#coën my beloved

[minne-cerbinna]

I'm playing TW1 again and I have thoughts about this tiny little sequence in the Chapter 2 quest "Memories of a Blade", which amounts to the only mention of Coën in the game.

When undertaking this quest, Geralt is investigating the origin of the silver sword he was given to slay a cockatrice; he mistakenly believes that it might be Berengar's sword since he knows the other witcher to have been in the area. A conversation with Thaler, from whom the sword was confiscated by the guard, will lead him eventually to speak to the Gardener outside St. Lebioda's hospital in Vizima. This man used to be a mercenary under Pretty Kitty, but has since retired and works as a gardener, and had lost the silver sword at dice poker. When interacted with, he will begin any conversation with "Look how they grow!", referring to the plants in his garden. The player can then initiate the quest dialogue with option one, "I'm more interested in silver swords".

GERALT: I'm more interested in silver swords.

GARDENER: I knew one of you would come by eventually.

GERALT: You lost it playing dice?

GARDENER: I was sure I'd win. Beware, the sharp one plays well.

GERALT: Where did you get this sword?

GARDENER: Five years ago, there was a battle near Brenna. When the dust had settled, our men had beaten the Nilfgaardians. We ceased to call ourselves an imperial province that day.

GERALT: You captured the sword during the battle?

GARDENER: Yes, it was witcher Cöen's [sic]. A strapping fellow and a rare breed. Not very talkative, mind you.

GERALT: Like most of us.

GARDENER: I gave my word the sword would find another witcher. As he lay dying, he mumbled about teeth and destiny. Then he laughed -- at his own death.

GERALT: Yet you lost it gambling?

GARDENER: I kept it hidden for five years. I lost hope I'd ever run into another witcher. Miss Shani knew Cöen [sic]. She works at the hospital.

GERALT: Thanks.

GARDENER: Good luck on the path!

The quest will lead you to speak with Shani, then Zoltan, but neither will provide further information on Coën, aside from Shani mentioning that he died on her operating table -- Shani's dialogue is to provide her backstory as a medic at Brenna and to mention Rusty, and Zoltan simply assesses the quality of the blade to ensure that it is a witcher blade of good workmanship. It has no further significance to Geralt, who, without his memory, has no idea who Coën is and has more pressing matters to deal with than to look into the past of a man who died five years ago (according to the somewhat off-kilter game timeline, anyway). But it's the only mention of Coën in the games, and I find that it's a very interesting way to manifest his presence.

I think it is reasonable to tie Coën quite closely to his sword on a symbolic level, if one considers his appearance in the novels where he not only trains with Ciri, but his prowess with a sword is unrivaled even by the other witchers to the point where she believes that he may be the best swordsman in the world. Additionally, the fact that he fought at Brenna at all means that he offered his sword in the service of the Northern Kingdoms, and when he dies, he is identified by his peers as a "master swordsman" rather than as a witcher, despite the fact that they know of his nature. As such, Coën's sword is a very important possession for him to leave behind.

And from there, there is a connection to Lambert, left unsaid. To go beyond the simple fact that Coën was Lambert's friend, someone dearly loved who was close enough with Lambert and his family to get on with the other wolves and stay a winter at Kaer Morhen, the importance lies with the sword. As with any witcher, Coën wouldn't have much in the way of worldly possessions to bequeath onto someone else in the event of his prophecied death. But he does have his swords, which are established as symbolically important to him. A steel sword could be taken up by any warrior capable enough to use it, but a silver sword belongs in the hands of a witcher, and that is what Coën asked for on his deathbed, for his silver sword to be given to another witcher. While it's very possible that this is meant in a general way, that he just wanted any other witcher to take it up, to avoid the sword being wasted, broken, or dismantled for its composite parts, it also strikes me as possible that he could have intended it for a specific witcher.

Lambert is one of the instructors for Ciri when she's first learning the swordplay and acrobatics associated with being a witcher. Lambert is the one in the first game to provide the instructional descriptions of the Fighting Styles for Geralt to regain his swordplay competencies after losing his memories. And there is another bit of dialogue in TW3 that really emphasises both Lambert's connection to Vesemir, the swordmaster of Kaer Morhen, and the idea of swords as inheritance, as a manifestation of closeness:

LAMBERT: Knew the old man couldn't live forever. Huh, even told Eskel that when it came time, I'd get his sword. Fits my hand perfectly, you know.

Which is a heartbreaking notion in and of itself upon which I could expostulate, the symbolism there in the fraught relationship between Lambert and his father figure reduced to something as simple as a hilt that fits two hands perfectly. But if this is the inheritance that Lambert wants, it makes it all the more pertinent that Coën desperately wanted his silver sword to make it into the hands of another witcher. Lambert, the son of a swordmaster, wants to take on a sword as a memento of someone he has lost, and Coën, the master swordsman, left his sword behind. Even if Lambert were not the specific intended target of the sword, he would have possibly or even likely known Coën well enough to fulfill his wishes, whatever they might be.

And yet Coën's sword never makes it home or into the hands of someone who would value it, like Lambert would, this last memory of his dear friend. Geralt makes use of the sword during his time in Vizima, and then it is lost, replaced by the gifted Aerondight. And so Coën is lost with it, never mentioned again.

