#dol blathanna

[charminea]

Truly the Queen of the Damned.

She really has been through hell and back.

[witcheringways]

I read a comment on Reddit mentioning the Dol Blathanna armor and how much it makes Geralt look like a fresh baked pie. I'm not usually swayed by sweets, but I'd make an exception in this case.

[starwrittenfates]

@albinoxherbalist continued from HERE!

"I was making my way to the village up ahead. I'm trying to look for work---or at least anyone who is willing to take me." Outside the walls of Dol Blathanna was proving to be a different type of world entirely. Not many were welcome to elves, even elves who wanted to be bard's. At this point, Synnove was used to getting harsh laughs back in her face.

"Even as a herbalist, I'd consider it an important role in society." Synnove would even say they were healers in their own rights. Even a good mage or sage would need to use herbs for certain things, so it was important to have someone to trade with for ingredients.

"I'm glad to have met someone kind on this journey so far. Sometimes I think I should have listened to my teacher and stayed put in Dol Blathanna."

[sungiftedbard]

@albinoxherbalist continued from HERE!

Realizing she was a human, Synnove hesitated at first. After all, her kind were often mistreated by theirs. That was why it was best to stay inside the safety of the walls of Dol Blathanna, but she never listened. She wanted to venture outside the walls and see the world for herself in order to better understand the life of a Bard.

Having come across someone in need, she followed her instincts, wanting to help them the best she could, even if this person happened to be human. So far they weren't attacking her, so that was a plus, but would it be a ruse? Who was to say she wouldn't be the next to be attacked?

There she went though, not listening again. "Are you sure you're okay? What attacked you?" However, she was ready for a fight, carrying not only a lyre on her back along with some belongings, but a sword too and her own magical abilities.

[angelsanctuarys]

and i stand by my words

whenever you ask your friend who’s really into JRPGs “hey which one do i start with is the newest one fine” they always go “no, what you gotta do is head on over to ebay and look up the entry that completely bombed commercially. You’ll see that it goes for $800. Close ebay. Download an emulator for a console no younger than 17 years old. Download the ROM, and also this laundry list of various tweaks, retextures, and QoL tweaks. Pull up this exact spoiler-free guide put up a decade ago from GameFAQs, and you’ll experience the best game this series has to offer.” Like???

[endiness]

The elves called this Dol Blathanna before bequeathing it to the humans and retreating into their golden palaces in the mountains.

[fangirleaconmigo]

I’ve posted this on AO3 now, so that anyone subbed to the story can see Chessa. Thanks again xo

Image id: four sketches shoulders up of an adolescent girl with black hair in braids.

Hi Nikki! I saw you post about OC’s. I thought I’d send you my favorite. If you like her, feel free to draw her! If no inspiration strikes, that’s cool too.

Princess Chessa of Dol Blathanna is 15yo. She has black hair that she wears in braids. She is deaf and speaks in sign language. She loves to sneak around to hang out in the kitchens because the chef’s son Antoni is her best friend.

She is a huge fan of Jaskier the bard, but she has to hide that from her father, who thinks it is frivolous and unseemly.

Her father is an absolute asshole but she has two lesbian moms who have basically adopted her-Katarina (her governess) and Malitza, the court mage.

One day her father summons a witcher to his court. Supposedly he wants to hire the white haired man to deal with a bruxa.

Her father says the witcher is a demon, but when she sees him in the halls, he is kind to her and speaks to her in sign. So when Chessa figures out that her father actually sent him into an ambush to kill him and harvest his organs, she rats out her own father to the bard Jaskier, who just happens to be in their dungeons.

Here’s the fic.

