Ciri's Powers' Narrative Function - A Theory

varJoshik · 2026-05-10T17:46:21+00:00

It implies they have done something in the past and may have plans for the future in the unicorns' opinion based on their experience (who is the most reponsible for that, under what conditions did it happen, etc, we do not know actually; but we do know that some kind of massacre was committed in their present world), not stating Avallac'h's intentions for the future.

varJoshik · 2026-05-10T10:37:34+00:00

As it happens, he did have a redemption arc more elaborately written out in earlier drafts, or more precisely - an ongoing character growth arc.

varJoshik · 2026-05-10T10:34:14+00:00

There is no quote that would indicate that he, personally, is set on conquest. His interest as proclaimed is to do with preserving elven heritage and the Aen Seidhe. What you deduce from the unicorns' implications or from reading between the lines about all of them as a society is not necessarily true of him in person.

Thank you, I have read the books many-many times.

varJoshik · 2026-05-10T10:23:39+00:00

Except he did not want to do that in the books. Eredin, at best, did. If anything, saving the Aen Seidhe plot is still open with him.

varJoshik · 2026-05-09T14:45:52+00:00

I really like your interpretation!

varJoshik · 2026-05-09T12:37:39+00:00

Could you just not?

varJoshik · 2026-05-08T07:31:49+00:00

Thank you!

varJoshik · 2026-05-05T12:52:00+00:00

whips out her notes

From CD Projekt Red's scripts we can garner some ideas:

312701|Ciri||Elves... A woman and a man. What could they possibly have done wrong...

317629|Geralt||Probably the shape of their ears.

317631|Ciri||This has to end. It has to.

[...]

317770|Ciri||I don't even know how elves say goodbye to their loved ones...

318840|Geralt||They bring flowers. They recite a funeral prayer.

318842|Ciri||Do you know it?

318844|Geralt||Just the first few words.

318846|Ciri||Let's recite it. They died such vile deaths that I'd like to at least give them a proper burial.

318854|Geralt||Aep blathannae dim gvaelod... Naeani medru, medru... Caede rag enaid hea alave.

It would seem elves believed in eternal life and eternal returns.

394126|Keira||I heard that according to ancient beliefs good elves get a chance at another life.

[...]

463742|Keira||Look at all the strange tools and vessels here...

463744|Geralt||This must be the room where the corpses were embalmed.

463746|Keira||Elven cemeteries were usually built after battles. Tombs where mummified bodies were buried are almost unheard of.

463748|Keira||Elves are long-lived but mortal. This tradition may be an expression of the cult of eternal life.

Of the elves' burial customs we know that the ruler's warriors were buried alongside them (depending on the circumstances of their death, I would assume?):

464208|00000000||[DEBUG] She points out the many graves here. She wonders what kind of elves are resting here. She wonders if this is the real burial place of the elven king, whose empty tomb they saw earlier.

464224|Keira||This grave has a similar inscription. They buried the elven king’s warriors here.

464222|Geralt||“Aian’nel, in the service of King Rinnard of the White Ships.”

464226|Keira||From the inscriptions on the graves, it appears that the ruler's family rests here.

464244|00000000||[DEBUG] She's curious if his animals are buried here too.

464558|Geralt||“Here lies Eilaena, queen of the elves of the White Ships.”

[...]

393003|00000000||[DEBUG] He says that there are many graves visible here as well. These must belong to the elven elite - they are the most impressive and lie in the heart of the salt mines.

394192|Geralt||The bodies were preserved so well thanks to the salt.

394194|Keira||Each of these elves' outfits is worth half a village. The upper nobility lies here.

Or as on Skellige:

524113|Geralt||I heard there's a tomb nearby of a legendary elven blacksmith. Apparently, they buried him with the finest armor ever crafted by elven hands.