[meepthemeeping]

Rare ship time! Eskel x Coën! They're both sweeties

😌✨

[from-ib-to-asshai]

ok after sleeping here are my thoughts on s2: i had fun watching it, but it wasn’t good. for many reasons. let’s start off with the things I liked though:

- anya’s performance. i think she really stole the show. i don’t think the season would have worked at all if she hadn’t been putting those 200% in it

- cinematography 

- fringilla and cahir’s characters actually GETTING character, and good stories. last season they were both just 1 dimensional bad guys on the bad guy side doing bad guy things for the purpose of being bad. this season finally gave us nuance, and especially fringilla was really great (she was also the only one with great hair👁️👄👁️...)

- in general nilfgaard going from being the big big bad to a more nuanced portrayal of the north. i was glad they went with that

- the nivellen story

- there was a fuck ton of exposition in this season to make up for there being nothing in s1 and i think they handled it well. istredd’s scenes with fenn and codringher were fun

- everything jaskier - yennefer related. joey and anya have amazing chemistry, and a very interesting dynamic. (that scene in the last episode when he grasps her arm....i think about that...)

- that fun elf guy in oxenfurt. he was cute and made me smile. rip

ok that’s about it time to move to literally EVERYTHING ELSE:

- the worldbuilding. this season had game of thrones season 7 levels of space travel fuckery where it apparently takes a character half a minute of a riding montage to get from oxenfurt to kaer morhen. why the fuck do the elves even need to use boots to get to cintra when they could just walk five steps to the right and be there. the continent feels tiny. when we see characters only taking what feels like less than a day to get from places a to b (without portals) the world seems small, and fake. 

- the story. no really if you think you can try to explain the story (not the plot, the story) of s2 to me go ahead please i’m begging you. what a convoluted mess

- eskel. it was a stupid idea to kill off such a beloved character, especially how they did it. in the games and books eskel is such an important person in geralt’s life and story. why the fuck would they remove him from the equation. i literally cannot think of the reason why they would get rid of him specifically, and not coën or any of the expendibles, because i wouldn’t even say it served any purpose for anyone’s character -- maybe vesemirs? anyways it’s not like geralt even morns him for more than half an episode

- speaking of geralt, henry’s acting. idk man. i really liked him in s1 but this time around i found him pretty annoying. he seemed mostly just smug and detached

- makeup/hair this season. must i even say anything. everybody looks so fucking bad. i’ve seen better wigs at comic con. they were truly horrendous. geralt’s contacts and flat wig make him look like a deranged bird. the costumes were ok but ffs why does ciri have a full face of make up. why did she have to have 2015 james charles eyebrows. some of these wigs were so bad it’s distracting

- the pacing. this goes back to the whole story/plot thing but the pacing was super off, just jumping between breakneck speed and 20 minutes of doing nothing but exposition. 

- jaskier and geralt’s relationship. what happened to it where did it go. most the chemistry is gone which made me sad because their s1 dynamic was pretty fun. idk i guess they didn’t have the time

- the whores in kaer morhen. this irritated me so much. on one hand: worldbuilding. isn’t this place in the middle of the mountains? you’re telling me eskel brought them all on a 2 week trip up this place? on the other hand: ISN’T KAER MORHEN LITERALLY SUPPOSED TO BE SECRET?? what the absolute fuck. i don’t buy vesemir’s “they’ll have forgotten all by morning” shtick. Not to mention how the fuck can he afford to pay all these whores for multiple days -- he’s a witcher not a lord where is he getting all this money from

- the editing. i feel like they kept cutting chunks out of scenes to hurry things up

- the writing in general was a bit mas y menos scheiße. this also goes for s1 tho. especially ciri’s and geralt’s writing wasn’t great.

- just geralt in general due to everything named above. what did he even do this season. what was he even trying to do. what a mess.

things i have mixed feelings on/ haven’t decided how to feel about:

- ciri this season. she was interesting but i feel like this whole “i am a monster” thing they were setting up in the beginning didn’t really work its way into the later half in a satisfying way, instead the focus being given to her sense of belonging and the resulting ambiguity of it. also again wig and make up man

- the elves. being jewish anytime there’s fictional genocide and persecution of people do to perceived-otherness-despite-being-essentially-the-same thing makes me squint a little, especially with jaskiers whole “they’ll go after the artists next etc” spiel. making them baby killers, with an eye on irl persecution of jewish people in the middle ages and the whole blood libel thing makes me go ://. i’m not saying the elves’ persecution is a metaphor for jewish persecution in the middle ages or anything, i’m just saying it vividly reminded me of it, and it rubbed me the wrong way. idk

- coën and lambert. they were both really fun and good but didn’t get a lot of screen time, which also means not a lot of character development or bonding time with geralt or ciri or anyone. also no backstories. i don’t even think they mentioned that coën isn’t a wolf??? is he supposed to be in this verse???

- triss. what was she doing. what were her goals. what were her intentions. why did they give her that horrid wig.