Again, if nothing occurs to you, don’t feel bad about ignoring. I know inspiration can be fickle! Thanks either way.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhh do we like that?? my vibes are off... hmmmmmmmmmmmhhh

[hanzajesthanza]

ida emean is the most mysterious witcher character to me. like she literally just showed up from the blue mountains (i thought the elves were starving up there last time we checked) (also last time we checked the elves which lived in the blue mountains wanted nothing to do with humans ever and that’s why they live in said mountains) (like filavandrel whom sapkowski said intentionally never showed up again after time of contempt because he was an old and wise elf that could not be fooled and was not persuaded by the nilfgaardianian bequeathing of land)

and she just shows up as francesca findabair’s plus one to the who run the world girls meeting. you know. which contains humans. and then her only thing is that she’s an elf. she showed up. and oh yeah she fucking slayed that shit so hard not wearing any stones or metals at all in her jewelry in a daffodil dress. and her red hair. of course. but her dialogue is basically just: “yep confirming that’s magic” and “you are being a bit racist don’tcha think”

but the thing that REALLY makes me throw my hands up here is that she’s an AEN SAEVHERNE ?? literally a title we know best from it also belonging to LARA DORREN and AVALLAC’H?? but she was just hanging out with francesca in dol blathanna like going over to her friend’s for tea, when it is said even among the elves it’s rare to known an aen saevherne. so what relationship do they have that… ? dunno.

and but of course, because she is an elf, she is aloof, taciturn, and inscrutable as all hell and so we learn practically nothing about her.

[minne-cerbinna]

I think quite often of the optional little dialogue tree that one can get about Yaevinn in TW2 with an imported save if one sides with Iorveth, and particularly of just how Iorveth describes Yaevinn

The dialogue prompt "I once knew another Scoia'tael - Yaevinn." will lead to the following exchange:

GERALT: I once met another Scoia'tael leader.

IORVETH: Yaevinn. I knew him. He had beautiful dreams and desperately wanted me to share them. Asked the same of you, I heard.

GERALT: You know a lot about me.

IORVETH: I try to know as much as I can - about everyone.

They'll elaborate a little further in this dialogue about how they both agree with Yaevinn's reasons and the fact that Yaevinn "saw combat and killing as poetry" which Iorveth deems unrealistic because "war is prose, with no place for beauty" (how poetic).

But the interesting part to me is the statement that Yaevinn had "beautiful dreams" and how he was this grand idealist, because this seems to be in contradiction with Yaevinn's characterisation. In his novel appearance, he argues against Toruviel's idealism as he proposes shooting the unarmed messenger. In TW1, Geralt refers to him in his journal as being "disillusioned", as well as being "a cynic and a pragmatist", neither of which seem to hold with Iorveth's account. While this can be credited to the fact that it's possible that Iorveth's past-tense statement of "I knew him" means that he hasn't seen Yaevinn in some time rather than, or at least in addition to, the implied death. He has perhaps not seen him since the Second Northern War, where they were both in the Vrihedd brigade, and Yaevinn could have grown more cynical since the Scoia'tael were betrayed by Dol Blathanna, his earliest characterisation is that of the novel canon, and he does not present a particular idealism that would reflect the notion that he is a dreamer.

It can be taken as a choice of characterisation, because for all that Yaevinn is disillusioned, he does have his hopes and desires for the future and his plans at Vizima, just as Iorveth has his hopes for Saskia and Vergen. He has these dreams, even if he tenders them close to his chest and puts the practical aspects first before he allows himself to have this hope. And I think that is a really interesting interpretation, to have this juxtaposition, that he can be both disillusioned and a dreamer, and that he chose a scant few, Iorveth, and then Geralt, to share in those precious dreams.

The notion of Yaevinn having these "beautiful dreams" is also very pertinent to his TW1 characterisation, I think, because there are optional dialogues in which Yaevinn tells the accounts of how he once lived among humans and believed in assimilation, that the humans would accept the elves if given enough time, only to be persecuted and harassed at length until he finally accepted that there was no place for him there, that there could be no assimilation, only annihilation. And even though he knows it is a hopeless fight, he still proceeds onward. He knows his people are dying, and he knows that if they do not act quickly, they will be well and truly doomed to extinction, but he is still trying to fight. That is, in and of itself, an expression of a dream for a better future, even if he thinks it hopeless, or, as Iorveth criticises, unrealistic.

