Staff member

+

CHAPTER 1
The hospital smelled of death.

‘You need blood, Regis.’

‘I need time.’

‘They’ll die anyway.’

‘Not by my hand.’

Discarded dressings, stained red and stiff with frost, crunched under their shoes. There was no one there to clean them up, nor anyone to bring fuel for the fire.

‘I don’t understand what’s driving you.’ There was irritation in Dettlaff’s tone.

‘Nevertheless, I ask you to respect my decision.’

‘Your stubbornness puts both of us at risk. You’re weakened. You’re slowing us down.’

‘Ethical issues aside,’ Regis continued, ‘your behavior, inherent in your nature, has brought us to our present trouble. We have attracted attention. The trail of drained corpses will only make it easier to track us. So let me direct the route for a while.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Blend in. Disguise ourselves.’

‘Among humans? It’s… demeaning.’ Dettlaff shifted uneasily and hissed in pain as he touched the wound under his cloak.

‘It festers,’ Regis stated, discerningly.

‘How is this possible? I can’t close it. And when I tried to transform, I felt it tear more. I don’t understand, it was only a human...’

‘No. Not a human. A witcher.’

Dettlaff shot his companion a look in which reluctance fought hopelessly against curiosity.

‘They are mutants adapted to kill. A guild called on to protect this world from visitors from other spheres,’ Regis explained.

‘From us...’

‘Us too, indeed. Over the centuries, they have accumulated considerable knowledge of those they consider enemies. You experienced that expertise first-hand.

Therefore, I recommend extreme caution.’

The muscles in Dettlaff's jaw twitched as he brooded over his companion's words. ‘Let it be your way,’ he said finally.

The canvas rustled. The vampires’ eyes darted toward the tent’s entrance. An acolyte of Melitele gave them an exhausted smile. ‘I’m now at your disposal, gentlemen. Forgive me for making you wait so long, but I’m here alone. The sisters followed the army to Vizima.’

‘Leaving the wounded to the cold?’ Regis was surprised. ‘What has prompted such haste? The war is over, the Nilfgaardians are defeated at Brenna.’

The adept looked down. ‘The crown was overdue with their payments. Six months. The army was threatening to revolt. The soldiers forced the constable to lead them to the capital so they could retrieve their payments there. I volunteered to serve at the infirmary. And if one vows to serve, it is not only in pleasant weather and with a full belly.’

‘This hospital has been left without ample supplies.’

‘Mr. Constable graciously offered us his personal tent. This one here. And he promised to send provisions and medications, paid for from his own pouch. There will also be some refreshments for you, gentlemen, though sparse. Would you care to eat?’

‘Thank you.’ Regis smiled, lips pursed. ‘We won’t. But tell me please: Did you happen to see any honest travelers passing by? It’s not so safe to venture on our own nowadays. All kinds of shady types prowl the highways...’

‘In the morning, three soldiers wandered here. They claimed a wounded man⁠—said it was their commander. Then they headed west. I was glad they took him. One more unfortunate soul rescued.’

‘Thank you.’

Soon enough, they left the makeshift hospital. The road wandered west among clawed elms.

‘Nobody’s coming for them,’ said Dettlaff. ‘They will be forgotten. I know humans. They have short memories.’

‘The girl stayed,’ Regis replied.

Above them, crows circled the tent.
CHAPTER 2

The snow had stopped falling.

Erskine rubbed his eyes and stared straight ahead at the Sodden fields fading into the twilight. He decided it was a good time to stop. He signaled his two companions to leave the road and turn into a nearby hollow.

Néris threw off her backpack; took out blankets and provisions. Osyan struck a fire. Erskine let go of the sledge rope, sat down, and began massaging his hands.

‘I’ll help you in a moment,’ he said.

Néris eyed the man lying on the sledge. ‘You better rest—while you can.’

‘Fucking sergeant,’ Osyan said, blowing on his fingers. ‘Did he need to stuff himself so much? If he were lighter, we would have crossed the Ina already.’

‘Such luck,’ said Néris.

Erskine hunched over the bandaged sergeant and listened to his shallow breaths. ‘We’re stuck with each other,’ he said. ‘I’ll take first watch.’

*

The stolen wine tasted of ginger. Erskine grimaced, wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, and looked at his sleeping companions. Osyan could very well be his son. He enlisted in the Temerian army shortly before the invasion of the Black Ones. They fought together for Dillingen under Jan Natalis, then with King Foltest when they liberated Sodden. Néris, a condottiere of the Free Company, claimed to be the daughter of a Lyrian baron. Erskine was sure she was lying, because if she had been, he couldn’t imagine she would end up here, freezing half to death on this crazy journey of theirs.

Ah, the journey. Erskine sighed and took a sip of wine. It started with the sergeant and his story about a chest in a debris-strewn basement. Then came the decision they all made together—the path from which there was no return.

The warmth of the fire called to Erskine, inviting him to sleep. He yawned, stood up, and nudged Néris with the toe of his boot. ‘Your watch,’ he said, and handed her the bottle. Néris rubbed her eyes, took a sip, and spat into the flames. He was about to mention the ginger, but stopped when he realized the condottiere was peering into the darkness behind him.

‘Do not worry,’ someone said from the shaded perimeter of the camp.

After a moment, two strangers emerged and entered the illuminated space. ‘We’re unarmed,’ said one of them, gray-haired; the same voice they had just heard.

‘We are on our way to Dillingen. Troubled times, such as these, are best spent in the company of others, don’t you think? Especially when their destination is the same.’

‘How can you be sure it is?’ asked Osyan, who was crouching, his dagger already drawn behind his back.

‘We don’t need companions,’ said Néris.

Erskine was silent. He was assessing the situation. The newcomers did not look threatening. First, they did indeed appear to be unarmed. Second, they looked rather sick—or weak, at least. The gray-haired one was deathly pale and spoke in a soft tone. The other, dark-haired and silent, slumped slightly and pressed his hand against his hip. A fresh wound, perhaps?

The gray-haired man nodded at the sledge. ‘This man won’t last a week,’ he said. ‘Fortunately, however, I am a medic. I have a refuge in Dillingen. If we hurry, perhaps I can help him.’

The wind shook the branches; ignited the fading fire.

Erskine realized that Néris and Osyan were waiting for his response. He considered. If the sergeant dies before they reach their destination, it will all be for naught. A sawbones would indeed be useful…

He released his sword hilt, grunted, and nodded. ‘Do you have names?’

*

By dawn, they were ready to go. Erskine shifted the ashes with his foot while observing the new comrades. The gray-haired one, Regis, wasn’t lying. Although he himself was barely standing, he efficiently replaced the sergeant’s bandages and prepared a compress for his wounds. Surprisingly, the other one, Dettlaff, offered to pull the sledge.

They moved onward. After a few steps, Dettlaff paused, wincing in pain. Regis steadied him with an arm. Erskine adjusted his backpack and caught up with them.

‘You look pretty worn out,’ he said. ‘Who put you in such a condition?’ The newcomers were silent. Dettlaff glanced over his shoulder at the road behind as if he expected to see someone following. Erskine didn’t press him for an answer. Somehow, he was sure he no longer wished to know.
CHAPTER 3
‘An abomination has its lair in our bell tower, master witcher. At night, it flies over the city, kidnaps people from the street, and hauls them up to its den, to devour them. Such horror! How much will it cost for us to be rid of this plague?’

‘Two hundred orens, Mr. Councilor. You have a vampire there. And not just any.’

The councilor was impressed. ‘Indeed, you have already deduced the creature’s nature?’

‘I’ve examined a corpse.’

Sorensen did not see fit to explain that he had been tracking the beast for a long time, on the orders of someone much more important. That he had ended up in the town of Warfurt following its trail. He surmised that if people are willing to pay twice for one job, there is no point in discouraging them.

The councilor mused; shook his nose. ‘Expensive.’

‘Then try it yourself.’

‘We have, of course. Gallant boys from the castle guard are eager to act. But iron does not like this devilishness. We wanted to set fire to the bell tower to drive the bastard away, but...’

‘It’s not right!’ the reverend patriarch, who had so far been gloomily looking through the stained-glass window of the temple at the dark pillar of the belfry, rose and thundered, ‘to kindle a fire under the holy place! Three thousand orens went to the bell tower from the chapel box! Not to, I say, burn it down now!’

‘Aren’t you afraid,’ said the irritated councilor, ‘to scream like that so near to the beast?’

‘Psalms protect us here,’ the priest spat angrily. ‘As long as the song continues, witchcraft has no power.’

The choristers, gathered in the nave, continued to sing. The monotonous sound melted into the noble walls of the temple like the smell of incense. But now, recalled in the conversation, it made Sorensen think. ‘Reverend Father,’ he said to the priest, bowing his head, ‘faith and holy psalms are the surest means against a vampire. Could I perhaps borrow your choristers? Prayer will confuse the monster’s senses and deprive it of its power. I’ll be able to get in close and deal a killing blow.’

The prelate puffed up like a turkey and looked toward the councilor. ‘Of course, son. Of course.’

*

The bait had done its job. The psalm exploded into screams of terror as the vampire plunged from the black sky and fell among the choristers. An eyeless skull, bat wings, veins pulsating with blood under slick skin. Gharasham tribe.

The monster seized the nearest chorister and sunk his fangs into the body. He pinned another one to the ground with an elongated, clawed foot.

The euphoria they experience while feeding overwhelms their senses; makes them lethargic. This is the best time to attack. Sorensen emerged from behind a stone gargoyle, curling up into a throw like a discobolus. The chain whirred through the air. The links twisted around the creature’s limbs; skin hissing against silver. The Gharashami fell, rolled down the sloping roof of the temple, collapsed onto the cobblestone street below, taking a downpour of tiles with him. The witcher gave chase down the gutter. Time to finish the job. He drew his silver sword and struck the neck of the creature struggling in its bonds.

The bat’s silhouette spilled into a pool of blood. The blade rang against stone, and the chain slackened. Released from its constraints, the vampire mutated back into a flesh-like form, struck his wings, and took off with piercing yelps. Sorensen jumped out of the way of the furious charge, rolled over his shoulder, and kneeled down. Spring-loaded arms clicked as he unfolded the switchbow. He aimed. Fired. The stunned vampire staggered mid-flight, rose laboriously into the sky, and tumbled into the belfry with a thunderous brass thud.

The hunter followed the game. He grabbed the elevator rope left by the masons and cut off the counterweight with his sword. The momentum of the falling bricks propelled him to the top floor in an instant.

From here, he could see a bat silhouetted against the moon as it streaked away to the west. He cursed ugly.


CHAPTER 4
The wind brought the scent of herbs and dried meat. Regis stopped. ‘There are other people around.’

Dettlaff confirmed silently.

They had been walking along the Yaruga for three days. Their human companions, still wary of the duo, mostly avoided them and said little. The vampires kept a few paces behind.

‘You found us an interesting company,’ said Dettlaff. ‘The priestess said they were soldiers. Yet, they reek of fear and deception.’

‘They’re deserters.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I suppose. The wounded man… the insignia has been removed from his jacket.’

‘So we attempt to blend among humans by joining a gang of ragged escapees. Perfect.’

‘It’s easy for you to pass judgments. Forgive the cliché, but living among humans teaches one that nothing is simple. We don’t know who they are or why they are fleeing. And from whom. We know nothing about them.’

