The Accidental Warlord And His Pack (Fanfic)

A series of Witcher fanfics by inexplicifics .

An alternate universe series for The Witcher. Fifteen-or-so years ago, Geralt of Rivia killed the king of Kaedwen, and has steadily conquered about half the Continent by the time the story starts. The remaining Northern Kingdoms, who are understandably terrified of the White Wolf, regularly send tribute to pacify him. Any tribute, because no one knows what the White Wolf really wants. Which is how Julian Alfred Pankratz, who's seen as utterly useless by his family, is sent as tribute by the Redanian government, all of whom firmly believe that he will be raped to death and/or killed by the bloodthirsty barbarian warlord.

Until he actually gets to Kaer Morhen, and discovers that the rumors of the White Wolf's evil are entirely untrue.

The fic has spawned over forty works by the original author, a spinoff-AU named Wolfblood featuring characters from the main series, and over one hundred fics by other authors who were inspired by the story. In addition to the canon cast, there are numerous OCs who influence the story: the character page is here and Needs More Love.

open/close all folders

Main Warlordverse

Supplemental/Additional Fics

Other, shorter fics set in the same universe, including different [POVs] of certain chapters, character studies, and random shorts.

This fanfic series provides examples of:

The series in general

Abusive Parents: Jaskier's father starts by selling his son into sex slavery, but later fics reveal he was horrible to Jaskier even as a small child.
Alternate Universe: Of the overall Witcher franchise. Notable in that the author has never read the books, played the video games, or seen the TV series: she just read a lot of fanfic and picked up the important points through osmosis and the wiki.
Anachronism Stew: Rather similar to the show: characters will swear or use more modern turns of phrase one minute and then speak in formal, elegant, archaic speech the next.
Animal Motifs: The different clans all are represented by a different animal and have characteristics related to stereotypes of those animals. Cat witchers are "crazy," Bear witchers are stoic and stodgy, Wolf witchers are prone to heroics...
Aristocrats Are Evil: Played with. Most of the nobles are just apathetic to the concerns of the poor and marginalized, being more concerned with the political subtleties of their Deadly Decadent Court and their own power. Good nobles, like Jaskier, Milena, Griffin and Aleksander, either hate the polite backstabbing and power games played in courts (and are happy to leave) or are more concerned with the needs of their people than their noble titles.
Badass Family: The main cast becomes this over time.
Beta Couple: Lambert and Milena to Geralt and Jaskier and Eskel.
Deadpan Snarker: A whole cast of them!
Door Stopper: The main series, not counting spinoffs, is over five hundred and twenty-three thousand words long.
Early-Bird Cameo: Several original characters are introduced in "Only Love Proudly And Gladly And Well," then slowly start to be incorporated into later stories.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- Skellige islanders are definitely Viking inspired, as they are in the original books.
- Most other kingdoms are too out of focus to tell if they retain their associations with real historical places beyond being counterparts of European Medieval Kingdoms.
Fix Fic: The entire series for the actual canon: instead of the Witchers being almost completely wiped out in pogroms, they have a thriving castle of dozens of Witchers, servants, and sorcerers, all of whom genuinely enjoy being there.
Good Parents: Geralt (and to an extent the rest of the cast) to Ciri.
Happily Adopted: Ciri is very happy with her life in Kaer Morhen.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Geralt. The surrounding kingdoms believe him to be a bloodthirsty warlord largely because they cannot imagine him being anything else. It doesn't help that Geralt is essentially this universe's Genghis Khan.
In Spite of a Nail: Some things are still in keeping with canon despite the changes made by the [AU], namely:
- While the Trials no longer kill so many boys, they are still agonizing.
- Geralt still adopts Ciri as his child surprise.
- Geralt and Yennefer did have a relationship (though here, they decided they'd be Better as Friends).
Noodle Incident: The "goose trick" that Ciri pulls on unsuspecting newcomers (and particularly her past tutors). What it actually is is not explained until well into the series.
Polyamory: The endgame for Geralt, Jaskier, and Eskel, and Milena, Lambert, and Aiden in the Wolfblood spinoff.
Prompt Fic: The entire series started from a prompt on the Kink Meme.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Geralt, Eskel, and most of the Witchers. Being this is what keeps human monarchs alive with their kingdoms sovereign.
Relationship Upgrade: Geralt and Jaskier, who then add Eskel.
Spared by the Adaptation: Every Witcher other than Geralt, Eskel, Vesemir, and Lambert.
- Also, Renfri and Pavetta (or Elen as she's now called).

With A Conquering Air

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 7 - | WORDS: - 27,880 -

"Jaskier arrives at Kaer Morhen knowing his family gave him up without a second thought, and absolutely sure that the dreaded Warlord of the North will value him even less than his own blood did. But the White Wolf and his pack are not what Jaskier expected...and if he's unreasonably lucky, Kaer Morhen might become far more of a home than Lettenhove ever was."

Tropes in With A Conquering Air

Didn't Think This Through: Jaskier's father, the Count de Lettenhove. Despite willingly selling his son into what he believed would be sex slavery, he thinks that Jaskier would be willing to spy on the White Wolf and give up his secrets to Redania.
Literary Allusion Title: With A Conquering Air comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Because".
Noodle Incident: Whatever Ciri did involving toads to scare off her last tutor.
Pimping the Offspring: The Count de Lettenhove trades away his son Jaskier into sex slavery as tribute, were he expects his son to be raped to death, for more political power and prestige at court.
Sex Slave: The Redanian court intended to force Jaskier to sate the Warlord's rumored violent appetites, but forcing anyone into their bed is repulsive to the Witchers and Jaskier ends up getting to use his education and skills as a history teacher and bard instead.

Only Love Proudly and Gladly and Well

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 7 - | WORDS: - 31,101 -

"Three months into his relationship with the White Wolf, Warlord of the North and terror of the continent, Jaskier goes back to Redania as part of the Warlord's negotiating team. They return with a treaty...but there are unexpected consequences to revealing his place at the White Wolf's side."

Tropes in Only Love Proudly and Gladly and Well

Bound and Gagged: Jaskier reveals that when he was sent to Kaer Morhen he left bound and gagged, though by the time he showed up the only restraints left on him were the silk cords binding his wrists.
Clothes-Eating Wager: Yennefer says “If that cowardly fuck isn’t halfway back to Lettenhove by dawn, I’ll eat my favorite shoes without salt.”
Forced Transformation: Yennefer contemplates turning Jaskier's father into a slug.
Literary Allusion Title: Only Love Proudly and Gladly and Well comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Child, Child".
Love Potion: One of the noblewomen seeking to become the Warlord's consort tries dumping a love potion in his dinner. As love potions are more lust potions and he as excellent control over himself his lover is very eager to hep him work it out of his system and the noblewomen is sent packing.
Murder the Hypotenuse: Attempted by Agata, to Jaskier. It doesn't work, partially because Geralt was never interested in her in the first place.
Spikes of Villainy: Exploited by Geralt and Eskel to give the husband hunters an unfriendly reception to Kaer Morhen. They wear their spikiest black armor and light far fewer of the braziers than normal to ensure the hall is as ominous and unsettling as possible when the women first enter.

Live On a Hill Against the Sky

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 3,018 -

"Three years after Geralt becomes Warlord of the North, a man comes to Kaer Morhen to beg for aid. And when all is said and done, he stays."