Serious character analysis aside, I think that the absolute funniest interpretation of this dialogue is that it is not to be taken literally about Yaevinn's idealism or lack thereof, but rather as a euphemism -- taking "beautiful dreams" as a euphemism for queer romantic interest; hence "he had beautiful dreams and desperately wanted me to share them" is something like "he likes men and asked me to be his lover", "I hear he asked the same of you" thenceforth meaning something like "were you also his lover/do you also like men" (and the response "you know a lot about me" therefore indicating that he is correct in his judgement). There's like a whole rebellion going on but Iorveth is just checking out his options, y'know.

[cultofthewyrm]

GWENT Card Game - Dol Blathanna Marksman by Bryan Sola

[starwrittenfates]

@wanderingwolfwitcher continued from HERE!

At his comment about the fools in the tavern, a small and amused smile snuck onto her face. It just seemed there were some people who would never learn, that was for sure.

She quietly listened to his story about the monsters he was hunting, intrigued by it. While she had luckily never come across any of these monsters in her life, she had heard about them, and wanted to learn all she could in order to defend herself, but also for natural curiosity's sake. She was just a simple elven bard trying to make her way in the world and learn more about it. All she had ever known as Dol Blathanna and whatever her teacher would tell her.

"Well, it's a good thing we have you Witcher's now, isn't it? Honestly, we should be more grateful to you instead of hurling insults at you or trying to run you out of town. It must not be easy doing what you do. After all, you're risking your lives to keep asses like them safe. I'm glad to at least be among the few in the good crowd." And then, an idea hit her. Oh, it was a grand and crazy idea, but a good one nonetheless. "Hmmm...I have an idea for you. Would it be okay if I write songs about you, Eskel? I'm just a mere bardess from Dol Blathanna trying to make my way in the music world. It's been a bit rough, you can probably imagine why since most others aren't so welcoming towards my people, but if we were to join forces, I think we could make an excellent team! And then you won't have to spend your days resting in a forest. What do you say?"

[sungiftedbard]

VERSE ;; The Bardess of Dol Blathanna (The Witcher)

☼ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 ☼

𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝙵𝙾:

Synnove is an orphaned Aen Seidhe Elf from Dol Blathanna, the last free place for elves. Trained and raised under the watchful eye of Francesca Findabair as her own daughter, she learns to use her magic. However, Synnove doesn't want to become a mage. Instead, she wants to use her magic for music and inspiring hope in the elves who desperately need it and telling the truth of their story. This is where Synnove's new adventure begins, stepping outside the walls of Dol Blathanna and into a harsh world in order to become a bardess for elves.

𝚂𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: The Witcher Universe.

𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚁𝙰: Pretty flexible for how things go down.

[limerental]

ficletvember 2024 - day 25

An unhinged mercenary insists on joining the Blue Stripes' operation in the Mahakam foothills, telling ghost stories of the Scoia'tael enemies that wait for them.

The mercenary rode a horse as white as the plait of her hair, its pale mane tangled with burrs from long weeks or months in the wilderness. The rider wore dusty but well-maintained armor and no crests or colors to declare her friend or foe, though she’d announced herself as an ally. A curved metal hook held the reins at the cusp of her right arm.

“What’s got you boys so wary?” the mercenary called, her horse prancing beneath her. “You’re here to put down Squirrels, aren’t you? I happen to be an expert.”

The Blue Stripes had been dispatched by royal decree to put an end to unrest in the Mahakam foothills.

It was a delicate thing, imperative that trade with the dwarves not be interrupted even as the violent non-humans were rooted out and punished. After their formation following the Peace of Cintra, their unit had engaged in minor skirmishes with small bands of Scoia’tael but never faced such a large and organized force as was said to be hiding in the foothills, attacking caravans to and from the mountains.

“And what would you expect to be paid if you joined us?” asked Vernon Roche, ignoring the unease he felt in being made to tip his head back to look up at her as her horse paced before him. 

The Stripes didn’t keep horses. Lugging grain and forage through the forest was tedious work, and one whinny at the wrong moment could ruin all chance of stealth. And Roche distrusted them, a sentiment that horses tended to sense. The animal’s yellowed teeth chomped at a silver bit as it tossed its head.

