Thinking of fond yet insulting nicknames for different witcher schools (kitty, puppy, etc), and I am DYING at the idea of a toddler stumbling up to Letho holding a garter snake going "look! Issa noodle fren! Like you!" And his face goes through like ten different expressions in half a second while knowing that he is never EVER going to live this down.
Akjsdlkajfaj yes.
Poor Letho! He's going to be 'Noodle Fren' for the next century.
...Actually given his canonical terrible luck, it's probably poor Kolgrim who ends up as 'Noodle Fren'.
Some first doodles i did for characters from a TTRPG The Witcher campaign’s friend. Two Witchers: one from the Gryphon School and other from the Viper School
I am SICK and TIRED of this fandom treating Letho as anything other than a baby blorbo. That man is ADORABLE. So I made a list of shit that people either don't know or refuse to acknowledge whenever they portray him in fics:
He is a feminist and talks about his beliefs that women would be better at running the world than men, he also wants to go live in Zerikkania, a known matriarch society
He is very nice and civil even to his enemies (he then proceeds to kill them but then again who doesn't)
He once kidnapped a Nilffgaardian general for a contract, talked to him for 2 hours and because he was nice to him Letho let him go instead of killing him
He saved Yennefer and helped her escape from the Wild Hunt and took her somehwere safe to recover after Geralt tried to trade himself for her, even though she was nothing but trouble the whole time and almost got Letho, Serrit and Auckes killed. Why? No reason other than kindness. MY BABY BOY💖😚
He also kidnapped Triss once because he needed to teleport ASAP but he talks about having no Ill will against her and Triss says that he was very nice about it
He adores his brothers: Serrit and Auckes. He also misses his school and Viper Witchers that perished.
The reason he became a Kingslayer wasn't for petty coin, but because Emhyr Von Ehmreis promised that he'd rebuild the viper school if he did his bidding. Letho was so desperate to get his home back that he accepted.
When he has to destroy property for a contract, he warns the people there and makes them evacuate- not to mention he pays them as much as he can for damages (Geralt, take notes)
Just like Geralt, he has a strict moral code that he adheres to no matter what. But UNLIKE Geralt he doesn't drop said moral code whenever a sexy sorceress enters the frame.
He doesn't steal from peasants if he can help it- and tries to help when he can (Geralt, again, please take notes on the stealing front)
He may not be the most approachable guy but he is definitely not the evil bad boy that people make him out to be😤. Personally I wanna fuck him so maybe I'm biased but still.
Feel free to add more but these are the ones off the top of my head.
This is one instance in which the Lore between them mostly agrees:
Geralt can listen in on a conversation between two women doing laundry near White Orchard. One of the women's grandmother told her of how a local boy (Vitty) had gone missing. The villagers immediately suspected a witcher who was hunting nearby at the time and tried to capture him.
The witcher was resistant to the villagers and clashed a short while before one of the villagers beheaded him. Gwent says it was Paul, the father of the boy who got his revenge. Soon after the witcher's tragic death it was discovered that the missing boy was killed and eaten by a drowner; the witcher was completely innocent. His body was then buried in the local crypt. Upon locating the crypt Geralt discovers witcher's decapitated body with his skull in his lap, as well as a sword diagram and a journal where he learns of his identity.
Kolgrim’s Journal Entry:
To: Ivar Evil-Eye, master witcher of the Viper School.
I have now found all the legendary diagrams once belonging to our order. Certain complications have arisen, however. On the way back to our keep, I stopped to rest the night in a village in the Temerian borderlands. The blasted peasants decided to make me into their scapegoat and accused me of kidnapping some beekeeper's brat. They took me into the local lordling's castle for interrogation, during which they found and confiscated one of the diagrams. But do not fear, I will get it back. They did not find the others.
I have invoked Temerian common law and demanded a trial by ordeal instead of submitting to the whims of this baronet. My request was granted and tomorrow I am to cleanse the baronet's family crypt of wraiths. I expect this will prove little trouble. Perhaps I will already have returned to our keep by the time you receive this letter. Light the furnances -we'll have some forging to do.
Kolgrim
Interrogation Report:
Location: Amavet fortress
Persons taking part: Sir Ignatius Verrieres, Bart., the bailiff Andreas Blume, Sir Ignatius' underlings: Carmy, Gardy and Bellsy.
Suspect: Kolgrim, witcher of the Viper School.
