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map of the continent.

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      Geralt Of Rivia , aesthetic board 

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The Religion plays a strong part in many peoples' lives in the known world ranging from the worshipping of prophets to mythical beings and cults.

Known religions

Imperial Cult of the Great Sun  (  Warmth, life, humanity, ruling dynasty, emperor, army )  The cult of the Great Sun was formerly only one of various religions in the Empire, popular only in its core regions. This situation changed during reign of the predecessor of Emperor Fergus, about a hundred years ago, who initiated a series of major reforms. The ruler was looking for a symbol which would unite the realm better and more permanently than only the ruling dynasty. By skillfully managing with cash and giving priests his monarchic favor, he made the cult begin to gain a new crowd of followers throughout the whole Empire. In exchange, the Emperor demanded absolute support for his policies from the clergy, practically making priesthood another form of civil service.Then the monarch issued a special decree called "March 8th Edict" which granted the cult the status of official state religion. Though during reign of the Usurper its rights were diminished, its position increased after Emhyr var Emreis and his army overthrew the usurper. The cult has its roots in the Elven cult of nature. The primary deity is the Sun, giver of warmth and life, protector of humankind, but also capable of being cruel and destructive. Since the "March 8th Edict" it has also been the patron of the ruling dynasty. The most important holidays are the Equinoxes and birthday of the current Imperator, currently July 26. The central ceremonies are held in the capital, performed by the Imperator acting as the High Priest, head of the religion.All holidays are celebrated with great pomp, to the accompaniment of solemn music and in the presence of all major officials, commanders, and aristocrats. After official ceremonies, folk games with food and beverage take place.  It is noteworthy that a number of customs related with the holidays are derived directly from Elven tradition. Priests of the cult wear white raiments embroidered in gold and silver during devotions, celebrations, and holidays; as casual clothes they wear black civilian dress.

Nordling Pantheon Nordlings believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.Settled priests usually follow a single deity but acknowledge and respect others while the wandering ones tend to invoke all the gods.[2] Some of the deities are known as the Immortal Ones.[3]It should be noted that while most of one deity's followers believe in the existence of another one, they do not necessarily worship the latter in the same way as the primary one – and, in extreme cases, can even hate it and its followers, as in case of the persecuted Coram Agh Tera cult. Deities Aesculapius Shani's necklace. Aesculapius is a mythological figure after whom the Rod of Aesculapius on the Merchant Street is named. Shani wears an amulet depicting its symbol, a snake entwining a staff.TriviaAsclepius was a hero and the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Coram Agh TeraFor the full article, see Coram Agh Tera. DagonFor the full article, see Dagon .Epona?For the full article, see Horse deity. HuldraFor the full article, see Huldra .KreveFor the full article, see Kreve. LilvaniFor the full article, see Lilvani.Lyfia For the full article, see Dana Meadbh.Melitele For the full article, see Melitele.Morrigan For the full article, see Morrigan.NehaleniFor the full article, see Nehaleni.Pereplut? Priests of this deity are common in Ebbing. They have a wooden temple in Claremont and while they protest against harming animals in the Arena, they do not mind harming humans. At the square in front of the temple Bonhart tortured Ciri with the riding-whip, the priests did not intervene.TriviaThere is an area in Ebbing called Pereplut Swamps. It is the name of a god of rivers and dance in the Slavic mythology, so it is possible that this Ebbinger deity is called Pereplut as well. SednaFor the full article, see Sedna. UroborosFor the full article, see Uroboros.Veyopatis For the full article, see Veyopatis.Verna Many people living in Velen worship a deity called Verna the Merciful, whose shrines are often desecrated by blasphemers trying to make a point, like in the quest Defender of the Faith.

