red hair and red eyes. She only leaves the old palace when there is a full moon, but she is kills anyone that comes to the palace. She tends to devour her victims, but they’re a few different ways she has killed. One man she bit the head off of. One she drained dry. They warn him that the striga is faster and stronger than she looks. She is only 14 years old. Geralt asks if anyone has survived her attacks. There is one guard that was able to get away and the miller that was attacked near the town.
IV. The Miller is brought to the chamber above the guard house where Geralt is staying. What the Miller has to say Simms much help, but Geralt learns a lot from the teethmarks and scratches left on him by the striga. One of the guards takes the miller away and the other lowers his hood to reveal Foltest. He explains to Geralt that he wants his daughter freed from the curse, but he understands it might not be possible. Geralt explains that a Witcher’s job is usually to kill. The hiring entity is usually more concerned with the safety if the population. He is not there for revenge and will do what he can to free the Princess. Foltest wants to go with him, but Geralt won’t allow it. Having the king there would put them both in even more danger because Geralt wouldn’t be able to fully focus on his task. Foltest has never seen his daughter. He thinks Geralt killed the thugs in the tavern to shock people. He feels like he can trust Geralt and even if he didn’t, he doesn’t have much of a choice because he thinks his daughter is suffering the way she is. Geralt doesn’t confirm or deny his suspicion.
V. Geralt travels to no man’s land between the palaces to prepare for his night with the striga. He pulls out an oblong package and unwraps a silver sword with runes carved into it. He puts one hand on the sword while he drinks two out of three vials of a liquid that would be poison to anyone that had not been inoculated to it as a child. He can now see and hear extremely well and he hears footsteps approaching in the courtyard. He finds Ostrit there and warns him to leave. Ostrit throws a bag of money at his feet and tells him to leave with the striga as is. Geralt knows this is about overthrowing the crown and says he does not deal in politics. The more Geralt refuses, the angrier Ostrit gets until he pulls out his sword. Geralt doesn’t want to waste his silver blade on him. He rushes up and hits Ostrit in the temple with his metal wrist cuff.
VI. Ostrit wakes up soon after and finds himself bound. He begs the Witcher to let him go. Geralt warns him to be quiet so he doesn’t draw the striga out early. Ostrit admits he was in love with Adda. Only once did he say something out loud that might have made the Princess a striga. He thinks it was Foltest’s mother that did the curse. Geralt tells him it doesn’t matter now. When he hears the striga moving around, he cuts the rope to release Ostrit. Ostrit runs and is quickly overtaken by the striga. She is distracted for a while with devouring him. She then comes for Geralt. When she attacks, he is able to scratch her with the silver prongs in his gloved knuckles. Her reaction to the silver gives him confidence the curse can be lifted. He binds her in a silver chain, but it doesn’t hold her long. He uses a simple spell, but she is still able to approach him slowly. He knows he will not be able to keep going at this rate the whole night. He pulls out his silver sword and uses another spell that mirrors the anger and hatred that had created the striga back at yer. She runs away. He drinks his last vial of liquid. Geralt goes into the crypt and seals himself in Adda’s tomb with the sign of Yrden. He sets up an incandescent hourglass and slowly stops hearing the striga’s screams as the true love and celandine kick in.
VII. Geralt wakes up and sees all the sand has gone through the hour glass. He slept longer than he planned to. He undoes the spell keeping the lid shut and opens it slightly. He hears nothing, so he opens it the rest of the way. He finds the girl asleep in the ground. He picks her up and lifts her top lip to see her teeth are normal. She wakes up and slashes at his throat with her nails. The cuts are deep and Geralt starts bleeding heavily. He headbuts her to knock her out and sees she is has normal fingernails and body. He wraps up his knock to step the bleeding before he faints. A rooster crows for the third time.
VIII. Geralt wakes up two days later. Velerad is there to tell him what happened. No one in town slept that night. As soon as they heard the third crow from the rooster, they rushed in and found Geralt with his neck slit and the Princess. Geralt ask how she is acting. She is a bit dull witted and acts more like a toddler than her age, but she is no longer a striga. Cereals tries to ask him why her tries to bite her to death, but Geralt falls back asleep.
CHAPTER 2
The Voice of Reason: Two
I. Nenneke comes into the room to wake up Geralt and tells Iola to leave. When Iola goes back to her normal form instead of looking like Yennifer, Geralt resents her a bit. He asks that Nenneke not punish her. Nenneke reminds him their goddess, Melitele, doesn’t forbid them much, but Iola has taken a vow of silence and will not speak to him. She checks the wound on his neck. The wound had almost been healed by the time he got to the Melitele Temple in Ellander, but Nenneke’s healing would be worth the extra time. She questions his abilities since he let an ordinary striga get close enough to deal a fatal blow. She tells him it will be a month before he will have full movement of his neck and he shouldn’t my fight anyone especially agile until then. She sends him down to breakfast. He asks if he should find her in the Sanctuary later. She tells him to stay out of the Sanctusry and she will find him later.
