The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG

by Cody Pondsmith

  ruption. A note for the traveler: you line since then. There are three un-

  sion would devolve into a shouting

  may wish to avoid Claremont. The derground resistance movements match, or even a duel. Mettina’s king town is known to stage pit fights for centered around the country’s princ-pays tribute to Nilfgaard, often in the

  the amusement of organized crim-

  es. If they ever worked together, they

  form of horses and horsemen.

  inals and depraved nobles. Rumors might cause trouble.

  of aardvark pit fighting are not con-

  firmed.

  197

  Gheso

  Nazair

  Mag Turga

  Seeing the inevitable coming, the Nazair was a beautiful land, much

  Mag Turga is a smal , isolated high-

  Baron of Gheso surrendered to Nil-

  like Touissant. Some years ago, land between the Amell Mountains

  fgaard—at least temporarily. When Duke Adam of Nazair decided to and the Tir Tochair. It is rugged and the small force arrived for occupa-change the course of the Sansretour

  thickly forested, with dangerous

  tion, the Baron thought he could River, not keeping in mind that the

  monsters and crumbling cliffs. Be-

  dictate terms to the army. The town river runs through countries oth-

  cause of the constant supply of fuel,

  of Glyswen, or White River, is a good er than Nazair—in fact, not taking

  it is a good place to smelt the ore that

  example of what happens when you into consideration that that river comes from Belhaven in the north-try to dictate terms to Nilfgaard. All runs through the Sansretour Val-

  east. It is near the Theodula Pass

  that was left was ten huts, part of a ley, the most prized wine region in

  which allows one to cross from Naz-

  palisade, and an inn. The popula-

  Nilfgaard. The result was that many

  air to Riverdell and the Slopes. Now

  tion was decimated and Nilfgaard-

  vineyards and orchards turned into

  they supply wood to the Nilfgaard-

  ian peasants were brought in to fill inhospitable bogs and swamps. More

  ian governments in Cintra, Nazair,

  the space. The populace is afraid of recently, Nilfgaard took the country

  and Angren, although not everyone

  Nilfgaardians, so the tasks a govern-

  in an unusual y difficult battle. Since

  is pleased about that. While Mag

  ment might be responsible for have then there have been multiple up-

  Turga’s isolation makes the people

  been taken over by feuding petty no-

  risings, and the radical element still

  clannish and slow to warm to outsid-

  bles and bandit kings. The roads are schemes in the taverns, wearing the

  ers, rumors have arisen that dwarves

  not safe in Gheso. Bandits and slav-

  blue rose of Nazair. This dazzling are digging at the roots of their hil s.

  ers roam freely, especial y on what azure rose is found only in Nazair.

  Mag Turga was absorbed peaceful y

  used to be called the “Velda Road” Cuttings are in great demand and by the Empire and the Empire was after the river it runs along, dividing are often smuggled out of Nazair to

  glad of it. Battles through the deep

  Gheso from Maecht. It is now called be sold for outrageous prices. One of

  forests and high cliffs would have

  “The Bandit’s Road.” It will take you the most attractive places in Nazair

  cost a lot of time and lives. The iron

  to the town of Loredo, also known as is Lake Muredach. There are several

  smelters are primarily in the city of

  “The Bandit’s Lair,” where all manner beautiful summer homes of the no-

  Tergano. It’s a grimy town but is the

  of folk from farmers to slavers can bility on the lake, most built to be

  largest one in Mag Turga. As the log-

  rest, resupply, and trade their booty. defensible. One wonders what they

  gers move farther into the forest they

  I have not been able to find a single had in mind. Nazairian ceramics are

  are running into areas thick with gi-

  reason why one might want to go to skilful y detailed and make reliable

  ant spider-like arachasae, so wood

  Gheso.

  trade goods in large cities.

  prices are going up.

  198

  The Duchy of Attre

  Angren

  Cintra

  The duchy of Attre lies just

  south of the Cintran capital.

  Despite being coastal most of its

  territory is dry and hot. Even

  after the Nilfgaardian takeover

  Attre still remains as a duchy of

  Cintra. The last Cintran ruler,

  Angren is a large, thinly populated Within the memory of the Cin-

  Duke Windhalm, lead an un-

  province. Most of the people in An-

  trans, the country was bright and

  succes ful revolt against Nilf-

  gren are foresters harvesting “Angre-

  busy with trade on the ocean and

  gaard and was captured only

  nian Gold”–cedars, sycamores, and on the Yaruga. In 1263 Nilfgaard

  to be made an example of by

  pines. Unless you are a logger you marched on Cintra. Everyone had

  dying very painfuly and pub-

  haven’t much reason to come here. hoped that Emyr var Emreis would

  licly. After this most of the Attre

  Even the people who live here avoid be a peaceful neighbor, but it was not

  nobles sided with Nilfgaard.