They stopped at Osyan’s call. He was waving to them, pointing to a nearby farm. A small compound at the edge of the forest. A shabby wagon stood by the fence, and horses were neighing from the stables. The smoking chimney and its promise of a warm hearth called to them. The vampires watched as their new companions consulted, then left the road and headed for the buildings.

‘Right, we know nothing about them,’ said Dettlaff. ‘But I feel that is about to change.’

*

The farmer returned with the cask. He sat it on the table and started filling clay cups. The smell of beer wafted through the room. ‘Forgive me, but I don’t understand,’ he said.

Erskine gulped; wiped the foam off his mustache. He tapped the lily patch on the table with his finger. ‘Well, right, I have already explained. We are the Temerian army, and we’ve been given a covert mission. To carry this... captive... ransomed from Nilfgaardians. We must get him across the Ina as soon as possible. That’s why we need your carriage.’

‘And both horses,’ Osyan said.

Néris was standing by the door, her back propped against the wall. In her hand, she was holding a bare sword, which she was picking between the floorboards. ‘And the contents of the pantry,’ she added.

‘It is not right. How can we survive without a carriage, in winter, here in such remote parts?’

‘We?’ Osyan asked. ‘Who else?’

The farmer glanced towards the door. Osyan spat, pulled out a dagger, and put it on the table. The furnace fires flickered on the flat of the blade.

‘Good people, have mercy...’

‘We’re not good people. It would be such a pity for you to find out exactly why that is.’

‘Osyan...’ Néris said.

‘Shut up. His choice.’

Dettlaff, who had been standing in the shadows so far, approached and tossed a pouch on the table. Coins rang. ‘Do what you want,’ he said. ‘I’m going for a walk.’

As the door slammed, Regis scooped up the purse and moved closer to the farmer. ‘My comrades are soldiers, not thieves,’ he said, looking Osyan in the eye. ‘They only need one mare, which they will harness to a sleigh. The mare for which you will receive... adequate compensation.’

Erskine opened his mouth, scrambling to find some words.

The vampire smiled through pursed lips. ‘Temerian soldiers understand they must not deprive you of your belongings,’ he said. ‘If they did, the news of their covert mission could reach the wrong ears. And that… well… that would put them in grave danger.’

*

Aine felt the branches under her boot.

She scattered the snow, picked up the brushwood, and threw it in the basket. She had collected enough, so she decided to go home.

She walked briskly, humming her favorite song under her breath. Stopping at the edge of the forest, she dropped the basket and backed away sharply. She waited behind a tree for a long moment, then slowly peeked out from the trunk.

There were strangers at the hut. A woman was pulling Ludka by the reins; the mare huffed and kicked restlessly. Two men emerged from the pantry, lugging sacks and casks. The fourth, the older one, was talking to her father at the cabin.

Aine then sensed someone else. Someone much closer.

‘You’d better wait here,’ said a voice from behind her. Low, mesmerizing.

‘But my father...’

The stranger put a hand on her shoulder. Cold and pale. Bloodstains on the palms. ‘He’ll be fine. They will be gone soon. Look. Take a good look. This world of yours where nothing is simple.’

‘I do not understand.’

‘Nevermind.’

The girl was silent. She watched the gray-haired man take something from his purse and put it in her father’s hand. Gold flashed.

‘They will only take Ludka?’ She asked after a moment.

‘Yes. My friend has the gift of persuasion.’

‘That’s good.’

‘Good? You were lucky. They wanted to rob you.’

Aine turned and looked the stranger in his eyes. ‘But someone was watching over us.’

CHAPTER 5
The Ina River sparkled in the last rays of the setting sun.

The Vidort and Carcano fortresses towered over the water. Burned down during the war, they were now being slowly rebuilt by the Temerian army.

Osyan turned their attention to the north.

‘There,’ he said. ‘Ice connects both shores. We’ll go that way.’

Erskine snorted through his fingers. ‘I don’t like it,’ he said. ‘The crust is thin in places, riddled with holes, and the forts are too close. We should go on to the Ina and Trava fork. Look for a secluded ford. It will be better, safer for the sergeant.’

‘As for your companion...’ Regis said. ‘If you do have his best interests at heart, I recommend you hurry. The most sensible thing to do would be to ask for help from Carcano. They probably have ample medical supplies. But I can see that you are not fond of this approach.’

‘Well, we’re not fond,’ Erskine said. ‘Took the words from my mouth.’

Dettlaff smiled. ‘What’s wrong with you, Temerian soldiers?’ He asked. ‘Won’t you look for support from your own?’

‘Look here, you smart-ass,’ Osyan said. ‘Did we ask who you are? Where you came from? Or who abused you to the point of looking like dead bodies?’

Dettlaff was silent.

‘Let’s go to Fen Carn then,’ Regis said. ‘I used to have a summer cottage there, maybe some supplies remain.’

‘Have you lost your mind, sawbones?’ Erskine asked. ‘We are not pushing upon accursed elven grounds. It’s not good for the sergeant, you say? Well, we’ll just have to force the Ina. Here. And then make haste to Dillingen.’

*

They entered the river under the cover of dark clouds. Only the cracking sound of ice disturbed the silence.

Just as it seemed they would pass unnoticed, a thud sounded behind them.

Osyan cursed. ‘Three riders. Armed patrol.’

The Temerians saw them right away. One spurred his horse and galloped towards the fortress, the other two trotted to the shore. They dismounted, drew their swords, and ran onto the ice. ‘Halt!’ they shouted. ‘Halt!’

The mare pulling the sleigh snorted and obeyed.

‘Move, you nag!’ Erskine shouted and yanked the reins. With no result. Moments later, the Temerians were on them, so close that they could see their faces.

Regis looked at Dettlaff. ‘Let’s try to negotiate.’

Osyan spat and twirled his slingshot.

The projectile whistled and dinged against the helmet of one of the soldiers. He groaned and fell onto the ice. The second jumped at the nearest—Néris. They got in a scuffle, lost their balance, and fell into a nearby hole.

‘Néris!’ Erskine dropped the reins and started toward the crevice.

Osyan grabbed his arm. ‘Leave it!’ He shouted. ‘We have to run!’

Regis had had enough of running. He jumped into the cloudy waters and located the condottiere, who was wrestling with the Temerian as they both sank—the latter’s armor dragging them to the bottom. Néris kicked, exhaling from her mouth. Regis swam down, took hold, and tried to lift, overestimating the capacity of his newly regenerated body. He tugged and felt his shoulder pop out of the joint. His teeth grated. He tried again. Bones cracked and pain exploded, pressing him to the brink of collapse.

Then Dettlaff plunged into the water.

He pushed Regis aside, grasped the condottiere with one hand and the Temerian soldier with the other. He separated them and swiftly ascended to the surface.

*

Erskine and Osyan were nowhere to be found by the time they crawled onto the gravel beside the Ina. An alarm sounded from the riverside forts. Regis attempted to help Néris stay standing, but she refused the offer and ambled as fast as she could towards the forest. He quickly followed, turning back to catch a glimpse of Dettlaff dragging the soldier away before the treeline blocked his view.

They ran for a long time through the forest; then, exhausted, they walked among the Fen Carn mounds. Néris had heard of the dark fame of the place but was too tired to protest.

Finally, they came to a hut with a simple interior. There was a table lined with bottles and dried herbs on the walls. The smell churned in her nostrils.

Regis dug out dry clothes from the mess, and as she changed, he looked for something among the bottles on the table.

‘This is your cabin?’ She asked.

‘Mine,’ he said, and winced in pain as he rubbed his shoulder. ‘There it is.’

They went outside and sat down by the bonfire. Regis kindled the flames. He wiped the dust and cobwebs from the flask, uncorked it, and handed it to Néris.

She swallowed. Alcohol scratched her throat; filled her with heat.

‘Oh, gods... What’s that?’

‘Tincture of mandrake.’

‘Want?’

‘Thank you. I am abstinent.’

‘An abstinent moonshiner, who, without hesitation, throws himself into treacherous depths to help strangers. You are a mysterious figure, Regis.’

‘Well... I once met a dwarf who called himself an incorrigible altruist. Apparently, this attitude is close to mine.’

They sat in silence. Néris stared at the shadows blinking in the snow behind Regis for a long time. Something was wrong. Finally, she understood what. She stiffened and groaned softly. ‘You don’t cast... You’re a...’

‘Yes. I am.’

She pulled away sharply, covering her neck with her hand.

Regis threw more logs on the embers. ‘Relax. I said I was abstinent. Besides, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have just let you drown.’

‘Dettlaff?’

‘Dettlaff, too. But it will be better if you keep it to yourself.’

The fire crackled. As if summoned, Dettlaff emerged from the shadows and sat down between them.

‘The Temerian will live,’ he said. ‘I carried him to the walls, made sure they could see him.’

Néris was trembling. Her head was buzzing. Regis’ clothes irritated the skin, and his oversized pants were slipping from her hips. She pulled them up and tightened the belt as much as she could.

‘What’s with you?’ Dettlaff asked.

She hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she decided.

She swallowed the tincture and smiled.

‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘Everything’s all right.’


CHAPTER 6
Out of breath, the councilor scrambled up the tower. They warned him of what he would find there, so he readied himself with a scented handkerchief, which he pressed against his nose. Sorensen was already inspecting the scene. Corpses in various stages of decay filled the vampire’s nest, yet the pungent stench did not seem to disturb the witcher.

‘The money is waiting next to the horse, master witcher. The patriarch urges you to leave the city as soon as possible.’

The hunter shrugged. He measured the distance between the wounds from the fangs with his hand. ‘Peculiar. Bite marks indicate two different jaw patterns. The Gharashami brought victims here, broke their spines so they could not defend themselves. Like a bird that chews up worms for its young.’

The councilor frowned. ‘What does it mean?’

‘It means he was feeding someone.’

*

‘Sabrina.’

Nothing, again. The xenovox faltered in the cold. Sorensen would have loved to toss the talking box into the river and be done with it. Unfortunately, he needed an answer. As curiosity overcame his irritation, he tried again.

‘Sabrina, you stupid wench.’

‘Sorensen, honey. How courteous you are,’ the device replied in a metallic voice. The anxious horse pricked its ears and slowed to a trot. The witcher gave him a spur.

‘You lied to me.’

‘Really?’

‘There are two vampires. It will cost you double.’

‘This is the only reason you bother me? To bargain?’

‘I want to know the identity of your fugitive. And the circumstances of the escape.’

‘"No questions.” Was that not our agreement?’

‘The risk has increased. I need to know who I’m dealing with. Otherwise, I go back to Angren.’

The silence stretched on. Sorensen began to suspect that the xenovox had once again refused to cooperate.

‘Me and two fellow sorceresses were entrusted with razing Stygga Castle, the seat of the renegade wizard Vilgefortz of Roggeveen. We found the remains of this creature killed by a spell. We tried to regenerate it. And we succeeded.’

‘You resurrected a vampire? For what purpose?’

‘To question him. He could have had important information. Stygga Castle witnessed epochal events that we still do not fully understand.’

‘I’m sure he turned out to be a charming interlocutor.’

‘Not really. Among the humans, he introduced himself as Emiel Regis. There are many indications that this is an ancient, sophisticated creature. But upon awakening, he was driven by blind hunger. Before I could question him more thoroughly, he fled. I apparently underestimated him.’

