This is a non-commercial fanfic based on the universes of The Witcher and Disco Elysium. All rights to the original works, characters, names, and elements of their respective worlds belong to their respective copyright holders. The author of this fanfic does not claim ownership of any of them. Age rating: rated R (18+). The text contains profanity, alcohol, fictional drugs, violence, and other themes intended for an adult audience.
“Life’s full of disappointments, and rightly so. Meat is best after a famine, and a bed soft after a hard trail.”
— Jack London, “A Relic of the Pliocene”
NARRATOR – You make your way back to the tavern in thoughtful silence. Even Rune, usually incapable of keeping his mouth shut for more than a few minutes, says nothing. He trails a little behind, hands shoved into his pockets, occasionally glancing at the two of you as though trying to decide whether everything he just saw really happened. You look absently over the familiar streets. Dusty windows, grimy facades, peeling signs — over the past few days, this dreary scenery has become almost familiar. But there is something new by the fountain: a small but rather motley group has gathered there. They are clearly waiting for you.
KEEN EYE [Easy: Success] – That’s Jaskier. Beside him are the strange pair you saw a few days ago at the Shaggy Bear: the man with the predatory nose and the red-haired woman. A little farther off stands a dwarf with a white parrot on his shoulder.
UMBRA [Legendary: Failure] – Why have they all gathered here? What the hell is going on?
YOU – Uh, Vernon…
VERNON ROCHE – I see them.
NARRATOR – He slows his pace.
VERNON ROCHE – I’m afraid, witcher, another unpleasant conversation awaits you.
BOND OF STEEL [Easy: Success] – Take heart. I’ll be right beside you, says his brief glance.
MAN WITH ORANGE EYES – Well, look who finally showed up… You look even shittier than the last time I saw you. Impressive achievement. And now you’ve smeared some kind of crap all over your face too…
YOU – It’s the war paint of Zatret Voruta.
WOMAN IN GREEN DRESS – Geralt, you’re deathly pale! You must have lost a lot of blood. In your condition, you should be lying in bed, not wandering around the city!
NARRATOR – She takes a step toward you as though about to inspect your wounds on the spot, but stops when she notices the bewilderment on your face.
JASKIER – I’m afraid I have to agree, witcher. You look as though you’ve risen from the dead.
WHISPER [Easy: Success] – In a way, you did.
YOU – I don’t understand… What are you doing here? Do you all know each other?
NARRATOR – The smile vanishes from Jaskier’s face. The woman in the green dress slowly lowers her outstretched hand.
MAN WITH ORANGE EYES – I told you… Zatret fucking Voruta… He’s completely lost it.
UMBRA [Challenging: Failure] – They know your real name. They worry about your wounds. They speak to you like old friends. And yet four strangers are standing before you.
JASKIER – Geralt, have you really forgotten your best friend?! I came to Vizima specifically because I heard you were in trouble… First I took a room at this miserable tavern, and the moment the proprietor found out who I was, he started begging me to perform.
YOU – Wait, you came here because of me?
JASKIER – Who else would I have come for?! If I’d wanted to put on a musical evening, I’d have chosen somewhere more presentable — the New Narakort, for instance. The clientele is more respectable, and the wine doesn’t smell like vinegar.
NARRATOR – He gives you a pointed look.
JASKIER – And how did you thank me? By throwing me out and smashing my lute. An excellent instrument, by the way. Rare mahogany, silver tuning pegs, a beautiful tone…
MAN WITH ORANGE EYES – Jaskier.
JASKIER – …And the next day, you were acting really strange. Looking at me like I was a stranger. That’s when Triss suggested you might have temporarily lost your memory.
YOU – Then where did you disappear to afterward?
JASKIER – I didn’t disappear anywhere! I spent the whole day in the Temple Quarter, waiting for you to come to your senses and show up to apologize. Preferably with a new lute. I wanted to stop by the tavern that evening, but the others talked me out of it.
NARRATOR – He nods toward his companions.
JASKIER – They said you needed a little time. A chance to figure things out for yourself. We thought that letter from Yennefer was to blame.
RESOLVE [Medium: Failure] – Oh no. Not that letter again…
JASKIER – You shouldn’t have written to her, Geralt.