“I’ll be paid in rivers of Elven blood,” declared the mercenary grandly. 

Her grin twisted her disfigured face, scar tissue pulling at the missing nub of an ear. Roche didn’t trust her any more than her horse, but if her experience was what she claimed it to be, having fought and killed Scoia’tael after the siege of Vengerberg, surviving the brutal attack that had claimed her unit, then she would certainly be an asset to them.

“My name’s Rayla,” she said. “You’ll be glad for my help, I promise you. You’re up against several veterans of the Vrihedd, and I happen to have some affairs to settle with them.” 

She raised the curved hook of her missing hand, and Roche relented to allowing her to stay. He knew very little of what they were up against, reconnaissance in the foothills returning only unlikely rumors. It was common knowledge that the officers of the Vrihedd had all been put down like dogs following the Peace, and the whispers of one still alive were only idle gossip.

“There’s no women among us,” he said. “You'll have to pitch your own tent.”

The mercenary laughed as a boy came forward to grip the reins to assist her in dismounting. Her laugh was an ugly cackle, and she walked with a horrible limp.

“I'm no woman,” said Rayla. “Not a living one, anyway. Fortunately, I sleep better under the stars.” 

She joined the Stripes at the fireside after dark had fallen, having wet and combed out her tangles of white hair but not shed any of her armor. The men were uneasy around her, unusually subdued, possibly because of her scars or her sex or the way she wolfed rations like a feral beast or the inhuman look in her wild eyes.

With bloodthirsty enthusiasm, Rayla leaned close to the fire to tell stories of the many skirmishes she’d had with the elves. How she killed each one with all the gruesome slowness that they had maimed her, seeking her revenge for the slaughter of her comrades, for similar cruelties she had seen their twisted kind inflict inflict over and over again.

For his part, Roche had seen and endured violence and cruelty done by humans the same as non-humans, had found little reason to think the Scoia’tael were uniquely ruthless. He kept that thought to himself. 

This was a political conflict more than a racial one. Dol Blathanna had begun to welcome Scoia’tael after the war’s end, providing a peaceful haven for Elven kind, but for some stubborn stragglers, one valley wasn’t enough.

The chain of office around his neck still felt far too heavy, a cumbersome weight. Foltest had personally laid the cold chain over his head, naming him Commander in lieu of several more experienced contenders of noble birth. The king’s gaze had been a heavy weight itself, and Roche’s urgent need to live up to his expectations ached like a pressed bruise.

The manic pitch of Rayla’s voice rose and fell as she told her gory tales, moving on to describe the opponents that waited for them in the hills. Roche had heard enough tall tales from madmen to know there was likely as much exaggeration as truth in her unhinged ramblings. 

“Now, boys, if you think me ugly, you’ll change your mind once you’ve seen Iorveth’s mug. May as well be a fair maiden compared to that whoreson.”

“Iorveth’s dead,” Roche interrupted flatly. “Strung up with the rest as terms of the Peace.”

“Have you really fought so few Squirrels? The bastards shout his name as a rallying cry.”

“He’s a ghost story. They shout all sorts of nonsense. Aelirenn’s been dead a century, and they cry out hers plenty.”

“Maybe she lives too,” said Rayla, smiling her unsettling, crooked smile. “For now. Until I get to her, of course.”

“Good luck on your hunt for ghosts then,” Roche said. “Let’s hope an ordinary sword can kill them.”

He wasn’t here to chase specters or seek vengeance. He’d go where Foltest pointed, dispatch those hostile to Temeria’s interests with as few casualties as possible, and return seeking small morsels of praise from his king. He didn’t hate the elves as Rayla did, felt some empathy for the plight of their race at the hands of men, but he’d not hesitate to strike down any Scoia’tael who refused to give up their useless fight and bend the knee to Foltest.

Not a week later, fires still burning amidst the smoldering ruins of yet another slaughtered trade caravan and many of his Stripes, a living ghost slipped through the smoke to meet the strike of Roche’s sword, a feverish cruelty bright in his remaining eye.