‘Or he was assisted. As I said: there are two vampires. They travel together.’

‘Are you regretting our deal? Or are you still haggling?’

Sorensen ignored her. A shabby little cottage appeared around the bend. He pulled the reins and steered his horse there.

‘I have to go. I’ve got work to do.’

‘Good boy.’

*

‘Temerian Marauders. Common thieves. They wanted to rob us outright. The gray-haired one stopped them. He calmed them down. Without even raising his voice. Didn’t let the others strip the pantry bare. And he paid for the mare.’

‘Gold...’ Aine looked down. The word slipped out of her mouth before she could think.

The witcher rubbed the scar on his neck. ‘Show me.’

The farmer glared at his daughter. The newcomer had enough weapons on his horse to supply a dozen troops. And those eyes, like a snake’s or a lizard’s. No point messing with a man like that. Willy-nilly, he took off his clog, tore open the sole with a knife, and took out a coin.

A winged lion with a human head, stamped in tarnished gold. A chariot on the reverse. Sorensen had seen such coins before. In the Dur Lugal Iddin mounds. A wolf's grin spread across his face. He had been thinking the trail was going cold.

‘This coin is over three hundred years old. Today, it can mostly be found in tombs. You are lucky, landlord. That they were not interested in you.’

‘Grave robbers, right? Graveyard hyenas?’

Sorensen adjusted the girth, put his leg in the stirrup, and jumped onto the saddle. ‘Worse. This is someone who remembers those times.’

The farmer watched the departing gold. He swallowed hard, sighed, then went to calm his daughter, who had locked herself in the woodshed. He had not the heart to be angry with her.

CHAPTER 7

Néris shielded her eyes from the wind and caught up with Regis.

‘You said you had a refuge in Dillingen. This is where you go?’

‘Yes.’

‘For what?’

‘To hide. A witcher is following us. A monster hunter.’

Two days had passed since they left Fen Carn and returned to the Yaruga. The sky was finally clearing up, and the snow-covered plains sparkled in the setting sun.

‘A witcher? In my eyes, for beings like you, even five of them should pose no challenge.’

Dettlaff unbuttoned his coat, exposing his hip.

‘Look.’

Néris hissed as she assessed the hideous cleft in his side.

‘He attacked me in Warfurt three weeks ago. Normally, it would heal overnight.’

‘Vampire hunting seems to be his specialty,’ Regis said. ‘We have to be extremely careful.’

‘It would be careful, then, to stay at Fen Carn. Use its reputation as shelter…’

‘Superstition and a pile of stones aren’t enough,’ said Dettlaff. ‘But there are places that have been created to give us a safe haven.’

Néris cracked her fingers.

‘I want to ask you for help. Somewhere near Dillingen...’

She broke off at the sound of voices. Regis pointed to a camp set among the wilted trees. A couple of tents with holes and smoke billowing out from fires within.

‘We’ll return to this conversation,’ he said.

*

‘They ousted us from our homes at the end of the war and are still sitting there. Soldiers—damn them to hell.’

Stone-faced, they stared at the camp of exiles behind the woman as she told her story.

‘They’ve festooned our village with their banners, they’re treating it like a military post. I told them: this here is my home, and there, on the water, that’s the boat in which my father and grandfather used to sail the Yaruga. But they didn’t care. So I took the kid in my arms and I begged for mercy. It’s winter, I said. It’s cold. We’re hungry. I pleaded for them to spare one hut, to behave like human beings.’

‘They didn’t budge,’ said Dettlaff.

A child peeked out from behind the woman. Hopeful eyes on a hungry face. She brushed his hair back from his forehead, then adjusted his hood.

‘They called the Nilfgaardians intruders,’ she said. ‘Bloody invaders. But now the fight with the Blacks is over, the country is supposed to be liberated. Yet we cannot return to our own huts. Seems to me, we’re the ones who lost.’

Regis gritted his teeth.

‘Wait until tomorrow. Return to your homes at dawn.’

‘But the military ... We tried.’

‘Yes. Now let me try.’

*

It was dusk when they reached the settlement. There were five huts with snow-crushed roofs, a lone pier, the swinging masts of fishing boats. Laughter and joyful shouts came from the largest hut.

Regis took the bag off his shoulder and handed it to Dettlaff.

‘Wait here,’ he said.

The door creaked as he pushed it open and stepped inside, into stagnant air thick with pipe smoke. The soldiers gathered at the table fell silent.

‘Who are you?’ asked a bearded man with a scar on his temple.

‘My name is Emiel Regis. I am traveling to Dillingen.’

The soldier leaned forward, resting his bristly chin on a plump fist.

‘Are you going alone? Brave of you.’

‘Or stupid,’ another soldier chimed in.

‘Or stupid, indeed,’ said the bearded man. ‘You are lost, Emiel Regis. But luckily for you, there is a road that leads beyond the Hills. Then you just need to go straight on.’

‘I know that.’

‘Then why come here?’

‘I met some people who you expelled from their homes. Children, even, were denied shelter.’

Regis closed the door behind him and approached the table. Tentative fingers drifted towards the hilts of swords.

‘Those were the orders,’ said the bearded man.

Regis met his eyes and raised his hand. The bottles on the table trembled.

‘Orders have changed,’ he croaked. ‘This place doesn’t belong to you. You will depart to Vidort without delay. You will forget our meeting and forget that you were ever here.’

The bearded man’s features loosened, and his face lost all expression.

‘Yes, my lord,’ he whispered.

As the last of the soldiers left the cabin, Regis felt his eyes fog up. He tried to approach the bench, but his legs refused to obey. He collapsed, banging his head against the chair.

As the darkness enveloped him, he remembered the beginning of their journey. A hospital in the wasteland, the quiet groans of the dying. The smell of death.

They will die anyway.

Not by my hand.

Dettlaff stands beside him, his hands dripping red.

You need blood, Regis.
CHAPTER 8
‘Where’s the money, you son of a bitch? Talk!’

‘Ghrr!’

The crows watched indifferently as the men went about their errands. The sergeant, now pale as a drowned man, quickly regained his blush as Osyan grabbed his throat and choked him.

‘Ghrr!’

Erskine entered the glade. He cursed and dropped the pile of brushwood he was carrying. In a few strides, he reached the sled, grabbed Osyan by his coat and threw him to the ground.

The old man, now the color of beetroot, flailed under the furs as he gasped for air.

‘You want to kill him, you halfwit?’ Erskine growled and gave his companion a kick in the ribs.

‘Have you lost your mind? Why didn’t you call me when he woke up?’

Osyan scurried on his elbows, out of reach of Erskine’s boot.

‘Not kill. Just scare a little.’ A snotty smirk crept across his face.

Erskine glared at him. If Osyan had somehow managed to extract the location of the hideout, he would have grabbed the sergeant and dashed off into the woods without a second thought, abandoning his accomplice in the cold. Just like they did with Néris.

‘It happens again, and I’ll hang you by the balls.’

‘You’ll both hang,’ growled the sergeant. ‘Deserters. Traitors!’

They chuckled in unison.

‘Why treat us in such a way, Commander? We snatched you from Death’s gaping maw! Tended to you while you were sick! You ask me, we deserve a crumb of gratitude, eh?’

‘The executioner will gladly thank you with his axe.’

Erskine blew on his rough, stiff hands, then leaned against the railing of the sled. Osyan got up from the ground and took his place on the other side. The sergeant scowled at them from under frosted eyebrows. The dice had already been cast. There was no point in lying. Not after Osyan’s display.

‘Where did you hide your loot, you old thug?’

‘It belongs to the company. It will be divided fairly.’

’Don’t make me laugh. It’s the spoils of robbery—in Dillingen. Oh-ho, the honor of a thief, eh?’

‘Taken under Conqueror’s Law. From a city reclaimed from the Blacks. What are you, Erskine, a wartime virgin? This your first, is it?’

‘Not the first. But probably the last, once we claim this loot. I think I’m done marching behind trumpets.’

Osyan pursed his lips, drew his knife, spat on the blade, and wiped it on his cuff.

‘Why waste time explaining yourself? Let’s start cutting and let him sing already.

’Erskine shrugged, adding nothing but his silent consent. He still felt a semblance of respect for the sergeant, whose steely stubbornness had led their unit to success on numerous occasions, and didn’t want to yank him around like some rabid animal. So he allowed the old man a moment to come to his own conclusions, to familiarize himself with the severity of the situation.

Osyan, of course, understood little of this. He had entered King Foltest’s service last fall after Kaedweni cavalry plundered and razed his father’s farm. Experience had taught Osyan that ‘soldier’ meant ‘thief with impunity.’ That’s why he enlisted.

The blade slid beneath the furs, its cold edge pressing against the sergeant’s skin. In his scarred face, anger and bitterness gave way to helplessness. Resigned to his fate, he spoke.

‘On the Yaruga, a day’s ride east of Dillingen, there is a sawmill. We clashed with the Nilfgaardians there⁠—they wanted to use the barges to retreat across the river…’

Erskine and Osyan stooped over the wounded man like ravenous vultures.


CHAPTER 9
Dettlaff seated Regis at the table. He looked around the room, went to the basement hatch.

‘It was reckless,’ he said.

‘I know.’

‘Just don’t say you need time. You know what needs to be done.’

‘I know.’

The fire in the hearth had died, and darkness engulfed the interior of the abandoned hut. Néris sat down at the table and sipped the mandrake tincture. Regis was massaging his temple, sore from the fall.

‘You said you wanted our help.’

‘Yes.’

‘So I have a condition: end the secrets. It’s time for the truth. Provided in its entirety and as succinctly as possible. Please.’

‘The truth is boring, Regis.’ She sighed. ‘Somewhere near Dillingen, there is a chest containing the spoils of war. Arnault—that’s the sergeant’s name—hid it there to keep it safe until the end of the war. Unfortunately, at the end of the campaign, he was wounded in battle. We took him from the field hospital so he would not die there, cold and miserable.’

‘And so he could give you the location.’

Néris was silent. Regis spread his hands.

‘Forgive me, but I am not convinced.’

‘You know what awaits him if we don’t follow them. Erskine and Osyan … you’ve met them. You have seen who they are.’

‘And who are you?’

‘I’m only interested in gold. I don’t want him dead.’

‘How noble.’

‘Nobility I leave to you, Regis. No, don’t protest. I’ve seen you take care of Arnault day after day. You helped me too, though you didn’t have to. Do you want the truth? Here it is: you already know that without our help, he will die. You will come with me because your conscience compels you.’

Dettlaff raised a trapdoor in the floorboards.

‘She’s right, Regis,’ he said. ‘Let’s get it over with.’

*

It was damp in the cellar, and darker still.

Regis ran the charcoal across the floor, closed the symbol. Inside the circle, he placed the clay bowl they had taken from the hut at Fen Carn.

‘Why did you save him, Dettlaff?’

‘Who?’

‘The Temerian soldier, back at the Ina. You could have left him.’

‘I could. But saving his life ... it seemed like something you’d do.’

The circle glowed, ancient magic set the air in motion. Dettlaff stood over the bowl. With a swift movement, he cut his wrist. Blood flowed.

‘It’s always been easy for me,’ he said. ‘I’ve been around for a long time. I have a firm opinion about humans and their parodies of civilization. They spread through this world like a plague. They arranged it so poorly that it could not possibly work.’