  Ysgith, in lower Angren. Its over-

  to be. The king, Eist Tuirseach, was

  –Brandon of Oxenfurt

  grown forests hide giant crab spiders killed in battle. Since he was also a

  and carnivorous plants that can eat a king of Skellige, the Skelligers have

  person whole. At one time there was been implacable foes of Nilfgaard

  a druid’s circle at Caed Dhu, meaning since. When the Nilfgaardian army

  Black Grove, but there has been no encircled the Cintran castle, their

  word from them in some time. There queen, the almost mythical Calan-

  is a small logging town on the Yaruga, the of Cintra, threw herself off the

  Cedar Flats, which is where the logs battlements. Calanthe, a strong and

  are put through the mill or pushed canny woman, had reigned through

  off in rafts toward larger towns to the three generations. With her death,

  south. Recently the large mil s have the Cintran people lost heart. This

  started using their wood waste to became known as the Slaughter of

  make attractive and cheap paper. The Cintra. The only hope for the Cin-

  people are slow to warm up to new-

  trans is Calanthe’s granddaughter

  comers but there is always work in the Ciril a. She disappeared during the

  mil s or forests. There is a lone glim-

  battle, but next appeared marrying

  mer of society and culture in a town the Emperor. There is a puppet king

  in the western part of Angren called who takes orders directly from the

  Riverdel . It is in between the Yaruga Emperor, who rules Cintra from afar

  and the Slopes and most of the popu-

  in the name of the Empress. Cintran

  lation lives there.

  discontent sometimes encourages

  the smuggling of goods to other af-

  flicted countries in the North.
/>
  199

  Beyond the Borders

  Up to now we’ve been dealing with what most

  consider “the Known World”. But explorers

  and merchants have long known that there

  are more lands, even though they are an ex-

  otic mystery.

  To the west is the Great Sea. We know

  that across the sea lies Ofier. The North some-

  times has trade dealings with Ofier but I’ve

  never hear of anyone going there. I include

  more details later.

  Along the fjords of the Great Sea

  north of Redania are the small kingdoms of

  the Dragon Mountains. On the north side of

  Redania and Kaedwen we know of Kovir and

  Poviss and the Hengfor’s League, but there is

  vast unknown and unmapped territory be-

  yond them called the Far North.

  To the south lies the Empire of Nilf-

  gaard. We do not know how far south it ex-

  tends or what is on the other side. Hopeful y

  some day, in peaceful times, we may trade in-

  formation with the Nilfgaard Academy to fill

  in our knowledge.

  To the east are the Blue Mountains

  that form the eastern border of Kaedwen.

  East of the Blue Mountains are impassable

  swamps filled with a plethora of monsters,

  and diseases in abundance. South of them the

  Tir Tochair range forms the eastern boundary

  of the Nilfgaardian provinces. These provide a

  secure boundary, but not as effective as what’s

  on the other side. The Great Korath Desert lies

  in the rain shadow of the Tir Tochair Moun-

  tains. They say that no rain ever fal s in the

  Korath, also called the Frying Pan. It is a flat

  brown land with no plants or life beyond gi-

  ant scorpions and ant lions. There is rumor of

  long-abandoned buildings in the wastes, but I

  have no evidence of this. Beyond the Tir To-

  chair and the Korath lie the mysterious lands

  of Hakland and Zerrikania.

  200

  The Far North

  North of Kovir and Poviss,

  Zerrikania

  Ofier

  north of the Hengefor’s League,

  beyond the Dragon Moun-

  tains, is the Far North. It is

  tundra and deep forests, most-

  ly impos ible to cultivate. Old

  tales speak of white dragons in

  the North, presumably from

  the Dragon Mountains. And

  yet we know of people there.

  Animals carved of bone or ivo-

  ry sometimes show up in Kovir

  and Poviss. Some believe them

  to be of religious significance,

  perhaps representing “sacrific-

  es” to ensure plentiful hunting.

  Zerrikania is a little-known land to the

  Ofier is a largely unknown land across the

  –Brandon of Oxenfurt

  southeast, beyond the great and terrible Ko-

  Great Ocean. We believe several nations live

  rath Desert. Day-to-day goods show up in

  out on an enormous plain, and as such love

  our markets sometimes, probably through a

  their horses, value them highly, and race

  long chain of trade. They are said to worship

  them constantly. They are even said to have a

  a legendary gold dragon named Zerrikan-

  variety with black and white stripes. In battle

  terment, with scales that glimmer like the

  they carry a saber, a thin, curved sword, and

  ocean at sunset. A queen rules this land, and

  a big, brass shield. It’s said that they show

  her tattooed warrior women learn to fight

  remarkable tolerance to other cultures. We

  from birth. They carry Zerrikanian sabers

  know that Ofier trades with parties in Re-

  and recurved zefhar bows made of polished

  dania, as occasional Ofieri ships come to

  antelope horn. Zerrikania has many great

  Novigrad. They trade in weapons, fine em-

  alchemists as wel , and bomb-making is a

  broidered clothing, and luxury goods like

  specialty. Zerrikanian fire scorpions, the incense and brass or gold jewellery. They