WHISPER [Easy: Success] – You still have no idea what’s going on. One thing is clear: everyone gathered here knows you from somewhere.
YOU – Wait, hold on… I’m completely lost. Who are you people, anyway?
NARRATOR – Jaskier looks from one companion to another in confusion, as though hoping someone else will volunteer to explain.
JASKIER – How can this be… We’re your friends. I’m Jaskier — bard, poet, and, I dare hope, one of the people closest to you. I’ve even written several ballads about you. Quite popular ones, by the way.
MAN WITH ORANGE EYES – To hell with the ballads…
YOU – And the man with the predatory nose?
NARRATOR – The stranger gives a crooked smile. Though he doesn’t look particularly amused.
JASKIER – That’s Lambert. A witcher, same as you. Your brother from the School of the Wolf. You trained together and have known each other for many years. And this is…
NARRATOR – He gestures toward the red-haired stranger.
YOU – …The woman in the green dress?
WOMAN IN GREEN DRESS – My name is Triss… I’m a sorceress… and your friend too.
NARRATOR – The last word seems difficult for her to say.
TRISS – I can’t believe this… After everything that’s happened between us, you don’t even remember my name.
VICE [Challenging: Failure] – Wait, what exactly happened between the two of you? This matter clearly requires a thorough investigation. Preferably in private, behind closed doors.
NARRATOR – The bard gives the dwarf a friendly slap on the back.
JASKIER – That’s Zoltan, and the bird on his shoulder is Field Marshal Windbag. We’ve all known one another for years… And you…
FIELD MARSHAL WINDBAG – Kur-r-rwa!
LAMBERT – Exactly. You’re a son of a bitch who somehow managed to lose his own swords and drink himself into delirium!
NARRATOR – He takes a sharp step forward. Genuine anger flashes in his orange eyes.
LAMBERT – I already had a few words with Captain Vincent… Like a complete idiot, you let an important witness slip away because for some reason you decided not to arrest her — and naturally, she simply ran off!!
VERNON ROCHE – I should point out that the decision to leave pani Růžička at liberty was a joint one. In return, she provided information without which we would hardly have solved the murder.
BOND OF STEEL [Easy: Success] – Vernon could have kept quiet and let you take the blame alone. Instead, he chose to share the responsibility.
YOU – And she had nothing to do with it anyway! At one point, we thought some sorceress was responsible…
TRISS – Wait, are you saying the suspect was a licensed sorceress?
YOU – No, she was an unregistered mage… Elżbieta Nox, working for Grave. Anyway, we managed to track her down…
LAMBERT – And? Where is this sorceress now?
NARRATOR – He folds his arms across his chest and looks at you expectantly.
RESOLVE [Challenging: Failure] – Uh. This is getting awkward.
STEADINESS [Medium: Failure] – Try to smooth things over…
YOU – Honestly, she got away too.
NARRATOR – Lambert slowly closes his eyes.
LAMBERT – Are you a complete fucking idiot?! You let an unregistered mage escape when she might have been involved in the murder?!
YOU – But Elżbieta turned out to be innocent too!
LAMBERT – Did you figure that out before she ran off, or only afterward so you’d feel less stupid about it?!
NARRATOR – His voice carries across the square. Several passersby slow down, listening with obvious interest.
LAMBERT – Kurwa, I don’t even know what to call you…
FIELD MARSHAL WINDBAG – Cr-r-r-retin!
YOU – Listen…
LAMBERT – No, YOU listen, you fucking asshole!!! Because of your screwups, the city nearly erupted into open revolt. Hell, it turned into a goddamn massacre! The whole quarter was drenched in blood: almost sixty people dead, and at least two hundred wounded!
NARRATOR – He falls silent for a moment, breathing heavily.
LAMBERT – And you call this a fucking success?! How the hell did you even let it get this far? If I were Foltest, I’d have you hanged from the nearest tree!
RESOLVE [Medium: Failure] – Sixty dead. Two hundred wounded. The numbers hit harder than a blacksmith’s hammer.
VERNON ROCHE – Enough.
NARRATOR – Vernon says it quietly, but with enough authority that Lambert finally falls silent.