II. Geralt walks through the temple grounds and sees many priestesses. While he visits the temple usually once or twice a year, he doesn’t recognize any of them because most move onto other places they are needed before too long. When Nenneke finds him, she tries to convince him to try a trance. She has a feeling he is sick and there is something going on with him that is making him so. He does not believe in religion and thinks their gods and goddesses are just the power or nature personified so will even understand it. He thinks she wants to go too deep and instead offers to tell her his tales of being a Witcher over beer. Nenneke tells him a trance couldn’t do any harm and might be proof that a lack of faith has some sort of power.
A Grain of Truth
I. Geralt steers his mare, Roach, to where birds are circling overhead in the forest. When he gets to the spot, he sees first a dead woman. There are three wolves surrounding a dead man that walk away as he approaches. Geralt sees the woman’s face, neck, and leg are most gone and moves onto the man’s body. He looks through the man’s belongings and finds a credit note soaked but still legible made out to Rulle Asper. He has an armorer’s guild ring and it appears that he was killed by a broken neck, not the wolves. He wonders why the man and woman were going through the forest instead of taking the highway. He goes back to the woman’s body and starts to turn it over. He is pricked in the finger by an unusual blue rose. There are bite marks on her neck that are not from a wolf and left no tracks. He backs up to his horse and gets out a sword. He intends to figure out what happened.
II. Geralt walks along through the forest drawing a symbol with his hand to keep Roach calm. His dismounts and leads her forward. He feels someone watching him and turns to see a dark haired and eyed girl in a white dress fly out of sight quickly in a streak of white. He turns his head to follow, and suddenly he comes to a stone wall. He follows the wall to a gate. He goes to reach for the knocker, but it opens on its own. He leads Roach to inside a courtyard with a mansion on the other side. A humanoid monster with a bear-like head charges at them. Geralt quickly pulls his sword and the creature stops. They are weary of each other at first, but Geralt puts his sword away and the other, Nivellen, invites him in. They sit at a table and Nivellen conjures food and wine. He commands the mansion and is able to conjure small things such as food and drink, but not much else. He points to a portrait of what he used to look like in a dark corner. When Geralt sees it without getting closer, Nivellen realizes he is more than human. Geralt admits he is a Witcher and asks if he wants the curse that was put on him removed. Nivellen admits he is much stronger and the women like him more as a monster. He tells Geralt his story. He was in a sort of gang and the young men that were a oart of it got it in their heads to raid a temple (Church of Coram Agh Tera) that had bones on the alter and a green fire. The boys held down the priestess while Nivellen took his manhood. In the middle of the act, she cursed him and killed herself with a knife she had hidden in her hair. The boys ran from the temple. When Nivellen woke the next morning, he saw his reflection and went into a fit. He scared away every living thing from the mansion. When someone came and took a rose from his Aunt’s blue rose bush, he tackled the man and demanded he pay with his life or his daughter. She was only eight, so they waited until she was older and brought her back. He filled the father’s bag with money and the girl stayed with him for a year. They were all scared of him at first, but as they got to know him, they became attracted to him and eventually had sex with him. Geralt admits he doesn’t have the power or knowledge to lift the curse and Nivellen does express some interest. He explains he has been having monstrous dreams, but doesn’t wake up covered in mud or brambles. Geralt says there is. Thing he can do for him about that. As Nivellen is walking him out, he lets slip that he and Vereena, the rusalka Geralt saw in the forest earlier, are in love. He thinks if he was human, they could be together. He asks about the last merchant and daughter that left three days ago (the body’s he found) and Geralt admits something has happened to them. Nivellen says he will deal with his own curse, but if it gets too bad, Geralt should come back as a Witcher and end it.
III. Instead of heading back to the highway as Nivellen suggested, Geralt stays on a bare hill. He sits up with his sword in his lap all night.
IV. In the morning, Roach balks at a ring of red mushrooms. Geralt tries to tell her it is just a regular devil’s ring, but then realizes something. They take off quickly.
V. When Geralt gets back to the mansion, the gate is already open. He goes into the courtyard and finds the black-haired woman in white on the dolphin statue inside the fountain. He asks her what she is. After a few guesses, she agrees she is a braxa, a vampire. She attacks Geralt with a wall of sound that knocks him back. He uses a symbol to break the blow. She charges him and he swings his sword, but he misses several times. He realizes he underestimated her. Nivellen comes out and attacks her. She knocks him into a wooden scaffolding and it shatters. She goes back to fighting the Witcher. She speaks without moving her mouth and says she is going to kill him. Nivellen runs a giant piece of wood through her heart and backs himself to the wall dragging her with him. She pulls herself down the stake to get closer to him saying she loves him. Geralt cuts off her head. Nivellen is shocked to find he has been returned to his human form. Geralt explains most of the tales are true when it comes to true love.