‘You thought so until now.’

‘I still think so.’

‘And yet something has changed.’

Dettlaff winced, wiggled his numb fingers.

‘You see something more in them,’ he said. ‘You’re still trying to help them. It’s...’

‘Naive?’

‘Intriguing.’

Dettlaff closed the wound and left the circle. Regis took his place. He grasped the bowl in both hands, whispered an incantation, and drank.

Fresh blood spilled inside him, spurring tremors of euphoria. Vampire senses, previously muted, exploded forth. He heard every murmur. A whirlwind throwing snow across the hills. The burble of the Yaruga’s cloudy waters. A horse’s neigh and hoofbeats on a faraway track.

*

The stallion grunted. Sorensen slapped him with the reins. He wanted to make sure he got far enough away from the hut.

Dawn was breaking when he reached the clearing at Turlough Heights. Pines cast long shadows on the rocks. He sat on the trunk of a fallen tree and wrapped his cloak around him.

‘Sabrina.’

‘Do you have any idea what time it is? Do you think sorceresses don’t sleep?’

‘I found the vampires.’

A sigh.

‘Contract fulfilled?’

‘Not yet. But I heard their conversation. I know who they are following.’

‘Sorensen, sweetheart ... if I needed a tracker, I’d hire one. I believe you are a witcher?’

‘A witcher, not an idiot. The gray one, Regis ... I assumed killing him would be an act of mercy, but he is not going to his grave. At the Yaruga, he hypnotized a band of soldiers.’

‘Do you want to bargain again?’

‘I want help.’

A soft laugh.

‘You’re lucky I’m prepared.’

It flashed, then a portal opened nearby. Power poured forth from the swirling chaos and formed the shape of a weapon. The contour became clearer and clearer, then finally it filled with heat and solidified. An ornate dagger fell into the snow.

Sorensen picked it up, ran his finger along the runes.

‘What do I do with it? Sharpen stakes?’

‘It’s enchanted. It activates on contact with vampire flesh. I didn’t manage to reproduce the spell completely, but what I imbued into the dagger should be enough.’

‘Are you sure it’ll work?’

‘No. Vilgefortz, the creator of the spell, was devilishly clever. Recreating the formula was an expensive challenge, the blade infusion process alone took a week. Use it wisely. It only lasts a single use.’

‘I remind you that there are two of them.’

‘Yes, yes. But you, my dear…’

Sorensen sighed. He hopped off the trunk and slid the dagger under his belt.

‘But I am a witcher.’

‘And you will come up with something.’ She paused. ‘Correct?’

Sorensen mounted his horse. He looked at the sled tracks that ran across the clearing to the west.

‘Do I have another option?’

CHAPTER 10

The door, hanging dubiously from a single hinge, ricocheted off the wall as Osyan stormed out of the sawmill, huffing and heaving.

‘Nothing. Nothing! Not even a rusty old coin!’

‘Did you find those loose bricks he was talking about?’

‘Have you seen the cellar? Half the bricks are loose! I pulled down most of the wall and there was no hiding place. Dirt’s caving in from outside for fuck’s sake. We’re in the wrong place, I’m telling you.’

Erskine looked around at the clearing: An exhumed mass grave, frozen corpses scattered about, their bodies gnawed on by wild animals. Black Nilfgaardian cloaks emblazoned with the scorpion mark.

‘There is no mistake. These are the corpses of the Seventh Daerlan lancers. Just like the old man told us.’

‘So he must have mixed things up a bit. Wake him.’

A rattled laughter came from the sled; the sergeant was already awake and listening to their conversation. He guffawed, relishing the moment.

‘What you laughing for?’ Osyan growled and swung at the old man. Erskine grabbed his wrist.

‘Calm it, would you? He’s saying something.’

Erskine brought his ear to the commander’s mouth and listened to his whispered rasps:‘You’re already dead, you foolish fucks.’

Grinning, the sergeant pulled his hand from the furs and pointed towards Dillingen with a trembling finger. A low-hanging sun, hiding behind a forest of bald ash trees, cast long sinister shadows across the terrain. The two deserters scanned the direction the old man had indicated.

Suddenly, Erskine squatted and inspected the nearest body. Armor plating was etched with a crisscross of claw marks, pried open to expose the frozen, shredded meat beneath. Bones were splintered and snapped by jaws far more powerful than a wolf’s.

The Temerian, now himself pale as a dead man, sprang to his feet and turned to his partner.

‘Dead Eaters.’

The sergeant’s malevolent cackle rang in their ears as terrible eyes flashed frantically amid the trees in the falling darkness.

*

The witcher followed the tracks of the sleigh. It was dusk when the forest turned to a clearing where an abandoned lumberjack hut stood aside clusters of felled trees. Then a hungry howl burst through the mellow hum of the river. And mad baying. The horse huffed, threw its head, and refused to go any further. He had to leave him, continue on foot.

Sorensen slipped behind the tree line and into the opening. The full moon danced on the silver waters of the Yaruga, on the silver snow, on the witcher’s silver sword. A pack of ghouls crept around the sawmill, trying to get to the people barricaded within. A sleigh lay abandoned by the waterwheel. One of the wretched creatures was devouring some poor sod lying upon it. The horrid smack and crackle of rent flesh and crushed bone filled the air.

A bolt from the arbalest swept the monster off the sleigh and nailed it to a tree.

Sorensen removed a small bomb from the hook on his belt, fired the fuse with the Igni sign, and went to work.

*

The witcher, in all honesty, was just as terrifying as the Dead Eaters.

The reptilian eyes. Swollen, blackened veins bulging in the neck and temple. Clothes sodden with the foul stench of monster blood.

‘Do you have booze?’

Somehow, that instantly made the man more relatable. Osyan handed him a canteen.

‘Your friends are coming here. They will join us soon.’

The deserters glanced at each other. Erskine instinctively placed a hand on the grip of his blade. Although, he did not favor his odds.

‘What gave you the idea we’re traveling in a larger company? You following our tracks?’

‘Only the two who joined you on the way.’

‘You got beef with them?’

‘Sort of. I was paid for them. I am a witcher, if you hadn’t surmised.’

‘And they are, what, drowners?’

‘Vampires.’

Erskine was speechless for a moment.

‘They seemed quite ordinary,’ he finally choked out.

‘I am surprised too.’ The witcher shrugged. ‘Nevertheless, they are most deadly.’

Osyan, consumed by his disappointment, kicked a pile of rusty tools, as if they were personally accountable for his failure. The heap replied with a sad clatter as it fell apart.

‘The old man fooled us. Led us here to find death instead. Such a long way, and we won’t even earn an oren.’

The witcher reached into his pouch. He rolled the coin between the fingers of his bloodied hand. Sphinx on the obverse. Chariot on the reverse. Ancient gold caught the reflection of the moonlight. The deserters gawped at it, as if mesmerized.

‘I don’t know what your business was here. But I think I can suggest something better. I need partners.’

‘You pay…’ Osyan swallowed ‘… with gold?’

‘Not me.’ The witcher smiled maliciously. ‘Vampires. They have more of it. And you ... you can help me set a trap.’
CHAPTER 11
The battlefield was silent. The full moon sparkled on the icicles hanging from the sawmill, on the rusting armor of the fallen soldiers.

They found the sleigh by the water wheel.

Regis stepped over the bloodied remnants of the mare. He parted the furs under which the sergeant lay.

Black holes where eyes should be. Shredded cheeks. A mouth frozen in a contorted scream.

Néris doubled over, vomited.

Somewhere behind them, in a shadow-shrouded thicket, a bolt-ring clicked.

A flash shot through the darkness. The projectile shattered Regis’ arm, pinning him to the sleigh. The wound sizzled and smoked, the smell of burning meat engulfed the air.

‘Over there!’ Néris shouted. She yanked her sword from its scabbard and dashed towards the tree line.

Dettlaff already knew who they were dealing with. He remembered the sound; he remembered the gleam of runes on silver.

Transforming in an instant, he thrashed his leathery wings and flew towards the forest. He overtook Néris and descended into the thicket, ready to meet the witcher.

*

The monster took the bait.

Sorensen watched it rise to the sky, spread its wings, then disappear into the trees. The condottiere ran after the beast, her sword drawn.

The witcher was grateful for this decision; he didn’t want to have to kill her.

He drank his potion, sighed heavily, and jumped out from behind a pile of boards. In two strides, he reached the vampire still pinned to the sledge. One quick blow to behead the bloodsucker.

He swung his sword and the silver blade whistled.

A heartbeat too slow.

The vampire freed itself at the last moment, deflecting the blow with its claws. But the witcher allowed no respite. He feigned a downward strike, broke the rhythm of his steps, then lunged forward, thrusting at the beast’s midriff.

The monster recoiled out of the way, then pounced, its gleaming claws missing Sorensen’s head by an inch. The witcher dropped to his knee, cut low. This time, he hit his target, slashing the beast’s lower leg. Without a moment’s hesitation, he aimed his follow-up at the neck. The vampire shielded itself with its hand. The blade sliced through its fingers, lost momentum, and hissed past the beast’s maw.

The monster lunged at the witcher, its claws wrapping around his throat. Sorensen grunted, snatched a bomb from his belt, and dropped it at their feet. There was a bang, followed by a high-pitched whine. A thick fog enveloped the area, blotting out everything but the immediate vicinity. The witcher swung his sword, slashed the beast’s chest, then blasted it backwards with an Aard sign. The vampire careened into the sled and rolled into the darkness along with the sergeant’s corpse.

Sorensen inhaled greedily, rubbing his neck. A smile crept onto his lips. The monster was bleeding profusely; the wounds inflicted by the manticore’s silver would flare up at any moment, weakening it further.

He gripped his sword in both hands and calmed his breathing.

‘Time to end this,’ he said.

*

Human shapes flashed red in Dettlaff’s eyes. A crossbowman and… someone else, lurking in the shadows. Their blood bore a familiar scent. The two fools with whom he had recently traveled. He did not detect the witcher’s presence. Disturbing.

The string twanged, but the bolt missed, struck away mid-flight by a dismissive wave of his claws. Dettlaff swooped lower, faster, hooking the shooter with a wing and knocking him from the boughs. He dropped the weapon as he fell from his perch, landing hard in the snowdrift below.

Dettlaff made a tight arc in the air, then landed, reverting to his human form. The other man must have imagined he had gone unnoticed, as he sprang from his hiding place behind a trunk, his dagger lunging at the vampire’s neck. With inconceivable speed, Dettlaff caught the ambusher’s wrist before the strike landed. His gaze lingered on the blade, the runes etched into it glowed an ominous blue. He was curious, but only for a moment. Turning his attention back to the man, he crushed the bones seized within his grasp. The attacker howled as the weapon slipped from his limp fingers. Dettlaff shoved him backwards into the snow.

He glared at the two cowering men, both helpless and terrified. They looked at him like condemned criminals awaiting their sentence. Hearts pounded like hammers beneath their chests. Lungs expanded, sucking in nervous gulps. Breath exhaled, steam billowing in the chilled air. So much fear, trembling, struggle, deceit⁠—what was it supposed to do? What good was it?

‘Why?’ he asked. His own breath was cold. Invisible.

Before they could force their tight throats and chattering teeth to obey, Néris appeared from the direction of the sawmill.

