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When they're about to hang you, ask for a glass of water. You never know what might happen before they bring it. |  | |
| - Vesemir, pg. 160, The Lady of the Lake (U.K. edition) | |||
Vesemir was the oldest and most experienced witcher at Kaer Morhen during the 13th century. He acted as a father figure to Geralt of Rivia and the other witchers. Like many of his fellow witchers, he spent each winter at the fortress and set out on the Path when spring arrived.
Vesemir was one of the few members of the School of the Wolf to survive the assault on Kaer Morhen. By the 1260s, he was the last remaining elder witcher. However, as he was primarily a fencing instructor, he lacked the knowledge needed to create new mutagens and thus could not mutate more disciples into witchers.[4]
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Biography
Considered one of the oldest remaining witchers, Vesemir was born early enough to witness the construction of Kaer Morhen in the 11th century.[5] His mentor and tutor was Barmin.[6]
In the second half of the 12th century, Kaer Morhen was attacked by an enraged mob led by a group of Mages and priests. Vesemir survived the attack, either by being absent from the keep during the pogrom[4] or by being mistaken for dead as he lay unconscious among the corpses of his fellow witchers.[7][N 1] Although the pogrom was condemned, the school never fully recovered and never regained its former strength.[4]
After the massacre, the school was led by Grandmaster Rennes, with Vesemir serving as second-in-command. He acted as a fencing instructor and preceptor for the witcher trainees,[2] replacing Varin.[6] At some point, Vesemir encountered Visenna, a sorceress who entrusted her child, a young boy named Geralt, to be trained as a witcher.[8] Vesemir became a father figure to Geralt,[9] though he treated all young witchers with a mixture of harshness and affection.[2] In addition to his role at the school, Vesemir occasionally took on witcher contracts. One of his most famous deeds involved breaking the curse that plagued the "Swan of Poviss".[6]
In 1217, during the celebration of Saovine, the village of Fox Hollow in Toussaint was attacked by a horde of Vampires led by Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, a higher vampire. Along with the villagers led by Germain, Vesemir managed to drive the vampires out of the village. However, the witcher knew their victory was only temporary, as the vampires would inevitably strike again once they had healed. Vesemir instructed the peasants to take refuge in the castle at Tesham Mutna, where Regis had taken shelter.
Although Vesemir was injured during the clash, the peasants eventually captured the vampire. After dismembering Regis, they buried his remains as deeply as possible. While this treatment was not sufficient to kill a higher vampire, it was enough to convince Regis to cease drinking blood and attacking the villagers.[1]
For a time, the School of the Wolf was funded by the monarchs of Kaedwen, alongside the School of the Cat. Vesemir was reluctantly forced to cooperate with Guxart, the fencing master of the Cats. Initially, the two disliked each other, but they eventually came to understand one another. The cooperation between the schools, however, came to an end when Cat Grandmaster Treyse and a group of students secretly conspired with King Radowit II and the mage Astrogarus against the Wolves. A week before the planned tournament between the schools, Vesemir and Guxart were arrested by the king's men, sparing them from the massacre that followed. During the tournament, King Radowit betrayed both the Cats and Wolves, ordering his soldiers to execute them all, resolving his budgetary issues and perceived threats to his power in one brutal stroke.[2]
Both Vesemir and Guxart, now acting grandmasters following the deaths of Treyse and Rennes, were eventually released and allowed to rebuild their respective schools. However, royal funding was revoked, and the schools were forced to operate independently. Over time, both schools began to decline, and with the deaths of mage assistants and veteran witchers, the School of the Wolf came to an end by the late 1230s or early 1240s, as no new witchers were trained after this period.[4]
During the winter of 1234, while fulfilling a contract in Oxenfurt, Vesemir briefly courted a young woman named Mignole. After noticing each other from afar, Vesemir received a secret letter from her, inviting him to meet. The two shared a tryst, but it was soon interrupted when Mignole's father, having learned of the affair, arrived. Vesemir fled the scene in haste, leaving behind his gambeson, and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued for him by Mignole's father.[3]