CHAPTER 3
The Voice of Reason: Three
Two Knights of the White Rose come to Nenneke’s temple of Melitele while Geralt is there on personal business. He greets them, but Nenneke warns him there are there to try to chase him away. The younger knight, Tailles, throws a tantrum saying the Prince Hereward wants him gone immediately. Nenneke points out the so called price doesn’t have any royal blood or any say over what goes on in her temple. Geralt says there is no need and he will be gone in a few days. He has no intention of doing any business in the area. The older knight, Falwick, tries to explain that trouble seems to follow Witchers and the local wizards and druids are uneasy. Nenneke is furious and tells them they are being disrespectful. Geralt tells them he doesn’t my want trouble will be gone in three days. Nenneke wants it made clear he will leave them because that is when he wants to leave, not because of them. Tailles throws a tantrum. Geralt calls him a brat, scolds him for disrespecting Nenneke, and guesses that he has bought his way into the order as the rumors suggest so many do. Tailles throws a gauntlet at Geralt’s feet and Nenneke tells him not to leave trash in her temple. She promises to write to Hereward herself. Falwick restrains Tailles and threatens to come back.
The Lesser Evil
I. Geralt rides into town leading a donkey behind him that Carrie’s a body covered by a horse blanket. He goes directly to the alderman, Caldemeyn, who is dealing with a villager trying to bribe him with a goose. He is insulted at the insinuation that he would take a bribe and sends him away. He greets Geralt who brings him outside, takes the horse blanket off the donkey, and reveals the body of a kikimora. Geralt asks if there is any reward for it. Caldemeyn sends the crowd away and has Geralt cover it back up. They go back inside and have beer. He invites Geralt to stay with him though asks him not to kill rats in the dark by throwing forks at them (it upset his wife). Geralt says he found the creature by the dyke and asks if people were missing. Caldemeyn says there were a few, but it was not noticeable that something strange was going on. He doesn’t have the funds to pay the Witcher. Geralt was hoping for a small sum to get him through winter and his traveling to Yspaden. After making sure Geralt doesn’t want the body, Caldemeyn calls to a guard to have it thrown in the cesspool. The guard, Carrypebble, suggest they take it to the wizard, Irion, who has been in Blaviken for a year and buys strange things off the locals. Geralt isn’t too keen on the idea of meeting with the wizard (as they generally don’t get along with witchers and he doesn’t know if any use he could have for the kikimora) but agrees to it. They leave at once.
II. When they get to the Wizard’s door, the knocker tells them to go away. Geralt approaches and asks him to just look at the body without admitting him. The wizard recognizes him and tells him to come in alone. Geralt does and is quickly closed in a dark space. When it opens up into an orchard, he walks through it until he finds the wizard Stregobor. They sit on the porch and Stegobor confirms it is all his illusion and he calls himself Irion after the man that built the tower 200 years earlier. He asks for Geralt’s help. A long time ago, a malevolent wizard cast a spell that caused the Black Sun curse. It cause many girls born just after an eclipse to be born with mutations. The girls would become nasty and start killing. The wizards started out killing them, but mistakes were made. They decided to start gathering them and keeping them in towers, but they would escape or be rescued by unsuspecting princes. One queen, Aridea, used a looking glass to look into the future for her people. She saw she would be killed by the king’s daughter from his previous marriage. She called upon Stregobor and he confirmed the girl was mutated. The queen hired a man to take her into the woods and kill her, but he got distracted and was found dead. The girl got away, lived with gnomes, and learned how to use a sword. When Stregobor found her, he was able to encase her in crystal with a spell. He took her to the mines the gnomes used to work in and collapsed them. A prince eventually found her and had the curse reversed. The eldest prince quickly ended up as king and without his brother. Shrike ended up as first favorite, but not for long. She didn’t forget about Stegobor and had been following him trying to kill him. Stregobor asks the Witcher to kill her for him. Geralt does not believe the girl is mutated and refuses to kill a human. He says as town wizard, he can rely on the town’s help. Stregobor refuses and complains he will be trapped in his tower until he dies.
III. Geralt and Caldemeyn go to the Golden Court, the local Inn and tavern. Geralt approaches the six men clad in leather — Nohorn (older, scarred), Civril (half elf), Fifteen (topless), Tavik, and Vyr and Namir (twins) — and asks to speak to Renfri . They refuse to tell him where she is. They try insulting Geralt and his lineage. He points out one of them is part elf and suggests his mother slept around. Fifteen throws his sword on the table to challenge Geralt to a fist fight. Geralt is about ready to pull his sword when Renfri arrives and stops her guards immediately. She asks to talk to the alderman and Witcher alone. They go to a private room. Caldermeyn tells her she will need to leave by morning or he will have to put her in jail until she agrees to leave. She produces a note from King Audoen saying anyone that “mistreets” her will deal with severe punishments. The alderman points out he has to protect his people and the paper will go in the cell with her. He leaves and tells Geralt not to be late for dinner. She asks if he is friends with Stregobor. Geralt admits he isn’t, but he cannot let her destroy the town to get to him. She has more she wants to talk to him about, but she tells him to go so as not to upset the alderman’s wife.