‘They’re monsters,’ Osyan gasped, clutching his broken arm. ‘You stuck with them, and they’re monsters!’

Néris did not grace him with a reply. Catching his lustful glance towards the dropped dagger, she picked up the weapon and turned to Dettlaff.

‘They killed the sergeant. Finish them or let me do it.’

The vampire gestured to her to wait.

‘I can’t understand. Why?’ he repeated. ‘The commander led you here. Was it not enough to take the money and leave? Why draw weapons against us?’

‘There is no money!’ Osyan screamed. ‘The old man lured us to a battlefield haunted by Dead Eaters! He took his secrets to the grave—that’s what he did, the rat-bastard!’

‘But they,’ Erskine interjected, pointing to Dettlaff, ‘are carrying real royal treasures with them, they are! Gold from ancient tombs. What they used to pay for the horse we took along the way. The witcher ... the witcher showed it to us.’

Metal flashed. Néris caught the coin tossed her way by the Temerian, inspected it closely. It had to be worth a fortune.

‘They have more. More than you could ever spend. We were chasing the sergeant’s cache, while all this time…’

Dettlaff was disappointed. Regis had almost convinced him that there was more to these creatures. That humans weren’t just treacherous oafs consumed by greed and bewitched by base desires. That they weren’t as vile and debased as they seemed at first glance. But his friend was wrong. They were irredeemable. Like the sergeant’s hidden cache, there was no treasure to be found among humans. The casket had been opened, and it was empty—it always would be.

Dettlaff picked up a flailing Osyan with one hand. He tilted his head, extended his fangs, and let the scent of blood fill his nostrils. Euphoria pulsed throughout his body.

Then there was a sudden pain.

Néris, striking with the speed of a viper, had sunk the dagger as far as the crossguard into Dettlaff’s arm. The vampire dropped Osyan, jumped back, hissing and baring his teeth. Blue flames flared from where the enchanted blade had been lodged. Slowly, the blaze consumed his limb, licked at his neck. He reached for the weapon, attempting to free himself from the malevolent spell. Then Erskine grasped the crossbow in the snow, took aim, and released. A silver bolt whirred through the air and pinned the vampire’s free arm to a tree trunk.

With one arm nailed to a tree, the other devoured by enchanted flames, Dettlaff called for the power of blood and tried to transform. But the witcher’s silver prevented the metamorphosis.

He let out a chilling howl, and the night responded with a distant bark.

‘I want my share doubled,’ Néris said, helping Osyan to his feet.

CHAPTER 12
He tried to get up, but his shattered leg refused to obey. Blood oozed from a gash in his chest. His fingerless hand throbbed incessantly.

Regis looked at the sergeant beside him, envious. At least he felt nothing anymore.

The witcher was closing in. The moon danced on a blade of silver.

There was only one way.

I’m sorry.

He crawled to the corpse and sank his fangs into it.

A metallic aftertaste fluttered on his tongue. The euphoria hit in waves, pulsating within. The wounds faded, and the pain dulled, drifting somewhere far away.

The witcher emerged from behind the remains of the sleigh and cursed. Regis got up. He inhaled deep. His eyes turned red.

He roared like a feral animal. His face elongated into an ominous mask, long claws sprouted from the fingers of his healthy hand.

The rest was a blur. He watched the events unfold from behind a veil, like an intruder in his own body, wearing the flesh of a primal beast.

And the beast wanted blood.

The witcher folded his fingers into a sign, but this time the monster dodged easily, letting the wave of energy scatter snow instead. He then reached for another bomb, but was too slow. Far too slow. The vampire hit him with a furious blow, claws pierced his body with ease. His fingers slackened and the silver blade dropped into red-spattered frost.

The beast extended its fangs.

The artery was throbbing, the heart beating, blood pumping. It was time to surrender to nature. To do exactly what he was made for.

I do not want this.

Regis froze. Facial features smoothed and softened, claws retracted with a hiss. He released the witcher, letting him collapse into the snow.

He listened to the pre-dawn placidity. Soon, the rhythm of beating blood faded, then disappeared entirely. He stooped over the hunter and looked deep into his eyes.

‘I’m not a monster,’ he said.

He turned and walked away into the trees, leaving the witcher alone.

*

The blue flame charred Dettlaff’s hand and forearm, lapped at his shoulder and neck.

‘The witcher said it would finish him off. Burns down to naked bone.’

‘Let him not fool us like the old man did! Where’s the gold, you bastard?’ Osyan drawled.

The vampire wiggled the numb fingers of his surviving hand. The bolt crushing his arm left little leeway. He pushed back his cloak, detached the pouch from his belt, and tossed it to the ground.

Osyan, although wounded, was the first to reach the pouch. Then came the creaking of a bolt being loaded.

‘Leave it be, mongrel,’ Erskine growled. ‘We came for the loot, and you ain’t no soldier, just a stray.’

‘I helped!’

‘Fuck off, you helped. Néris stabbed him.’

‘That’s why I want a bigger share,’ she said.

‘As if.’ Erskine side-eyed Néris. ‘A moment ago, you were in partnership with bloodsuckers. Osyan, don’t you move, or I’ll stick a bolt in you.’

‘There are two ... two of us ... you ... you can’t … reload…’

‘Deal with him, Erskine, then we’re out of here. Before the witcher finishes and asks for his share.’

Erskine snorted. ‘You are a real snake.’

‘Sums are better divided into two than three.’

‘You want a witcher snapping at your heels?’

‘The two of us can deal with him.’

‘You must be kidding. I ain’t sleeping anywhere near you.’

Osyan tried to take advantage of his companions’ squabbling and scrambled away through the trees. They caught up with him quickly. Néris tripped him with her leg. He rolled over the frozen ground and fell into a gully. Then the argument started again.

Soon, eyes lit up among the trees. They had come in large numbers in response to Dettlaff’s call. Silently, they surrounded the ash tree, a stone’s throw from the unaware deserters. Hot saliva dripped from their mouths into the snow as they waited for orders.

One of them yanked the bolt with its teeth, freeing Dettlaff from the tree. He stretched the stiff fingers of his released hand. With a sickening crunch, he tore the remnant of his arm consumed with magic fire and tossed the dagger-pierced stump onto the ground, letting it sizzle in the snow.

He raised his hand, and the creatures of the night trembled in anticipation. The sergeant seemed to know these people best—knew best what they deserved. So Dettlaff decided to honor his memory.

He unleashed the Dead Eaters.

*

It was snowing at dawn.

Dettlaff sat alone by the old ash tree. Regis approached, kneeled beside him. Silently, they stared at the three bodies fading beneath a blanket of white. Gold coins scattered between them.

‘Those two ... deserved to be punished,’ Regis said. ‘But not such a fate.’

‘All of them. All three. They brought it on themselves. Their nature doomed them.’

‘So you have become an expert in human nature.’

‘Expert? No. But I have learned the truth of it.’

Dettlaff noted Regis’ wounded hand.

‘The witcher?’

‘I let him go.’

‘You’re insane.’

‘No. I’m just not who you thought I was.’

The sun peeked out from among the trees. A frosty wind blew snow from the leafless branches. Regis climbed to his feet and adjusted his bag.

‘I’m going.’

Dettlaff stared into Néris’ glassy eyes. He reached down and took a coin from between her fingers.

‘Go,’ he said. ‘Live among the humans. Among your own. May you not find your end there.’

‘And you? What will you do?’

Dettlaff slipped the gold into the purse.

‘I do not yet know. But I know where to start.’

*

Flop, flop, flop. Splash.

‘Sabrina.’

He chose another pebble. Flat. Smooth. Perfect. The calm surface of the Yaruga sparkled in the sun.

Flop, flop, flop, flop. Splash.

‘Done?’ Her voice came from the xenovox.

‘In a sense. I resign from the assignment.’

There was a silence—the sort that comes before a terrible storm.

‘What do you mean, “resign”?’ There was more venom in her words than a scorpion’s sting.

‘You heard.’ Sorensen turned a pebble in his fingers, weighed it in his palm, skimmed it on the water. Flop, flop, splash.

‘You’re scared, huh? I guess the cat’s out of the bag. You coward. Bastard. You poor excuse for a man. You worthless sack of shit...’

The litany went on forever. Sabrina had a mouth like a cobbler and a surprisingly rich and depraved imagination. The xenovox vibrated from all the screaming on the other end.

Sorensen listened for some time, staring at the water. After a while, he grew tired of the whining. He picked up the magical box and weighed it in the palm of his hand.

Splash.

*

A log broke apart in the hearth, a pleasant warmth spread across the room.

Aine sat down on the furs, pulled her bow. The fiddle sounded wrong. She twisted the pin, tuning the instrument, but before she could play, someone opened the door.

She recognized him immediately.

‘Where’s your father?’

‘In Kagen. And your ... comrades?’

‘I’m alone.’

‘Come in, my lord. Keep warm.’

The newcomer sat down at the table. He stared into the flames, pondering.

‘Ludka did you well?’

‘She has reached the end of her journey.’

Aine put the instrument down, moved the logs around. The stranger reached for his belt.

‘The gold you received ... it was worth more than you think.’

‘We don’t have it anymore.’

‘I know.’

The newcomer unraveled the purse and put two coins on the table. Aine sighed.

‘No ... it’s not right. You paid us fairly for Ludka. It is not your fault that we lost our gold because of my stupidity.’

The stranger was silent for a long time.

‘So let’s say that this is also fair payment.’

‘What for?’

‘For the lesson you’re giving me right now.’

He got up and left. Aine stared at the glistening coins. After a moment, she grabbed her sheepskin coat and ran out into the night.

Footprints in the snow disappeared after a few steps. The stranger was nowhere to be seen.

There was only the chilly wind that whistled among the lonely trees. A foretaste of a long winter.
 


The April Season has begun! And with it, the Year of the Cursed Toad!

Check out the Reward Book for lots of new cosmetics to unlock and much more!

Patchnotes: Link
Seasonal Modes:

Patience is a virtue! 05.04 - 12.04

At the start of your turn, transform all cards in your hand into random ones that cost 1 provision more.


Dual Casting 12.04 - 19.04

Once per turn, when you play a special card, spawn and play a copy of it immediately after.


Power Shift 19.04 - 26.04

At the start of the match, set the power of every unit in your starting deck to its Provision Cost.


Battle Rush 26.04 - 03.05

Both players have just 8 seconds to complete their turn and 15 seconds to complete the redrawing phrase.

Seesaw 03.05 - 10.05

At the end of the player's turn: Damage player's odd power units by 1. Boost player's even power units by 1.



This season is planned to end on May 10th, 10:00 A.M. CEST.
 


Our latest card drop, dubbed Forgotten Treasures, features 21 new cards!​

All new cards utilize and expand existing game mechanics currently used in GWENT, with card art inspired by the Golden Nekker Project — the currently in-development spin-off, based around the core gameplay and mechanics of The Witcher Card Game.​

The card drop is available now as part of the game’s latest update (10.4) which also features regular gameplay balance changes.​






SHUPE THE TROLL PRESENTS:

Also starting today, for a limited time, you’ll be able to purchase The Forgotten Treasures Pack, which contains all of the new cards from the Forgotten Treasures card drop in their premium animated versions, as well as the all-new Abandoned Laboratory game board. This pack will be available until May 10th, 10:00 AM CEST.
 