-dara. dara is my boy, i love him, i screamed when he came on screen. he had a interesting story that mostly just involved him being passive -- which i liked!! -- but i couldn’t ever get a grasp on if he liked ciri or not

- the lack of tissaia. i missed her this season.  her an yen in s1 were my favorite relationship and they only had two scenes in s2

to sum it up: i had fun. it was fun. it also wasn’t good. i’m not gonna stop watching but s2 does not feel as rewatchable as s1. who knows. 

it gets 4 “sheesh”s out of 10 scenes of ciri running

[itsrainingfeathers]

So......I watched s2 of Netflix Witcher. It wasn't great, but not absolutely horrible either. No clue what the writers were high on, but I want a hit of that stuff. Incredible bullshit, this season.

Here's some things I liked about it:

- How they adapted the plot of A Grain of Truth with Ciri thrown in the mix, and how she and Geralt just walked away from Nivellen in the end. A very powerful scene.

- Vereena!! She is one of my favorite characters in the books even tho she doesn't do that much, so it was really nice to see her in the series, too. I liked the few extra moments they gave her, and the chittering sounds, and all the non-human things. (Though her watching Ciri in the bath was a bit creepy-crawly, even if it was likely purely out of curiosity)

- I hate book!Yennefer so much and didn't like her in s1 either, but now she wasn't completely horrible??? unbelievable

- her interactions with Jaskier and Cahir were the best

- Francesca Findabair/Enid an Gleanna is in the books considered the most beautiful woman in the world, and she's absolutely gorgeous in the show, too

- Burn Butcher Burn slaps so hard (and Whoreson Prison Blues, too)

- Jaskier's mouse friends!!

- "The Aard incident" yes please tell me more about small witcherling Geralt's shenanigans

- "Ciri, this is my...dear friend." "Dear friend?" PLEASE (Yennefer's 'dear friend'-letter in Blood of the Elves is the funniest thing)

- ah yes, Yennefer's stuffed unicorn that broke under mysterious circumstances (she and Geralt banged on it in Sword of Destiny or Blood of the Elves)

- Nenneke my beloved (though she couldn't do magic in the books)

- I'm glad they included some smaller side characters (like Jarre, Rience's homies, Codringher & Fenn and the cat)

- Very much queercoded Jaskier (talking about the "artist"-scene here)

- and he has a hat now!! And a very nice coat

- Buffskier enjoyers were clearly onto something. How are you feeling?

- Yennefer's outfits were gorgeous

- Coën's eyes looked really cool (the potions affecting only one of them)

- the Temple of Melitele looked exactly like I imagined it in the books! And it had that cozy welcoming warm atmosphere

- Tissaia de Vries in what I think were night clothes? Anyway she looked lovely

- Bard in Kaer Morhen!! (if only Eskel were there...)

- Those shots of Yennefer with the sword on her throat were gorgeous

- and there were some decent interactions between her and Geralt?? I deeply dislike the relationship bc at least in the books Yen is abusive towards him (and, as we all saw, it's not great in the show either), but the scenes at the temple were even enjoyable.

- the "basilisks" were a bit too velociraptor-indoraptor-like, but their design was still great!!

- Dijkstra and dear Phil!

- I'm glad they brought Dara back

And here's some things I didn't like:

- Eskel. They really massacred my boy in every possible way.

- Ciri. What have they done to her. She had some scenes I liked (like her talk with Jarre), but it was mostly bad (for example, when she and Yennefer portalled to the farm from the temple). Like I've said before, a bland ass sack of flour.

- Book Cahir is so much better too. Really hoping they'll steer him more into that direction in s3. (And Eamon Farren looks a lot like this Finnish singer-actor-sex offender Roope Salminen so it's a bit difficult to take the character seriously. Not his fault ofc, this is just a me problem)

- Why were there so many witchers? Were all of them from Wolf School? Way too many witchers. Way. Too. Many. At least they died.

- The previous one had (except for Coën ofc) there but I removed it bc they made him into a Wolf Witcher. He is a fucking Griffin. Not. A. Wolf.

- Could've used any of those unnamed guys and dudes for the Groot storyline instead of darling Eskel

- watching the scenes with Triss at Kaer Morhen and imagining what it could've been like with good, gentle and kind Eskel there...I need to reread Blood of the Elves or something.

- "yeah Ciri Kaer Morhen is very secret place" and moments later Creepskel has brought some friends for a party

- Geralt's ridiculous fucking tiddy armor. (Though I think he made it himself? Ngl kinda iconic. And it looked good from certain angles, but mostly just...no)

- s1 main theme (Geralt of Rivia) was so thoroughly badass. Awe-inspiring. Magnificent. S2 main theme? I can't even remember the melody.

- Them using African violets for Feainnewedds shouldn't maybe bother me this much, but it does.

- How on Earth did Ciri manage to surprise and kill not one, but two Witchers in their sleep??? People who have enhanced senses and likely don't sleep too deeply due to nightmares, paranoia and such????? What

- and how come those basilisks beat the shit out of and killed a group of Witchers, but Geralt manages to kill the biggest, baddest one without too much of a trouble?? And without potions????? Make it make sense

- Geralt in full-on parent mode is the best Geralt, but am I the only one that found the relationship between him and Ciri a bit...empty? Lacking something?? I don't know how else to say it, it just felt weird (not creepy, that's not what i mean) like that

- That Baba Yaga motherfucker. What.

