Hi all,
I hope everyone is doing well out there, welcome to CryptoGod's blog on all things gaming. Today I’m going to be doing a quick write-up on one of my favorite stories, the Witcher, which as many already probably know is a gaming series as well as a tv show and line of books.
What is the Witcher?
Written by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is a series that focuses upon the journey of Geralt of Rivea and his tale in the battles against the demons of humanity. It was originally written by Sapkowski as an entry into a fantasy writing contest, where he finished third, and the stories grew from there. The response was positive from readers which led to more stories and eventually the novel series. All adaptions were originally written in Polish, and not translated to English until over a decade later.
Brief History
While creating the tales Sapkowski decided to generate his inspiration for the mythical monsters from European folklore. Through his adaptions, Sapkowski captured what he felt were the historic beings that were fabled to have terrorized mankind. Those who have seen the show will most likely recall these monsters as I give a brief connection to their European meanings. This is far from a definitive list, just a brief selection,
- Djinn - The jinn as they are commonly known, are mentioned over thirty times in the Koran and predate Islam. Also known as a genie in the middle east, the Djinn is a low-level spirit who lives as neutral beings, neither good nor evil. They are said to be able to inhabit a number of forms, including that of animals. The Djinn or genie in The Witcher is a being which grants wishes, similar to the middle-eastern folklore magic of employing a jinn to perform tasks or fulfill contracts.
- Sylvan - As shown in the third episode of the first season, Sylvan is a half-human half-goat creature. These human goat hybrid creatures have been established in human folklore for centuries, going back to fauns and satyrs. In the middle east, the Knights Templar worshiped a half-human half-goat creature know as a Baphomet.
- Kikimora - This monster was seen in the opening of Season 1, portrayed as a large spider-like monster with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Legend states Kikimoras is a Slavic myth, representing young or old deformed beings who cause havoc from dusk till dawn. In the show, the connections to mythology are via the association with the Baba Yaga witches who appeared in Russian fairy tales. Leshys, a Slavic woodland spirit who lives in a swap, and is married to the Kikimoras in mythology.
Main Characters
Geralt of Rivia
Geralt, also known as the White Wolf, is the main protagonist of The Witcher series. He is a Witcher, trained in the arts of being a mutant, who is contracted as a monster slayer. His destiny is linked to that of Ciri, and it is outlined in the main book saga.
Ciri of Cintra
Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, known as Ciri or the Lady of Time and Space, is one of the central characters around whom much of The Witcher plot is based around.
Yennifer of Vesterberg
Yennifer is a sorceress and one of Geralt's lovers, but she is considered possessive and their relationship is full of difficulty and drama. Both characters are sterile, although Yennifer wants to find a way around this and tries many times to restore her fertility. She becomes a mother to Ciri while she is training to be a sorceress.
Triss Merigold of Maribor
Triss is another sorceress and is in love with Geralt. Having also helped to look after and raise Ciri as part of her training under Geralt, Triss ends up being like an older sister to Ciri.
Dandelion (Jaskier)
Jaskier is a poet, minstrel, bard and Geralts best firned. Most of his songs have featured the stories of Geralt and also his love for Yennifer. In many of the short stories and in the games Jaskier accompanies Geralt during or at times while he is adventuring. Portrayed as an idiot, he is the true record keeper of Geralt's journey and wisely while truthfully tells his tales.
Vesemir
A father figure and the eldest member of the Witchers, Vesemir is a character who is considered wise amongst the Witchers, and keeps their secrets and tales, while also faced with the knowledge that the world is changing outside the walls of their castle Kaer Morhen, and they must decide how to accept and adapt to these changes.
Many more characters appear across the books and games, but I have chosen some of the more relevant and prevalent characters for this piece. Certain characters also appear in the books who were deemed unsuitable for the game or TV series.
How to enjoy the Witcher
The Witcher series has a wide-reaching fanbase and can be enjoyed in many formats. There are comics, tabletop games, video games, books, audiobooks, and of course a TV series based on the main saga. Differences appear between the adaptions, with elements in the Witcher games differing from those in the books or TV show.
