Published 18:43 IST, February 10th 2020
The Witcher's complicated map explained; here's how to decode the fantasy Netflix series
The Witcher Series is a fantasy world full of magic, dragons, and warring kingdoms. Here's a breakdown of the Witcher's story locations that have been named.
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The Witcher brings the magical world of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels to life, but the politics and kingdoms of the Continent can be a little confusing to keep track of. The Witcher's world map is particularly important given that all three of the main characters take their names from their place of origin: Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Ciri, the Lion Cub of Cintra.
Between the shows jumping around in time and jumping around the map, it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of where the main characters are. Here's a breakdown of the most important kingdoms in the Continent & their politics.
The Witcher's World Map, Countries & Politics Explained
The Witcher's World Map
Blaviken - One of Geralt's more sinister nicknames is "The Butcher of Blaviken". The small town of Blaviken is located in the far north of the continent, on the coast of the Gulf of Praxeda. Here Geralt met the exiled princess Renfri.
Aretuza and Thanedd Island - After being sold by her father, Yennefer travels west from Vengerberg in Aedirn to Thanedd Island, off the coast of Temeria. Thanedd is an island with a powerful magical presence. It is the home of Aretuza, the academy for training young ladies to become sorceresses.
Source Courtesy: The Witcher's Fanclub Ortelius Team
Lower Posada, Dol Blathanna, and Temeria - Located in the northeast corner of the Continent is Lower Posada. And the former elven kingdom of Dol Blathanna is where Geralt and Jaskier meet for the first time, and Jaskier decides to accompany Geralt on his quest. Temeria is one of the Four Kingdoms and is ruled by King Foltest.
Brokilon Forest & Rinde - The forest is located south of Thanedd Island and north of Cintra. Ciri is seen drawn into this magical forest where she meets the tribe of dryads that protect the forest. Geralt and Yennefer meet for the first time in the Redanian Town of Rinde where the former had brought Jaskier after he was attacked by a djinn.
Caingorn and the Dragon Mountains - Geralt is recruited by a man called Borch to hunt down a dragon with a bounty on its head. This bounty was set by King Niedamir of Caingorn. The Dragon Mountains are located in the far north of the Continent.
Sodden Hill and the Yaruga River & Kaer Morhen - As the battle moves closer, Yennefer and the other mages take a stand at Sodden Hill, in the kingdom of Sodden. The fort guards the narrowest parts of the Yaruga River, a river that starts from an estuary in Cintra and spans the continent. Though the place Kaer Morhen was not shown in the first season it is of major importance. This is the place where Geralt and other children were trained to become Witchers by the former's mentor Vesemir.
Countries & Politics
There are many different countries in the Continent, but the most significant of them are the Four Kingdoms of the Northern Realms (Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn, and Temeria) and the Nilfgaardian Empire. We meet two rulers of the Four Kingdoms in The Witcher season 1: Foltest, the king of Temeria and Virfuril, the king of Aedirn. Also significant in The Witcher season 1 is the kingdom of Cintra, which is ruled by Ciri's grandmother, Queen Calanthe.
A proud warrior, Calanthe dismisses the threat of the advancing Nilfgaardian army, believing that they will never be able to defeat Cintra's forces. Nilfgaard is ruled by Emperor Emhyr var Emreis who is an aggressive ruler with plans to conquer the entire Continent. One of Emhyr's top agents is Cahir, or the "Black Knight," a member of Nilfgaard's military intelligence who has been specifically charged with finding Ciri and bringing her back to Nilfgaard.
18:42 IST, February 10th 2020