"Julita's Rescue" from Like Stones in a Running Stream - | WORDS: - 1,199 -

Tropes in Live On a Hill Against the Sky & "Julita's Rescue"

Asshole Victim: Borys of Leyda was a terrible lord who made a deal to trade the non-noble children on his lands—who he was sworn to protect—to be eaten by Ladies of the Woods in return or their guarantee that his extramarital affairs would not produce any bastards.
Bad Boss: Borys regularly beats his servants, forbade anyone from going to outsiders for help with the things in the woods, beat and turned out Jan for asking him for help, turned out to have intentionally traded away the peasant children on his lands— the children of the people working for him and main his lands prosperous—so that his extramarital affairs would not produce any bastards, and tried arguing that they were "only peasant children" when confronted by his overlord, as if he had the right to do anything he wanted to them and can't believe there might be repercussions.
Bastard Angst: Borys of Leyda finds the idea that his extramarital affairs might produce bastards an annoyance and potential dishonor to his line, so-instead of being true to his wife-he makes a deal to trade all the children in his barony to some monsters to ensure he can have all the sex he wants without having to worry about any bastards.
Children Are Innocent: Julita and the other children are quiet and terrified, with Julita in particular focusing on trying to help the other kids and be polite like her mama taught her to the Witchers in order to distract herself from her grief and keep from crying. Julita's POV even censors some of the things Geralt and Letho say to simply "a bad word".
Child Eater: The Ladies of the Woods are eating the children of Leyda, and have stuck them in cages to pull from like a larder. They specifically made a deal with Borys in order to be able to eat children and laugh when their victims cry.
Corporal Punishment: Lord Borys had Jan beaten and thrown out for his "temerity" in asking for aid, which Borys was duty and oath bound to provide, when Jan's daughter was taken and his wife brutally killed by the monsters in the woods, after Borys forbade anyone from going to outsiders for help.
Deal with the Devil: Borys of Leyda made a deal with the monstrous Ladies of the Woods to avoid having any bastards, though of course he wasn't trading anything he found to be of value to them in letting them eat the children of his barony.
Death by Origin Story: Roza's death helped push Jan into taking the arduous journey to Kaer Morhen. Believing his entire family to be dead there was nothin left for him in Leyda and he could beg the Warlord to rescue any children who might yet be saved.
Death of a Child: While Jan received the unexpected joy of his own daughter's return the Ladies of the Woods did eat several of the children from Leyda. The only one of those who didn't make it to be named is Hubert.
Decapitation Presentation: Geralt, Letho, Coën and Aiden present the decapitated heads of the monsters that had been plaguing Leyda to Jan upon their return to Kaer Morhen in order to demonstrate that their hunt was successful. To Jan's surprise Lord Borys' head is among them.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Borys seems to honesty believe that trading peasant children to be eaten in exchange or him getting to have sex without worrying about producing any bastards is a perfectly good idea and that it is his right to use the peasants on his barony any way he pleases. He tries using this explanation to avoid execution, but Geralt is disgusted by him.
Literary Allusion Title: Live On a Hill Against the Sky comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Lovely Chance".
Mama Bear: Roza went into the woods to try and save her daughter since there was no way lord Borys would be getting them aid and Kaer Morhen was more than a week's travel away. She was killed, but she fought first.
Not Helping Your Case: When Geralt demands that Borys of Leyda explain why he did not send for aid, forbade his people getting outside help and reeks of guilt after the ladies of the wood had taken the children of his barony. Borys's explanation is, "they were only peasant children, worthless brats, my subjects to do with as I please - the, the ladies promised me there would be no bastards to pollute my line—" before Geralt cuts him off to order him silent. Geralt explains that no one in his lands is worthless and anyone who feeds children to monsters is a monster themselves and cuts off his head.
Off with His Head!: Geralt cuts off Borys's head while Borys is still trying to beg for mercy.
Oh, Crap!: When listening to Jan's story Eskel thinks "Aw shit" when Jan says that the monsters took all of the children in Leyda, noting that it is always "a bad, bad phrase."
Papa Wolf: Jan, despite believing his own daughter dead, made the long and arduous trek to Kaer Morhen from Leyda while suffering from a nasty beating to promise to pay anything the Witchers asked for them to deal with the monsters preying on the children of Leyda and ensure no other families went through the same thing as his own.
Pose of Supplication: Geralt is rather unsettled when Jan makes his way to the keep and then knees bowed over in front of Geralt's "throne" hoping for an audience and showing the most deference possible.
P.O.V. Sequel: "Julita's Rescue" depicts scenes from Live On a Hill Against the Sky from Julita and Letho's perspective.
Prompt Fic: "Julita's Rescue" is a short ficlet in the collection Like Stones in a Running Stream (all contained ficlets are in the overall series, but depict tales from widely diferent periods) depicting her rescue from the perspectives of Julita and Letho prompted by a series of reader requests and questions.
Villains Want Mercy: After Borys's repulsive speech in which he thought to excuse handing over children to be eaten he tries to be for mercy when faced with Geralt's sword. His head is removed without fanfare instead.
Would Hurt a Child: Lord Borys made a deal with the Ladies of the Woods, trading all of the children in Leyda for assurances that his extramarital affairs would not produce any bastards.

Stamped in the Mint of Memory

RATING: - M - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 5,633 -

"Zofia had a sister, once."