IV. When the Witcher gets back to his room in the alderman’s attic, he knows someone is already in there. He puts out the light and goes in attacking. He quickly finds it is Renfri. She says she is there to prevent bloodshed. He points out that if she attacks, she will be breaking laws that King Audoen won’t be able to protect her from even with his paper. Geralt will fight to protect the town. The first option she plans to present Stregobor with the Tridam ultimatum. Geralt knows the wizard is not likely to give himself up. Renfri’s next suggestion is that Geralt go into Stregobor’s tower and kill him for her. He refuses. She asks if Stregobor tried to hire him to kill her. He admits he did. She asks if he thinks she is the monster everyone says she is. He says he doesn’t know, but if she were to renounce her revenge and leave, it would prove she is not. She tells him about how she grew up a princess and how her step mother and Stregobor had a man take her out to the woods to kill her. He raped her and let her go. She resorted to stealing and selling her body to survive all while they tracked her to kill her. At one point, Aridea and Stregobor sent an apple laced with Nightshade and one of the gnomes she lived with saved her. She says she has the bodily functions and feelings of a normal woman. She ends up agreeing to renounce her revenge and asks to stay with Geralt rather than make her way back over the rooftops to get back to the inn. She undresses to show him she is unarmed.
V. In the morning, Caldermeyn is surprised Geralt was able to convince Renfri to leave town. He tells the Witcher he doesn’t think he could do much even if they did break laws. Some of the men with Renfri are notoriously vicious. About about three years ago in a town called Tridam some of them attacked a ferry and killed people on board the baron of the town freed one of their own that had been imprisoned. The baron was ridiculed for not releasing the man before so many innocent people were slaughtered as well as for releasing the prisoner at all. Gerald recognizes the town’s name and realizes Renfri is planning to kill people in the market until Stregobor comes out of his tower. Caldermeyn tries to stop him, but Geralt runs out of the house with his sword. The alderman’s daughter, Marilka goes from complaining about wanting to go to the market to screaming in fear.
VI. When Geralt gets to the square, the six men in Renfri’s party are waiting for him. Civril tries to take him out at a distance with a crossbow. When Geralt knocks the bolt out of the air, he calls the others to stand in formation together. Geralt starts to close in as he circles them. Fifteen breaks formation first and goes after the Witcher with the twins following. He kills them quickly. Tavik is next followed by Nohorn and then Civril. When Renfri returns to the square, she says she gave Stregobor the ultimatum and he told her she could kill everyone and he still wouldn’t come out. She knows the Witcher has made his choice and fights him. She lasts a bit longer than her companions, but eventually falls dead too. Stregobor comes along saying he needs to autopsy the body to be sure she was a mutant. Geralt says he will kill him if he touches her. The people of the town are furious and throw rocks at Geralt. Caldemeyn arrives and gets the crowd to stop throwing rocks at him. He tells Geralt to leave and never return.
CHAPTER 4
The Voice of Reason
Geralt tries to talk Iola out of her vow of silence by telling her about himself. He believes in the sword. Like all Witchers he Carrie’s one silver and one made from iron from a meteorite. He came to the corner of the temple gardens to get himself moving again. His home is Kaer Morhen, but no one lives there now except hos father, Vesemir (he didn’t know his real parents). He went through the Grass Trials, hormones, herbs, and viral infections there. Since he took them better than most, they did further experimentation on him. He survived, but his hair has been white ever since. His training continues after that until he was ready to leave and excited about protecting the innocent from monsters. He wasn’t very far from the mountain when he came across a bald monster of a man that had grabbed a young girl away from her father and was about to rape her. Geralt killed the man. The rest of the men went screaming and the girl threw up and passed out. He didn’t get much involved in human affairs after that. He went from town to town taking whatever commissions he could get. Along the way, he developed his own code he mostly sticks to. He tells Iola not to touch him. He knows his date swirls around him, but he doesn’t want to know it. He regrets making a foolish decision in Cintra and vows to never go back. He thinks about the child there that should have been born around the feast if Bellereyn, which happened to be when Yennifer was born. He thanks Iola for talking with him, even though she didn’t say a word.
A Question of Price
I. Castellan helps bathe and get Geralt ready for a banquet he will attend as the honorable Ravix of Fourhorn. Princess Pavetta of Cintra is turning 15 and men are coming by the dozens to try to become her husband. Women cannot rule in Cintra and whoever’s marries her will become king. Her mother, Queen Calanthe refuses to remarry and wants her daughter to marry someone strong from Skellige because those that are allied with them get attacked less. Geralt asks why the queen needs a Witcher. Haxo quietly tells him something strange has been lurking in the castle, but he has personally never seen it. Geralt asks what he’s supposed to do about a monster in the middle of an engagement feast with no weapon. Haxo scoffs at him for not believing him when he wasn’t even supposed to tell the Witcher what has been going on. Geralt apologizes for offending him and he warns Geralt not to question the queen at all.