Books
In total there are eight books in The Witcher series, while a selection of comic books has also been released. The books were written and released in the following order:
Short Stories
- The Last Wish - Polish 1993 - English 2007
- Sword of Destiny - Polish 1992 - English 2015
The first two entries in the written series of the Witcher were created as a series of short stories. The second series was actually created first back in the early 1990s, but The Last Wish has been recognized as the first installment into the Witcher universe. This allows the series of short stories to remain in chronological order.
The Witcher Saga
- Blood of Elves - Polish 1994 - English 2008
- Time of Contempt - Polish 1995 - English 2013
- Baptism of Fire - Polish 1996 - English 2014
- The Tower of the Swallow - Polish 1997 - English 2016
- The Lady of the Lake - Polish 1999 - English 2017
Known as The Witcher Saga, and the books the Netflix series (see below) is based upon, Sapkowski decided to write a saga focusing on Geralt of Rivia and Ciri, two characters linked by destiny. The saga, made of five books. focuses on the events that take place as Ciri is set into a linked destiny with Geralt and the mishaps and adventures that take place.
Final Book
- Season of Storms - Polish 2013 - English 2018
The final written work by Sapkowski so far, this edition takes place between the stories of the first book, The Last Wish. You can purchase all of these books together in one collection, where The Witcher Saga is number 1 through 5, and the other three unnumbered. I have the collection and would recommend it, although the version I have is not hardback it comes with an overall case to house the collection in and display them.
Netflix Series
The series premiered on Netflix on the 20th of December 2019. The second season is set to premiere on the 17th of December 2021 so there is plenty of binge-watching in store for the build-up to Christmas. As mentioned above regarding the books, this series will most likely look at the linked destiny between Geralt and Ciri, while the international politics across the realm gather pace.
Games
A variety of games have been released for The Witcher series, beginning on PC, Xbox, and Playstation but expanding to iOS and Android also. The main games that have been released in the series are:
- 2007 - The Witcher - PC
- 2011 - The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings - Xbox 360, PC, Switch
- 2015 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - PS4. Xbox One, PC, Switch
- 2016 - Gwent: The Witcher Card Game - PS4. Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android
- 2018 - Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales - PS4. Xbox One, PC, Switch
The Witcher, The Witcher 2, and The Witcher 3 are part of a trilogy of games. The games focus on Geralt of Rivia, one of the final Witchers left in existence. During the games, Geralt travels the land as a traveling monster slayer for hire. Ciri's adventures intertwine and main characters from the collection appear throughout.
Thronebreaker was released as a standalone game, bringing Queen Meve, the ruler of Rivia and Lyria into the forefront as the Nilfgardian invasion is taking place. These events take place after the story of the first Witcher game. The Witcher Card Game, Gwent, focuses on the turn-based battle card game created in the Witcher games. Both Thronebreaker and Gwent focus on this RPG format and utilize the cards and characters from the world of The Witcher.
What next?
What does the future hold for Geralt and co? Well, as mentioned above, fans have the second season to binge in the winter. I would suspect if the reception is as good as the first seasons then a third season shall follow. In terms of gaming, in 2019 Sapkowski and gaming company CD Projekt made a settlement regarding the royalties due to the success of the gaming series. Originally agreed as a lump sum payment when Sapkowski leased the rights out, he requested up to 15% of the game's lifetime income as compensation due to the success of the title. CD Projekt agreed to an amicable settlement so as to maintain their working relationship for future games. This would suggest there is another title in the works or planned to be down the line. With the next generation of consoles out, expect the next Witcher game to be separate from the original trilogy. The CEO of CD Projekt, Adam Kiciński, has all but confirmed that another Witcher game is in the offing, it just won't be called The Witcher 4. When the game and in-depth info on it will be released remains to be seen, but it's positive to know there will be more adventures of the Witcher to enjoy.
I hope you enjoyed my analysis on everything I thought worth sharing of The Witcher. I am planning on doing individual reviews of the books and the games in further posts so please keep an eye out for them.
Have a great day.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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