Nilfgaard wants Ciri but it’s not clear why the princess is so important. They finally manage to and Ciri goes on the run, making it out of Cintra while the royal family takes their own lives rather than being tortured and killed by Nilfgaard.
The kingdom is celebrating but news reaches Calanthe of neighbouring rival kingdom of Nilfgaard and its approaching army.Ĭintra and Nilfgaard go to war with many people perishing in battle as the invading army breaches the kingdom.Ĭalanthe makes it back to Cintra but she is badly injured and dying as Nilfgaardian troops ravage the city and try to enter the castle. It's in a monster's nature to hunt, but humans can choose to be complete bastards to one another.The kingdom of Cintra falls to its rivalsĪlong with Geralt’s adventure, there’s another story strand running through the episode as audiences are taken to Cintra and introduced to the royal family.Ĭintra is ruled by Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May) and her husband while they care for their granddaughter Cirilla or Ciri for short. I mean, she was losing control and drinking his blood more and more, but what's true love without a little sacrifice, right?Īnd with that, we are grimly reminded that humans are, in fact, just as shitty as monsters, if not deliberately so. As she's a monster, she can stick around because she doesn't count as making him less lonely, and because he can't die due to the curse, he's an easy meal. Nivellen's story is like a perverse version of Beauty and the Beast: He finds the injured beauty and nurses her back to health-in reverse of Belle caring for the beast after the wolf attack-before they fall in love with one another. He begs for Geralt to end his life, who retorts, "You're mortal now-do it yourself." Brutal. "All's well that ends well," you'd think, but it's here where Nivellen makes his final confession: He didn't just ransack the temple, he raped the priestess and then, once cursed, looked the other way when Vereena killed the nearby villagers. Vereena confesses her love for Nivellen-maybe real, maybe just an effort to extend her life-but Geralt chops off her head, which then combusts, lifting Nivellen's curse. She attempts to use Ciri as a meat shield, but Nivellen stops her. Vereena can contort her body in all manner of ways, and the clicking sound she makes reminds me of the Clickers from The Last of Us-not a fan, it's pretty scary stuff. Nivellen attempts to hide Vereena's presence from Geralt, but of course, it comes down to a nail-biting fight between the Witcher and the vampire. He is a monster slayer, after all, and Bruxa are monsters. Vereena immediately recognises the Elder Blood within Ciri (the reason for her magic, yet to be revealed) and warms up to her, urging her to keep her identity a secret from Geralt. If a town suddenly starts experiencing terrifying nightmares-alongside a few unexplained deaths-you can bet you've got a Bruxa on your hands. The sun doesn't affect them, and they have dozens of razor-sharp teeth and a banshee-like scream that can knock you off your feet, Aard-style.
A Bruxa is a higher vampire who usually appears as a beautiful woman but can also transform into a terrifying winged beast. Vereena is a Bruxa, the same one that ambushed our travellers from the opening minutes. It isn't until Ciri retires to bed, stating that Nivellen is no more a monster than the Nilfgaardians who destroyed her home, that Vereena's true nature is revealed. But cats don't like Witchers, and he's destined to be always alone, so how come he has a feline pal? Nivellen plays it off and shows Cirilla a light show that foreshadows her own lineage while Geralt monologues at Roach. Scuttling in the ceiling is Vereena, which Nivellen says is a cat. He entertains them, provides a sumptuous dinner, and has a good banter with his old pal Gerry of Rivia. Nivellen is charming and welcoming to Ciri and Geralt as they seek lodgings for the night, conveniently giving the aforementioned abandoned town a miss en route. In retaliation, the priestess cursed him to live alone as a magical beast, with love and blood being the only route to lifting it. Nivellen, as he tells Ciri and Geralt, was cursed by a priestess many years prior after ransacking a temple while high on some mushrooms.
It also happens to be the episode's title, again lending itself to the narrative that not everything is as it seems for each character.
His story is based on A Grain of Truth, which features in the book The Last Wish. The star performance of the episode goes to Kristofer Hivju, who plays Nivellen.
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