The witcher Kolgrim stands accused of kidnapping Vitty, son of Paul, a beekeeper residing in White orchard. Suspect was detained pending trial. Upon detention he was searched and a diagram for the forging of a steel sword was found on his person. it is suspected this sword was used to intimidate or possibly kill the kidnapped child. It is likewise suspected that the accused possesses other such diagrams for the forging of death-dealing implements, though none have been found to date. Sir ignatius has requested the witcher undergo preliminary interrogation with the application of torture.This will take place once a torturer with the proper qualifications has been found.Addendum:It was later discovered Drowners were responsible for the boy's disappearance. Unfortunately Kolgrim died before this information reached the investigators, for rather than face the baronet's judgment, he chose trial by ordeal. Sir Ignatius agreed and ordered he cleanse the Verrieres family crypt of specters. Kolgrim never emerged from said crypt. It is highly likely the motley wraiths, specters and evil powers residing therein proved too much for him.
Artist: Anton Nazarenko
His Reward Tree Lore:
Scroll 1: Fate seemed to take pleasure in torturing Kolgrim. Fortune only smiled upon him if it was accompanied by a stroke of very bad luck. It was always thus, even before Kolgrim became a witcher. When he was still a young harmless brat...
Scroll 2: On the eve of Saovine small Kolgrim was kidnapped by a weeper, which replaced him with its own cursed offspring. Fortunately, the monster was slaughtered by a witcher that very same night. The boy's savior, having taken pity on him, decided to escort him back home. Kolgrim was relieved to be returning to the warmth and safety of his mother, unaware of his impending misfortune.
Scroll 3: The woman greeted the witcher with hatred in her eyes, not believing a single word that came out of his mouth. Blinded by her contempt, she refused to even look twice at her own crying son, utterly convinced that the weeper's baby was her real child. With the door slammed shut in their face, the witcher had no other choice than to take Kolgrim with him – straight to the Viper School.
Scroll 4: Over many future years, fate mocked Kolgrim many times – both during his murderous training and the later travels around the Continent. His life ended most ironically. For he, who was once stolen and then rejected from his mother, was accused of kidnapping a child.
Chest 1: When master Ivar Evil-Eye instructed Kolgrim to look for the lost weapon diagrams that once belonged to their order, bad luck struck again. Although the witcher managed to find the legendary diagrams, he never returned to their keep.
In the small village of White Orchard, Kolgrim was accused of kidnapping the beekeeper's son. The local baronet, wishing to appease the enraged people, called for a qualified torturer. Justice would be served, no matter what. Their justice, of course, so in response Kolgrim invoked Temerian common law, demanding a trial by ordeal. Surprisingly, the baronet agreed and ordered the witcher to cleanse his family crypt of wraiths.
According to official sources, Kolgrim perished in the attempt. Yet rumors claimed otherwise. Some locals, enraged by the lordling's decision, supposedly attacked the witcher before he even entered the crypt. The beekeeper had taken his rightful revenge, cutting the mutant's head off with his own hands... Well, 'twas just a rumor. But one thing became clear over time.
It was drowners that killed the missing boy. Not Kolgrim.
Kolgrim’s Gwent Card Flavor Text:
Fortune only smiled upon him if it was accompanied by a stroke of very bad luck.
Kolgrim’s Voice Lines
Justice in this world? Not an ounce of it.
Lady Fortune can be a cruel mistress.
To clear my name and restore my freedom, I will serve.
The Witcher School of the Viper made their home in the stronghold of Gorthur Gvaed. Guarded by a remarkable tower adorned by a frighteningly ominous spiral coiled around its contours. Yet it held not a candle to the terrifying moat that surrounded it—deep by several hundred feet and truly… breathtaking. No one could tell if what was filling it should still be called water. The smells above the moat were, to put it mildly, hard to forget. Viper witchers, who survived the fall of the stronghold, later joked that it was the stench that led the Usurper’s army to find Gorthur Gvaed. Countless soldiers died in this gutter. According to legends, so many perished that one could have made their way to the other side of the moat on a bridge composed entirely of their corpses. And the odour grew even worse
Located in Tir Tochair (a scarcely inhabited mountain range that divides the Korath desert from the modern-day northern and central provinces of the Nilfgaardian Empire. It is known as the largest lasting enclave of gnomes.)
There were many scrolls and manuscripts about the legend of the Wild Hunt.
Founder
Ivar Evil-Eye
There’s a terrible tale behind each and every scar—you’d be surprised just how many are true.
Ivar was one of the unfortunate few who endured the mutations extremely well, and so was selected for further, more complicated experiments. Of those subjected to these enhancements, only he survived—perhaps due to the mages only managing to partially complete the trial.
As a result of these experiments, Ivar gained his moniker, as well as a new sight. His so-called “Evil Eye” saw a different world. Many other worlds, really. With his eye, he watched as ghostly riders dashed along the Spiral, and observed how they’d kidnap, kill, and conquer. Forever haunting Ivar’s special vision, these spectres became his obsession.
