The Game of Thrones is over, leaving behind a void that everyone wants to fill. And, it seems, one of its most obvious replacements is t...
The Game of Thrones is over, leaving behind a void that everyone wants to fill. And, it seems, one of its most obvious replacements is the new Netflix series The Witcher. If you have already played the “The Witcher” series or read books in this series, then you have an idea of the gloomy world of “Slavic” fantasy and you know who the witcher is. If not, don't be discouraged. Here we will tell you everything you need to know before you start watching the series.
The series is based on books, not on a video game.
Many years before the CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series of games became one of the most popular and best-selling video game franchises, Polish author Andrzej Sapkowsi created the world of the witcher. The plot of short stories written in the eighties of the last century, mainly related to the main character Geralt of Rivia, an evil hunter with magical abilities.
The first short story appeared in the Polish science fiction and fantasy magazine Fantastyka. Their events also developed - Sapkosvsky thought over and wrote down the history of Geralt and the world of The Witcher. Many of the stories eventually fell into large collections.
Photo: netflix.comBut what about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, released in 2015, is still considered the best representative of the RPG genre, and its sales for 2017 exceeded 25 million copies. Obviously, the streaming giant Netflix could not completely ignore the "gold mine". Some elements of the game got into the series. One of them is the famous bathroom scene shown in the trailer, which directly migrated from the video game. You may notice more referrals when watching the series.
You need to understand that "The Witcher 3" is the most loyal adaptation of a book source, which means that another loyal adaptation will not fundamentally change everything. Also, if you are a fan of video games, there is a good chance that you will see a completely new story - the story of “Wild Hunt” occurs after the events of the “The Witcher” saga, while the series adapts its first books.
Photo: netflix.comFantasy World - Original, Huge, and Cruel
The action of The Witcher takes place on land called Continent. As in most fantasy worlds, different species live on the Continent (both familiar and not so) and there is a strict social hierarchy. There are mythical monsters, people who own magic, and vampires, as well as elves, ghouls and fairies.
The Continent used to be the land of gnomes and varnas (anthropomorphic lizards) until the elves came and established peace among all races. These races, known as the "Elder Races," founded a culture and built many cities on the Continent. One and a half millennia before the events of the book, “Conjugation of the Spheres” took place - a magical cataclysm, because of which monsters from other worlds fell on the Continent.
Five centuries later, humans became the dominant force and forced other races to submit to their will. From this came two main powers: the Northern Kingdoms, an alliance of different peoples led by Sintra and the Nilfgaard Empire. These two forces are at war when the story of the Witcher begins.
Photo: netflix.comWho is this your Witcher?
The Witcher is not a rank or race, but rather a profession. Potential witches at an early age are taken to study in Kaer Morhen - a witch's school-fortress. There they are taught to kill monsters, to know their distinctive features and weaknesses, and most importantly - to always remain impartial.
All witches experience terrible mutations, exacerbating their feelings and enhancing their ability to resist magic and poisons. Therefore, on the Continent they are outcasts, degenerates. They are considered soulless mercenaries and try to avoid, but when a creature is declared in the village, everyone has to fold to order.