Tropes in Stamped in the Mint of Memory

The Alcoholic: Zofia, who never before spent any of her coin on alcohol, turns to trying to drink away the image of her sister's corpse and stops socializing with anyone on or off the job, after her sister is murdered by the king, whom Zofia's blade cannot reach.
Asshole Victim:
- The king of Kaedwen was a well known rapist and murderer, who often tortured peasant girls to death. Geralt taking off his head earns him Zofia's loyalty for the rest of her life.
- In Ghelibol the lord was slaughtering elves when Geralt led the Witchers to stop the progroms and put him down.
Badass Normal: Zofia is one of the best fighters in her mercenary troop, and is the first human to swear their sword to Geralt and fight alongside Witchers. While she knows she is not as fast or strong as them she's still very skilled and constantly pushes herself to improve.
Climb, Slip, Hang, Climb: When climbing the narrow path to Kaer Morhen Zofia slipped and caught herself just in time to avoid a long and fatal drop, then pulled herself up and kept on going.
Dangerous Clifftop Road: Zofia nearly falls three times climbing the steep narrow trail to Kaer Morhen.
Death by Childbirth: Zofia's mother, and her youngest, both die due to complications during childbirth.
Death by Origin Story: Zofia's beloved sister Anna was raped and murdered by the king of Kaedwen. When she heard of Geralt killing the king for being a monster three years later she leaves the mercenary troop and goes to swear herself to Geralt, becoming the first human to do so.
Death of a Child: Of the nine children Zofia's mother had only five live long enough to be named, the ninth died due to complications during his birth and took their mother with him.
Death Seeker: Zofia was not actively trying to get killed after Anna's death, but took to drinking, stopped making friends and hoped to join her sister in whatever afterlife might await as she could not avenge her and her life had lost meaning.
Despair Event Horizon: Zofia loses her will to live after Anna is murdered, becomes cold at work and stops having friendships, goes from The Teetotaler to The Alcoholic.
Doomed by Canon: Anna cannot survive this story, since her death is what drove Zofia to Kaer Morhen.
Downer Beginning: The first two sentences say that Zofia's baby sister will die, and that her poor "mother bears a child a year for eight long, bloody years, and five of them live long enough to be named, before the ninth dies aborning and takes their mother with him."
Due to the Dead: Zofia pays the town huntsman the gold that was meant for Anna's dowry to help her find her sister's body, then buries her in a "cairn that will last a hundred winters.".
Empowered Badass Normal: After Zofia starts sleeping with Auckes she starts healing faster and notices that old aches and pains fade, making her feel younger than when she first arrived at Kaer Morhen.
Family of Choice: Zofia decides to offer to become a sister to Milena, and Milena gladly accepts Zofia as part of her family.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Anna's hair is described as golden, and she was a sweet caring girl.
Hanging by the Fingers: Zofia catches herself on a spindly thorny tree the last time she nearly falls off the trail to Kaer Morhen.
Heartbroken Badass: Zofia is broken by Anna's violent death, and her inability to avenge it.
Heir Club for Men: Zofia's stepmother abandons Anna at birth and swears to her new husband she'll prove her worth by bearing him a son.
Karma Houdini: Zofia's is truly broken by Anna's death partially because there is no way for her to avenge her, knowing that the king will just keep on raping and murdering girls and no one will stop him, but plenty of well armed knights will prevent her from taking revenge.
Kill the Cutie: Anna is sweet, pretty, kind and thoughtful and she's raped and murdered when the king rolls through town on progress.
Literary Allusion Title: Stamped in the Mint of Memory comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Riches".
Massive Numbered Siblings: Zofia is the eldest of at least seven kids, not counting those who died as infants before being named.
The Need for Mead: After Anna's murder Zofia spends her time off spending her pay at taverns, trying to drown the image of Anna's corpse from her dreams.
No Man Wants an Amazon: Zofia accepts that she'll not get married since she's a huge muscly girl with battle scars and no dowry, and instead plans to retire to live with her sister and help her raise her children.
Oh, and X Dies: It's in the description and first sentence of the story that Zofia's sister will die.
Outliving One's Offspring: While Anna was not her offspring she was Zofia's baby sister whom she raised without any help or support and was acknowledged as Zofia's daughter. She died when she was seventeen and her death drives Zofia for the rest of her life.
Parental Abandonment: Anna's mother handed her to Zofia shortly after giving birth to her, before she even had a name, she was surprised Anna lived and uninvolved in raising her.
Private Military Contractors: Zofia became a mercenary at twenty-two in order to afford a dowry and other things for Anna. Unfortunately this meant she was away from home when the king came to town.
Promotion to Parent: Anna was given to Zofia to before she even had a name, with her mother swearing to their father that she'd bear a son and prove her worth. This means that at ten Zofia became Anna's mother, raising her from infancy.
Reincarnation-Identifying Trait: Zofia does not actually believe in reincarnation, but Milena keeps reminding her of Anna, her birth date indicates she was conceived right after Anna's murder, and then Milena embroiders the same flowers on Zofia's tunics that Anna always did. Zofia insists it's almost certainly a coincidence but decides to offer to become Milena's sister anyway.
Rising Empire: Zofia joins The Warlord right after he killed the king of Kaedwen, before he'd even realized the new king of Kaedwen thought himself Geralt's vassal, and was overjoyed to help put down other cruel rulers and add their lands to those under Geralt's protection.
Sour Outside, Sad Inside: After Anna's murder Zofia stopped socializing with the other mercenaries in her troop and became cold and entirely unapproachable off the job.
A Tankard of Moose Urine: When Zofia learns that the king of Kaedwen was killed by Witchers she's in a tavern drinking some very disgusting and questionable alcohol, which is the best the little tavern has.
Tragic Dream: Zofia ruminates on her dream of retiring to live out the rest of her days helping out around Anna's home, after Anna is murdered.
Tragic Keepsake: Zofia keeps a lock of Anna's golden hair when she buries her sister.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Anna, who is sweet, thoughtful, giving and pretty is raped and murdered as a teenager by the cruel king who rules their lands.
Undying Loyalty: For killing the man who killed her sister Zofia wants nothing more than to serve Geralt for the rest of her days. Getting to help take down more monstrous people in power only makes this better.
Wanted a Son Instead: Zofia's father already had two daughters by the time Anna was born, and wanted nothing to do with her.

Twirl Three Notes and Make a Star

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 8 - | WORDS: - 33,841 -

"Eskel finally gets to take a vacation. If you can call riding herd on Jaskier and the little menace a vacation."

Tropes in Twirl Three Notes and Make a Star

Literary Allusion Title: Twirl Three Notes and Make a Star comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Wood Song".
Three-Way Sex: Jaskier is ever so exited to realize that Geralt and Eskel have long had feelings for each other, and gets them both to admit it and both in bed with him as quickly as he can manage. They find the logistics of three way sex much easier to figure out than the logistics of three way kissing.

I Have Heart-Fire and Singing to Give & I Am Sandaled With Wind and With Flame

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 5 - | WORDS: - 23,311 -

"Jaskier is invited to come and sing at Oxenfurt - an honor he has never dreamed he would be granted so young. But leaving Kaer Morhen has its perils...and there are those who would very much like to get their hands on the Consort of the Warlord of the North."

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 9,242 -

"In the immediate aftermath of Jaskier, Eskel, and Milena being kidnapped from Oxenfurt, Lambert and Aubry try desperately to figure out who took them and where."

Tropes in I Have Heart-Fire and Singing to Give & ''I Am Sandaled With Wind and With Flame"

Bad Habits: Sabrina and Marta disguise themselves as priestesses to get close enough to kidnap Milena and Jaskier
Defiled Forever: Marta as the gall to accuse Milena of having ruined herself and their family honor by sleeping with Lambert.
Literary Allusion Title: I Have Heart-Fire and Singing to Give & ''I Am Sandaled With Wind and With Flame" come from the Sara Teasdale poem "Joy".
Poisoned Weapons: Agata attempts to murder Jaskier with a poisoned dagger as they are pulling their victims through a portal—which woud have ruined their plans to keep Jaskier as a hostage to force Geralt's cooperation—but Eskel gets in the way and is cut instead.
P.O.V. Sequel: I Am Sandaled With Wind and With Flame is chapters 3 and 4 of I Have Heart-Fire and Singing to Give from Lambert and Aubry's perspective.
Ungrateful Bastard: Agata, who would have been executed for her crimes at Kaer Morhen by any other monarch, decides that losing her status in the line of succession and Jaskier getting the position she wanted is such a horrific insult that she needs to kill Jaskier and cow the Warlord instead of being grateful the Warlord let her leave with her life the first time she tired to kill his beloved.

The Debt Is Terrible That Must Be Paid In Song

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 4 - | WORDS: - 16,651 -

"Jaskier agrees to help Ciri with a magical experiment, and an unexpected accident during the process renders him six years old."