- The entire season seemed to lack depth in some way.

- The plot had some good things in it (like Jaskier and Yennefer's interactions, Temple of Melitele until Rience arrived, Dijkstra and dear Phil, Roach number 387's very emotional death), but other than that, it just felt off and I really didn't like it. I wasn't that interested in it and mostly watched it to pass time, out of curiosity, for the bard, and to know what the fandom was talking about.

So, as one Joey Batey once said:

Seriously, if you can stand occasional monologues and being introduced to so many new characters at once (especially in the short stories), they're so much better. Though I do think I would've liked the show much more had I not read the books (not all of them yet tho, still got 3 more to go). Oh well.

Even though I didn't like this season that much, I'm sort of excited to see what happens in s3?? Yennefer teaching Ciri magic, Jaskier's spy stuff, possibly the Scoia'tael, Cahir and Fringilla's fate...let's see how badly they fuck up those, shall we!

[artistsfuneral]

Five Acts of Summer Event

Northern Comfort - Part 1

rated: Explicit (18+), geraskier, exhibitionism, dom!Jaskier, sub!Geralt

---

It was a quiet night in the witcher keep. Winter had come late that year, leaving the mountain pass clear long enough for all of their friends to make it to Kaer Morhen safely. It was unusual to have all six witchers in one place and Jaskier was enjoying his time with them thoroughly, trading stories of the path as well as little presents, spending time together without having to worry about an upcoming departure. Most of their nights were spend like this, together in one of Kaer Morhen's dining halls, now repurposed as a shared living space, everyone doing their own thing while soaking up the others' presence.

Eskel occupied a large armchair in front of the fireplace, quietly mending a piece of his armor. The rhythmic sounds of a strong thread being stitched into a piece of leather and the steady cracking of the fire had created a comfortable atmosphere in the room around them. Lambert and Aiden shared a divan, bickering over a round of Gwent like they usually did when competing. Coen was meditating in front of the fire and every now and then Vesemir would enter the room, restocking the fire or simply check on them, before the old wolf ventured back into the solitude of his beloved kitchen.

Jaskier loved nights like these, where he could spread out on the sofa in front of the hearth, his lute in his lap as his fingers created meaningless melodies. Geralt had his socked feet shoved under Jaskier's thighs to keep his toes warm, as he read one of the many romance novels Coën liked to bring with him for the winter. The witcher's lips moved silently as he read, a habit Jaskier absolutely adored, and every now and then his tongue would dart out to wet them once more.

Jaskier had planned something special for this evening. His heart started fluttering with excitement, before he willed himself to calm. Geralt looked up from his book and made a questioning sound, but Jaskier only smiled and shook his head. If he wanted to do this right, he would need to start slowly, make it last.

„Could you pull your shirt off for me, dear?“ He asked seemingly nonchalant, his fingers switching to another chord. Geralt frowned, eyebrows knitting together as his hands automatically reached down to the hem of his tunic. Jaskier stopped him calmly, “No, my love, do it like I taught you to.”

This time the witcher hesitated for the blink of a moment.

Jaskier held his gaze and watched with amusement as Geralt's eyes widened and an understanding gasp left his lips. Almost immediately the whole room came to a halt and the atmosphere shifted.

Geralt carefully put the book away and stood up, his eyes fixed on Jaskier as his hands slowly slid under the hem of his tunic, reveling his pale hipbones underneath. He bit his lower lip and bowed his head in submission as his hands wandered upwards.

---

I'm grouping with: @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @likorys-shimenawa @amazingmsme @chubbykatsudon @kaijuhell please go check them out!

---

@fiveactsofsummer

[part 2]

[imnotwolverine]

The Wolves Return - Part 1

Geralt of Rivia x OFC

| Part 2 >

Summary: After a long life of monster hunting, Geralt has retired to hold keep at Kaer Morhen. Winter is now fast approaching and though he expects visitors, not all of them are quite as welcome.  

Word count: 2.297 (8,5 min read) 

Disclaimer: 16+ - Thrilling, some sexual references 

--

The world goes eerily quiet when laid in white. Even the finest ears may not hear the migthiest cries. 

--

There hung something in the air today. 

A tempest that tinged the skies a hue of purple. There was a restlessness that made Geralt’s medallion tremble. And then there was of course the annoying old ache in his thigh bone, causing him to limp as he returned to his trusty steed. 

Hoisting up the poultry he had hunted down that morning, Geralt kept a watchful eye on the trees. Nothing much seemed out of the ordinary. With the day still early, a mist clung to the ferns and fallen over branches. It would look gloomy to anyone unfamiliar with the terrain. But to Geralt it looked perfectly normal. And yet.. Hmm. 

Stepping out into the forest clearing, his golden eyes brightened up. Roach had for once not left her spot -- which was quite a feat for the obnoxious, black and white coated mare. He grinned at her, clicking his tongue in hope she would meet him halfway. His leg was really a bother today and after his hunt he couldn’t wait to be back at Kaer Morhen and settle back in a chair. 