Roche still didn’t hate the elves after surviving the bloody conflict and managing to drive out or cut down enough Scoia’tael to declare the foothills pacified, but he hated Iorveth like nothing he ever had or would again, didn’t think he could hate anything more, and in the end, was wrong.

[palespawn]

ᵗʰᵉ ʷⁱᵗᶜʰᵉʳ : 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.

⁰⁰¹. backstory: astarion was born in 1012, an aen seidhe elf, one of the many elves who's ancestors decided to inhabit the continent alongside humans and other species during the age of migration, in contrast to the aen elle ( who moved outer world, to tir ná lia ). he was raised in dol blathanna until he turned 18, and moved to novigrad to attain a higher education at oxenfurt academy. here, he studied law and politics, and after he graduated, had aspirations of becoming a governor in novigrad. all did not, of course, go according to plan― one night, he was attacked by thugs while walking along st. gregory's bridge, and left to bleed to death. a man named cazador found him and offered him eternal life. he did not refuse.

⁰⁰². vampires superiores: cazador, revealed to be a true higher vampire, and prominent figure within novigrad, turned astarion that night and the two centuries that follow bear similarity to his baldur's gate 3 canon. astarion is a higher vampire, however, compelled by cazador to do his bidding, with his base of operations taking place at the passiflora. here, astarion was made to prostitute himself both in and outside of the establishment, and bring only the most beautiful of his clientele to cazador. while cazador, and other higher vampires, do not require blood to survive, feeding enhances their abilities, quickens the regeneration process and increases their strength, which was a necessity in his vying for power. as astarion has the unique ability to charm his victims, hunting for his master was therefore an easier feat but offered little in terms of reward; that which varied from a vermin dinner, to whatever torture cazador deigned to inflict upon him. near 150 years into servitude, and unbeknownst to him, astarion's parents died as humans felled dol blathanna.

⁰⁰³. powerful alliances: cazador and alonso wiley, a powerful gangster and owner of many illegal novigrad establishments, are in the midst of developing a provisory business relationship that would see them take over novigrad in the years to come. this "friendship" went unpublicised until their untimely deaths, committed individually but coincidentally within days of each other. alonso was assassinated in his home, as coordinated by his only son, cyprian wiley ( otherwise known as whoreson jr. ), and cazador was murdered by astarion in one of the many rooms within the passiflora ( this can be treated as a 'side quest' - if aided in the murder he will help later on. if he is not aided/accompanied, this will lead to him feeding on and accidentally killing another patron or patrons within the passiflora due to heightened emotions and bloodlust ). there is speculation that the deaths are connected, due to eyewitnesses of the two kingpins' associates, whoreson jr.'s subsequent elevation and astarion's disappearance. marquise serenity took over the passiflora as it's madame soon after.

⁰⁰⁴. penchant for vengeance: despite being freed of his control, astarion's lust for revenge is not as quenched as he had anticipated. he extends such to cazador's old allies, however, as alonso wiley's death had already been taken from him, he decided to pursue his son instead. this can lead to a potential alliance with ciri and her search for whoreson jr., and subsequent rescue of dudu, and later geralt as a potential informant of ciri's whereabouts, or in tracking down whoreson jr. if your muse also helps him kill cazador, he will offer his support in the battle of kaer morhen/can become a companion. otherwise, he will go his separate ways after assisting in the murder of whoreson jr. if he's not aided in any way, he can become a potential adversary.

⁰⁰⁵. blood and wine: astarion can appear in toussaint either by coincidence, as a helping hand in tracking down the murderous "beast" on the loose, as an agent of said beast or regis, or whatever the plot requires.

note: the details can of course be altered for the sake of fitting astarion within the universe without interfering with the main storyline, especially with muses originating from the witcher universe. this can also include events prior to the games, as he has been alive for over 250 years. i've only read up to the beginning of blood of elves, for reference, but i can always do my research!

bestiary: higher vampire

abilities: resistant to sunlight, can transform into a bat, charm manipulation, deception, regenerative powers.