Although the school had ceased to function, Vesemir and the other witchers continued to spend their winters at Kaer Morhen. He allowed some non-Wolf witchers, such as Coën[4], to stay, but forbade the entrance of renegades, like Brehen, whose massacre at Iello was particularly brutal, even by the standards of the other Cats.[10]
Likely around 1242,[N 2] Vesemir hosted Eskel's Surprise Child, Deidre Ademeyn, at the keep, sparking a diplomatic conflict with her brother, Merwin Ademeyn, a vassal of King Henselt. Deidre was first in line to the throne, which caused tension with her brother. Ultimately, the princess left the keep, but not without leaving a disfiguring scar on Eskel's face.[11]
Training Ciri
Decades later, around 1265, Geralt brought his surprise child, Cirilla, princess of Cintra, to be trained as a witcher. Vesemir taught her about various monsters and herbs, leaving the physical training to Geralt, Eskel, Lambert, and Coën. However, the witchers soon discovered that Ciri was a source, as she entered a trance after accidentally drinking white seagull. During the third trance, Ciri foretold the deaths of Geralt and Coën. The witchers decided to summon an old friend, the sorceress Triss Merigold, to help Ciri, under the pretense that Vesemir's bones were aching. Triss set several conditions for the witchers, helping them recognize their errors in how they had been treating Ciri. Despite initial protests from some of the witchers, Vesemir accepted her terms.[4]
Salamandra attack
After the Second Northern War ended, Vesemir found an orphaned boy named Leo and decided to bring him to Kaer Morhen to be trained as a witcher.
One day, while out hunting with Vesemir, a magical storm struck, and they discovered an unconscious Geralt in the woods near the keep. They brought him back to Kaer Morhen, where, with the help of Triss Merigold, who was staying there at the time, they managed to nurse Geralt back to health. Shortly afterward, the witchers were attacked by the mage Azar Javed and his Salamandra thugs. The attackers used a Frightener, but the witchers managed to kill the beast along with most of the bandits. However, Azar and the Professor escaped with the witchers' secrets for mutation, leaving behind tragedy as Leo was killed during the assault.
After recovering and holding a funeral for Leo, Vesemir and the other witchers, along with Triss, set off on separate paths to hunt down Leo's murderers and recover their stolen secrets.
Hunt in Vorune
After the outbreak of the Third Northern War, Vesemir encountered Geralt on the Path. Geralt, having recently recovered his memory, was searching for Yennefer, and Vesemir decided to aid his friend. Together, they hunted a Griffin, eventually arriving in the Nilfgaard-occupied village of Vorune. While Geralt sought information about Yennefer, Vesemir introduced himself to the local authorities. The acting alderwoman, Bazyli, informed Vesemir about a Fiend terrorizing the village.
The next day, Geralt and Vesemir set off to investigate. They discovered a hut and were attacked by a Graveir, but Vesemir swiftly dispatched the creature. While they searched the hut, the Fiend suddenly attacked, pulling Vesemir through a wall. Geralt quickly intervened, freeing him from the monster's grasp. Together, they rescued a boy, Baltt, who had followed them, and hurried back to the village. Baltt revealed that it wasn't the Fiend but the Nilfgaardian captain, Drugan, who had been killing villagers. When Geralt confronted Drugan, Vesemir held back but allowed Geralt to proceed. Geralt requested the Nilfgaardians accompany them on the hunt the following day.
At dawn, as the witchers prepared to set out, they learned that Baltt and others had been executed by Drugan for stealing food. When they arrived at the hut with Drugan in tow, Geralt instructed one of the soldiers, Massy, to stay close to him. Vesemir and Geralt had secretly placed bait for the Fiend in Drugan's saddlebags. When the time came, Vesemir rode off with Geralt, leaving Drugan to face the Fiend. From a safe distance, they watched as the creature attacked and killed Drugan and his men.
After the Fiend finished its carnage, Vesemir and Geralt worked together to slay it. Instead of returning to Vorune, they sought out the Nilfgaardian lieutenant, who was pursuing looters nearby. They found him torturing a woman accused of theft. Vesemir advised Geralt not to intervene, but Geralt ignored him, stepping in to stop the abuse.