Roach, unfortunately, wasn’t so easy to convince. Blinking at him, she made absolutely zero effort to move to the Witcher. Instead she took a step or two back, twirling her ears as if challenging him. 

‘Oh don’t do that..’ Geralt sighed. He was really getting too old for all this. Reaching out a hand he leapt forward to catch her reins, his other arm swift to throw his bounty over the saddle. 

‘What is it with you women? Always eager to give me a challenge.’ 

Roach snorted. 

‘Yea yea. You laugh. Teasing an old man now, huh?’ 

She shook her head. 

‘Alright. Enough adventure for today, let’s get back and see if my brothers have arrived yet.’ 

Climbing up in the saddle he ran a hand through Roach’s manes, comforting himself with her warmth and accepting little huff. Without another word they set out, returning to their home at Kaer Morhen, where soon enough not only first snow would arrive, but also his Witcher brothers. Ready to outstay the winter. Like old times. 

--

[an age ago]

‘Oh come on old sock!’ Young Ciri jeered. She chuckled as she saw a hint of white hair peeking out over the turned over cart. 

‘Or what? Scared to lose?’ Geralt poked his head out over the makeshift barrage, eyeing his daughter as she stalked around a few wooden barrels. First snow had fallen last night and though it was hardly enough for a proper snowball fight, the two couldn’t be kept from having a little fun in the courtyard. 

Not far off sat Coën on one of the stair steps, his dark long beard sparkling with the little snowflakes that danced in the air. He had started down the stairs to gather Ciri for her daily training, but had decided a few minutes of fun wouldn’t hurt. 

Having settled down with his arms crossed, he watched the two dance around the courtyard, hands clinging to powdery balls of white snow. 

‘Oh now you’ve got it!’ Ciri darted forward, earning an exasperated little sigh from Coën. 

‘Footwork Ciri, footwork!’ 

She slowed down, turning around dramatically to give him an eyeroll. That moment, however, was all it took for Geralt to take the victory, his hand lifting the back of her collar so he could land a fresh heap of snow in her shirt. 

‘AYEEEEE!’ She yelped, twirling around at lightning speed to tackle Geralt before he could step away. The two fell tumbling and Coën couldn’t help but chuckle as he got up. As he made his way back up towards the main entryway, he found Vesemir standing there, looking down at father and daughter tumbling around in the snow. 

‘Quite a pair, aren’t they?’ 

Coën shrugged, brushing a hand over his long dark beard. ‘She’s a special one.’ 

Vesemir stepped aside to let him through, but Coën remained. Turning on his heel he looked back at Ciri and Geralt. The contemplative stare of his golden eyes hid something he wouldn’t speak of. A quiet sorrow that one would only find in the kin of Witchers. 

‘Ai Geralt! No!’ Ciri screeched, gasping as another launch of snow was squashed into her face. 

A moment later Geralt stepped in next to Vesemir and Coën, smirking as he wiped some frosty hairs out of his face. 

‘Well there’s someone who likes winter.’ Coën said. 

Geralt shrugged, smirking as he turned just in time to catch Ciri before she could return the assault. 

Growling in frustration the young girl tried to fight against Geralt’s grip, but there was no use. 

Coën sighed, shaking his head as he nodded in the direction of the great hall. 

‘Alright. Let’s get you soaked kittens dry before we start training. Can’t have you wet as a rat out here in the cold.’  

‘Say that to those who still have to arrive.’ Ciri huffed, blinking up at the sky where thicker and thicker flakes of snow were starting to fall. 

‘All come in due time.’ Tutted Coën. ‘Witchers can handle a wee bit of snow.’ 

--

The hour had grown late and Geralt had settled back in his chair before the fire. First snow had arrived, as expected, but his fellow brethren had not yet. With a thoughtful expression Geralt watched the flames in the firepit before him dance around a few pine cones he had thrown in. Every few seconds the fire would find a residue of the pine resin, causing the flames to rise higher and cast long shadows over the recently swept floors. 

He felt ready for his winterly guests, especially now he had gone some months without much adventure. He couldn’t wait for the joy and laughter to return, because though retired from the Trail, he still felt every bit the Witcher. He still trained whenever his leg allowed, and kept his sword sharp and closeby. 

Living in the quiet keep of Kaer Morhen, like his late teacher Vesemir once had, meant that most of the year there was little companionship. Winter, however, meant the return of the others. Of bawdy laughter, drinking..and perhaps some impromptu dress-up parties in Yen’s clothing. 

Yen. He hadn’t seen her in more than an age. The raven haired sorceress with her snappy remarks and dizzying scent. He couldn’t quite remember it now. The scent. He even bought it from a merchant some years ago, just to smell it every now and then. But it just wasn’t the same without her own scents mixed in. It didn’t make his heart race the way she could. Was she still alive?

A howling draft whipped through the hall, making the medallions of his fallen brothers jingle. They hung from an old tree that had been dried and placed like a huge ornamental shrine on the far end of the spacious room. Geralt inhaled deeply and willed himself to relax. For a moment he could have sworn that his medallion had trembled, but perhaps it was just his mind playing tricks. There was nothing there. Nothing to beseech his immediate attention. 

A voice called. 