VERNON ROCHE – Let’s calm down. Believe me, the situation was far more complicated than it appears at first glance. We made mistakes, but Geralt is not solely responsible for them. Nearly every decision was made jointly.
NARRATOR – He places a hand on your shoulder.
VERNON ROCHE – I’ll explain everything in detail this evening, but right now I need to stop by the hospital and speak with Captain Meis, then report to Mr. Ducat…
UMBRA [Challenging: Success] – Hold on… You do remember something about this Lambert…
YOU – By the way, where the hell were YOU, you fucking prick?! I nearly got killed on this goddamn square! Unlike you, Vernon fought shoulder to shoulder with me!
NARRATOR – The witcher’s lips curl into an unpleasant grin.
LAMBERT – Funny you should ask. I did exactly what you told me to do: I FUCKED OFF and stayed out of your way.
YOU – Uh… what?
LAMBERT – That shitty letter sent you completely off the rails. We wanted to help with the investigation, but you told everyone to fuck off, said you didn’t need anybody, and that we were only getting in your way.
DIALECTIC [Challenging: Success] – Ah. So that’s what Enna meant. You told her you could solve the case without anyone else’s help. It must be admitted: that didn’t go particularly well.
LAMBERT – And when Jaskier came all this way hoping to somehow fix the situation, you threw him out into the street. After that, we decided it would be better to keep our distance for a while — since you were so insistent on it.
JASKIER – A decision which, I should point out, was not unanimous.
LAMBERT – Oh yes. His Lordship the Songbird wanted to march straight back in and deliver a lengthy lecture on friendship, emotional trauma, and the price of musical instruments…
JASKIER – It would have been extremely persuasive and effective!
LAMBERT – …A couple of days later, Triss and I finally decided to check how things were going. And discovered they were even worse than we’d imagined.
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Success] – He seems to be telling the truth. You really did drive away the people who were trying to help. People who still care about you.
LAMBERT – You even managed to miss the damn wolf medallion around my neck. School of the Eagle Swooping Down from the Heavens Upon Its Prey, was it?
YOU – School of the Predatory Eagle…
LAMBERT – Fucking seriously?! In that case, the School of the Senile Drunkard Plunging into the Abyss of Despair has been waiting for you for quite some time! Kurwa!..
YOU – What the hell is going on… Why do I still remember nothing? Why is everyone pretending to be someone else?! You’re not some “man with orange eyes,” even though you claimed we’d never even met! And apparently he’s not just some dwarf with a parrot either!
ZOLTAN – To be fair, Geralt, I never actually said I wasn’t Zoltan. I just came over to have a word, and you didn’t recognize me. You barely even reacted to the swearing parrot, and that son of a bitch is impossible to forget.
NARRATOR – The dwarf spreads his hands apologetically.
YOU – Gods…
NARRATOR – You turn to Vernon and Rune.
YOU – Guys… at least you two aren’t trying to fool me, are you?
VERNON ROCHE – No. I can assure you, I am still Vernon Roche, commander of the Blue Stripes.
RUNE – Uh…
NARRATOR – The boy shifts awkwardly from foot to foot and looks away.
RUNE – Sorry, gramps, but I’m not actually Rune. My full name is Runar, but it sounds kind of lame… So I came up with the nickname.
YOU – Runar?..
RUNE – Don’t you fucking dare call me that.
JASKIER – By the way, Geralt… who is this boy? Don’t tell me you’ve already managed to invoke the Law of Surprise!
CODEX [Medium: Success] – An ancient custom sometimes invoked by witchers to replenish their ranks. “Give me the first thing that greets you when you return home,” they would tell the person they had saved. Often enough, that turned out to be a cat, a dog, a servant girl, or a chest full of junk… But sometimes it was a child. A Child of Destiny, meant to become a witcher. These days, however, almost no one invokes the right anymore.
ARTISTRY [Easy: Success] – Rune, by the look of things, is no Child of Surprise at all, but a Child of the Streets who turned up entirely of his own accord.
LAMBERT – Apparently, his need to play father to somebody hasn’t gone anywhere. Now the Wolf has found himself a new candidate. Congratulations.
RUNE – Hey, fuck off, I’m not a kid, and gramps isn’t my father! We’re partners, damn it!
YOU – Yeah, damn it!