Ofieri beliefs    Lands of Ofir have different deities and beliefs, depending on the region. They believe that important matters should be discussed outdoors with gods for witnesses. In contrast to the Northern Realms, the faith doesn't conflict science, and many clerics are great scholars valued by people for wisdom. z

Skellige Pantheon The Gods of the Sea and goddess Freya are chief objects of worship throughout Skellige. Undoubtedly, the latter is revered by the Islanders above all other deities, and she is a central figure in their religious system. They grant her the venerable title of the great modron, meaning "mother" in their tongue, for Freya is the patron of fertility, love, and beauty. She also poses as the patron of soothsayers, clairvoyants, telepaths, as symbolized by her sacred animals: the cat, which sees and hears while being unseen, and the falcon, who watches everything from the sky, and by her jewel: the necklace of foresight Brisingamen.]Apart from these, Islanders revere mythical hero Hemdall,[9] his mistress Heulyn, and their children, founders of the most powerful clans and the first alleged rulers of the archipelago: Grymmdjarr, Modolf, Broddr, Otkell, Sove, and Tyr.[2] They also trust and believe in local druids, who are seen as wise men and act as diplomats, royal advisors, warriors, and wielders of magic.[ There are also two forgotten deities: Svalblod and Melusine. Svalblod was worshiped by a cult cast out of Skellige, for even in a land of violence-orientated culture, these worshipers practiced rituals so drastic that they repulsed the minds of many. When it got too far, jarls brought an end to it and by 1272 only the henge in Fornhala remained standing.Melusine was a siren but was so strong, large, and different from the others that some Islanders worshiped her as a semi-divine being. She hibernated in a cave at the southern cliffs of Spikeroog, leaving at times to hunt. The locals feared her enough to worship her and even built a massive shrine in her cave, remembering her as the mad and dangerous Lady Melusine of the Depths

Zerrikanian beliefs Zerrikanians are known to worship dragons and make sacrifices before images of the said creatures.The religion is founded upon a legend of the golden dragon Zerrikanterment and how he created a protective barrier around Zerrikania by burning forests around and thus turning them into deserts and wastelands.They believe that before the dragons there was no other god, that they are the creators and rulers of the world. The priestesses are in charge of the worship. They explore all religious knowledge, are fluent in writing, and use the heavenly gift, meaning that they use magic drawn from dragons who are the only creatures apart from cats that are known to absorb magical energy.

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Known Witchers:

Notable witchers

Wolf School

Adon of Carreras[1]

Aubry[2]

Barmin[3]

Berengar[4]

Clovis[5]

Dermot Marranga[5]

Elgar[3]

Eskel

Frank[2]

Gardis[2]

Gascaden[5]

Geralt of Rivia

Gweld[2]

Gwen[2]

Gwidon[5]

Hemminks[2]

Klef[5]

Lambert

"Old Witcher"[5]

Osbert[5]

Rennes[2]

Sorel[5]

Thornwald[5]

Tjold[2]

Varin[3]

Vesemir

Voltehre[3]

Trained but not witchers themselves:

Ciri

Leo[4]

Cat School

Aiden[3]

Axel[3]

Brehen

Cedric[3]

Dragonfly[6]

Gaetan[3]

Guxart[2]

Jad Karadin[3]

Joël[3]

Kiyan[3]

Lexandre[1]

Schrödinger[3]

Treyse[2]

Viper School

Auckes[7]

Gerring of Kharkiv

Ivar Evil-Eye[3]

Kolgrim[3]

Letho of Gulet[7]

Mysterious assassin[7]

Serrit[7]

Bear School

Gerd[3]

Junod of Belhaven[1]

Ivo of Belhaven[8]

Griffin School

Coën[9]

George of Kagen[3]

Jerome Moreau[1]

Keldar[9]

Raven[10]

Manticore School

Merten[1]

Crane School

Stefan[11]

Unspecified School

Adela[5]

Chireadan[5]

Cormac[6]

Olivier of Gulet[3]

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Portals are essentially teleporters. Some appear to be more or less permanent physical structures, while others are conjured at will by mages. They allow individuals to travel from one place to another and in some cases, to a different place in time. There are several physical portals in the Witcher universe:

Alvaro's portal

Benavent's portal in Tor Lara

portal at Tor Zireael

Ard Gaeth

Depending on the type of portal, some are harder or easier to create. For instance, a portal that hangs in the middle of the air is far more difficult to create and takes more time, and thus only a very powerful mage can do so effectively. Other portals can be created easily enough to quickly whisk oneself away, like Yennefer did when she was trying to capture the djinn in Rinde.