Sitting up Geralt turned his nose into the draft, scenting what it might be. Just the winds again? Or a visitor? 

It was quiet once more and with a grunt he returned his annoyance to the fire before him. Perhaps he should get a hobby, like the old bard had once suggested. There. There was another person he didn’t want to admit to missing. Jaskier. The one most obnoxious, but beloved friend he ever had. Not even Regis’ uncalled for remarks or Milva’s unnerving singing could light a candle to the amount of suffering Geralt had undergone in the name of his friendship to Jaskier. Had it not been for having to save him from trolls, it might have been from angry mobs of highborn duchesses -- you’d be surprised how many there were of those. 

It had been years since Jaskier had found his rest, and still Geralt could very much remember the stories they had lived through together. The great tales that had been created with perhaps a touch of fantasy to make Geralt into one of the greatest Witchers ever lived. 

Or so Jaskier had proclaimed. 

Another howl. No wind this time though, Geralt was sure. With a swift twirl he started his way towards the battlements. On and on and up, straight into the icy winds that were biting their way around the ancient walls of the fortress. In the dark it was hard to make out anything other than the whipping trees and whirling snowflakes. But if his sharp eyes were not mistaken, there was something afoot near the fort entrance. 

He hadn’t raised the bridge. And apparently the narrow pathway to the main gate now made a stage for some unusual display. A hooded figure stood there cursing, hand knocking nervously against the heavy outer door. 

It was obvious that this wasn’t any of his Witcher brothers. They knew the secret ways to enter and wouldn’t have even bothered with entering this way in this kind of weather. 

No, this was someone else. Someone that smelled of fresh pine sap, blood and perhaps a wee bit of pee. This someone was afraid. Terribly afraid in fact. Another howl raved through the winds and the knocking became more furious. 

‘PLEASEE!’ It was a female voice that cried out over the wind. 

Geralt grumbled. Really now? A woman? Here? Eyeing the wildly moving trees he scouted for any trouble. But other than the wind and snow, there didn’t seem much amiss. 

‘Sir?! SIR?!’

Oh fuck, she saw me. 

Cursing himself inwardly, Geralt looked down the large wall that separated them. The woman was squinting into the flurry of snow, holding one hand up to keep her hood on her head. She wasn’t too old. But definitely not pretty enough to be a sorceress. She was not Yen. Nor any woman he knew. She was not in immediate danger, but then again..sending her back would be dangerous indeed. The people didn’t know this path. She, however, apparently did. 

Contemplating what to do, Geralt stood there looming over the battlements. The icy winds were starting to nip at his exposed skin and he could feel the ache returning to his leg. He had hoped for visitors, but not like this. Not… He scowled as the woman struggled to keep her cape close around her body. She looked terribly clumsy and she surely wouldn’t survive this night. 

Geralt sighed. 

--

[one day back in summer] 

‘You know, Geralt. There’s two good things in this world.’ Jaskier smacked loudly as he chewed on some freshly roasted sausage from the campfire. 

‘Hmm.’ 

‘First of all there’s of course the delicious enticement that is all that you can fit in your bed.’ 

‘Please don’t start about the unicorn.’ 

Jaskier laughed -- nearly launching a piece of sausage from his mouth. ‘Oh, do NOT give me ideas. Oh that’s quite splendid. How large was it anyway? Life-sized? Play-sized? FUN-sized?’

‘Jaskier!’ 

‘Hey! You started this. Anyway, where was I? DE-li-cious sausages by the way. That butcher’s girl knows how to handle her meat. And I’m not just talking about…’ He dangled another sausage between his juicy fingers, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Geralt didn’t so much as look, keeping his attention on the golden light that shone down from the sinking sun. The valley before them was luscious with buzzing summer life. Cicadas were singing, beasts were roaming. And then there was Jaskier, smacking loudly as he ate the freshly roasted sausages from the campfire.  

Jaskier continued, swallowing his bite. ‘Oh don’t mind the unicorn though. We all had our interesting experiences.’

Geralt finally looked back at Jaskier, whose lips curled in a smile. 

‘I don’t think I want to know.’ 

‘Perhaps another time, yes.’ Jaskier agreed, grinning. 

‘So the second good thing, what was that?’ 

‘Well family of course!’ 

Geralt raised an eyebrow at the bard, who now dreamily stared down at the valley. 

‘Family.’ 

‘Mhm.’ Jaskier sighed with a smile. 

‘Things that fit in your bed, and family.’ 

‘Well if you play your cards right they both might end up in your bed. And I’m quite platonic in my speech here. But yes. Family.’ 

‘Hmm.’

‘Glad you asked Witcher! Now family is of course more than just the line of blood you’re born from. It’s more than the people you are taught to call your family. Ciri, is your daughter, no doubt. And Yen, witchy mistress of evil with those delectable butt cheeks. Probably family.’ 

Geralt huffed. 

‘Oh don’t complain. But now there’s more! There’s..’ 

Geralt sat up. His golden eyes had practically set alight in the glowing burst of sunrays. ‘You knocked someone up didn’t ya?’ 

Jaskier swallowed -- no sausage this time. For the few words that ever came from the Witchers mouth, he hadn’t quite expected the Witcher to have been so straightforward. Wordlessly he looked at Geralt. ‘Well..’ 