  Nilfgaardian siege pieces that even now hurl

  do not trade in their horses, which are high

  green fire into Vizima use designs and al-

  strung and would never survive a sea voy-

  chemy that came from Zerrikania.

  age. I once heard of a scuffle when a prince

  Their land is hot, and animals we

  of Ofier came to Redania to marry a noble

  only see in traveling menageries, like tigers,

  woman, no doubt to seal a trade deal, but

  roam the countryside. More fearsome are

  information about this is hard to find. Such

  the creeping things, like giant spiders who

  a lucrative trade monopoly is well worth

  prey on elephants and a fly which lays an egg

  protecting. A few expeditions have sailed off

  in your head so that newly hatched larvae

  to look for Ofier, but they have not returned.

  can feed on your brain.

  Whether this is because they perished or be-

  cause they prefer Ofier is not known.

  201

  Powerful Alliances

  Border Crossing

  In a war, those who participate are warriors. spel s, but people’s fear of mages means

  Once had to cross the border

  Those who don’t are victims. They live lives instant respect. In the Scoia’tael you gain

  from Kaedwen to Redania. Up

  of perpetual fear and uncertainty. You feel a group of fearless allies around you who

  along the Kestrels there was a

  safe in your homeland? What happens when won’t let you down, or let you hang—better

  little road with a toll colector

  the war front rol s through your town? To treasure than gold.

  on each side. One Redanian,

  avoid the uncertainty and protect their in-

  But there’s always a price. The witch-

  sportin’ the Redanian eagle and

  terests, some join alliances separate from er’s cat’s eyes which allow you to see in the

  the pyre of the Eternal Flame,

  the royal armies.

  dark also give you away to superstitious vil-

  the other Kaedweni, with that

  Joining an alliance can be easy or lagers who think all witchers are themselves

  damn unicorn and the cros ed

  hard. To be a witcher you just have to be monsters. Mage Hunters with their dimer-

  lightning bolts of Kreve on

  a male child at the right place (or wrong itium shackles earn the aid of vil agers, but

  his sword guard. Turns out I

  place, depending on your outlook) at the they are target number one for any mage in

  was on a major trade route

  right time. But in the case of the Scoia’tael town. You can get rich as a Havekar, but one

  through the Kestrels that each

  or the Crescent Moon, you have to find your of your lot may get jealous, or a commando

  side wanted to make some coin

  alliance and then get through whatever in- may decide they don’t feel like paying you,

  off of. Managed to scarper out

  itiation they use to make sure you’re not a or an army may catch up to you and you’ll


  of there when they both drew

  spy.

  dance on the gibbet. Regardless, being part

  steel on each other, heh.

  Alliances offer advantages. Witch- of an alliance gives you power but can kill

  –Rodolf Kazmer

  ers are faster, stronger, and heal better than you just as quickly.

  regular humans. Not only do mages have

  202

  The Brotherhood

  A few handfuls of witchers

  Witchers

  survived the at acks on their

  1500 years ago the world changed. The Conjunction of the

  keeps and the subsequent

  Spheres opened doors between worlds, and magic poured

  hatred of witchers, but most

  in. With the magic came monsters of a thousand different

  of them have fled into the

  types never seen before—the so-called ‘relicts’ of the Con-

  mountains and across the

  junction. When people came to these lands, they built wal s

  sea to escape persecution

  and ramparts and burned forests and hedges around towns

  or find work. Most of the

  so the monsters could be seen coming. People traveled only

  keeps of the witchers have

  during the day, and in large groups.

  been left in disrepair or

  People began to harness magic, calling them-

  been mostly buried by time

  selves sorcerers or mages. Two of the most powerful, the

  or the elements. That be-

  legendary Alzur and his mentor Cosimo Malaspina, created

  ing said, it’s not impossible

  an artificial race: the witchers, bred and trained to hunt and

  to find other witchers, just

  destroy monsters. The sorceress Carla Demetia Crest collected the full process into a single incredibly rare. Much like

  book, “The Trial of Grasses and Other Secret Witcher Practices, Seen by my Own Eyes,”

  the Witcher Schools, some

  only available to mages. The process was extremely painful and only a handful of test sub-

  long-time members may

  jects survived. Contrary to rumor, these sorcerers did not steal children to create witchers.

  have come back to re-occu-

  Between wars, plagues, and the predation of monsters, ramshackle orphanages and stray

  py their once-lost keeps now

  children were everywhere.

  that witchers are neccesary

  They subjected these children to alchemical potions that created genetic mutations,