The griffin in White Orchard
In May 1272, while searching for Yennefer, Geralt and Vesemir rode to White Orchard, where they encountered a merchant being attacked by a royal griffin at a ford. During the battle, the old witcher sustained deep claw wounds to his shoulder. After rescuing the man, they rode into the village and stopped at the local inn, where they spoke with the innkeeper, Elsa, amid a tense atmosphere in the tavern. Later, after Geralt met Gaunter O'Dimm, he discussed his plans with Vesemir and decided to head to the Nilfgaardian Garrison.
To lure the griffin, Geralt and Vesemir obtained some buckthorn, then hid in a field, setting up bait. When the griffin landed, Vesemir handed Geralt the crossbow he had won in a gamble. After the beast was killed and its trophy turned in, the two witchers returned to the inn, only to be violently attacked by a group of racists. After the attackers were dealt with, the witchers were shunned and told to leave. Outside the inn, they encountered Yennefer and a Nilfgaardian escort. Yennefer explained that Emperor Emhyr var Emreis had summoned Geralt to Vizima, prompting Vesemir to decide that he would head north to Kaer Morhen.[6]
Summoning Avallac'h
Vesemir spent the next couple of weeks at Kaer Morhen, repairing crumbling walls alongside Eskel and Lambert, until Yennefer arrived, preparing the witchers for Geralt and Uma's return to the keep. Vesemir was annoyed by her presence, as she showed little regard for manners.
When Geralt finally arrived, everyone began preparing for the Trial of the Grasses to be performed on Uma. Vesemir took charge of Uma's care until the trial was ready, bringing him to the mountains. There, he noticed that during moments of complete relaxation, Uma's behavior changed. Vesemir then put him into a trance, and Uma spoke in a different voice. The next morning, the group gathered, and Geralt brewed The Decoctions of the Grasses to begin the trial. Vesemir helped, though he hated watching, haunted by the painful history of the school. He slept through most of the trial, only to awaken at the end, when Uma transformed into Avallac'h, an elven sage. Avallac'h revealed that Ciri was on the Isle of Mists and that Geralt needed to find her. He also warned that once they took Ciri from the isle, the Wild Hunt would be able to track her immediately. Vesemir suggested that Geralt bring Ciri to Kaer Morhen so they could face the Wild Hunt together. He then planned to spend the time preparing the keep for the impending battle with Eskel and Lambert.[6]
The Battle of Kaer Morhen
After Geralt and Ciri returned via portal from the Isle of Mists, Ciri was overjoyed to see Vesemir. The group, including Yennefer, Triss Merigold, Ciri, Geralt, and Vesemir, discussed their next steps before heading into the main keep. On the way, Vesemir spoke with Ermion about flammable gases and the ongoing repairs to the keep. Once inside, the group began discussing battle plans. Vesemir suggested brewing potions in the laboratory and using tools to clear the rubble blocking access to the armory. He and Geralt then finalized the plan.
A few hours later, the Wild Hunt launched their attack, and Vesemir fought alongside the others on the walls of the lower courtyard. He briefly argued with Ciri when she disobeyed orders and left the inner keep. As the Wild Hunt grew overwhelming and Imlerith arrived, they decided to retreat to the main courtyard. The Wild Hunt quickly broke through the gate and froze Geralt, while Ciri and Vesemir sought refuge at the top of the courtyard. Trying to protect Ciri, Vesemir was attacked by Imlerith, who he managed to wound in the leg. Vesemir then struck Eredin Bréacc Glas, forcing him to drop Ciri, and used Aard to push her to safety.
Imlerith, enraged, leaped onto Vesemir and began beating and choking him. Meanwhile, Eredin tried to persuade Ciri to join him, much to Vesemir's horror. In his final moments, Vesemir begged Ciri to run before stabbing Imlerith in the side. Imlerith, in a fit of rage, broke Vesemir's neck, ending the old witcher's life.[6]
Legacy
On the one-year anniversary of his death, Ciri returned to Kaer Morhen. Sitting by a campfire in the shadow of the old keep, she recounted stories of her life and paid tribute to Vesemir, remembering her old friend and mentor as she drank in his memory.[1]
The Witcher
In the game, Vesemir is one of the first people Geralt speaks to upon arrival at Kaer Morhen, and he is the one to guide the amnesiac through his first few uncertain steps around the keep. He also tells the witcher about skinning monsters, an extremely useful skill throughout the rest of the game. Of no less importance is the fact that he introduces the character of Berengar to the plot while filling our hero in on his forgotten past.