II. The feast starts and there are many guests there that intend to ask for the Princess’ hand. Geralt sits to the Queen’s right side and she explains who everyone is. Eist Tuirseach has brought his son, Cache and and that is who Calanthe wants to marry her daughter. She knows no one else invited has a chance. After they have all eaten and drunk a bit of wine, Pavetta is brought out. Just before midnight, a man in full armor and helmet come into the room to demand the Princess that was promises to him. He is asked to remove his helmet, but he says he cannot until after midnight. He tells the story of how he saved the king’s life while he was away from his kingdom and was promised the unexpected thing he would find when he got home. That happened to be princess Pavetta. Geralt points out that to be given the … reward, the subject must agree to go with him. When his authority in the matter is questioned, the Druid Mousesack explains how Geralt became a Witcher because of a similar fate. When the bell strikes, Calanthe has Urcheon take off his helmet. He reveals an ugly beast underneath. The queen is certain her daughter will refuse him, but Pavetta agrees to go with him. When the other suitors start to attack, Eist knocks out his son so he won’t. Pavetta screams and power emanates from her. Geralt and Mousesack have to work together to get her out of the magical fit. When she recovers, she rushes to Urcheon. The bell strikes actual midnight, and he returns to his human form. Pavetta calls him Duny. Eist goes to Calanthe who was thrown in her daughters tantrum and kisses her not caring who learns of their love affair. The queen admits she knew about his curse and had a bell ring early to dissuade her daughter from going with him. She wants to see Eist, Duny, Pavetta, Geralt, and Mousesack in her chambers. Mousesack helps heal a few wounds first.
III. Queen Calanthe a pleased with the outcome of the night’s events. Duny doesn’t know who cursed him, but his kingdom was very superstitious and he was forced to leave with his uncle. They travelled together until the uncle died and he continued on his own. It was said that acquiring a child of destiny could break the curse. After meeting the King, he did not wait the full fifteen years to seek out Pavetta. The Princess admits they have been together for a year. The queen is a bit shocked, but agrees to give her daughter to Duny. She tells him they can live in their kingdom where the people are more understanding of the strange. She intends to leave in order to marry Eist once her affairs are in order. She asks Mousesack to teach Pavetta how to control her magic so she doesn’t destroy the castle and he agrees. She asks Geralt what he would like for payment. He asks for her necklace and she freely gives it. Duny also feels indebted to Geralt and offers him anything he wants. Geralt makes him give the offer a second time. On e he does, Geralt explains that his kind are few and dying out. He asks Duny for that which he already has but does not know. Pavetta admits she is pregnant. Geralt says he will return in 6 years to see how destiny treats him.
CHAPTER 5
The Voice of Reason: Five
Nenneke is not happy that Geralt’s friend Dandelion has come to visit him while he heals from the neck wound the strings gave him. She leaves them alone as she cannot stand Dandelion. The troubadour comes to see how the Witcher is doing and where he is heading next. Geralt complains that he is having trouble finding work because there aren’t many monsters left. He considers going to the far south where it is much wilder, but decides he doesn’t like the beer or mosquitos. Dandelion reminds him of when they met at the edge of the world. Geralt recalls the poet clinging to him because he had gotten a girl pregnant and her four brothers were not happy about it.
The Edge of the World
I. Geralt and Dandelion are in a town near the edge of civilization. The Witcher asks the alderman if there are any monsters around he can rid them off. The alderman lists off non-existent creatures that seem to plague their town. Geralt and Dandelion leave together. Dandelion asks why he doesn’t stay and make money off of the village. Geralt explains all the creatures the alderman told them about are not real and just made up “monsters” by the men they want to feel better about their own monstrous behavior. As they are riding away from town, a man, Nettly, driving an empty cart says he has a real job for the Witcher. They agree to go to his house to discuss the matter. They attach their own horses to the cart and ride back with Nettly driving.
II. After feasting at Nettly’s house, the elder of lower Posada, Dhun, tells them about a field that has a devil in it. He says it helps them by getting rid of the bugs and critters that eat their crops, but it too eats their crops. It creates other mischief as well. The Witcher asks if they want to pay him to kill it. Dhun says he doesn’t want the devil killed, he just wants it off their land. Geralt says he wants to see the devil before he agrees to anything. When they are alone, Dandelion asks Geralt how he can say these monsters are made up one day and then agree to look at one the next day. Geralt says he never passes up the chance to see something that doesn’t exist.
III. Geralt and Dandelion walk through the hemp and hops looking for where the devil is hiding. Dandelion offers to sing the ballads of other people that have met devils, but Geealt already knows the stories. They find the path the devil uses and it leads them to it. It asks what they want, but Dandelion can’t help reading it and making jokes. Geralt tries to get him to shut up, but at the mention of jokes, the devil becomes infuriated and starts throwing iron balls at them with great accuracy. They run away.