Tropes in The Debt Is Terrible That Must Be Paid In Song

Calling the Old Man Out: In The Debt Is Terrible, Aubry does this to the entire Witcher clan, pointing out that the abuse Jaskier received at the hands of his father is no worse than what the Witchers inflict on their trainees every day.
Fountain of Youth: Jaskier is turned into his child self in a magical accident, in "The Debt Is Terrible That Must Be Paid In Song."
Literary Allusion Title: The Debt Is Terrible That Must Be Paid In Song comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Song Making".
Sadist Teacher: The Witcher training requires the trainers to be this. Aubry rightfully calls this out as unhelpful and unnecessary.

My Spirit Is Still Glad Of Breath

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 4,239 -

" Three conversations in the aftermath of Jaskier's de-aging and Aubry's successful effort to convince the Witchers of Kaer Morhen to change the way they train their new recruits."

Tropes in My Spirit Is Still Glad Of Breath

Literary Allusion Title: My Spirit Is Still Glad Of Breath comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Debtor".
P.O.V. Sequel: My Spirit Is Still Glad Of Breath shows conversations between and reactions of various characters not featured in The Debt Is Terrible That Must Be Paid In Song to the decision to change the training regimen.

The Shadow of the Mountains Will Not Fall

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 4 - | WORDS: - 15,277 -

"King Henselt of Temeria makes a series of very bad decisions, and the Warlord of the North is forced to respond."

Tropes in The Shadow of the Mountains Will Not Fall

Literary Allusion Title: The Shadow of the Mountains Will Not Fall comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Water Lilies".
Too Dumb to Live: King Henselt. Not only does he flout the warlord's edicts, but he also tries to have him killed and has his army a several days ride away when he does so.
Tranquil Fury: Eskel goes cold with with fury after Lytta betrays Geralt and nearly kills him. "Eskel has no words left, nothing but the growl rumbling deep in his chest, nothing but the glacier-cold anger filling his thoughts."

Found At Last In Meeting Eyes

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 7 - | WORDS: - 41,197 -

"Jaskier gets to play matchmaker, and turns out to be very good at it indeed."

Tropes in Found At Last In Meeting Eyes

Altar Diplomacy: King Griffin asks a perfectly bewildered Geralt to recommend him an appropriate wife and queen, as given the political situation finding one who will not cause a diplomatic mess nor try to undermine him rather than help is going to be difficult.
Literary Allusion Title: Found At Last In Meeting Eyes comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "I Have Loved Hours At Sea".

Oh, Be For Me The Sky

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 7 - | WORDS: - 24,938 -

"Dragonfly of the Cat School is expecting a fair number of things from a patrol through the Wolf's Redania, but a bedraggled and injured noblewoman isn't one of them."

Tropes in Oh, Be For Me The Sky

Abhorrent Admirer: Duke Velen is a Dirty Old Man who regularly rapes and murders the young women and girls in Velen and is known at court to have beaten three wives to death, but as the king's favorite uncle can get away with it. Oliwia flees starving and with her feet bleeding to Kaer Morhen to escape being married to him.
Agony of the Feet: Oliwia's feet are bleeding and blistered after she had to walk across the kingdom in stolen boots that didn't fit.
Closet Key: Oliwia was so sheltered she didn't even know that women could prefer other women before fleeing, but she comes to understand what Dragonfly meant through her own growing affection and attraction to Dragonfly.
Combat Medic: Ealdred acts as the medic for the patrol group—consisting of Dragonfly, Ealdred, Gweld and Kolgrim—that Oliwia runs into, and is the only one with any experience treating humans. Because Oliwia is a bit twitchy around men after being attacked while fleeing Ealdred gives directions to Dragonfly to treat her feet to keep her more comfortable.
Courtly Love: Dragonfly, Gweld and Kolgrim absolutely do not understand Ealdred's courting of Yennefer, which he says is done with the propriety and respect her position dictates while they feel like he just has a hopeless crush.
Damsel in Distress: Oliwia is a sheltered noblewoman fleeing an arranged marriage to a murderous Dirty Old Man who begs the aid of Dragonfly and her patrol group when she is injured and starving and unable to keep going on her own.
Drowning Unwanted Pets: Klara's mother describes her as having a good heart, then talks about her having rescued a litter of kittens and refusing to let any be drowned as a demonstration of her kindness.
Escort Mission: Oliwia begs Dragonfly for sanctuary under the White Wolf when she encounters the Witcher in a town just on the other side of the border with Redania. Dragonfly ends up agreeing, meaning that the Witchers need to escort Oliwia all the way to Kaer Morhen.
Flowery Insults: Gweld calls Dragonfly a "beef-witted bobolyne".
Literary Allusion Title: Oh, Be For Me The Sky comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Moods".
Runaway Fiancé: Oliwia fled her engagement to the reviled Duke Velen.
Tainted Veins: Dragonfly runs back to check on Oliwia while still toxic from taking potions on a hunt, and her veins are disturbingly black and stark against her skin.
Wardrobe Wound: Dragonfly is upset when Kolgrim accidentally slashes through her sleeve during a bit of practice, not because of the slight injury which quickly heals but because she'll have to sew and she doesn't like doing so nor is much good at it.

The Old Wild, Restless Sorrow

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 1,301 -

"Oliwia's arrival in Kaer Morhen brings up some unpleasant memories for Jaskier."

Tropes in The Old Wild, Restless Sorrow

Literary Allusion Title: The Old Wild, Restless Sorrow comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Ebb Tide".

As Constant and As Changeful

RATING: - M - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 2,564 -

"Serrit tries to figure out what, precisely, she feels for Gweld, with Auckes' patient help."

Tropes in As Constant and As Changeful

Literary Allusion Title: As Constant and As Changeful comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "On the Dunes".

Changeful and Iridescent Fires

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 3,067 -

"Out on their first patrol together, Serrit and Gweld and their companions encounter a nest of bruxae and a very unusual bit of traveling theater."

Tropes in Changeful and Iridescent Fires

Literary Allusion Title: Changeful and Iridescent Fires comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Driftwood".

The Faithful Beauty of the Stars

RATING: - M - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 2,552 -

"_"

Tropes in The Faithful Beauty of the Stars

Literary Allusion Title: The Faithful Beauty of the Stars comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Winter Stars".

Into The Light Out Of Darkness

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 5 - | WORDS: - 20,042 -

"It turns out Vizimir of Redania has been keeping more secrets than anyone ever dreamed."