Vesemir features prominently in the prologue and can usually be found wandering around the main hall on the ground floor of Kaer Morhen, or in the basement in the laboratory.
Journal entry
- Vesemir is the oldest and most experienced witcher, possibly older than Kaer Morhen itself. He spends each winter in the fortress and sets off on the road when spring comes, just like all the other witchers. Despite his age, Vesemir is robust and lively. Many youngsters could envy him his health. An excellent fencer, he was the one who taught me swordsmanship.
- He has raised many witchers, including me. His disciples treat him like a father. Leo was probably the old witcher's last protégé — the boy's death shocked him.
- He was one of a few to survive the assault on Kaer Morhen. He is well aware of the magnitude of the hatred some people feel for witchers.
Associated quests
- A Potion for Triss
- Defending Kaer Morhen, he is coordinating the defense of the fortress.
In The Price of Neutrality premium module he is found just inside the walls of Kaer Morhen; more specifically, in the main courtyard. He can be found later near the ford closest to the camp.
Journal entry
- Vesemir is the eldest and most experienced witcher; in fact, he may be older than Kaer Morhen itself. He spends each winter at the fortress and, like the others, sets off on his Path when spring comes. Vesemir is robust and lively despite his age, and many youngsters could envy him his health. An excellent fencer, he taught me all I know about sword fighting.
- As one of the few who survived the assault on Kaer Morhen, he is well aware of the intense hatred some harbor for witchers.
Associated quest
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Vesemir returned in The Witcher 3 as a key character and was voiced by William Roberts once again. The game began with Geralt and his old mentor on the trail of Yennefer, the former having woken from a dream of Kaer Morhen. Whether or not they discussed the dream, Vesemir then requested to see Yennefer's letter, remarking that it smelt of lilacs and gooseberries, Yennefer's preferred perfume. Afterwards, they proceeded onto White Orchard to ask the townsfolk whether they've seen the sorceress in black. Both he and Geralt killed a Griffin in order to earn info regarding Yennefer's location. On their way back to the inn, they were greeted by Yennefer in person. There, Vesemir separated from Geralt, wanting to return to Kaer Morhen to hide its path from the Northern realms and the Empire of Nilfgaard as they waged war on one another.
Vesemir disappeared for the majority of the game until Geralt returned to Kaer Morhen with Yennefer, then Ciri, where a group of resistance fighters were formed to fend off the Wild Hunt. During the battle, the King of the Wild Hunt detonated a magical explosion that froze all opposition, where only Vesemir and Ciri were unscathed. Vesemir tried to retreat with Ciri in tow but was immediately confronted by Eredin and Imlerith, the king and the second in command of the Wild Hunt respectively. Vesemir fended them off until Imlerith disarmed him, Ciri was then ready to surrender herself to the Hunt in order to spare everyone involved. In a last-ditch effort, Vesemir stabbed Imlerith in the abdomen with a hidden dagger, causing the Aen Elle general to snap his neck, killing him. Distraught at this, Ciri unleashed her power in a massive soundwave of energy that forced the Hunt to retreat. After the battle, Vesemir was then given a funeral and honored as a hero against the Wild Hunt, Ciri took his Wolf medallion as a memento.
- In the Hearts of Stone expansion, Geralt came across a former lover of Vesemir's. If she is encountered after The Battle of Kaer Morhen, Geralt informs her of Vesemir's death. However, if she is encountered beforehand, there is an extra dialogue option for Geralt to ask Vesemir about her.