IV. When they get back to the house, Geralt asks him why they lied to him and said they hadn’t tried anything. Nettly admits they rely on the elder woman who has learned the ancient book that tells them how to deal with certain situations. The younger girl, Lille, brings it out for the old woman to read. Geralt is surprised at how old the book is and how it is written in a lost language. He points out different pages and has the old woman tells him what they say until he is satisfied she does understand the book. He then has her read the page on how to get rid of the devil and it explains how it got the iron balls to throw at them. He notices Lille tells the old woman what to say and the old woman only speaks when Lille tells her too. He realizes the old woman cannot read the book, but has it memorized and doesn’t really comprehend the words. He asks about Lille. Dhun tells him she is a prophetess, but they keep that a secret because the men of the city that collect the levis don’t like their kind because they think it is all silly superstition. Farmers have grown to trust prophetesses over the years through positive experiences. Lille has told them they cannot kill the devil or other living creatures. Geralt says the devil, a rare sylvan, is an intelligent creature and he will not kill it either. He agrees to try to talk to it, but warns them their book is out of date and it will cost them more than the printed price.
V. Geralt confronts the sylvan. It agrees to leave if the Witcher can beat him in a competition of his choosing. Geralt declines. The devil tries for a riddle, but Geralt doesn’t even try to think about the answer. The Witcher explains the game they will play is “don’t do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.” He takes the iron balls and starts throwing them at the devil. When it tries to run away, Geralt catches him by the leg. After a few minutes if skirmishing, the devil gets away and into the hops. Geralt hears horse hooves and calls out to Dandelion. The horse runs into him and knocks him over. He gets up just for another one to hit him back to the ground. There is a flash and pain in his head before he passes out.
VI. Some time later, Geralt wakes tied up on the ground. He hears the devil, Torque, talking with a Aen Seidhe (elf from the nearby mountains) named Galarr. They discuss what the devil has been able to learn from the humans as they load up the cart. Galarr tells the other elves to check that the Witcher’s ropes are tight enough. When Toruviel comes close to Geralt, he speaks to her in her own language. She is surprised he knows it and starts telling him how she will kill him. He insults her until she starts kicking him. Geralt gets her necklace between her teeth and is able to take her down before the others pull him off her and start beating him. Torque begs them to stop. Another elf arrives on a stunning white horse. Torque runs up to him begging him to make the others stop. He dismounts his horse and all is quiet as the others drag Geralt and Dandelion under a tree. The elves sent Torque to steal whatever he can (seeds, knowledge of farming, etc.) to help them survive in the mountains since they were driven from their lands. The white elf, Filavandrel men Fidhail of Silver Towers says he is now of the edge of the world. They do not hunt down the humans, though they easily could. The humans have forcefully changed the way of the world and the resources they used to have are gone. Geralt suggests they trade with the humans, but Filavandrel say they never will. They believe the humans are the cause of all their problems, including diseases, of which Toruviel is suffering, but Geralt gave her a cure. The Witcher tries to convince the elves to let Dandelion go, but they think he will seek revenge and the poet confirms their suspicions. The other elves (not Toruviel) draws their arrows. Torque steps in front of them and is angry the elves are going back in their promise to him. Lille comes out of the woods and the elves stop. Filavandrel calls her Dana Meadbh and there seems to be a silent conversation between them as she frees the humans. Filavandrel agrees to return to the mountains and asks her to join them. She refuses and points to the mountains. Toruviel gives Dandelion a lute to replace his that was destroyed. The elves mount their horses and leave quickly. Filavandrel says when they inevitably come down from the mountain to die out on a blaze of glory, he peas the Witcher will be there.
VII. Dandelion is very pleased with his new lute and plays it while Torque plays his pipe. The devil is not happy about having to find a new place to live. Geralt is reading the book he took from the freemen. At Dandelion’s request he reads out loud about Sana Meadbh, the lady of the fields. He figures she will bless the people she is with as long as she deems them worthy. Dandelion reckons that will be as long as they stay the edge of the world. He starts writing a ballad about their adventure and decides to leave out the elves because he thinks some men might be inspired to go after them. Geralt and Torque go to sleep as Dandelion stays up to write his ballad.
CHAPTER 6
The Voice of Reason
Geralt sits with Nenneke in a cave with a crystal roof where a bunch of rare plants grow. She tries to convince him to stay longer and continue healing, but he wants to leave before Yennifer returns. Nenneke tries to tell him she was there a few months ago and won’t return anytime soon because they had an argument though she won’t tell him what about. He pulls some stones out of a pouch and asks Nenneke to give them to Yennifer. She refuses to be the go between between them. He complains that she smothered him, but he still wants her to find her cure and the treatment is expensive. As a female sorcerer, Yennifer’s reproductive organs have atrophied. Geralt points out that if people can be brought back from the dead, some organs should be able to be fixed. Nenneke tells him it is not possible. He asks why certain plants only grow in the cave. She tells him the crystal roof filters out harmful rays of light and allows them to grow. He asks if they should be protected from them as well and she says it is too late.