Tropes in Into The Light Out Of Darkness

Affably Evil: Vizimir seems quite sincere in his joviality when inducting Aleksander into his rather horrific conspiracy.
Asshole Victim:
- Gustavus tortured and experimented on Aren and tortured, experimented on and killed hundreds of girls and in his plot to uncover how to make more witchers, also giving the violent rapist Duke Velen access to his victims before he was trough with them. Gustavus exalted in using blood magic to bind other's wills and control what they could say or how they could react.
- Vizimir funded and organized his head mage Gustavus's experiments, helped ply his monstrous cousin Duke Velen with more victims, had Jaskier sent to Kaer Morhen as a Sex Slave to be raped and probably killed, and broke his treaties in all kinds of disgusting small ways. Geralt gives his death to Aren, who was held against his will and experimented on for twenty years on Vizimir's orders.
Badass in Distress: Aren is as tough as any witcher, but he can't escape from a powerful mage and has been restrained and experimented on for twenty years.
Bearer of Bad News: Aleksander is able to send Milena a message about the horrific nature of his grandfather's work for Vizimir, and she in turn runs to tell Geralt of the breach in treaty and Aren's decades of torture. She is so upset she is unable to explain the whole thing and has to just hand Geralt the letter Aleksander sent.
Dented Iron: After years of torture and experimentation Aren cannot walk without help, but still has just enough strength to decapitate Vizimir, which Eist notes is a sign he's still stronger than a regular human even though he's grievously inured.
Destroy the Abusive Home: Eskel and Zia burn down the Velen estate, where many young women and girls met their doom and where Zia had been experimented on and held against her will in the basement.
Feudal Overlord: Duke Velen spent his life abusing the power he had over his estate, turning it into a horrific place were all the women and girls are scarred in an attempt to avoid his unwanted attention.
Incapable of Disobeying: Gustavus's attendants are under so many compusions that they can do nothing but obey his orders and stare at the floor when he uses them to assist in his experiments and torture.
Karma Houdini Warranty: After ever so many stories in which Vizimir gets away with doing reprehensible things due to not breaking the treaty or only breaking it in ways that most other kingdoms will not really see as a true breach he finally gets caught breaking it in ways that no other monarch would find excusable and is executed.
Kidnapped for Experimentation: Aren was abducted shortly before Geralt called the schools together and became the Warlord in order for a mage to experiment on him trying to figure out the secret to making more Witchers.
Literary Allusion Title: Into the Light Out of Darkness comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "The Voice".
Painful Persona: Aleksander is absolutely disgusted and repulsed by the persona he has to put on while accepting his duties as Duke Velen from Vizimir and despite being outwardly cool, calm and acting honored by the king is made nauseous by the revelations he's being handed.
Playing with Syringes: Gustavus has been experimenting using Aren's blood to try to make more Witchers, killing hundreds of girls but succeeding in creating four new Witchers with his "false Grasses", all of whom he's also experimenting on.
Shoot the Messenger: Milena begs Geralt not to kill Aleksander, not so much concerned that he'll be killed for getting the message to Kaer Morhen but because he has inherited the position and duties of Duke Velen and did agree to do so to the king, even if he managed to get news to Kaer Morhen and betray his king before being forced to facilitate or assist in further atrocities.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: In "Into The Light Out Of Darkness", Aleksander has to choose between loyalty to his king, who is kidnapping young girls and forcing them to become Witchers and doing the right thing, which will essentially be giving Geralt an excuse/valid reason to conquer Vizimir's kingdom. He chooses the latter, fully expecting to die as a result.
Synchronous Episodes: The entire story happens while Renfri is traveling in That Is Born Out Of Agony.
Three-Way Sex: In a stark contrast to the rest of the tale it starts out with a bit of planning and a very explicit sex scene between Geralt, Jaskier and Eskel before the mood is darkened by the news Aleksander sends.
Tongue-Tied: Gustavus uses Blood Magic to ensure Aleksander cannot talk about the experiments in Velen to anyone not already part of the conspiracy.

New-Made Gold To Give You

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 7,311 -

"After the conquest of Redania, teams of Witchers go out to bring the news of the new regime and the Wolflaw to every fief."

Tropes in New-Made Gold To Give You

Aristocrats Are Evil: While it is acknowledged that there are exceptions they are rare and not expected. Gustaw's memories and expectations of a new overlord visiting his town are rather horrific and at the mild end expect nobles to demand more food and gold than they can afford to give up and rape a few young women and possibly young men. At the other end, "every peasant knows of villages razed to the ground for the amusement of bored knights, irked noblemen who wanted the pleasure of destruction."
Asshole Victim: Baron Brajan and his men raped some of the women in town and demanded the heardsman slaughter a cow he could barely afford to lose during the tour he made to announce himself as the new baron. He was also complicit in Vizimir's conspiracy and was too busy entertaining himself to actually run his barony, leaving that to his niece Lucja.
Career-Ending Injury: Anicet used to be part of a merchant caravan, but his leg healed badly from a break and he couldn't travel so much without significant pain so he moved into the town and became their scribe.
Covered with Scars: Gustaw notes that the Witchers are covered in scars that would have killed or maimed a normal man.
Dope Slap: Rorik gets hit on the back of the head for saying a dirty joke in front of the women in the tavern, who are a terrified and expecting to be raped.
Facepalm: Gardis drops his face into his palm when he's just about gotten the townsfolk adjusted to the idea that Witchers aren't monsters and says they don't bite, only for Rorik to loudly chime in with a "mostly".
Hero with Bad Publicity: Gustaw and the other peasants have all been taught that Witchers are violent bloodthirsty rapists with no emotions or compassion and expect them to be much worse overlords than their previous one, who they all know was terrible. They are terrified of Gardis and his group who have come to spread the Wolflaw and deal with any monsters about.
Literary Allusion Title: New-Made Gold To Give You comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "A November Night".
Nice to the Waiter: Gardis's group being nice to the waitstaff at the tavern, even cuffing Rorik on the back of the head for saying a very dirty joke in Nina's presence, rather than forcing themselves on the women as the town expected and their last lord did is when they start winning over some of the townsfolk. They even pay for their meals to the shock of everyone in the tavern.
Unexpected Successor: Since Redania generally treats women as the property of their male relatives and certainly doesn't let them inherit Gustaw and the townsfolk are quite shocked to learn that Baron Brajan is being replaced by his niece Lucja.

Breaking in Measured Thunder

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 1,196 -

"Aren and Esra discuss potions, monsters, and choosing who to trust."

Tropes in Breaking in Measured Thunder

Agonizing Stomach Wound: Byrtel gets trampled, with a crushed liver and preforated intestines, which is a slow agonizing death even for a Witcher.
Face Death with Dignity: Byrtel had calmly accepted that he was going to die painfully of the injuries the bullvore had inflicted on him, only for Esra to surprise him by getting the mage's help to save him.
Fire-Forged Friends: Esra is much more approachable than most of his school, and going trough a few bad hunts with his patrol group—consisting of Esra, Gerring, Byrtel and Kyril—has ensured that they're very close and stick together even in Kaer Morhen. Having to watch Byrtel nearly die and the others get badly injured when surprised by a bullvore after a hard hunt helped make Esra stick around more than other members of his famously distant and stand offish school do.
Framing Device: Esra tells Aren a story about a hunt gone wrong and it's outcome when Aren asks why he shoud trust his pride with a mage.
From Bad to Worse: Esra's patrol group had long a hard fight with a pair of fiends, then walked to a nearby cave to get out of the weather and tend their wounds only to be surprised by a bullvore, which knocked out Gerring, trampled Byrtel, and broke Kyril’s arm. After Esra manaed to kill it he discovered Byrtel's injuries were the type to lead to a slow death and that the bullvore had crushed their remaining potions.
Literary Allusion Title: Breaking in Measured Thunder comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "I Thought Of You".
Mercy Kill: Esra considered giving Byrtel a mercy strike after he got tramped with deadly internal injuries that would kill him slowly and painfully, before deciding that since they had an emergency beacon they should go ahead and use it and do their best to stay alive rater than living like Witchers did prior to the schools regrouping.
No One Gets Left Behind: In a huge change from the leanings of his school Esra realized that with the Warlords resources this is possible, and in the face of a teammate falling to injuries and asking to be left to die a rather traditional Witcher's death Esra chose a new philosophy; to use the resources at hand to do everything possible to keep his team alive.
Papa Wolf: Aren is extremly protective of his girls, and has adopted them as his pride.
Synchronous Episodes: Occurs during That Is Born Out Of Agony, but there are no characters nor scenes shared between them.