--

Struggling with the rusty old joints of the peeping hole, Geralt opened the tiny latch at eye height. The woman that had been there moments earlier had disappeared. Which was peculiar, because it had been quite clear that she had wanted to enter. 

It was only a second later that he heard a heart wrenching cry. The winds twirled and twisted the sound, suffocating it before any human ear could have probably heard. He didn’t take long to make one and one two. The winds by the treeline were moving the wrong direction. And tracks in the snow, though hard to see, were just fresh enough to follow despite the roaring storm. They led back to that exact treeline. 

Fuck. 

Feeling his medallion hum despite the way it was sent back and forth in the wild wind, confirmed his suspicion. Evil was here. And perhaps it had come knocking, too.

--

Go to Part 2 > 

--

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[witcher-lore-enjoyer]

Griffin Witchers

Cat | Bear | Viper

I’m hyperfixating on witcher lore this month,.,.,. gimme the happy hormones mhmmmhmmn

Kaer Seren

Kaer Seren’s literary collection was its greatest treasure and the envy of a group of overzealous mages. In their attempt to seize it for themselves, they destroyed the very thing they desired most.

Located at the sea end of a mountain range in Kovir and Poviss.

Reaching Kaer Seren by land proved too daunting a task for most. The locale also provided the residents of Kaer Seren access to seafaring traders, ensuring they were always well-supplied. Armed with crossbows, a secured position, and a reliable source of provisions, the Griffins remained ready and capable to repel any assault.

Nevertheless, not a single soldier was prepared to fight an avalanche unleashed by the Council of Mages.

Founder

Erland of Larvik

Erland founded the School of the Griffin, and hoped his emphasis on knightly values would help elevate the reputation of witchers among the common folk. Alas, his efforts would go in vain.

Erland stood as an example for the new witchers, training them to have honor in their practice and conviction in their hearts. Together, with the head sorcerer of the school, a new discipline was crafted, focusing on magic, preparedness, and flexibility.

Training

At Kaer Seren, students are afforded the luxury of choice when it comes to their final Trial. They either locate and retrieve a griffin’s egg, or recite the entirety of Liber Tenebrarum verbatim. To Old Keldar’s dismay, no one has ever chosen the latter.

Throughout the ages, the other schools respected the Griffins for their study of magic and fighting style that emphasized multiple opponents

They are unparalleled masters in the art of tracking and hunting, even amid the most inhospitable of environments. No matter the trail, they won’t rest until their prey is captured, or killed.

Most Griffins can split an apple in two from a hundred paces. Just make sure you don’t move.

Witcher Mentor

Knowledge will keep you alive far longer than might, dear boy.

Keldar was in charge of monster knowledge tutoring.

He had memorized the whole Liber Tenebrarum and was easily infuriated when his students provided stupid or no answer, mocking that they would likely go to hunt vampires covered with garlic and armed with Lebioda figurines.

When Kaer Seren was destroyed, he was the sole survivor of those at the fortress. He still guards the ruined fortress of his beloved school.

Some Lore from Gwent

Despite his many successful hunts and the renown and respect the School of the Griffin enjoyed, the tide eventually turned against the witchers. They had been too successful and by the late 1160s many monsters had been eradicated.

Suddenly rulers became suspicious and wary of the independent schools of hardened killers and as witchers were less useful, the churches saw a new opportunity to spread more anti-witcher propaganda.

Seizing on this moment, jealous sorcerers in turn caused an avalanche that buried Kaer Seren.

Erland was not at the keep when it happened, he was close enough to see the culprits and, not knowing how many of his brothers had survived, he decided to leave and found a cave in the mountains. Here, he wrote down all the knowledge he possessed into journals so that, when the last witcher had fallen and the monsters grew in numbers once again, humanity would know how to fight back.

What happened to Erland after this is unknown.

Armor

Griffin School equipment is of medium weight and amplifies the intensity of the wearer's Signs; as such, it is heavily implied that the school and its disciples may have specialized in the use of magic.

Three More Witchers

Coën

Coën spent his first winter at Kaer Morhen when Ciri was in the keep. He trained Ciri in sword combat.

'Coen?' ‘Aha?' 'I'm still not fast enough—' 'You're very fast.' 'Will I ever be as fast as you?' 'I doubt it.' 'Hmm . . . And are you—? Who's the best fencer in the world?' 'I've no idea.' 'You've never known one?' 'I've known many who believed themselves to be the best.' 'Oh! What were they? What were their names? What could they do?' 'Hold on, hold on, girl. I haven't got an answer to those questions. Is it all that important?' 'Of course it's important! I'd like to know who these fencers are. And where they are.' 'Where they are? I know that.' 'Ah! So where?' 'In cemeteries.'

- Ciri and Coën

His features are described as unusual for a witcher, as he retained scars from early childhood diseases, like chicken pox, which he covers with a beard, while most witchers were immunized before contracting such illnesses. This would suggest that he either contracted the disease unusually early in life, or that his witcher training began later than most.