The Last Wish
I. Geralt and Dandelion are fishing and hook a large catfish. Geralt warns the poet not to tug on the line or it will snap. Dandelion ends up tugging too hard that the line breaks and the fish gets away. Dandelion checks the other line and pulls in ropes and algae. He finds a sealed jar in the debris and decides he wants to open it because he thinks there is a djinn inside that will grand his wishes. Geralt tries to stop him and take the jar away, but in the scuffle, the jar falls and breaks open. A large cloud of smoke forms and a monster appears. Geralt tries to fight it off, but his attacks make it larger and angrier. He is knocked to the ground and finds the seal from the jar. He holds it out towards the monster and yells out an exorcism he had been taught but had never used. The monster dissolves and disappears in a cloud and scream. Geralt checks on Dandelion, but the poet is having trouble speaking. He turns over and vomits blood.
II. Geralt gets Dandelion to the nearest town while he continues to vomit blood all over the horse that carries him. The guards at the gate tell him no one is allowed to enter while it is dark and offers for them to what in the building off to the side. Geralt takes Dandelion in side and meets two elves (Chireadan and his cousin Errdil) and a half-breed knight named Vratimir. Chireadan offer some medicine and Geralt tellls them what happened. They all agree it is a magical ailment and will need a magical cure. He will need it quickly as the curse seems to be changing his vocal cords and he may lose his ability to sing. They advise him to take Dandelion to another town. Sorcerers are hard to come by in The territory because the king taxes spells. They do admit there is a sorceress staying in the town they are near who does not follow the boycott imposed by other sorcerers and doesn’t bother to pay the taxes either. She stays with a merchant named Beau Barrant who is also an ambassador for Novigrad. Errdil tells him to watch out for the mayor’s spies that are all over the town. He asks for the sorceresses’ name and they tell him Yennifer of Yengerberg.
III. Geralt takes Danfelion to Bareant’a house. He knocks out the guard at the door and goes inside. Yennifer calls down for apple juice and Geralt takes it up to her. He gives it to her and she questions who he is and what he is doing in her room. He gives a sarcastic answer and she shoots a spell at him. He is able to block it with his own symbol, but is still knocked against the wall. She is surprised and asks who he is. He tells her and she says she has heard stories about the White Wolf. He tells her about Dandelion and she agrees to help after she gets cleaned up because he thought to bring her the apple juice even though he was in a hurry to get help for his friend.
IV. Yennifer insists on having a bath (and Geralt as well) before going to help Dandelion. As the Witcher is finishing his bath, Yennifer comes in and likes what she sees. She makes herself invisible before she gets in her own bath and Geralt tells her what happened. She asks what exorcism he used and he tells her. She laughs and tells him it is nothingnbut a dirty saying. She asks if Dandelion still has the seal that was on the jar. Geralt says he thinks he does but actually has it himself. Once she is dressed and ready to go, she asks where they are going and opens a portal. Geralt suggests they walk instead, but the people in town don’t like Yennifer and she has to stay off the streets. He reluctantly goes into the portal with her.
V. Yennifer is in the bedroom with Dandelion for a king while. Chireadan warns him that Yennifer never does anything out of the kindness of her own heart and is only helping him because she wants something. When she comes out, he asks about Dandelion. She allows him in the room to see him. He is sleeping on the bed dreaming. There is pentagram on the ground and a crystal. Geralt recognizes that she is trying to summon a demon. He asks her to take whatever payment from him she wants but to let him get Dandelion to safety first. She says she needs Dandelion and the seal. He gives it to her in hope it will change her mind about letting him get Dandelion away from there. Suddenly, Geralt realizes he can’t move. Yennifer kisses him and sends him off to follow her instructions. As he walks through the house, Chireadan realizes he is under a soell and advises the others to leave him alone. He goes outside and thinks there will be a storm.
VI. Geralt wakes up in a jail cell with Chireadan, an old man, and three thieves. The thieves cower in a corner away from them and refuses to answer how long they have been there. Chireadan tells him after he left the house, he went to the pawnbroker and beat him up and threw his assistant through the window. He then moved on to the apothecary and took Laurelnose into the street, pulled down his pants and spanked him while saying how inappropriate it is to spread rumors about a woman and call her a whore. He then starts to make his way to the temple because priest Krepp dedicated a lot of sermons to slandering Yennifer. Geralt didn’t make it there before passing out. Chireadan tried to keep the guards from attacking the Witcher and they were both thrown in jail. The elf apologizes for not stopping Geralt before he did all the things that landed him in jail. He admits he is fascinated with Yennifer. Geralt doubts Chireadan would have been able to stop him when he himself was trapped by the spell. Usually he can free himself within a few minutes and he doesn’t pass out. The guards come and take him out of the cell and hold him. Laurelnose asks if he needs anything and had a guard punch him in the stomach when he doesn’t my answer. When Geralt wants them to hit him in the head so he will pass out, he says to the guard he wishes he would burst. The man goes to hit him, but explodes.