That Is Born Out Of Agony

RATING: - M - | CHAPTERS: - 7 - | WORDS: - 35,146 -

"Renfri of Creyden has known she is cursed since she was old enough to know anything at all. But she is a princess of Creyden, and if her curse is going to condemn her, she'll accept that judgment from no lesser person than the Warlord of the North."

Tropes in That Is Born Out Of Agony

Adopting the Abused: While Renfri is still Fredefalk's legal child Fredefalk has no more say in her upbringing and has abandoned her. Coën takes her under his wing and becomes her new father in all but name.
Ambition Is Evil: Lady Aridea wants more political power for herself and her eldest natural born child, including wanting the freedom to treat non-human sentients like animals.
Apocalypse Maiden: Stregobor claims Renfri's curse will doom the world.
Assassin Outclassin': Renfri manages to kill the man her stepmother hired to kill her when the creep tries to rape her before finishing her off.
Asshole Victim:
- Borys not only had no issues with being hired to kill a child, he also decided to rape the girl before killing her.
- Stregobor is a Smug Snake who talked clients out of paying Witchers for their services and is eager to experiment on and murder a girl.
- Aridea was a horrid Wicked Stepmother who abused her stepdaughter throughout her life, then tried to sell her to Stregobor and when that didn't work hired a creep to kill her. She is also bigoted towards non-humans and initiated prejudicial policies against them and had a bunch of soldiers sworn into her care until they could return home poisoned and thrown in a lime pit, breaking not only her own oath but Coën's and Geralt's as well.
Attempted Rape: Borys tries to rape Renfri, but she manages to fight him off and kill him.
Badass Teacher: Renfri watches Zofia spar before being introduced to her new teacher and is quite impressed by how fast she can be as a human without modifications.
Bad Boss: Lady Aridea's moods are unpredictable and dangerous for those in her employ, and she beats servants over minor infractions.
Bears Are Bad News: Renfri lumps bears in with boars, wyverns, griffins and bruxae as some o the dangers in the woods she frequently has to hide in, which she fears may end up eating her, as she thinks may be Lady Aridea's hope every time she hides there.
Beneath the Earth: Renfri ends up walking the dwarf roads to very nearly the base of the mountain where Kaer Morhen is built, visiting many dwarven clans and admiring their craftsmanship as she travels with Gastim and Gilmeth Hornforged.
Blatant Lies: In order to ensure that Witchers never see Renfri and assume that Jarmagdo is the heir Aridea lies to Renfri to make sure she hides every time there are Witchers in Yspaden. "Lady Aridea is very clear in explaining that if the Witchers ever set eyes on Renfri, they will slay her, as they slay all cursed beasts; and for the crime of harboring her, all the court of Creyden will likewise be put to the sword." It also turns out Aridea doesn't even think Renfri is cursed, but has ensured plenty of others in Yspaden, including Renfri herself believe it.
Bleed 'Em and Weep:
Boulder Bludgeon: Renfri chucks a rock at Stregobor when he corners her in the woods, knocking him out and allowing her a chance to escape.
Curse: Renfri has been raised with the knowledge that she's cursed from being born under the Black Sun, and is bad luck to all around her.
Damsel in Distress: Renfri spends most of the tale fleeing from her murderous stepmother and from the mage Stregobor who is hunting her, and thinks about how the princesses in her storybooks all wait and are rescued which she cannot do.
Damsel out of Distress: Renfri kills the man tryin to rape her, and escapes Stregobor into the dwarven tunnels all by herself. Then walks all the way to Kaer Morhen to beg the Warord's mercy. She does not wait or anyone to save her.
Day Hurts Dark-Adjusted Eyes: It is painful to Renfri's eyes when she first steps back out onto the surface after her on walk through the underground dwarfroads.
Death by Childbirth: Renfri's mother died giving birth to her.
Denied Food as Punishment: Lady Aridea commonly has Renfri sent to bed without supper as punishment, though it is often punishment for being an inherently "wicked" child.
Didn't Think This Through: Lady Aridea gave her word to send the soldiers on home, then killed them all. Apparenty she did not think it might get back to her overlord that all the men she had promised to give succor to dissapeared instead.
Disappeared Dad: Fredefalk is almost always away in Hengfors with Prince Grzegorz, leaving his second wife Aridea to raise the children and run Creyden.
Disproportionate Retribution: Lady Aridea had a maid who touched the box her mirror is kept in beaten almost to death
Don't Go in the Woods: Coën is horrified to hear that Renfri spent much of her childhood sent to "hide" in the monster infested woods.
Drunk with Power: Lady Aridea really should have had someone keeping a better eye on the way she was ruling Creyden.
Elaborate Underground Base: The dwarven tunnels and homes crisscross many countries and allow for travel over vast distances without ever surfacing.
Empty Promise:
- Lady Aridea's promise to send the soldiers home was an outright lie.
- Stregobor's word on a "quick" and "painless" death for Renfri is completely untrustworthy.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Stregobor can't even imagine a word in which someone with power would deny him a girl he wants to experiment on and murder.
Evil Matriarch: Lady Aridea is a cruel woman and runs her family.
Exact Eavesdropping: Renfri eavesdropping on Aridea's council meetings means that she has informations useful to the Warlord's investigation into her possible actions against dwarves.
Falling into His Arms: Renfri falls into the dwarven tunnels while feeing Stregobor and is caught by a very surprised Gilmeth, who becomes her best friend over the course of the story.
False Rape Accusation: Stregobor claims Renfri is lying about Borys tryin to rape her, declaring that she compelled Borys to try and have sex with her in order to kill him.
Fille Fatale: Stregobor claims Renfri intentionally seduced the man who tried to rape her, and then used the opportunity to kill him.
Fantastic Racism: Aridea of Creyden despises non-humans, and despite the steep consequences for nobility treating them as less than human in the Warlord's lands she initiated prejudicial policies against dwarves and calls them "greedy little moles" when questioned.
Fractured Fairy Tale: Renfri's story is still a twisted version of Snow White, it's just that this time she escapes Stregobor and finds refuge in Kaer Morhen instead of growing bitter and more abused as in canon.
Friends Are Chosen, Family Aren't: Renfri finds herself extremely grateful for her new friends after she reads her father's letter and realizes that the one parent she thought loved her doesn't really see her as a person at all and had Gilmeth cut off her hair to symbolize cutting her ties with them while Gilmeth was calmly there for her.
A Friend in Need: Gilmeth quickly becomes a great friend to Renfri and is there for her as she goes through some of the toughest revelations of her life.
Girl in the Tower: When Renfri could not be sent into the woods to hide from visitors she was locked in her high tower, supposedly so that her curse would not interfere with anything.
God Save Us from the Queen!: Renfri's stepmother is a cruel, bigoted and murderous woman who is functionally regent of Creyden.
Good Princess, Evil Queen: Renfri cares for her people and wishes to protect them in what few ways she can, while Lady Aridea sees her people as tools at best, to be used and thrown away if they do not pease her.
Good Samaritan: Gilmeth and his family do not hesitate to aid Renfri even tough she tells them that a dangerous mage is hunting her.
Gossipy Hens: Lady Aridea's court is constantly sniping at each other and spreading gossip
Hair-Trigger Temper: Lady Aridea as an unpredictable temper, that leaves Renfri and the servants on tenderhooks trying not to set her off and listening to her court trying to keep tabs on her mood.
Hates Their Parent: Renfri truly hates her stepmother, and wishes for her death. Sometimes she fears that this is evidence of the supposed curse on her turning her monstrous.
Imaginary Enemy: When Renfri is stuck in the pitch black woods for the night she imagines Stregobor or a dangerous animal coming across her while she is near defenseless.
Important Haircut: Renfri asks Gilmeth to cut off her braid, to symbolize cutting ties with her family and living as Shrike for the time being.
Improvised Weapon: Renfri kills Borys with her brooch.
Justice Will Prevail: Renfri decides to ask the Warlord's justice, even if it means he might have her killed for being a monster, when she realizes she might otherwise have no escape from Stregobor and that with the Witcher's judgement she'll know once and for a the truth of her curse and supposed monstrous nature.
Kidnapped for Experimentation: Stregobor tries to kidnap Renfri to experiment on her, claiming he'll give her a quick death if she goes with him without a fight.