HERE - If you want to know what happend to him. (minor SPOILER for books)

Jerome Moreau

Gonna give that old bastard a piece of my mind! - Jerome about his father

From Gwent In 1087, after saving professor Tomas Moreau, a witcher demanded that which the scholar already had, but did not know of. From this day forward, Jerome, son of Tomas, became one of the children bound by the Law of Surprise.

A few years later, the witcher came for young Jerome to take him to Kaer Seren, the home of the School of the Griffin. The boy was subjected to the usual physical training and mutations necessary to forge a witcher. Yet the process seemed mild to him as if he was particularly well suited for it.

As a result, he mostly resembled an ordinary man, leaving only his silver sword and Griffin medallion to prove the contrary. Strangers and friends alike treated him better than the average witcher, with many failing to realize the fact that a mutant stood before them.

Unfortunately, extraordinary resistance was to become Jerome's undoing. For professor Moreau did not forget about his lost son, keeping him under constant observation. His normalcy led to his father's belief that the mutations could still be reversed.

When his father, professor Moreau, lured him to Toussaint with a contract, he decided to put an end to this charade. Jerome confronted professor Moreau in 1121. After imprisoning the witcher using a paralyzing spell, he proceeded with mad and reckless experiments to free his son from the witcher's mutations. Utterly ignoring his son's contrary pleas for mercy. This process was not mild. Not at all. Brought to the brink of death on many occasions, he rose every time faster and stronger than before. And more... mutated. As a result of old Moreau's experiments and in spite of his determination, Jerome became less and less human. Until the eighth day of autumn in 1122, the professor finally gave up. He collected his notes and closed his laboratory. As for the remains of his failed subject... He just burnt them, unwilling to face what he had done ever again.

It is possible, that Jerome is still alive, because there was no body/skeleton in the cell.

Adela

In The Hexer, a polish movie. there is a school of witchers described as being "beyond the mountains", to which Adela attended. At the time, only the Cat, the Griffin, and the Wolf Schools existed in the franchise, and as she didn't attend the Cat nor the Wolf, it's possible she went to the Griffin School.

This is however only a speculation.

[stinastar]

TWN S2 ep. 1 & 2 reactions/spoilers:

I literally have nowhere safe other than dm’s to vomit my thoughts so, enjoy 😂 Also I’ve only seen these episodes so pls don’t spoil anything else for me 😬

What is this beauty and the beast shit. Yeah he’s not suspicious at all

Here kitty kitty

YENNEFER my beloved babe and bitch wife

Shut up Fringilla

LAMBCHOP

Lambert shirtless with the ladies 😂

Is Coën slow dancing that’s adorable

The FUCK is up with Eskel

If this is what we get for him and what I’ve read is true ima be SO PISSED.

The woman telling Lambert off 😂😂

Come on Yen GET IT TOGETHER GIRL

Sooo Jaskier won’t be the only one to make friends with rodents? 😂

Father daughter training that’s cute.

I don’t even have words for Eskel right now so we’ll have to address that later.

[kiviniik]

I mean they already threw out the other schools out of the window too (NotW). Coën is a Wolf somehow (he has a wolf medallion in a trailer photo), and Eskel (my beloved my adored), well it honestly wouldn’t surprise me they would just erase him, again because of the change in actor.

They just make everything too “comfortable” to wider audiences, and erase more difficult items. Before that, Witcher was mostly between gamers and fans, but now with a huge audience and they want views before anything else. And it’s not just the fans from the games that can give them that, it’s bored people who watched LoTR ten years ago and click on it while it’s dark and they’re tired after work and they’re already dead inside who watch it. Fans VS casual watchers. Supply VS demand. Of course they’ll take the wider audience, while fans will critique and pinpoint everything wrong (sometimes of course)

At least CD Projekt Red are Polish, they know Slavic folklore, and did a good job at doing what they did

The moment I heard rapping in the trailer I burst out laughing so hard. Nothing against rap music, it's just... it's The freaking Witcher, medieval fantasy hello? I'm just so done with Netflix modernizing and americanizing everything and its blatant disregard for the source material and culture that gave birth to it, from the lack of slavic actors to off-key atmosphere & artistic direction. It has to sell so make it as generic and familiar as possible. No passion there, it's a cash-grab.

What can I say or add other than you're completely spot on here. It's the Netflix way. They acquire properties and then bastardize and mold them into something they're not supposed to be to make sure everyone feels included. I don't know what it's going to take for these people to realize that the appeal of The Witcher and many other franchises out there was that they were originally their own, created by their own unique people and cultures. I imagine it's got to be pretty frustrating and even insulting to Slavic people to see nothing of themselves in this show other than maybe a few musical scores here and there and that's just one of this show's many problems. From the looks of that trailer it seems that they're just totally throwing the timeline of the books away.

Whatever, I'll keep the books and games close to my heart forever. I try not to let this ever worsening doldrum period of entertainment media upset me anymore. ⚔️

[meepthemeeping]

Currently working on a fanfic between Coen and Eskel I will be posting updates soon!

Context: Coen gets help from Eskel (yes, he's wearing a dragon costume) at the ren faire. After performing a show where Coen slays the "dragon", they start packing up. Both high off adrenaline and a good show, they finally kiss.

RATE: E (Is non explicit except for two chapters)