NARRATOR – You and Rune nod almost simultaneously, solemnly confirming the entirely professional nature of your relationship.
TRISS – Adorable…
LAMBERT – A mad witcher and a twelve-year-old kid with the eyes of a junkie. Exactly the kind of team this city deserves.
RUNE – I’m almost thirteen, asshole!
LAMBERT – Oh. In that case, there’s nothing to worry about.
VERNON ROCHE – I should point out that I am, in fact, Geralt’s official partner.
NARRATOR – Suddenly, Rune turns to you with determination and plants his hands on his hips.
RUNE – Hey, gramps, why the fuck are you letting them give you shit? Tell ’em we actually solved the case! That’s right!
TRISS – You found the culprit? Is that true?
VERNON ROCHE – Quite true, madam. We did indeed manage to identify the killer and…
RUNE – Oh, it turned out to be completely fucked! So we went to this old water tower… because that’s where the blue shit came from when I went out to piss at night. Gramps kicks the door in, we go upstairs, and then — bam! — there’s another old fart sitting there. With this badass musket that can shoot a hundred fucking kilometers and practically aim itself! Anyway, this other old man was ancient as hell, and he still remembered some battle from ages ago…
VERNON ROCHE – The Battle of the Pontar. Rune, I believe the rest of the explanation would be better left to…
RUNE – It’s all good, Private Rune’s got this! So this ancient old fuck had killed a whole bunch of people with that musket, and he was the one who took out our stiff too! Because apparently the guy was glowing or some shit… And he was fucking by candlelight!
YOU – And there was the pupilworm too…
RUNE – Yeah, turns out some nasty eye-leech was behind the whole thing and had completely fucked with his head. So basically, the old bastard was totally out of his mind and killed Lavelle just for the hell of it! Anyway, we caught the maniac, and our old man crushed the leech with some purple witcher magic so it wouldn’t latch onto somebody else. So quit giving us shit, damn it!
NARRATOR – Rune folds his arms across his chest in triumph. A long silence hangs over the square.
LAMBERT – You two are…
NARRATOR – The witcher is so furious that for a moment he can’t even find the right words.
LAMBERT – What the fuck kind of bullshit is this?! An old man with a musket that can shoot a hundred kilometers? Lavelle was killed because he was glowing and fucking, and the order came from an eye-leech???
RUNE – Fuck, you don’t believe me or what?! Gramps, tell him!
YOU – That’s basically what happened. Well… not exactly.
VERNON ROCHE – The killer’s name is Wojciech Kreida. More than fifty years ago, he served in the Temerian army as part of an experimental marksman unit. Kreida used a unique musket enhanced with enchantments. The weapon has been confiscated and handed over to Captain Meis’s men. If you wish, you may inspect it yourself at the barracks.
NARRATOR – Hearing Vernon’s calm tone, Lambert stops smirking.
YOU – Kreida was carrying an ocular symbiont…
VERNON ROCHE – Apparently, the parasite restored his lost sight, but gradually distorted his perception and convinced him that certain people posed a threat. He killed Bastien because he saw some kind of glow around him.
TRISS – Incredible… Ocular symbionts do exist, though they are exceedingly rare. They’re parasites capable of seriously affecting the host’s optic nerves and mind.
LAMBERT – Really? And where is this symbiont now?
YOU – It…
ELOQUENCE [Challenging: Failure] – Somehow, this is going to sound ridiculous all over again.
YOU – …Evaporated.
LAMBERT – Evaporated?! Kurwa, you fucking idiot… Of course it did!
YOU – I destroyed it with a Sign. It broke apart into transparent scraps and then vanished. I swear.
MASQUE [Challenging: Failure] – Maestro, I regret to say it once again: I do not believe you.
RUNE – I saw it myself! First it was like snot stuck to his face, then gramps hit it with that purple shit — pop! And that was it!
LAMBERT – Thank you. That makes the story considerably more convincing.
NARRATOR – He lets out a heavy sigh and turns a weary look toward Vernon.
LAMBERT – If pan Roche hadn’t backed up your incoherent stream of bullshit, I wouldn’t have believed a single word of it, because it sounds like feverish nonsense… Fine. Hopefully we’ll get the full story soon. Preferably without commentary from this little runt.