Killing in Self-Defense: Renfri kills Borys when he tries to rape her, telling her her stepmother had hired him to kill her and bring back her heart.
King Incognito: Princess Renfri travels under the name Shrike.
Knight in Shining Armor: Coën is pointed at as an example of what knights think they are, the heroic humble knight of stories save for not having noble blood nor having been knighted.
Literary Allusion Title: That Is Born Out Of Agony comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Red Maples".
Looks Worth Killing For: "Renfri suspects Lady Aridea would cheerfully kill someone for the ability to look half so good [as Yennefer]."
The Lost Lenore: Prince Fredefalk was broken by the death of his first wife, and can't stand to be in Yspaden because Renfri looks so much like her mother.
Magic Mirror: Yennefer has a enspelled mirror that lets Ciri, Renfri, Mouse and Aleksander watch proceedings in Yspaden from Kaer Morhen.
Manipulative Bitch: Aridea has twisted the court at Yspaden to do her bidding, even when it goes against Prince Fredefalk's desires.
Maternal Death? Blame the Child!: Aridea has chosen to raise Renfri believing that her biological mother's death was her fault and a sign of how cursed she is.
Modest Royalty: Justified Trope as Princess Renfri has been mistreated her whole life, and does not have a proper princess education nor connections, being more friendly with servants.
Narcissist: Aridea's mirror is her most prized possession and she had a maid who touched the box it's kept in beaten almost to death. She thinks herself beautiful and keeps ladies-in-waiting that only reinforce her high opinions of herself.
Noble Fugitive: Princess Renfri spends months fleeing after her stepmother hires a man to kill her and bring back her heart.
The Oath-Breaker: Aridea willingly broke not only her own sworn oaths, but her husbands and Coën's, thinking she'd get away with it.
An Odd Place to Sleep: Renfri often sleeps in the hayloft when Witchers are visiting Yspaden.
Offstage Villainy: Eskel and Coën acknowledge that it is likely Aridea committed many more crimes than the few they uncovered before heading to Creyden to put an end to her rein.
Off with His Head!: Geralt cuts off Stregobor's head when the mage demands Geralt hand over Renfri so that he can experiment on and kill her.
Oh, Crap!: Aridea takes a while to realize all of her bad decisions are going to get her killed, but once she starts to realize that she's about to have serious consequences for her actions she very visibly starts freakin out.
Our Dwarves Are All the Same: The Hornforged clan are all stout and bearded, live underground in tunnels, work with stone and are prone to using the word "lass".
Power Nullifier: Dimeritium nullifies magic.
Princess Protagonist: Princess Renfri is the tale's protagonist.
Production Foreshadowing: As the timeline of That Is Born Out Of Agony overlaps with With Tenderness and Nobleness, the next tale in the series, there are hints to how Aleksander's first few months in Kaer Morhen will go.
Protective Charm: Even after learning she's not actually cursed Renfri keeps wearing the dimeritium necklace as it makes her feel safer, and feel less like she'll somehow harm those around her unintentionally.
The Quest: Renfri decides to seek justice from the Warlord, requiring a trip that takes months while she tries to hide from Stregobor and befriends the Hornforged clan.
Rebellious Princess: Renfri chooses not to be the monster her stepmother claims her to be, nor to just roll over and let her stepmother get her way. After realizing her father just sees her as the same demure quiet woman he thought her mother to be instead of her own person she decides to stop trying to please him as well.
Recognition Failure: Stregobor is rather offended when the guards do not recognize his name when he introduces himself.
Resistant to Magic: Renfri seems to be inherently resistant to magic.
Sacred Hospitality: The Hornforged clan are gracious hosts and do not pester their guest with questions, even though she arrives covered in blood.
Save the Princess: Gilmeth is quite tickled to realize the girl he's helped rescue and become friends with is a princess, sayin it makes for a good story.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Stregobor seems to think that his past as a royal advisor will convince the gate guards to hand Renfri over to him. Even though he was an advisor to a royal line the Warlord had to step in and end.
Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers!: Evidently in Stregobor's mind his ability to do magical experiments makes him invaluable and means that people will just give him what he wants regardless of wether or not he's going against all of their stated morals and laws.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Aridea is passing laws and decrees as functional regent of Creyden which go against those of her overlords, expecting to get away with it and be beyond reproach or punishment due to her position.
Shower of Angst: Renfri is very eager for the bath Duvabelle offers her after Borys nearly rapes her, she has to kill him in self defense and then she had to escape from Stregobor and hide in the dark woods all night.
Smug Snake: Stregobor thinks himself clever, important and undeniable in his pursuits.
Standard Hero Reward: When Renfri thinks about fairytale princesses and their escapes from danger she doesn't care for the bit were they're given to their rescuer as a trophy.
Stress Vomit: Renfri vomits after killing the hunter that her stepmother hired to kill her, who had been attempting to rape her.
Super-Persistent Predator: Stregobor will not stop hunting Renfri, even with his Tracking Spell malfunctioning and her running for two months.
Taking You with Me: Renfri thinks several times about how she wouldn't mind if her curse got Aridea killed when it gets her killed, but she doesn't want it to harm the other people of Creyden like Aridea claims it will.
Tampering with Food and Drink: Aridea put rat poison in the food for the soldiers from Kovir she was meant to send home, killing all of them.
These Hands Have Killed: Renfri is very unsettled to have killed a man and disgusted to be covered in his blood, though knows that it was her or him. She just doesn't like that she had to do it.
They Would Cut You Up: Stregobor is very eager to experiment on Renfri to learn about the supposed curse of the Black Sun.
Too Dumb to Live: Stregobor is unable to catch up to Renfri until she's at the base of the trail leading to Kaer Morhen, and the witcher guards will not let him take her, instead sayin he'll need to state his piece to Geralt. The arrogant wizard willingly complies and actually expects Geralt to happily hand over the innocent girl to be experimented on and killed even tough Geralt is famously protective of the innocent and the last time they met Stregobor reused to pay Geralt for a job and lied to ensure Geralt looked bad to the locals. Geralt cuts off his head instead.
Tracking Spell: Stregobor uses a spell to track Renfri, but being on the dwarf roads and her own magic resistance makes the spell super unreliable.
Unstable Powered Woman: Stregobor claims Renfri's emotions will turn on her and make her evil—also that it's already started—and her cursed power will destroy the world.
Villainous Breakdown: Aridea flips out after Eskel forces her to tell the truth of her actions, tryin to demand punishment for him, before she slowly realizes that her crimes are going to get her killed.
Walk-In Chime-In: Byrtel jumps right into the conversation about potentially heating the keep using steam from the hot springs, going from walking by to plopping himself at the table with them.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Stregobor claims he needs to experiment on and kill Renfri for the good of the world since she's supposedly an Apocalypse Maiden. Of course Eskel notes that pretty much every sentence out of Stregobor's mouth was at least half a lie.
Who Dares?: Aridea arrogantly demands who Coën is that he dares to hold her arms and restrain her.
Wicked Stepmother: Aridea abused her stepdaughter throughout her childhood, then tried to sell her to Stregobor and when that didn't work hired a creep to kill her all because she wanted her own child to be Fredefalk's heir.
Would Hurt a Child: Aridea has spent Renfri's entire life abusing her, culminating in hiring a man to kill her. Stregobor is giddy at the chance to murder and experiment on her, and his "examination" of her is implied to have been sexual assault, as he forced her to undress and hurt her.
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Coën is disgusted at Aridea and Stregobor for harming a child, especially Aridea for attacking a child in her care.
You Have No Chance to Survive: Stregobor tries to get Renfri to just give up when he corners her in the forest, saying she as no chance to live and that no one will protect her since she "slew a man without provocation", claiming that she "compelled [her rapist] to desire [her], and slew him".