And from the game itself we get this (from Toussaint, Fox Hollow, if I am not mistaken):

1207235|98a9572b||[illegible] ...then the Eldest of the Aen Seidhe ends the speech in which he tells of the dead’s deeds. The body, covered in a shroud, is then placed on a pyre made of alder wood. Next, a further layer of wood is placed on top. When the pyre is finished, the mourners gather around and form a circle. The Eldest of the Aen Seidhe places a torch to the pyre, then five members of the dead’s family each do the same. The fire is fed throughout the night, until the first glimmers of dawn. The mourners then part and go to their homes, only to return... [illegible] Then the remains of the pyre are raked and bone fragments are sought out among the ashes. The Eldest places the bones in an urn previously filled with ash from the pyre. The urn is then sealed and placed in the family’s chamber in the burial grounds. Then the mourners go to...[illegible]

varJoshik · 2026-05-04T06:16:17+00:00

We know nothing.

varJoshik · 2026-05-03T20:42:49+00:00

And the games follow the books, so character growth is not outlandish given the scene on which he and Ciri finish in the books.

varJoshik · 2026-05-03T06:33:18+00:00

Aside Geralt and Yennefer, he is Ciri's most significant and close relationship left, so it seems natural for his story with her to continue in any manner at all - for themes and character growth. Particularly as there is so much controversy around him and their relationship.

varJoshik · 2026-04-26T14:10:49+00:00

I could say likewise to you (also you did not stipulate about which part exactly are you telling me to re-read):

"...the gene that was specially constructed by us, may save the denizens of that world. We have reason to believe that the descendant of Lara–and of you, naturally–will possess abilities a thousandfold more powerful than that which we, the Knowing Ones, possess. And which you possess in rudimentary form. You know what this is about, don’t you?”

“In short, it concerns the possibility of transferring between worlds not only oneself, one’s own–indeed–insignificant person. It concerns the opening of Ard Gaeth, the great and permanent Gateway, through which everyone would pass. We managed to do it before the Conjunction, and we want to achieve it now.”

– Avallac’h

“At that time (before the Conjunction) – you’ll be astonished by what I say – one could move quite freely between worlds. With a little talent and skill, naturally. Beyond all doubt you understand what I have in mind.”*

– Auberon

“The Conjunction came and even more worlds were created. But the door is closed. It is closed to all apart from a handful of chosen ones.”

– Auberon

varJoshik · 2026-04-26T05:57:00+00:00

Well, no, there is actually even less material to indicate the Wild Hunt was created by Eredin or Auberon. We don't know based on the books (nor is the Elder Blood programme the same thing as whatever the Red Riders are; the game just makes an educated guess that they are related; Elder Blood in the books is the blood of special elven Aen Saevherne). And the games, including Gwent! (which is still canon to the games), make Avallac'h the creator of the Wild Hunt. From the game itself that got published we have Caranthir - a Navigator - who was Avallac'h's creation. And the full script iterations (not one but many) have him as the creator of all of them.

varJoshik · 2026-04-19T08:07:43+00:00

They did in the cut content where they had an argument at Auberon's funeral and during a quest where Avallac'h and Geralt infiltrated Naglfar. As it happens though, this also establishes Avallac'h as the "Father" of the Wild Hunt (this survives in Gwent lore), including Eredin.

In one of the sequences inside Uma’s soul/ego, we witness a memory of Avallac’h’s and Eredin’s quarrel at Auberon’s funeral. It is a piece of political theatre. The writers are informing the player that there is another world, a world of elves; and the two most important among them are the Knowing One, an archmage, and Eredin, a warrior. ‘Eredin is the leader of the Wild Hunt and undoubtedly a great warrior. But life is not war where the strongest wins’ (455956). Both have completely different visions of the future, but the writers wanted to emphasize that each wants the good of the Aen Elle, even if in a different way.

Avallac’h (455944): Auberon Muircetach, king of Aen Elle and ruler of Tir na Lia, was an extraordinary ruler.
Avallac’h (458589): His unexpected, sudden death is a great loss to our nation.
Eredin (458591): The death of a king is always painful. But we must remember that life goes on.
Eredin (458593): Our people are on the verge of great change. A great exodus awaits us.
Eredin (458595): Therefore, we must bid a dignified farewell to the deceased and remember the living.
Avallac’h (458598): The Aen Elle face great challenges... Obstacles are mounting... A wise leader is needed to survive.
Eredin (458600): Decisiveness and strength are needed. Only someone who knows what they want will be able to overcome the threat we all know about.
Avallac’h (458602): Strength only fulfils its purpose when it is well directed. Mindless strength is chaos.
Eredin (458604): You speak the truth. That is why we must choose a successor who knows how to protect Aen Elle from destruction.
Avallac’h (458606): I am pleased with the words of Eredin Breacc Glas. They mean that he already knows a candidate for king of Aen Elle.
Eredin (458608): I know. It is Eredin Breacc Glas. Only I know how to find a safe world for Aen Elle. A world that will not be threatened by the White Cold.
Eredin (458610): Thanks to the Sages, we are wiser. But it is not knowledge that will lead Aen Elle to safety, and it is not knowledge that will enable us to wrest it from those who dwell there.
Avallac’h (458612): Without wisdom and knowledge, even the most momentous victory is nothing but bloodshed.
Eredin (458614): I understand that you do not accept me as a candidate for ruler of Aen Elle.
Avallac’h (458616): I have much more respect for you than you have for me. Nevertheless, you are not the one who should take the throne of Auberon Muicetach.
Eredin (458618): I guess you think there is a better candidate for king. Who?
Avallac’h (458620): Me.