RUNE – Oh, fuck off. I explained it just fine.
VERNON ROCHE – I’ll be back in a few hours and will answer all your questions then.
LAMBERT – By the way, pan Roche… before you go. What impression did you form of Geralt while working with him?
MASQUE [Challenging: Failure] – Maestro, at last the time has come for the applause you so richly deserve from an admiring audience!
VERNON ROCHE – Well, to be frank, he is the most extraordinary individual I have ever had to deal with.
YOU – Thank you…
VERNON ROCHE – In particular, there was the drinking, the loss of his weapons and the king’s horse, attempts to obtain fisstech, unexplained bouts of unconsciousness, and several other… indiscretions which I would prefer not to enumerate just yet.
NARRATOR – Lambert raises an eyebrow at that.
VERNON ROCHE – Not to mention the constant self-reproach and endless apologies… And yet Geralt proved to be an excellent witcher. He was the one who noticed the most important clues, got the key witnesses to talk, and recognized the parasite controlling the killer. Without him, the murder of Bastien Lavelle would have remained unsolved. Yes, we failed to apprehend the renegade and allowed pani Karmen to leave the city. I still need to have a separate conversation with Thaler about her, incidentally.
BOND OF STEEL [Medium: Success] – He isn’t speaking for Lambert anymore. He wants you to hear this.
VERNON ROCHE – At the critical moment, Geralt stood up for the people of the ghetto and risked his own life for townsfolk he barely knew. In my view, actions like that say far more about a man than a few lost swords or drunken incidents.
RUNE – Fucking exactly!
NARRATOR – Vernon gives the boy a stern look, though the corner of his mouth twitches almost imperceptibly.
LAMBERT – Well, if that’s your assessment… All we can do is hope his memories return sooner or later.
NARRATOR – Lambert looks at you again. There is still irritation in his eyes, but the anger from before is gone.
ZOLTAN – Still, who exactly is this red-haired kid?
YOU – This is Rune. He lives in the Temple Quarter. I was thinking of getting him into a boarding school, and perhaps later placing him in the page corps.
VERNON ROCHE – As promised, I will give the matter serious consideration. But for now, let’s postpone any discussion of the young man’s future. I really do need to go.
RUNE – Hey, don’t go deciding anything without me!
VERNON ROCHE – Of course, Runar.
RUNE – Fuck, I told you not to call me that!
VERNON ROCHE – Until later.
NARRATOR – Your partner takes his leave with a slight bow and heads toward the barracks at a brisk pace.
BOND OF STEEL [Easy: Success] – He’s leaving on official business. But you’re certain Vernon really will come back this evening, just as he promised.
LAMBERT – Well, Geralt, for fuck’s sake… I’ll say it again: if Roche hadn’t spoken up for you, I’d kick your ass right here and now. Then I’d throw all your crap out of Kaer Morhen. But somehow you always manage to come out of this shit unscathed. It’s an impressive talent.
ZOLTAN – Ha, yeah. That son of a bitch has always been like that… But damn it, Geralt, I’m still glad you made it through all this alive!
JASKIER – Listen, why are we standing around in the middle of the square?! Let’s go to the Shaggy Bear instead. Geralt needs to eat, Triss can take a look at his wounds, and we can sit down and sort all of this out properly.
NARRATOR – The group is already starting toward the tavern.
YOU – Wait…
NARRATOR – You say it quietly, but everyone stops at once.
YOU – Please. If you don’t mind, I’d finally like to know… who am I? Where do I come from?
NARRATOR – The red-haired sorceress steps closer and gently places a hand on your shoulder.
TRISS – You’re known as Geralt of Rivia. You’ve spent most of your life as a witcher — hunting monsters, lifting curses, wandering across the Northern Kingdoms.
LAMBERT – Though originally, you had nothing to do with Rivia at all. Nobody knows where you were born. At some point, you and the old man just jabbed a finger at a map and decided that “Geralt of Rivia” sounded a hell of a lot more respectable than “Geralt of Nowhere.”
YOU – So I don’t have a home?
NARRATOR – Lambert frowns, as though the question struck him as unexpectedly serious.