VII. The Witcher and Chireadan are taken to the Mayor’s office. He is not upset about Laurelnose (his competition) having his bare butt beat in public. The priest explains there are four types of geanies and the air types are called djinns. When a sorcerer(ess) holds one captive, it can give them emended powers. He doesn’t think a person like Yennifer should be allowed to have such power. A healed Dandelion is sent through a portal to them to tell them he wishes no harm to come to Geralt for his actions. This last wish summons the djinn and Yennifer’s soell is able to hold it. She doesn’t seem to be able to capture it and it starts thrashing about wildly trying to get free and causing destruction of the town. Geralt asks if the Priest can use the remnants of the portal to send him to Yennifer to help take out the djinn. The priest says a prayer and sends him through. Geralt asks the priest for a translation of the exorcism he used. The Priest only agrees to tell him because he might die. He says it roughly translates to “go fuck yourself.” Geralt steps in and is surrounded by cold.
VIII. Geralt arrives at Errdil’s tavern and sees Yennifer is losing her struggle against the djinn. He tells her he has come to help her, but doesn’t think he can. The djinn finds her and makes a strong portal on the client to get to her. She makes a portal for Geralt to go through and tells him she doesn’t know where it will go, but he’ll be safe. He grabs her and forces her through the portal with him. They crash land into an oyster table in a ballroom filled with elegant, rich people. The start physically fighting each other and end up going back through the portal to Errdil’s tavern. They land in a table and it is destroyed. He tries to hold her down to keep her from strengthening the spell so the djinn can get away. She kicks him in the crotch and runs back to her spell. She yells an incantation and Geralt is thrown into a dresser and breaks it.
IX. Dandelion and the town look in on Errdil’s house as Geralt and Yennifer fight. The Mayor is still distraught over the distraction of the town. Krepp (the priest) tells him the bonds are weakening and it will be over soon. Dandelion doesn’t understand why Geralt went to save her, but Chireadan does.
X. Geralt tries to tell Yennifer she won’t be able to catch the djinn. She becomes even angrier from him saying she can’t do it and uses a soell to tie him up. The red spider web burns him when he moves. She goes back to work and tells him to run away. He says she should run away and he has to tell her the truth.
XI. Chireadan realizes Geralt is the one who holds the seal. The genie is granting his wishes. The guard exploding was his second wish. Yennifer can’t catch the djinn because Geralt hasn’t made his third wish. He doesn’t my think Geralt should tell Yennifer.
XII. Geralt tells her he is the one with the wishes and he still has one left. He doesn’t want to use it because it will free the genie and she doesn’t have the strength to capture it. It will kill her. She yells at him ti do it anyway. It sunny his concern what happens to her.
XIII. Dandelion is furious that Geralt doesn’t escape. The Mayor is glad Geralt is there to save the town and plans to reward him if he survives. Krepp thinks Geralt could save both himself and Yennifer if he made the right wish, but doesn’t think that will occur to the Witcher.
XIV. Yennifer tries to guess what it is Geralt wants. She thinks it is to be a normal human. She tells him he will never have another chance like this. He sees her as she was before she was a sorceress and hides the thought before she can see it. She gets up to deal with the djinn and he can see how weak the light is coming from her hands. He knows what he will wish for.
XV. The house seems to implode and the town looks on at the wreckage. The Mayor says they will honor Geralt’s memory for saving their town. Dandelion is upset and curses at him.
XVI. Everything falls around Geralt and Yennifer. She is surprised at the wish he made and how it binds him to her. They have sex on the ground.
XVII. Krepp suggest they get the carpenter started on coffins. Errdil hears something and then Dandelion does as well. Chireadan goes to the window and tells everyone they are fulfilling Geralt’s last wish and they will join them shortly. He leads the others away while they ask what is happening.
CHAPTER 7
The Voice of Reason
I. As Geralt and Dandelion are leaving the Temple, Count Falwick arrives with guards and the knight Tailles to challenge Geralt to a duel. They introduce Captain Dennis Cranmer who was given orders to hang him if he refuses or bring him to the Prince for punishment if he harms Tailles. Cranmer explains they are not out for blood, but the Chapter wishes the knight to have the reputation of defeating a Witcher. Geralt agrees to the duel and is given a heavy sword that matches the knights. Tailles has trouble keeping balance while swinging it around. Geralt uses his sword to block a swing and the knights sword bounces back to hit Tailles in the face. Falwick insists Cranmer take Geralt to the Prince. Cranmer refuses saying Geralt did not hit the knight. He thinks the chapter will be pleased with the knight having scars and looking like he has been in a battle. Geralt and Cranmer depart on friendly terms. Dandelion asks if they will avoid town when they leave and Geralt decides they will go through the woods.
II. Back at the temple, Geralt and Dandelion are saying their goodbyes to Nenneke. Iola comes out to bring him his trunk. She wants to say something to him, but cannot find the words. They accidentally touch hands and Iola has a vision of death and destruction that takes her down to the ground. Geralt and Nenneke see it as well. The weight of Geralt’s medallion bends him over. Nenneke asks if he saw the vision. He says he did. She asks him not to leave. He says he has to. She wipes away a tear as he walks away.