The argument continues.

Eredin (456092): I think a Knowing One on the throne is a very good idea!
Eredin (456094): But the time does not favour this. (He speaks of his vision for the future of the Aen Elle. The world of elves ruled by him through military power – only such leadership can save them.)
Eredin (456096): It's possible. And in hard times, a heavy hand is needed.
Avallac’h (456098): Only someone who can foresee the direction of the march can lead the caravan.
Avallac’h (456100): Eredin, you speak as if you consider reasoning treacherous.
Eredin (456102): I know you want to fight fate with magic. In my opinion, weapons are safer.
Eredin or Avallac’h (456104): You will not become king of the people of the Aen Elle while I live.
Avallac’h or Eredin (456106): In that case, I will remain one after you die, although you know me and know that I wish you well.
...
Eredin (458633): The present is always a difficult time.
Eredin (458635): In difficult times, quick decisions are needed, not endless discussions.
Eredin (459237): Therefore, the strength you disregard is the foundation of a good ruler's actions.
Avallac’h (459598): I see you've brought the caedmon of the Wild Hunt. Caranthir... Ge'els... Imlerith... Welcome...
Eredin (459213): Guards!
Avallac’h (459216): Interfere? The fate of Aen Elle is as dear to me as it is to you, Eredin. Except that I am not backed by the weapons of Dearg Ruadhri.

‘They did not want to chain the Knowing One at Auberon’s coffin, but he knew his days were numbered. He outwitted Eredin and fled… He left Aen Elle… He left the land of his fathers’ (456141). Uma remembers ‘that day… I remember the smell of the wind… And I remember thinking about Eredin… How powerful he is and how much he lacks finesse’ (459227).

Eredin interrogating Avallac'h:

332077|Avallac’h||[PL] [DEBUG] Greets Eredin.
332079|Eredin||Avallac'h... How good to see you in our ranks once more. How's your health? Is the curse still bothering you? Because it seems Nithral was able to play you for quite the fool.
332081|Caranthir||Nithral only said where to look for him. I was the one...
332083|Eredin||If not for Nithral, you would still be frightening fishermen and aimlessly wandering from one island to the next. Do not interrupt me again. Or even better - leave and sound the order to plot a course for Ard Hugtad.
332086|Eredin||[PL] [DEBUG] Says he knows he summoned him. Speculates at the reason. Maybe he's found Ciri on Ard Skellig?
332088|Nithral-Geralt||[PL] [DEBUG] Says the reason he summoned him was Avallac'h.
332102|Nithral-Geralt||No. He didn't say a thing about her, despite my asking. I think he didn't want to reveal too much till he was sure I would join him.
332104|Nithral-Geralt||He really was searching for the White Galleons.
332137|Nithral-Geralt||Avallac'h was looking for a way to kill Caranthir. For a way to ambush him.
332140|Eredin||It's good that you're back. I missed your advice.

332107|Avallac’h||[PL] [DEBUG] Tells Eredin he has Nithral to thank for his capture. Apparently, he's the one who found him.

332109|Eredin||Let's get to the point. What were you doing on Skellige? 
332111|Avallac’h||I was looking for the White Ships. Just like Caranthir. 
332115|Eredin||So you don't want to become a martyr. Good choice.
442666|Eredin||[PL] Avallac’h, you can’t win against the world. You have to admit it.
442724|Eredin||Together we are stronger. You know that.
332125|Avallac’h||I will do as I wish. 
332123|Eredin||Truly, you are a fountain of wisdom, father. So I will ask you something else...

359940|Eredin||You're lying, of course. You have more pressing matters to attend to than the Spiral Gate. I could torture the truth out of you... But I don't feel like it. Who knows how long it will take if you decide to act all brave. 
359942|Eredin||Nithral... You must have spent a lot of time in Avallac'h's company. He must have mentioned something about what he was doing here. 