LAMBERT – Why wouldn’t you? Technically, we all live at Kaer Morhen. You just haven’t been there in about a year. Drop by sometime. The old man’s missed you. Though he’d probably rather die than admit it out loud.
UMBRA [Medium: Success] – Kaer Morhen. The name means nothing to you. But for the first time in a long while, the word home doesn’t feel completely empty.
WHISPER [Easy: Success] – And what about that sorceress in the strange outfit?!
YOU – Hm… Triss, do you happen to know the name Visenna? She’s the sorceress who saved me after I was wounded.
RUNE – Yeah. Short, red-haired too. Looked young, but her eyes were ancient. And she dressed weird — like one of those fucking druids.
TRISS – Visenna…
NARRATOR – She thinks for a few moments, searching her memory, then slowly shakes her head.
TRISS – Hmm… No, I’m afraid I’ve never heard that name. In any case, she isn’t a member of the Lodge and doesn’t practice magic anywhere in Temeria — otherwise we’d know each other. But if this woman dresses strangely… it’s entirely possible she really does belong to one of the many druidic circles. I’m sorry, Geralt. I truly don’t know. But a sorceress capable of healing serious wounds and then disappearing without a trace was hardly some ordinary wandering herbalist.
UMBRA [Medium: Success] – Visenna. Another name from your past with a stranger’s face hidden behind it. And yet, for some reason, it doesn’t feel quite as unfamiliar as the others.
YOU – All right… then who is Yennefer?
LAMBERT – Oh, for fuck’s sake… You’re starting this again?!
JASKIER – Wait, Lambert. Don’t. He really has forgotten everything.
NARRATOR – Triss lowers her eyes. For a few moments, the sorceress says nothing, as though deciding where to begin — and how much truth you can bear right now.
TRISS – Yennefer is a sorceress. Like me. You met many years ago under extremely unusual circumstances, and for a long time the two of you were… very close.
NARRATOR – She says the last words with a trace of embarrassment.
TRISS – You parted ways and found your way back to each other many times. For several months, you even lived together in Vengerberg. And then you had an adopted daughter. A girl you both loved as your own.
YOU – So we were a family?
TRISS – I suppose… yes. As much as you ever managed to be one.
UMBRA [Challenging: Success] – The woman in black. The girl you called your daughter. The dream didn’t lie — it merely refused to give you their real names.
TRISS – But about five years ago, the two of you finally went your separate ways. I don’t know all the details — you barely ever talked about what happened. But it took you a long time to recover from the breakup.
YOU – You mean it’s been FIVE YEARS?!
NARRATOR – You almost shout the words. Five years seems like an impossibly long time for a pain that can still knock you off your feet with nothing more than the scent of perfume.
LAMBERT – Yeah. Five years. And you still keep harping on about her. Writing letters, getting drunk, waiting for her to beckon you back — just like she’s done before.
JASKIER – Lambert…
LAMBERT – What? Somebody has to say it plainly. She’s playing with you, Geralt. Pushes you away, then calls you back, and every single time you go running. And every time, you convince yourself that this time it’ll be different.
YOU – I saw her in a dream.
LAMBERT – Kurwa, now that doesn’t surprise me at all! A few weeks ago, for some reason, you sent her a letter, and the moment you got a reply, all this shit started. Sorceresses bring you nothing but trouble… Sorry, Triss. I didn’t mean…
TRISS – Of course.
NARRATOR – From her tone, it’s impossible to tell whether she accepted the apology or simply decided not to turn Lambert into a toad just yet.
YOU – If I may, one last question…
LAMBERT – Fuck, you’ve already asked about a hundred, so what’s one more?
YOU – Why does everyone call me the Butcher of Blaviken? They say I killed… some girl there?
JASKIER – Oh, Geralt… I don’t know who’s been telling you about that, don’t put too much stock in what they say. You did have to kill Renfri, but it was far more complicated than that…
LAMBERT – From what I understood when you told me the story, she wanted revenge on a local sorcerer who had once driven her from her home after deciding she was “dangerous” and “cursed.” No idea whether that was actually true or whether the old man had simply lost his mind.
YOU – And he hired me to protect him?
LAMBERT – Definitely not. You never took jobs like that. But this Renfri and her gang threatened to slaughter the whole town unless the sorcerer came out of his tower and met with her. So then… you killed every one of her men because you were trying to save the people of Blaviken.