Welcome to the Year of the Cursed Toad!

Join in on the celebrations with 21 brand new cards, balance changes and special offers in the in-game store!

Read more about Update 10.4 down below.

New Features
Welcome to the Year of the Cursed Toad!

Forgotten Treasures Card Drop -
Discover the new Year of the Cursed Toad set, which includes 21 new cards: two for each faction, along with nine Neutrals.

New Reward Book Page - We are bringing back 9 old seasonal trees (Elves, Viper, Magic), and 2 new ones, which will rotate out at the end of the June Season. Additionally, old seasonal trees will no longer have quest nodes. All players that unlocked these nodes without completing the quests will now find them completed, and the rewards added to their accounts.

New Info Screen - This screen will replace the welcome screen, as well as screens related to various events and activities, and provide the most important and interesting information about the release all in one.

Persistent Starter Decks - Starter decks can no longer be removed or modified. They can still be duplicated however, and the copies modified. These decks will be shown in a separate category, and will not count towards your maximum number of decks. Starter Decks that are missing from player accounts due to having been removed or modified will be re-added to the accounts.
Changes
Changed the Season transition flow. For more information regarding MMR you will need to click "more info" as this screen pops up.

Neutral

Allgod -
Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Bearification - Provision cost changed from 6 to 5.

Ciri - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Iris: Shade - Provision cost changed from 9 to 7.

Lady of the Lake - Power changed from 7 to 3.

Provision cost changed from 7 to 8.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: Play an Echo card from your deck.

Maraal - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Vesemir: Mentor - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Watchman - Ability changed to:

Shield.

Order: Give an allied unit a Shield.

Monsters

Kikimore Queen
- Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Red Riders - Brought back the option to Spawn Frost on an enemy row for 4 turns. Red Riders now has 3 ability choices instead of 2.

Ritual Sacrifice - Provision cost changed from 10 to 8.

Ruehin - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Skellige

Hjalmar an Craite
- Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Stunning Blow - Damage to targets with Armor changed from 6 to 7.

Northern Realms

Vernon Roche
- Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Queen Meve - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Aretuza Student - Patience is now active only on the Ranged row.

Ban Ard Student - Patience is now active only on the Melee row.

Scoia'tael

Barclay Els
- Ability changed to:

Deploy: Give each allied Dwarf 1 Armor.

If they already had Armor, boost them by 1 instead.

Dennis Cranmer - Power changed from 4 to 7.

Provision cost changed from 8 to 7.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: Boost adjacent units by an amount equal to their Armor.

Figgis Merluzzo - Power changed from 5 to 7.

Ability changed to:

Defender.

Order: Move self to the other row.

Munro Bruys - Number of Charges changed from 2 to 3.

Zoltan Chivay - Provision cost changed from 10 to 9.

Zoltan: Warrior - Power changed from 6 to 4.

Provision cost changed from 10 to 13.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: Damage 2 enemy units by 3. For each unit that survived, Spawn a Rowdy Dwarf on this row.

Barricade: At the end of your turn, damage a random enemy unit by 1.

Zoltan's Company - Ability changed to:

Spawn 2 Rowdy Dwarves on an allied row, then give each Dwarf on that row 1 Armor. Increase the number of Spawned Rowdy Dwarves by 1 for each Zoltan in your starting deck.

Dryad Grovekeeper - Ability changed to:

Deploy: Gain Vitality (2).

Bonded: Gain Vitality (4) instead.

Dwarf Berserker - Armor changed from 4 to 3.

Provision cost changed from 5 to 4.

Dwarven Chariot - Power changed from 4 to 3.

Ability changed to:

Deploy (Melee): Boost self by 4 and gain 2 Armor.

Deploy (Ranged): Spawn 2 Rowdy Dwarves on your Melee row.

Order: Give an allied unit 1 Armor.

Cooldown: 1

Dwarven Skirmisher - Ability changed to:

Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 3. If it survived, gain 1 Armor.

Order (Barricade): Damage an enemy unit by 3.

Mahakam Marauder - Provision cost changed from 4 to 5.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: Gain Vitality for a duration equal to an allied unit's Armor.

Barricade: Boost self by that amount instead.

Miner - Armor from the Order ability changed from 2 to 4.

Rowdy Dwarf - Armor changed from 0 to 1.

Nilfgaard

Double Cross - Provision bonus changed from 16 to 15.

Syndicate

Pickpocket
- Profit changed from 7 to 8.

Bare-Knuckle Brawler - Has new part of ability:

Fee 1: Damage the highest-power enemy unit by 1.

Crownsplitter Thug - Damage from the Deploy ability changed from 2 to 3.

Eventide Plunder - Ability changed to:

Create a 4 provision cost unit with a Fee.

Payroll Specialist - Provision cost changed from 5 to 4.

No longer has Intimidate.

Game Fixes

Fixed the issue where Journey contracts related to quest completion wouldn't be completed for some players.

All affected players should receive the missing rewards on login.

The passive abilities for Off the Book and Hidden Cache no longer become disabled when the leader abilities are reactivated by Damien de la Tour or Anna Henrietta.

Stockpile is no longer unusable when both your rows are full.

Melusine no longer increases her base power from a unit that was destroyed previously.

Saov Ainmhi'dh: Unity will now correctly react to specials played from the opponent's side through e.g. through Lydia van Bredevoort.

Siege Master will now correctly react to Siege Engines Spawned and played through e.g. Queen Adalia or Zoria Runestone.
 


The Season of the Bear has begun!

It will be the last season of this Year in GWENT, with the April season kicking off a new year.

Patchnotes: Link
Seasonal Modes:
Dual Casting 08.03 - 15.03

Once per turn, when you play a special card, spawn and play a copy of it immediately after.


Power Shift 15.03 - 22.03

At the start of the match, set the power of every unit in your starting deck to its Provision Cost.


Battle Rush 22.03 - 29.03

Both players have just 8 seconds to complete their turn and 15 seconds to complete the redrawing phrase.


Seesaw 29.03 - 05.04

At the end of the player's turn: Damage player's odd power units by 1. Boost player's even power units by 1.



This season (and year of GWENT) is planned to end on April 5th, 10:00 a.m. CEST.
 
Last edited:


Hey everyone,

Today we are focusing on communicating our thoughts on the upcoming changes via the patch notes, instead of the usual developer video. In addition to the balance changes, we have Draft updates and game fixes for you.

Let’s begin with the balance changes:

Patch 10.3 focuses on several goals:

Revitalizing Wild Hunt, Elven Swarm and Firesworn archetypes

Increasing the cost of running the most popular thinning tools in Northern Realms, Nilfgaard and Skellige.

Improving some other archetypes and strategies with smaller buffs.
Neutral
Geralt: Quen: Adrenaline condition changed from 3 to 4.

Magic Lamp: Lamp Djinn is now a Doomed Token.

Triangle Within a Triangle: Provision cost changed from 9 to 8.
Monsters
Auberon Conqueror: Deploy ability changed to:

Spawn and play a bronze Wild Hunt unit from your starting deck.

Eredin Bréacc Glas: Power changed from 6 to 7.

Wererat: Ability changed to:

Order: Spawn a number of Rats on this row equal to the amount of boost on self, then lose a point of boost for each Rat Spawned. Cooldown: 1. Before the end of your turn, Consume a unit to the right.

Winter Queen: Devotion ability changed to:

Once both players have passed, boost self by 2 for each turn of Frost remaining on the opponent's side.

Chimera: Adrenaline condition changed from 4 to 5.

Red Riders: Ability changed to:

Choose one:

- Spawn Frost on an enemy row for 2 turns, then replay a bronze Wild Hunt unit.

- Spawn Frost on both enemy rows for 2 turns.

Slyzard: Power changed from 5 to 4.

Provision cost changed from 5 to 4.

Wild Hunt Navigator: Ability changed to:

Deploy: Boost an allied unit by the duration of Frost on its opposite row.

Dominance: Boost an allied unit by the total duration of Frost on the opponent's side of the battlefield instead.

Wild Hunt Warrior: Ability changed to:

Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2.

Dominance: Also Spawn Frost for 1 turn on that unit's row.

In the past several months Wild Hunt had their moments, but it’s been a while since Aen Elle were a very popular choice among Monsters’ players. In 10.3 we are introducing a bunch of changes that should make the Frost archetype feel better to play.

The reworked cards include the ones players weren’t interested in playing in their decks (such as Wild Hunt Navigator or Wild Hunt Warrior), but there are also other improvements, including more flexibility for the final stage of Auberon - players will be able to pick any Wild Hunt unit from their starting deck instead of relying on randomness.

We also decided to change Winter Queen - from now on, she can protect you from wasting value on Frost if your opponent decides to pass. We replaced Thrive with this ability, as Wild Hunt’s main strategy is not reliably triggering Thrive, and we hope that this ability will help the Frost deck with one of their biggest weaknesses, which is low tempo when applying weather. Regardless of the success of those changes, we want to continue supporting Wild Hunt in the future.

Moreover, we added a small pack of buffs for some of the Consume cards. The most notable change here is Wererat. Due to how the end of turn abilities are resolved in Gwent, Wererat didn’t work with some of the Deathwish cards, such as Ruehin or Succubus. To bypass that restriction, we are changing him to trigger before end of turn abilities. On top of that, Wererat will no longer fully reset when clicking the Order - now the amount of lost points is equal to the number of Rats spawned.
Northern Realms
Coën: Ability changed to:

Zeal. Order: Boost all allied units with power equal to Coën by the amount of boost on Coën.

King Belohun: Power changed from 5 to 6.

Power setting value changed from 4 to 5.

Power setting value with Devotion changed from 5 to 6.

Siege Master: Provision cost changed from 4 to 5.

Ability changed to:

Order: Reduce an allied unit's Cooldown by 1.

When you play a Siege Engine, Summon self from your hand to the left of it, then draw a card.

Northern Realms get a minor buff for the King Belohun strategy - the king himself has better stats, and Coën no longer boosts enemies. When we released Coën we hoped that having to play around the opponent's board state can be a fun way of playing the card, but since players are not interested in running him, we made him easier to use.

On top of that, Siege Master now costs 5 provisions. The card is seeing a lot of success and shouldn't be so easy to include considering what it offers and how easy it is to use. As a small compensation for the Cooldown decks, we also added an Order ability, and due to popular request, we made him jump out on the left side rather than the right side to make using Crew less awkward.
Scoia'tael
Toruviel: Power changed from 5 to 4.

Added new part of ability:

If you control an Elven Deadeye, use both abilities.

Vernossiel: Provision cost changed from 12 to 11.

Dol Blathanna Archer: Power changed from 5 to 2.

Ability changed to:

Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 3.

Deploy (Ranged): Damage 2 enemy units by 1.

Deathblow: Spawn an Elven Deadeye on this row.

Dol Blathanna Bowman: Power changed from 3 to 4.

Vrihedd Vanguard: Ability changed to:

Deploy (Melee): Boost self by 1 for each Elf in your hand.

Deploy (Ranged): Boost self by 1 for each Elf on this row.

Waylay: Ability changed to:

Damage an enemy unit by 3 and Spawn an Elven Deadeye on a random row.

Isengrim Faoiltiarna: Power changed from 4 to 6.

Schirrú: Provision cost changed from 9 to 10.