However easy they are to use for mages, they do have their drawbacks: mainly if a portal is unstable or not set up correctly, it can quite literally tear one's body in half, killing them instantly (and the reason Geralt despises using them). It also appears that temporary portals can only help one travel so far: when some mages went to visit Vilgefortz, they commented on having to take 3 portals to get to him.

One can also set up a "blind" portal, but this is a gamble: if one doesn't know where they're teleporting to it could also very well lead to their death. However, under extreme circumstances, Yennefer managed to do this to get around what was perceived as an impenetrable barrier and ended up teleporting to Skellige.

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So while I’m here and it’s on my mind, the system as far as calendars work within the witcher world are vastly different, here’s an example. The Elven calendar is divided up by 8 points: 4 holidays during a new moon, 2 solstices, and 2 equinoxes.  Solstices  Midwinter Midsummer  Equinoxes Birke (march 21- april 30th) Velen ( sept 23- oct 31)

months  yule ( dec 20 to feb 2 ) Imbolc   ( feb 2- march 30th ) Birke   (march 20- april 30) Beltane  ( may 1 - june 20 ) Lammas  (aug 1 - sept 23rd) Velen  ( sept 23- oct 31 ) Saovine   (nov 1- dec 20) Hoildays Birke march 21 Velen sept 23 Imbolc feb 2 Beltane may 1 Lughnasadh  aug 1 Samhain - oct 31 Yule - dec 21

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Witchers: basic information about them.

Taken in as children, witchers-to-be are subjected to intense alchemical processes, consumption of mutagenic compounds, and relentless physical and magical training to make them dangerous and highly versatile against their vast array of opponents, many of which possess superhuman speed, strength and/or other deadly powers. These procedures ultimately mean that each fully-trained witcher is a mutant built specifically to hunt and kill inhuman prey. The key permanent results of mutations shared by all witchers include:

Sterility (which partially explains selection from the outsiders, as they cannot breed to pass on their traits).

Cat-like eyes that grant very acute nightvision - witchers can constrict their pupils to see in blinding light or open them to see in near pitch darkness. This nightvision can be further enhanced with the cat potion, but in general, it is good enough by itself to not require further enhancement. Their entire sensory system is overall enhanced, allowing them to identify the species of animal from the scent of their blood, and detect nearby beings even when out of sight.

Tremendous resistance to disease (which functions in most cases as complete immunity) and a boosted immune system, allowing them to consume large quantities of potions that could prove easily deadly if consumed even in small amounts by a normal man.

Exceptionally increased strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance, far beyond any normal or well-trained human, that allows them to swiftly end fights with minimal effort, and perform physical feats non-witchers couldn't hope to match. A witcher's physical skills alone are sufficient to defeat most monsters single-handedly if combined with extensive training and proper weaponry, whereas regular men could only hope to accomplish this in large groups. Witchers have also been shown to shrug off hits that would normally render normal men unconscious. Additionally, they have been known to survive the strikes of powerful monsters such as giants, or other beings possessing herculean strength, that would otherwise kill others with a single blow.

Having the ability to perform simple yet incredibly versatile combat magic in the form of signs. They also develop a sixth sense that allows them to "feel" things around them, be it items of importance or people's immediate intentions. This explains their uncanny ability to track and hunt people and monsters.

Accelerated healing granting quick recovery from injuries.

Incredibly long lifespan and prolonged youth (Vesemir is said to be at least a few centuries old but has the appearance of a middle-aged man).

Though they cover proficiency in basically any weapon that comes to hand, a witcher's training focuses on two primary tools:

The Steel sword & The Silver sword

These swords are typically carried on the back. A steel blade used for more mundane beings, while a silver blade for beasts of the supernatural. Witchers are also frequent mixers and users of powerful potions, having developed an advanced tolerance to their inherent toxicity, but still limited to a few at a time (even one of their weaker brews would be fatal to an ordinary human). Finally, their formal magical training deals with signs, a low-level yet versatile form of magic that allows witchers to cast spells and enchantments with simple hand gestures. Without extensive improvement and practice, these are mere tricks compared to what a sorceress can do, but they serve very well for someone with a sword in one hand to add a variety of improvisation to their efforts. Also, the more powerful magic used by mages often takes a lot of time to prepare while all signs are instantaneous. Additionally, witchers are trained by seasoned mages in how to use these signs to the best effect.