YOU – That’s horrible…
LAMBERT – Only then did it turn out that the damned sorcerer didn’t give a shit about that town or any of the surrounding ones. Said he wouldn’t come out even if Renfri drowned the whole country in blood. Then she saw what you’d done to her men… and the two of you fought.
YOU – I killed her?
LAMBERT – You had no other choice. Otherwise she’d have killed you. But by then the peasants were gathering in the square. They knew nothing about any of the reasons behind it. All they saw was you killing people — including a very young woman. And when you kill, it usually looks ugly: severed arms, split bellies, blood all over the cobblestones… Anyway, doesn’t matter. They pelted you with stones, and Caldemeyn — the local alderman — forbade you from ever returning to Blaviken. That’s where the name “Butcher” came from.
YOU – But surely there must have been another way… I could have talked to her…
JASKIER – Personally, I believe you were trying to save people. Whether it was the only possible choice… I’m afraid even you never found an answer to that. But those cutthroats really could have harmed the townsfolk, even if the peasants never understood what happened.
TRISS – None of us were there. We only know the story from what we’ve been told. You tried to speak to Renfri the day before, but as far as I understand, it led nowhere.
ZOLTAN – Listen, Geralt, in my experience, talking doesn’t get you very far in situations like that. A couple of days ago you already tried reasoning with those damned racists in the square. You barely survived.
LAMBERT – Exactly. Don’t dwell on it — not now, at least, while you’re in this state.
ZOLTAN – And anyway… I’m fucking starving too, to be honest. Jaskier’s right: let’s finally get something to eat and drink. Conversations like this go a lot worse on an empty stomach.
JASKIER – Ah, at last, the voice of reason! And this evening we’ll put on a grand musical performance. Everyone’s invited!
NARRATOR – He gestures broadly toward the tavern.
JASKIER – Come on, Geralt, grab your son, grandson — or whatever he is to you — and let’s go. Hopefully pan Roche won’t get held up at the palace for too long.
RUNE – I told you, I’m his partner, damn it.
YOU – Oh, I almost forgot! I need to tell Kalkstein about the parasite we found. I’m sure he’ll be interested.
JASKIER – I have no idea who that is, but invite him to the performance too!
YOU – Right, right… And I should invite Enna and her parents as well… You go on without me. I’ll be quick!
LAMBERT – All right. Just try not to get lost on the way, sell your swords again, or stumble into some other kind of shit. At least until dinner…
YOU – Hah… No promises.
NARRATOR – Lambert rolls his eyes, then jerks his head toward the tavern, gesturing for Rune to follow.
LAMBERT – All right, kid, you’re coming with us then. Rune, right? You must be pretty damn desperate if you weren’t afraid to team up with this idiot.
RUNE – Yeah, he’s completely fucking nuts, but kinda cool in his own way. You’re a witcher too, right?
LAMBERT – Yeah. Just a lot more experienced.
RUNE – Can you kick doors in too? Or do that purple shit for catching eye-leeches?..
NARRATOR – You stand there with a stupid look on your face, watching the whole group disappear through the tavern doors. Just before stepping inside, Triss turns back and smiles at you — cautiously, almost shyly, as though the two of you really had only just met. And suddenly you remember Adalbert’s words from that first evening.
UMBRA [Easy: Success] – So Kalkstein was right. You really will have to begin the difficult work of getting to know yourself all over again… And the people who were your friends before you forgot them. Still, there can be no doubt: surely they, at least, will turn out to be pleasant enough people.
BOND OF STEEL [Impossible: Success] – Bernard Ducat sits in his modest office, idly leafing through the dossiers spread across his desk. Vernon Roche? Yes. Lambert? Naturally. Eskel? Of course. Vesemir? Yes. Triss Merigold? Certainly. Zoltan Chivay? Yes. Jaskier the bard? Doubtful. Geralt of Rivia? Without question.
FOREBODING [Challenging: Success] – The world did not give you back your memory. Instead, it gave you back the people who remember you. Perhaps, for now, that is enough. Go on, witcher. The journey is not over yet.
— Cat & Mouse team Rīga, 2026