Ability changed to:

Zeal. Order: Destroy all other units with power equal to Schirrú.

Milva: Sharpshooter: Provision cost changed from 11 to 10.

For Scoia'tael the main focus is on the Elven Swarm archetype. On top of numerical changes, we added a way to trigger both abilities for Toruviel, gave Vrihedd Vanguard an alternative ability that works with tokens, changed Dol Blathanna Archer into a card that can help with generating Elven units and removed the Deathblow requirement from Waylay.

We hope that with those changes, setting up Elven Swarm strategy will be easier and using the pay off cards - more satisfying.

In 10.3, we are also buffing Schirru. 3 years ago, Schirru was changed to destroy himself. In those times, he was considered one of the most powerful cards in the game - the environment was really good for him because cards were more aligned in terms of points. The times are different, and while Schirru can definitely be very devastating, he is also a very exciting card to play, therefore he will no longer destroy himself. This change not only means more points for the Schirru player, but it also opens up possibilities to boost Schirru to higher values without losing points. Since this is a big buff, we also decided to increase the provision cost of Schirru to 10.

As for Milva: Sharpshooter, we are lowering her cost to 10. She performed pretty well even after the nerf, but since fully using her power is now significantly harder, making her cheaper by 1 provision seems fair.
Skellige
Sigvald: Adjusted the tooltip to reflect that only damage from non-status abilities is counted. The ability itself remains unchanged.

Tuirseach Skirmisher: Provision cost changed from 4 to 5.

Skellige is still a faction with the biggest variety of viable decks, so in 10.3 we are not supporting any of the SK archetypes. However, the discard package is now more expensive with Tuirseach Skirmisher going to 5 provisions. Going for the discard package has been a bit too obvious for Skellige players, and Tuirseach Skirmisher, similarly to Siege Masters, is too easy to include for a card that adds so much tempo to a thinning play. We hope that this change will make some of Skellige players consider running different consistency tools, and the decks that keep running the discard package will be a bit easier to beat.
Nilfgaard
Mage Assassin: Provision cost changed from 4 to 5.

Similarly to Siege Master and Tuirseach Skirmisher, we are targeting Nilfgaard’s most efficient consistency tool, with the same goals as in Skellige.
Syndicate
Cyrus Engelkind Hemmelfart: Now has the Cleric tag.

Damnation: Provision cost changed from 7 to 6.

Ability changed to:

Destroy an allied unit and Create and play a 4-provision cost Firesworn unit. Increase the provision cost by the power of the destroyed unit.

Excommunication: Provision cost changed from 6 to 5.

Lieutenant von Herst: Ability changed to:

At the end of your turn, if you control a Cleric, Spawn a Firesworn Zealot on this row.

Fee 1: Transform a Firesworn Zealot into a Flaming Rose Footman.

Roderick de Wett: Provision cost changed from 7 to 6.

Whoreson's Freak Show: Provision cost changed from 7 to 8.

Cleric of the Flaming Rose: Profit changed from 2 to 3.

Eternal Fire Disciple: Now has the Cleric tag.

Fee changed from 2 to 1.

Eternal Fire Inquisitor: Power changed from 3 to 4.

Provision cost changed from 5 to 4.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: Destroy a Firesworn Token, then boost self by 4.

After 2 turns, Spawn a base copy of the destroyed Token on this row.

Lonely Champion: Ability changed to:

Immunity.

Zeal. Order: Destroy all Firesworn Tokens on this row, then boost self by their total power.

Cooldown: 2

For Syndicate, the main goal of 10.3 is to bring some attention to the Firesworn Swarm archetype. With new Damnation, players will be able to get additional Fallen Knight or any other Firesworn card, depending on how much they are willing to sacrifice. Moreover, Damnation allows you to play a unit without losing board space. Lieutenant von Herst has lost the Hoard condition (which we want to be connected to the Tidecloak gang), and now will spawn Zealots if you control a Cleric. Lonely Champion can now help with board space in a much more flexible way. New Eternal Fire Inquisitor allows the player to benefit from spawning one unit twice. Besides those changes, there are a bunch of other improvements that should make Firesworn more relevant.
Draft Changes
All evolving cards are now acquired in the base version.

Nature package: Removed Orb of Insight.

Prebuff package: Replaced Vrihedd Saboteur with Circle of Life.

Prebuff package: Replaced Dwarven Agitator with Bountiful Harvest.

Spells - Neutral package: Removed Undying Thirst and Surrender.

Foglets - Thinning package: Replaced with Archespore - Thinning package. (Never Foglet!)

Deathwish package: Replaced Katakan with Abaya.

Old Speartip: Asleep: Removed from all packages.

Raid package: Removed Whale Harpooner.

Bounty package: Removed Dire Mutated Hounds.

Vitality package: Removed Shani.

Vitality package: Removed Horst Borsodi.

Create package: Replaced Queen Adalia with Filavandrel.

Raid package: Removed Blood Eagle.

Rain package: Replaced Offering to the Sea with Fucusya.

Rain package: Replaced Hermit with Messenger of the Sea.

Rain package: Replaced Havfrue Singer with Little Havfrue.
Game Fixes
Keeper of the Flame will now boost itself on Tribute, as intended.

Mangonel will no longer damage allied units following Mage Infiltrator's Deathblow effect. It will now deal damage to any surviving unit that Mage Infiltrator was played next to.

Megascope and Saov Ainmhi'dh: Unity no longer sometimes show references to missing cards in their tooltips.

Siege Master's Deploy ability is no longer triggered additionally when replaying a Siege Engine with Teleportation.

Van Moorlehem Servant will no longer count 1 point of boost less when copying a Bounty.
 
Last edited:


Hey everyone!

The second edition of our Art Contest has come to an end and we would like to thank you for taking part and sharing your incredible art with us.

The process of looking through the entries sparked a lot of joy, while the final decision-making process was extremely difficult.

There were a lot of entries that deserve the recognition but in the end, choices had to be made so without further ado, here are our Top 3!

3. Honor to the fallen by Martin Roca

With this beautiful and colorful piece of art, Martin Roca wins the GWENT Mug of six factions, Faction Pins and a GWENT lanyard.

2. Rosa var Attre by Raphael Slinka

This great depiction of the avid fencer Rosa var Attre rewards Raphael Slinka with a GWENT Mug of six factions, a Big Displate (Random Art), Faction Pins and a GWENT lanyard.

1. Nilfgaardian's Wraith by Daria Egorova

This piece made us fall in love with the colors, detail, composition and so much more.

With this, Daria Egorova takes home a Wacom Cintiq Tablet, a GWENT Mug of six factions, and a Big Displate (Random Art).

Congratulations to the winners and another "Thank You" for taking part and sharing!

Check out all honorable mentions right here: LINK

PS: There was so much awesome art that we will share some (a lot) of honorable mentions on Twitter over the next few weeks.
 
Last edited:


We have a short but sweet month ahead of us with a special Love Event starting this Friday 11th.
Patchnotes: Link Seasonal Modes:
Irresistible Attraction
- 08.02-15.02

Whenever you play a non-Spying unit, move a random enemy unit with the same power to the opposite side.

Banished - 15.02-22.02

After mulligan Banish both players decks. Whenever a card appears in any deck, banish it.

Double Down - 22.02-01.03

Whenever you play a unit from your hand, play a unit with the same Provision Cost from your deck. Your starting deck is doubled in size at the start of the match.

Patience is a virtue! - 01.03-08.03

At the start of your turn, transform all cards in your hand into random ones that cost 1 provision more

This season is planned to end on March 8th, 10:00 a.m. CET.
 


Patch notes for 10.2 are here!

This update is going to be pretty eventful (wink wink) as soon our Love Event will start! This time, a series of challenges will await you, aiming at reuniting some of GWENT's most known couples.

That is not the only treat this month, as the new Journey is starting tomorrow (but more about that when the Patch goes live). Of course we didn't forget about the regular balance changes and fixes.

Check all of the news in detail below and join Pawel Burza and Jean Auquier for our Developer Update, in which they go over the most important changes and explain our thoughts behind them.

New Features

New Journey! (No spoilers!)

New Love Event!

Help lovers reunite and receive unique cosmetics!

Take part in challenges to help out Eist, Calanthe, Philippa and Dijkstra. Finishing each quest grants a reward, while completing all of them will grant the player a unique new skin for Queen Calanthe.

The event starts Friday, February 11th and ends Tuesday, February 22nd.

Added a reward tree for Syndicate in the Reward Book Tutorial page.

Added a new Coin highlight that reminds players to end the turn.

Changes

Adjusted the Initiative keyword to also include Fee and Spring.

Neutral

Vigo's Muzzle: Provision cost changed from 11 to 10.

Seize cap changed from 5 to 6.

Skellige

Gedyneith: Provision cost changed from 13 to 14.

Knut the Callous: Ability changed to:

Zeal. Order: Damage an allied unit by half of its current power, then damage an enemy unit by the same amount.

Berserk 5: At the end of your turn, refresh this ability.

Restore: Provision cost changed from 6 to 5.

Sigvald: Power changed from 6 to 7.

Provision cost changed from 8 to 7.

Ability changed to:

Whenever this unit is damaged by other abilities, gain Bleeding for the same duration instead.

Order: Damage a unit by the duration of Bleeding on self, then Purify self. If it was an enemy, damage self by the same amount. If it was an ally, boost self by the same amount.

An Craite Warrior: Power changed from 3 to 4.

Tuirseach Axeman: Ability changed to:

Deploy (Melee): Damage a unit by how much it is already damaged.

Northern Realms

Resupply: Ability changed to:

Whenever you play a Warfare card, reduce this card's Cooldown by 1.

Foltest's Pride: Added Resupply.

Keldar: Ability changed to:

Whenever you play a special card, Spawn a Witcher Student in this row.

Adrenaline 4: At the end of your turn, Spawn a Witcher Student in this row.

Odrin: Provision cost changed from 6 to 5.

Ability changed to:

Odrin is a one man Crew.

Trollololo: Armor changed from 2 to 0.

Ability changed to:

Zeal. Order. Lose all Armor, then boost self by that amount.

Whenever an allied unit uses its Order, gain 1 Armor.

War Chariot: Added Resupply.

Battering Ram: Ability changed to:

Resupply.

Order (Melee): Move self to the Ranged row.

Order (Ranged): Move self to the Melee row, then damage the highest enemy unit by 3.

Crew: Choose an enemy unit to damage.

Cooldown: 2

Carroballista: Ability changed to:

Resupply.

Order (Ranged): Damage an enemy unit by 2.

Cooldown: 3

Crew: At the end of your turn, gain 1 Armor.

Kerack Frigate: Ability changed to:

Resupply.

Order: Spawn a Volunteer in this row.

Cooldown: 2

Crew: Set Cooldown to 1.

Reinforced Ballista: Adjusted the tooltip to fit with the change to Resupply.

Rivian Pikeman: Ability changed to:

Order: Damage an enemy unit by 2.

Deathblow: Reduce Cooldown of all units in this row by 1.

Inspired: Always trigger Deathblow.

Siege Ladder: Deploy replaced with Zeal; Order.

Siege Master: Power changed from 3 to 2.

Armor changed from 1 to 0.

Ability changed to:

When you play a Siege Engine, Summon self from your hand to the right of it, then draw a card.