In general, a witcher is a formidable and often overwhelming opponent to more mundane races thanks to their superhuman physical prowess, regenerative capabilities, and magic. However, they are not infallible, as they can still make mistakes, take a misstep in battle against mundane men or supernatural demons, or be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and individuals who have the skill to match a witcher, though rare is the individual who managed to slay a witcher out of skill rather than dumb luck or by ambush.

Though a witcher's eyes are one way to stick out, another standard means of identification is the witcher medallion. This device aids in the detection of monsters, and no witcher would part with one willingly. (And of course, witchers are known for being 'hard to kill' - Leo Bonhart boasts a collection of three such medallions as proof of his martial skill.) The form of an individual medallion (head of a wolf, cat, griffin, etc.) indicates the school at which its owner was trained.

It is a common belief, even among witchers themselves, that they have no capacity for emotion. This may be debatable, and rather relative, considering the rigors of their training and the dangers they face on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps they have simply never had the time or exposure to society to develop or recognize the reactions to mundane experiences that most take for granted. It may also be explained that a combination of their hard training, genetic modifications, and seclusion from society that may encourage blunted emotional expressions, as Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel all exhibit emotional heights concerning love, joy, fear, anger, lust, and sympathy among various others.

Occasional references to witchers as 'nonhuman' are somewhat at odds with the original stories (in which Geralt only identifies witcher as a profession, never a race). There is certainly no official classification as such, and the relevant references (in the first game at least) are usually from Geralt identifying with the mistrust and/or hostility faced by elves and dwarves in human society. Likely it is used as a slur against the mutants, likening them to elves and dwarves, though it's worth noting that an in-game text found in Wild Hunt mentions that the Cat School of witchers "are for the most part of elven stock," indicating that there are (or were at one time) indeed nonhuman witchers. Whether or not there actually are any elven witchers during the contemporary timeline of the story is unknown.

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Sign ( witcher’s magic use) 

The witchers adapted the spell, making use of the fact that it does not require knowledge of a magical formula—concentration and the gesture are enough. That’s why they call it a Sign.- Yennefer discussing signs with Ciri, pg. 309, Blood of Elves (U.S. edition)

Though they are not warrior mages who employ powerful magic, witchers can cast simple magic spells that can prove effective when used properly. Witchers call these spells Signs and usually use them against monsters, though they also have non-combat applications. Because of the Signs, witchers prefer single-handed weaponry since it leaves their other hand free to cast. Some of the Signs are casted by arranging the fingers in specific way, while the other have to be drawn on a solid surface.

It is possible to make the Sign more powerful by enforcing it with the spell. Geralt utilized this method at least once, during his fight with Vereena.

List Of Signs used by Geralt / other witchers 

Aard is a simple magical sign used by witchers. It is comprised of a telekinetic thrust that can stun, repel, knock down, or disarm opponents, as well as remove barriers and other objects.

Yrdena is a simple magical sign used by witchers. When inscribed on a solid surface, it blocks the monsters from getting closer, scaring them off. If a hostile being enters the area affected by Sign, it is visibly slowed down, and non-corporeal forces become corporeal

Ignia is a simple magical sign used by witchers. It is comprised of a pyrokinetic burst that can repel and ignite opponents, as well as start fires.

Quena is a simple magical sign used by witchers. When cast it forms a protective field around the casting witcher which protects him from sonic waves and similar attacks, but not from the physical blows. Its expanded form can protect from the wider range of offensive actions. Contrary to Heliotrop, which is active only for a moment and cushions from a single powerful attack, Quen is active until broken or dispelled.

Axiia is a simple magical sign comprised of a hypnotic effect and is used by witchers. It can calm down people and creatures, manipulate their minds  or be used to hex enemies, causing them to fight alongside the caster. The effect wears off over time or can be prematurely broken if they take damage from the caster.