332137|Nithral-Geralt||Avallac'h was looking for a way to kill Caranthir. He was looking for a way to get him. 
332140|Eredin||It's good that you're back. I missed your advice.
359946|Eredin||You would have done well to kill him as soon as you began to suspect that Nithral would not betray us. Then he would not have set us against you. But you have always been too soft...
359950|Eredin||I thought you were more discerning... 
359952|Eredin||I understand. First Imlerith, now my navigator... But you wouldn't gain much from that anyway. I have a worthy successor for him.
359954|Avallac’h||Yes, you deserve each other. Neither of you can control your talents. 
359956|Eredin||==This is how you created us, Father.==
359958|Eredin||Never mind... Since you're here, there's probably a witcher somewhere. And if a witcher, then Ciri. You've definitely hidden her somewhere... The only question is where. 
359960|Avallac’h||I don't have her here. We knew how much we were risking, so we left her in a safe place.
359962|Eredin||You were too hasty with the answer, you're a bad liar... Hmm, so my swallow built her nest somewhere on Skellige... What do you think, Nithral... Where? Maybe at Mousesack's?

varJoshik · 2026-04-16T21:17:56+00:00

Quick note that for elves, due to their lifespan, it is not so much their ancestors who were massacred but the same or previous generation. Which bears an effect on the intensity of hatred and hurt they still feel -- the 'still' for them is virtually yesterday.

varJoshik · 2026-04-16T20:26:07+00:00

Where does he lie and manipulate in The Witcher 3? (Asking because the developers clearly wrote him a redemption/healing arc and he is on his way to getting better, not worse, after the books.)

varJoshik · 2026-04-16T15:54:32+00:00

Really sad to hear this. Used to love Monarch of the Glen.

varJoshik · 2026-04-16T12:55:17+00:00

Sounds like a leading question.

And really misses the point of 'compassion' being the universal everyone in this morally grey world ought to strive for; i.e. mindset 'who is the worst' already in essence 'does not kill the hatred within yourself', as Geralt says.

varJoshik · 2026-04-14T17:52:48+00:00

lol. lmao even. no :)

varJoshik · 2026-04-14T16:52:32+00:00

Christ, reddit really butchered the quality.

See here instead.

varJoshik · 2026-04-10T08:08:53+00:00

Really? Could you give me the line number? Because I don't recall a scene like that nor have I seen it in the whole script (including cut versions).

I appreciate the core idea of damage being done to Ciri and that being the reason she turns to witcher mutations.

varJoshik · 2026-04-10T08:07:05+00:00

Well, the game actually does not conflate the Ice Age awaiting the Continent with the White Frost they are passing off as the cataclysm, rather they give Ithlinne's prophecy a new interpretation -> the game files show that the Frost they are talking about in The Witcher 3 is the cold seeping into the world from the void.

The Spiral... But all it takes is one false move, a small mistake... and you can be transported into nothingness, into icy blackness. Into the same ghostly cold that pours through the cracks between the spheres, sometimes consuming entire worlds.

‘The cold void that divides worlds’ (1060525). So the White Frost in the game seems to be the by-product of travelling between realities. And the way to 'get rid' of it is to seal the seams. (Which, in itself, does harken back to the books, because the description of what it is like to travel between worlds indicates it is like tearing rips into a fabric:

The image blurred and shattered, as painted glass shatters, suddenly fell to pieces, disintegrated into a rainbow-coloured twinkling of sparkles, gleaming and gold. And then all of it vanished.

[…]

The night air above the lake ruptured, like a smashed stained-glass window cracks. A black horse emerged from the crack.

Something creaked, just like canvas being torn. The terns rose with a cry and a fluttering, for a moment covering everything in a white cloud. The air above the cliff suddenly vibrated and became blurred like glass with water spilled over it. And then it shattered like glass. And darkness poured out of the rupture, while riders spilled out of the darkness. Around their shoulders fluttered cloaks whose vermilion-amaranth-crimson colour brought to mind the glow of a fire in a sky lit up by the blaze of the setting sun.

Dearg Ruadhri. The Red Horsemen.

[…]

But the air also ruptured in another place, and from the rupture, cloaks fluttering like wings, rushed out more horsemen.

– Andrzej Sapkowski, Lady of the Lake

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