Siege Tower: Ability changed to:

Zeal. Order: Gain Vitality (2).

Crew: Boost self by 2 instead.

Cooldown: 2

Scoia'tael

Etriel and Muirlega: Provision cost changed from 8 to 6.

Francesca Findabair: Counter changed from 3 to 2.

Saov Ainmhi'dh: Unity: Counter changed from 3 to 2.

The Great Oak: Power changed from 8 to 9.

Provision cost changed from 13 to 12.

Monsters

No changes.

Nilfgaard

Emhyr var Emreis: Provision cost changed from 11 to 10.

Philippe van Moorlehem: Power changed from 5 to 6.

Ability changed to:

Deploy: If you control a Vampire, gain Zeal.

Order: Give Doomed to an enemy unit.

If it already has a status, Lock it instead.

If it already has more than 1 status, Poison it instead.

Cooldown: 1

Sweers: Power changed from 3 to 4.

Vattier de Rideaux: Ability changed to:

Order: Lock an enemy unit.

Conspiracy: Seize it instead.

Mangonel: Ability changed to:

Whenever an enemy unit gains Spying, damage units adjacent to it by 1.

Van Moorlehem Servant: Ability changed to:

Deploy: Copy all statuses from an enemy unit to another enemy unit. Boost self by the number of statuses copied.

Syndicate

Jackpot: Provisions changed from 13 to 12.

Off the Books: Provisions changed from 16 to 15.

Charges changed from 3 to 4.

King of Beggars: Power changed from 3 to 1.

Game Fixes

Fixed a crash that was sometimes occurring on launch for Mac M1 devices

Corrected the Order icons for Wyvern Scale Shield, Mastercrafted Spear and Shani.

Old Speartip: Asleep no longer Banishes self when unable to Summon Old Speartip due to a lack of space.

Ardal aep Dahy now correctly updates its return-to-hand ability value when being played by the opponent (e.g. through Cantarella).

Damien de la Tour now correctly resets the Lyrian Scytheman limitation for Uprising.

Chapter of Wizards is no longer able to copy Disloyal Mages being played by your opponent.

Chapter of Wizards is no longer able to Spawn the unit that your last played Mage was transformed into (e.g. Ethereal).

King Henselt now reacts correctly to Casting Contest and Viraxas resetting the cooldowns of adjacent units.

King Henselt is now correctly boosted as a result of Stockpile, when one of the adjacent units is on Cooldown, and the other is not.

Francesca Findabair no longer ignores specials played from the opponent's side of the board, for example by using Lydia Van Bredevoort.

Milva: Sharpshooter now damages the target after being Summoned, as per the ability tooltip.
 


Welcome to this new article series on the Design of GWENT. Regularly, we’ll publish dive-in into the big concepts that make GWENT, design philosophies and other appropriate topics. We encourage you to reach out on topics you would like to see being dissected in this column!

Written by Gameplay Designer Jean Auquier


One of the massive changes introduced to GWENT with Homecoming is the provision system. Beta players will remember a time during which a third color existed alongside Bronze and Gold: Silver! Decks were made of a maximum of 4 unique Gold cards, 6 unique Silvers, and at least 15 Bronzes (with a limit of 3 copies per card).

Today, let’s explore the Provision system from what stemmed its introduction in GWENT to the impact it has on the game.

To begin, the Provision system is in fact an evolution of the color limitations which already existed in Beta GWENT. So understanding why that system existed in the first place is a good start.

In a majority of competitive card games, systems exist in order to segment cards. One of the most common one, popularised by Magic: The Gathering, is the mana system, also used by games like Hearthstone or Legends of Runeterra. Other systems also exist, for instance Yu-Gi-Oh has used multiple variations of sacrificing one own units to play a stronger one while Weiss & Schwarz uses a level system under which higher level cards can’t be used until later in the game (when one is getting closer to losing). Coming back to GWENT, the past color limitation system and the current provision one both segment cards through deck building restrictions.

By segmenting cards as such, cards can be of different average values between each pool because they are pitted against other cards of the same pool instead of all the cards in the game. Ordering these pools by average value is called the “power curve” as it allows one to visualize how value evolves between pools. For instance, Mana systems commonly present an exponential increase rather than a linear one as higher cost cards turn out to be much less flexible than lesser ones, requiring in turn to be significantly stronger.

The point of all of this? More design space! Limitations breed creativity. As to how it benefits GWENT specifically, the game is at its core an auction. Assuming both players start the game with the same amount of points to spend, the goal is then to win rounds with the smallest point difference possible and on the contrary to lose rounds with the largest difference, meaning your opponents wasted points. That way you can end up with more points in the final round. Having cards of different point value makes this objective more complex and more interesting, especially considering the gameplay is turn-based.

With that out of the way, the evolution from the color limitation system to the provisions one becomes easier to explain. By going from 3 pools (Bronze, Silver and Gold) to about 10 and more (from 4 provisions to 13+), more design space is opened.

This doesn’t come without a price however. The color limitation system offered a pretty low barrier of entry. Since there were heavy deck building restrictions, all you had to do was to pick your Golds, Silvers and Bronzes while being mindful of synergies, no extra questions asked! Heck, since you needed 15 Bronzes and could run 3 copies of each, you were even getting away by just picking 5 Bronzes. Making adjustments to your deck was also easy as synergies aside, adding/removing a card could only affect its own pool.

Compare with the Provision system, questions like “How many high end and how many mid end cards should I have?” and “How should my Bronzes provisions be spread?” starts to arise (questions similar to ones you might ask yourself about your mana curve or your land spread in other games).

On top of that, making a change to the deck can have a direct impact on the rest of the cards as you try to perfectly fit for the provisions available to you. This, however, can be beneficial. By restraining the deckbuilding, the provisions system ends up answering its own questions quite naturally. The usual process involves quickly whipping the deck out by putting in the cards ones want to play, then proceeding to meet the provision limit by adding higher or lower provision cards and finally refining it by moving provisions around.

The minimal (and as such optimal) deck size plays a big role in that regard. Provisions systems in other games often don’t include strict limitations on the number of elements that can be included. It’s up to the player to decide to run a low number of elements with high provisions or more elements but diluting the provision limit in the process. By having a clear number of cards between which provisions must be shared in Gwent, players can avoid these dilemmas and focus on deciding how to allocate provisions.

Speaking of which, with a base provisions of 150, leader allocating on average 15 more and having to fit 25 cards in the deck, the average provisions allocatable per card is around 6.5. Adding a card in the deck under this provision limit allows another card in the deck to be more expensive, and vice versa. For instance, running a 4 provisions card frees 2.5 provisions which can be used to run a 9 provisions card or any other combination for that matter. Fitting a 14 provisions card like Haunt in your card requires you to run three 4 provisions cards to compensate for it!

This brings us to one of the most important topics brought by the provision system: Polarisation. Without considering card effects, in a game of Gwent only 16 cards out of the 25 that makes a player deck can be played. If all cards are close to the provision average, this means that around 60 provisions are not actually used in a game of Gwent. By “polarising” one’s deck, meaning introducing higher cost cards and as a result lower cost ones, this unused provision total can be brought down (if only the lower provision cards remain)... as well as up! This risk of missing out on value (draw your golds!) increases the more a deck is polarised. It’s also nothing new, this risk also existed with the color system. The provision system just lets players control how polarised their deck is.

While polarising one’s deck introduces risk, the Mulligan mechanic allows one to mitigate that risk quite a bunch which makes it one worthwhile to take. Because of this, 4 provisions cards inherently are “mulligan fodder”, cards which you don’t want to play and are just included to allow you to play more expensive ones.

This is one of the limitations of the provision system with the way it works in GWENT. This, by the way, is the reason why cards with provisions lower than 4 will (most likely) never be introduced in Gwent. 0 provisions cards have actually been toyed with during the development of Homecoming, but they basically were “free provisions” to allocate to other cards and their value (or rather lack thereof) didn’t matter since they would always be mulliganed away during games.

This is also the reason behind the increase of Bronze's value over the years. Along with a focus on synergies, it allows us to make it less of a loss to actually play some of them (and miss on provisions), and even make it desirable.

Another interesting observation is that since 4 provisions don’t have to be part of your main game plan, they are a great spot to include tech options: cards that cover specific cases. Players have long known about cards like Squirrel but other examples include Purifies, a bunch of them having been moved to 4 provisions with patch 9.4.

Until now we were leaving out card effects, but with thinners and tutors, one is able to tap into this pool of unused provisions... For a price that is. Imagine a world in which one provision is equal to one point. Being able to finish the game with fewer cards in your deck than your opponent means you got to use more of your provisions, meaning you had more points to play!

This is why this kind of effect often comes with a hefty price in terms of points. Advantages like consistency and big point output aside, we must balance the fact that you’re partially making use of a pool of provisions that would have otherwise been unused. This is also why when evaluating a thinner, 4 provisions must be subtracted to the sum of the thinner and the thinned card’s provisions as 4 is the minimum provision that would have been left unused in your deck if you hadn’t thinned otherwise. Taking the simple example of playing two Impera Brigade, the total value is 8 while the total provisions is 10. Removing the 4 extra provisions the card removes from the unused pool brings it to a 8 for 6 combo play (plus the intrinsic value in terms of consistency that comes with thinning), which is far more understandable that 8 for 10.

Interestingly, the reverse thought process can be applied to Echo cards. Since the deck is thickened by the card coming back to it, more provisions will be left unused which is disadvantageous and this needs to be taken into account in the value of the card. To properly evaluate it, 4 provisions must be added to its cost because that’s the (minimum) provisions playing an Echo card twice is making you miss.

I have painted polarisation in a bad light until now, but it is actually something that we desire and that we have been encouraging (to a degree).

While polarisation increases the variance of decks in terms of potential points output, we feel like it’s mitigated enough by the natural mechanics of the game as well as the stronger consistency tools which have been introduced to the game over the years.

But most importantly, polarisation creates engaging gameplay! Larger differences between cards also means more complexity and depth in the auction system. We’ve all experienced the conundrum of having to play a high-end card when only a low-end one would suffice, and the feeling of waste that comes with it. Due to this, it’s sometimes even the right play to mulligan some high-end cards away in earlier rounds because you don’t want them to be bled.

High provisions cards also make for major archetype landmarks, which are fun to build around (think of the impact of Scenarios!). This is part of why there has been a bigger focus on introducing high provision (meaning 11+) cards in recent expansions.

To conclude this article, while it can be tempting to simplify GWENT to a battle of provision, it is important to remember that it is much more than that. Synergies between your cards, interrupting opponent’s synergies and plays with wide value ranges (ie. Heatwave) are all tools that can allow players to “generate” value. And the most important one of all is the agency over how these points are split between rounds. Even if your opponent has more points available, the fact that they have to split between 3 rounds means that there will still be ways to win!

And as a bonus, I highly recommend checking out Gorflow’s great video on “The rule of 16” on the youtube channel of The Council (
) which highlights how polarisation impacts the way decks have to be built and played.
 
Hello Everyone!

As some of you might know, we change the format for TWiG hence we closed down the "Ask a Dev" thread on the forums.

Moving forward me and Flake are doing a weekly podcast called Flurza: a show about GWENT (link below) and we would like to feature your questions on the show, so if you have any questions for Flake and me, feel free to drop them in this thread!


Thank you!
Burza
 
Top Bottom