With Tenderness and Nobleness

RATING: - E - | CHAPTERS: - 15 - | WORDS: - 89,252 -

"After the conquest of Redania, Aleksander of Velen comes to Kaer Morhen. He's not sure what his place is there - or even if he truly has a place - and the culture of the keep comes as a great shock. But he has nowhere else to go, and with luck, friends, and the help of a very handsome Cat, maybe he will be able to make himself at home. He hopes. All he needs to do is not offend anyone or reveal his shameful weakness, right? "

"And Aren of the Manticores and his four Mantikittens are slowly adjusting to the idea of being in a place of safety at last."

Tropes in With Tenderness and Nobleness

Afraid of Doctors: Aren, Maja, Elena, Zia, Ada and Aleksander want to avoid Triss at all costs and do not trust any mages after their experiences with Gustavus even though she'd be able to help them heal faster and reduce scarring following their horrific experience.
Definitely Just a Cold: Aleksander gets what he keeps assuring himself and the others is just a headcold as he wants to avoid worrying anyone or having a mage look him over and/or treat him but it quickly becomes apparent that it is a more serious illness.
Flowers of Romance: Aiden borrows Milena's book on Redanian Flower Language so that he can bring Aleksander flowers with romantic meanings.
Gay Aesop: Aleksander is shocked by how open people are with their relationships in Kaer Morhen, especially same sex relationships, due to how stigmatized and prejudiced against such the culture in Redinia is. His own attraction to men is something he's long been suppressing and he slowly adjusts to the idea that he no longer has to.
Literary Allusion Title: With Tenderness and Nobleness comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Houses Of Dreams".
Nightmare Sequence: Aleksander keeps having nightmares of his attempt to get news to Kaer Morhen and put an end to Gustavus' experiments going wrong in various horrific ways. Then he wakes up and finds himself unable to get back to seep despite being desperately tired.
Public Bathhouse Scene: Aleksander slowly accepting and becoming comfortable with the communal bathing in Kaer Morhen's hot springs is the sign that he will be able to adjust to and thrive in Kaer Morhen, even if it takes him a while to adapt.
Secret Project Refugee Family: Aren and the Mantikittens group together as their own pride in Kaer Morhen, and only slowy start letting others in.
Undying Loyalty: The Mantikittens are fiercely loyal to Aleksander for getting them out of the dungeon in Velen.

Where the Flooded Water Breaks

RATING: - T - | CHAPTERS: - 1 - | WORDS: - 3,089 -

"Out on his first real patrol with a group of senior Witchers, Roland hears something very odd. A flood isn't the sort of monster Witchers can fight, but they can do some good, all the same."

Tropes in 'Where the Flooded Water Breaks

Antiquated Linguistics: Barmin, who is among the oldest Witchers and has not updated the way he speaks with the times, talks in a much older fashion than the main characters.
Belated Injury Realization: Gardis only realizes that whatever knocked him down in the water while he was getting the last kid to safety cut him and he's bleeding badly after he's reunited the kid with their family.
Big Damn Heroes:
- Gardis, Orn, Kolgrim, and Kiyan run into the village just as the waters start filling it and people start stumbling out of their homes into the dark. They manage to get all the villagers out with some help from the reinforcements Roland calls for and Roland lighting a bonfire to help show the villagers which way to go once the older Witchers get them out of the village. The last few rescued are kids trapped in their homes, but the Witchers are just able to carry them to safety through the rapidly rising water.
- Gardis is trying to get three kids out of their home and knows that he can't safely get them out by himself due to how high the water has risen, but the rest of his patrol group is busy and not near enough to help him. When he calls out again Junod replies and shows up to "catch some kids" just before the water got so high Gardis would have been forced to ford the flood trying to hang on to all of them.
Citywide Evacuation: With the Witchers' help everyone is able to get out of Bedzin alive, though the last few were in quickly filing houses when the Witchers got them out. The livestock and animals, as well as everyone's possessions, were not so lucky given the evacuation started after the flood did.
Crisis Catch And Carry: Junod catches two kids Gardis passes through a window and carries them to safety. If they'd tried to walk they would have been swept away by the flood as it was too high, and nearly took down Gardis who was following close behind them.
The Diaper Change: Orn tells Eskel that Roland is learning how to change a diaper in the aftermath of the destruction of Bedzin, and Eskel reflects on his own experiences changing Ciri's diaper and wondering how such a small person could make such a smell.
Fantasy Counterpart Appliance: The xenovox is essentially a box with spells on it that allow it to operate like a cell phone.
Giant Wall of Watery Doom: A wall of muddy water quickly sweeps through the village of Bedzin, and gets even deeper eventually sweeping the houses away.
Hell Is That Noise: Roland hears an unsettling roar that doesn't sound like any monster that has the whole patrol group on edge, before the screaming starts and they realize a flash flood is tearing through the nearby village of Bedzin.
Literary Allusion Title: Where the Flooded Water Breaks comes from the Sara Teasdale poem "Spring Torrents".
Mission Control: Livi makes sure the Witchers are getting everything they need to help the survivors and ensures the Witchers that Eskel requests are sent to talk to the liege lord whose responsibility it is to care for the people of Bedzin.
We Help the Helpless: While the Witchers find helping out in a flood odd, as there are no monsters or monsterous men to fight, they are still happy to do so and feel helping out those who need help is their purpose and what makes them feel fulfilled.

Fanfic / The Accidental Warlord And His Pack

Edit Locked