Training
Each student is given a pet to raise during their stay at Gorthur Gvaed, in order to form a strong emotional bond throughout their training. Years later, before becoming a fully-fledged witcher, they are ordered to slaughter their companion in cold blood.
Viper Witcher Mentor
Viper mentors are especially cold and ruthless in order to prepare their students for the harsh life that awaits them.
Some Lore from Gwent
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or weaker. It depends, really.
It is often said that witchers took on the characteristics of their schools' namesake creatures. Without a doubt, this was true of the Viper School. They were agile, quick, and frequently made use of deadly poisons.
As with the other witcher schools – the Wolves' Kaer Morhen as sole exception – none were aware of the Viper School's location. Only one detail ever became widely known... That it stood somewhere south of the Yaruga. In Nilfgaard.
Perhaps it's no wonder then that Vipers were less inclined to neutrality than other witchers. The Empire would never recognize such a stance. There is only obedient servant... Or mortal enemy.
Emperor Emhyr var Emreis gave them a choice they could not refuse: assassinate a few kings in the Northern Realms in exchange for rebuilding the school to its former glory.
The emperor, however, did not keep his promise and instead of rebuilding the school, he sent bounty hunters after its few remaining members to remove any loose ends.
Armor and Equipment
Viper Witchers are trained to fight with twin blades, often referred to as “fangs”. This style focuses on fast and furious strikes aimed to overwhelm their target, be it monster or man.
These blades would often be coated with poison as the school made great use of its knowledge of alchemy.
No need to strike deep when but a scratch will prove fatal.
Five More Witchers
Letho of Gulet
Witchers never die in their beds. - Letho
Some friends you see after many years apart and you immediately develop a headache. Not out of antipathy, but as a somatic premonition of the hangover sure to follow your drunken reunion. Seeing others, however, gives you an itching pain in your back and a desire to reach for your blade.
For Geralt, Letho of Gulet had a foot in both of these camps.
Letho, if Geralt doesn’t ask him to go to Kaer Morhen, says, that he will be heading to Zerrikania citing a possible reason that it's a matriarchy and he's always had a deep belief "that it's women who should rule the world."
Serrit and Auckles
He seems different, but in reality is so similar. Our paths have been the same: we survived the Trials, endured the same training and have slain so many monsters that we no longer keep count. So many men, also. The difference is in the details – when I see him moving in combat, I want to laugh, but I also see that he is just as effective, if not more so. There is, however, one critical difference I cannot describe adequately. He has a goal, he is committed to something. He doesn't wander the world as if blown about by the wind. I believe he feels emotions at a level I cannot attain, yet these emotions are not typically human. Is it an illness of some kind? I think he teeters on the brink of instinct and emotion, and that he uses up a lot of energy to maintain his mental health. I hope I get a chance to know him better and learn from him. Nothing specific – just life. - Serrit about Geralt
Serrit was a lot more hot-headed than his brother, complaining about the lack of action they had in the past days.
Letho's got a plan… what could go wrong? - Auckles
Auckes seemed to be the less serious of the brothers, being sarcastic at times while being very confident of his skills.
He appeared to regard Geralt as a friend, which is reflected when he asked if Geralt wasn't hanged for Foltest murder and Letho asked him if he wanted to see him hanged, he lowered his head and just answered "no".
Along with his brother, Auckes was fond of using bear traps.
Kolgrim
Fate seemed to take pleasure in torturing Kolgrim. Fortune only smiled upon him if it was accompanied by a stroke of very bad luck. It was always thus, even before Kolgrim became a witcher. When he was still a young harmless brat...
On the eve of Saovine small Kolgrim was kidnapped by a weeper, which replaced him with its own cursed offspring. Fortunately, the monster was slaughtered by a witcher that very same night. The boy's savior, having taken pity on him, decided to escort him back home. Kolgrim was relieved to be returning to the warmth and safety of his mother, unaware of his impending misfortune.
The woman greeted the witcher with hatred in her eyes, not believing a single word that came out of his mouth. Blinded by her contempt, she refused to even look twice at her own crying son, utterly convinced that the weeper's baby was her real child. With the door slammed shut in their face, the witcher had no other choice than to take Kolgrim with him – straight to the Viper School.
Over many future years, fate mocked Kolgrim many times – both during his murderous training and the later travels around the Continent. His life ended most ironically. For he, who was once stolen and then rejected from his mother, was accused of kidnapping a child.
Warritt The All-Seeing
By slightly modifying the Supirre sign, Warritt gained the ability to see... everything.
Supirre is a Sign enhancing the auditory perception of the user. Drawn on a solid surface, it allows the people near the Sign to hear sounds which would be normally inaudible due to the distance or background noise. As such, it is often used for eavesdropping.
It compensated the monster hunter's lack of sight by giving him the ability of echolocation.