[serenfire]

attention, anyone who cares about the witcher s3's character's motivations with regards to the books but who hasn't then read time of contempt, here is a post for you!

here's some interesting differences between the book and show characters, especially in ep 5 (spoilers for the witcher s3 so far and the books):

since yennefer does not have her s2 beef w aretuza subplot, none of the mages are her direct enemies, and she is a member of the lower circle of leadership within the brotherhood, called the council, with philippa and 3 others who are not in the show. she is also not the one who calls the conclave; she finds out about it while bringing ciri to aretuza, and attends with geralt so that they can draw out the mage who is backing rience. in the book, they're trying to convinced everyone that ciri died at cintra, and haven't been together since then to keep up the illusion, so going to aretuza together will draw out the mage who knows ciri exists and is trying to kill her

vilgefortz is, firstly, the hero of sodden in the books. he's the war hero against nilfgaard, and one of the leaders of the brotherhood. he's also (spoilers for probably the second half of s3) working for nilfgaard now, and not in the way that s1 portrays where he kills his comrade on the battlefield after the battle's over, but in an "even the hero of sodden who singlehandedly saved the north from nilfgaard wants power enough to ally with his enemy" way.

he is the leader of the chapter, which is the highest circle of leadership of the brotherhood. tissaia and francesca findabair are also members, as well as artaud terranova (guy who falls over the champagne glass table in ep 5). in ep 5 he recounts his backstory to geralt, some of it word-for-word, except for an important part: as part of his backstory, he fell in love with an unnamed mage before becoming a sorcerer, and after breaking up with her, decided he should pursue magic. he and tissaia are not together! i cannot stress this enough, in the books the mages are powered by their individual searches for power, and love does not tie them together! it's what sets yen apart: she's one of the only ones willing to sacrifice for another.

FRANCESCA FINDABAIR. member of the chapter/high ranked aretuza member, in the book shows up to the conclave party early, stirring up the northern vs nilfgaardian sentiments by being there. wild that she hasn't appeared there in the show yet. her motives in the show are WHACK. in the books she did not have a baby and did not say she wants to genocide the humans (although that is propaganda against her): she leads the scoia'tael to fight for nonhuman freedom and allies herself with nilfgaard to continue to fight the north, and she will receive a free land for the elves (dol blathanna) in return for the scoia'tael being branded as war criminals and outlawed. in the books she is the catch-22 of stuck between a rock and a hard place: allying with imperialism will save her people but gut her guerilla soldiers who fought for it.

philippa eilhart is so far the best-written character this season (to me) because she is one of the only characters who everyone knows is seeking for power (in the book she's referred to as the one who's really on the redanian throne, backed by dijkstra) and she, directly, says that she's looking to keep power in the north. in the books, most if not every mage's motivations are for power, whether in a king's court or by allying with nilfgaard, and the imperial machinations are what the politics in the books are about, so having a character not be preoccupied with interpersonal reasons and instead directly embody this is refreshing!

however! in the books philippa's position is anti-nilfgaardian invasion, not anti-brotherhood. she's pitted against vilgefortz, who's allied with nilfgaard, instead of against him because he's a leader of the brotherhood. the brotherhood as an institution isn't interrogated as a state (unlike the northern kingdoms and nilfgaard), and her specific grievances against other court mages have to do with the fact that almost every kingdom is goading nilfgaard to attack so they can attack back and vie for power. she's also got redania on a lockdown by killing vizimir right before the conclave party and i don't know how this will play out in the show considering radovid exists as well

also in the books radovid is vizimir's son who ascends to the throne after philippa and dijkstra kill vizimir, and (in the games) he makes it his life mission to kill philippa. he does not physically show up in time of contempt and adding him into the show as vizimir's brother 1) crunches the timeline down to a period of time that makes a bit more sense than the books and 2) allows the show to make up the funniest fucking subplot with jaskier. oh my god none of that happened in the books but wouldn't it have been hilarious. jaskier hooking up with the sweet and sensitive younger prince who's a fan of his music and then smash cut to twelve hours later and he's the fucking king of redania. the comedy potential is unmatched