Official description
- Vesemir plays a key role in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. He is the oldest living witcher, the only one to survive the pogrom which decimated the Wolf School witchers a long time ago. No one knows exactly how old Vesemir is, but it is possible that he is older than the very stones of Kaer Morhen, the keep where witchers of the Wolf School were trained, among which he once served as a fencing instructor. His gray hair frames the creased, craggy face of an old man, leaving no doubt that he is a veteran witcher, one whose skill could still give a younger man a run for his money.[12]
Journal entry
- Vesemir was the oldest living member of the Wolf School and most likely the oldest witcher of any school on the Continent.
- About as long in years as the ruins of Kaer Morhen themselves and eternally complaining about his creaky bones, this master of the witcher trade gave no thought to a well-deserved retirement. Gray, but still spry, he continued to ply the monster hunting trade into his golden years – effectively, too, as he'd seen more beasts than all his students put together.
- A harsh and demanding instructor in Geralt's youth, over the years he had become something of an adoptive father and mentor to the other witchers, always ready to help with sage advice and steady hands.
- In the spring of 1272, when our story begins, Vesemir had joined Geralt on his search for Yennefer, trekking with him through war-ravaged Temeria.
- Vesemir always said no witcher had ever died in his own bed, so death in combat surely awaited him as well. Death's waiting ended on the mournful day when the Wild Hunt descended on Kaer Morhen in pursuit of Ciri. Vesemir gave his all to protect his former ward, whom he had always treated like an adopted granddaughter, and died a hero's death at the hands of Imlerith, the Hunt's cruel general.
Associated quests
- The Battle of Kaer Morhen
- Kaer Morhen
- The Beast of White Orchard
- Berengar's Blade
- The Incident at White Orchard
- Lilac and Gooseberries
- Ugly Baby
The Witcher: Monster Slayer
Vesemir is a young, inexperienced witcher, who was injured during an attempt to fulfill a contract. He is depicted as a pale young man with black shoulder-length hair and golden cat-like eyes. He wears a dark leather armor over a turquoise gambeson.
The player character finds him unconscious and brings him to a herbalist in Dol Tirthana. After waking up, Vesemir tells the player what happened and hands over the conctract he had failed to fulfill. Later, in the Intruder, the player can ask Vesemir for help in defeating the monster and he gives them a special potion.
According to the glossary, Vesemir often points out the mistakes of both the witcher adepts' and their instructors', but he is convinced that he himself would not be suitable for a teacher.
Glossary description
- He stood casually leaning against a wall, staring gloomily at the boys and girls' clumsy movements. Their elbows drooped, and their hips jutted or were unstable. They couldn't get their center of gravity right, and their stances were too narrow.
- "See that?" he growled, pointing at the master sitting to the side."Sitting on his ass, sharpening his sword. Those kids're just reinforcing their mistakes."
- "You should be a fencing instructor yourself," replied the blonde witcher sitting beside him.
- "Never. Don't got the patience nor the inclination. I'd be a terrible teacher."
Assosiated quests
Trivia
- Vesemir is derived from the Polish name "Wyszomir" meaning "he who cherishes peace above all."[13]
Notes
- He appears in The Hexer TV series, but instead of a witcher he's depicted as a druid. He appears in 4 episodes: "Dzieciństwo", "Nauka", "Świątynia Melitele", and "Falwick".
Videos
Gallery
Footnotes
- ↑ Note that in Blood of Elves, Triss Merigold states that only witchers who were outside the keep during the pogrom survived. Information presented in The Witcher may thus be either clearly incorrect, or the game's writers decided that Triss was mistaken.
- ↑ As with other dates mentioned in the first game, the 1232 date provided in The Price of Neutrality premium module does not align with other sources. By the time the module begins, the Wolf School is already inactive, with only a few witchers remaining at the keep, which rules out 1232. Additionally, Vesemir's model in the module is the same as in the base game, which places the adventure after his romance with Mignole, rather than two years earlier, as 1232 would suggest.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Zdrada
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hearts of Stone expansion
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Blood of Elves
- ↑ The World of the Witcher
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- ↑ The Witcher
- ↑ Sword of Destiny
- ↑ The Last Wish
- ↑ Season of Storms
- ↑ The Price of Neutrality premium module
- ↑ Characterprofile on the game's homepage
- ↑ https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyszomir
External links
See the GWENT standalone game version card: Vesemir