The Witcher

An old witcher appears at the home of young Geralt's parents, wanting to take the boy away, as promised to him long ago under the so-called law of surprise. The father stands up for his son, but is quickly overpowered. Geralt ends up in the mountain fortress of Kaer Morhen. Here, young candidates have long been subjected to magical trials, mutations, and training designed to transform them into witchers—reliable killing machines. Only one in five boys survives all the trials. Upon seeing the boy, the priest Vesemir decides to subject him to experiments that have never been tried before.

Young Geralt is studying at a school for witchers. His teachers bully him and put him through difficult trials. When he emerges victorious thanks to his cleverness, the witcher Sorel plots to kill him. Meanwhile, Geralt falls in love with Adela, who leaves, rejecting his feelings. During the final exams, the young man must face a difficult, uneven battle with Master Thornwald.

Geralt rescues a teenage princess from the hands of bandits. He kills the attackers, breaking the witcher's code. However, the girl shows him no gratitude. During his further journey, the young man saves the life of the dryad Morenn, who was struck by an arrow fired by Falvick's henchmen. Morenn falls in love with him. However, there is no room for love in Geralt's life.

Geralt's next task is to slay the dragon. During this difficult mission, the witcher befriends the knight Borch. The expedition includes a wide variety of people: from noble knights to cutthroats born under an unlucky star, eager to steal the valuables from the dragon's treasure trove. Among the hunters, Geralt unexpectedly encounters the sorceress Yennefer, with whom he once had a passionate romance.

Geralt and Yennefer stop in the town of Aed Gynvael. The witcher is hired to kill a zeugl, a monster prowling the town dump. Yennefer, meanwhile, spends a lot of time with the wizard Istredd, who is conducting mysterious experiments. At the local court, Geralt meets the renegade witcher Dermot Maranga. An unpleasant exchange ensues between them. Geralt learns that Istredd and Yennefer have long been in love.

Geralt saves the lives of Calanthe, Queen of Cintra, and her daughter Pavetta. He is invited to their court. Suitors for Pavetta's hand arrive. One of them, the mysterious monster Hedgehog, greatly displeases the queen. The monarch asks Geralt to deal with him. The monster explains to the witcher that the princess belongs to him by right. Years ago, he saved her father's life. The grateful king promised his savior that he would give him whatever he found in his house upon his return. It was a newborn daughter. Geralt decides to spare Hedgehog, and when Calanthe orders him to be killed, he stands up for him.