Geralt's death improbable?

[godkingofdivineroad]

Geralt's death improbable?

At the end of the last book, Geralt dies from a pitchfork to the gut. Considering that witchers are known to have remarkable healing powers and are capable of surviving worse injuries than any human, how could he have died of such a (comparatively) simple wound? In real life, it's not far-fetched for a human to survive getting his/her intestine pierced, so how could Geralt, a witcher, die immediately from such a wound?

 

[Arzar]

I fail to see why a witcher couldn't die if pierced by a pitchfork.Granted, witchers have a strong metabolism, but they are not super hero either...In Sword of destiny, Geralt was really close to die because of a bad bite on the leg which get infected. He survived only because a sorceress cured him. In the game, Leo die, pierced by a bolt in the chest in a couple of minutes.

 

[Corylea.723]

In the game, Leo die, pierced by a bolt in the chest in a couple of minutes.

Leo isn't a witcher, though -- he has the training but not the mutations.A pitchfork has several prongs, so it's not a single gut wound; it's several, all at once. And the last book hasn't been translated into English yet, but I've heard from people who have read it that Geralt had gotten tired and kinda let himself go. Maybe he didn't fight to live as hard as he used to....Or maybe Geralt "died" of an improbable wound so that Sapkowski could bring him back if he felt like it.

 

[starwolf]

It may also depend on the aim of the pitchfork. Straight through, its just a seriously messy gut wound, you have time to heal with a high power metabolism. Pointed upwards at just the right angle, you hit the heart and lungs, under the ribs. Much, much messier, much faster death, and much harder to heal from (cant breathe plus heart is punctured). Pitchforks have LONG tines (I own one, and its just an average storebought for suburbanites kind, not a farmer type). Messy weapon.

 

[TheSilver]

Messy weapon.

But so fun to use.*shudders*I remember one time... ähmm, what was the question?In addition to Coryleas and Starwolfs points, remember what a Pitchfork is used for, and I'm not refering to dead baby jokes.A common usage in the olden days was to dip a blade into urine, various garbage and similar substance with the hope of adding gangrene in the case of a non-killing blow.On the top of that, I doubt that usual pitchforks were kept clean, so we probally could add rust in addition to all the other fancy stuff.Ahh, the good old times

 

[petra_silie]

Yes, I think it depends on how severe this wound was.

In Sword of destiny, Geralt was really close to die because of a bad bite on the leg which get infected. He survived only because a sorceress cured him.

I remember this as well… this sorceress who cured him was his mother btw. Well, I was a bit puzzled to learn that he suffered so much from the bites and it seems he isn't immune to infections from dirty wounds but deseases.

 

[lyonesse]

well if he managed to nearly die from a septic leg bite, its possible something like peritonitis from a nasty puncture injury to the gut would finish him... poor Geralt

 

[starwolf]

well if he managed to nearly die from a septic leg bite, its possible something like peritonitis from a nasty puncture injury to the gut would finish him... poor Geralt

Apparently Witcher technology and medicine includes plenty of biochemistry for creating potions that augment abilities, cause mutations, and so forth, but does not yet include the knowledge of antibiotics such as penicillin or any of its cognate medicinals.

 

[lyonesse]

certainly looks that way although the comments about mouldy oil bread with garlic for Triss's stomach bug in blood of elves suggests that maybe they had some idea of what penecillin could do? just a thought

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

About the septic leg bite, I believe that is a matter of inconsistency between the short stories and the Saga due to the world not being fully visualized at the time of writing the stories. It wasn't till Blood of Elves that it was declared witchers are immune to disease. Similarly in The Last Wish Nenneke claims she's known Geralt since his childhood while in Blood of Elves we find that's not possible since Geralt's much older than Nenneke.

 

[Flash]

There is no inconsistency. Geralt's endurance came from the fact that he was extremely hard to hit. Unfortunately even a master swordsman can't hit and dodge when he has 100 people around him. That was the case in Rivian pogrom, Geralt was overwhelemed. He had not enough space, he tangled up in the crowd and couldn't avoid the pitchfork. No matter, bite or weapon he couldn't heal by himself. In books witcher regeneration isn't such a godly feat as in game. His blood clotted much faster but he can't miraculously regenerate open wounds and pierced organs.heavy spoiler

Spoiler

This wound was as serious for Geralt as for any normal human who didn't recieve proper treatment. In his last moment Geralt had every friend and beloved person beside him. Yennefer was so broke down that she attempted to heal him even though everybody knew it was too late. Healing spells are extremely exhausting and so in the long process of futile healing, she died trying to save him. Seeing this, Ciri with the help of her unicorn reclaimed her magic powers (she rejected her magic some time ago) and set sail with Yennefer and Geralt. Nobody knows where they headed but Geralt and Yennefer regained conciousness or maybe life somewhere, probably on the elven homeworld in other dimension.

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

In Blood of Elves, Triss stated how magic was used to regenerate the ruined faces, eyes etc. of survivors of the Battle of Sodden. Magic can regenerate organs, so why were Triss and Yennefer unable to close the wound in Geralt's gut where even a normal doctor could today?

 

[Flash]

Because when they arrived Geralt was already dying. Even a sorceress specialised in healing couldn't heal him. Magic can heal but can't undo death. And yet again there is no inconsistency. During Thanedd Coup the oldest living mage - Hen Gedymdeith died from simple heart attack. No magic could save him because it was too late.

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

Wasn't Merigold present when he got stabbed? And the inconsistency I mentioned was about other things.

 

[username_2061574]

Wasn't Merigold present when he got stabbed? And the inconsistency I mentioned was about other things.

No, she and Yennefer came later to that city.

At the end of the last book, Geralt dies from a pitchfork to the gut. Considering that witchers are known to have remarkable healing powers and are capable of surviving worse injuries than any human, how could he have died of such a (comparatively) simple wound? In real life, it's not far-fetched for a human to survive getting his/her intestine pierced, so how could Geralt, a witcher, die immediately from such a wound?

Almost nobody nowadays can survive such a wound - it is one of the safest way how to kill somebody. In order to survive you have to be operated within 30 minutes. And about the infection and infected wounds - it seems that witchers are completelly immune only to infectious illnesses and not against infected wounds, bad food poisonig, etc. About Nenneke's age and Geralt's - I'm not sure about it - could you quote?

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

No, she and Yennefer came later to that city.

I see. I haven't actulally read the last book. I assumed Triss was present when he got stabbed because a book inside the game says that Triss was the one who dispersed the mob with a hailstorm.

Almost nobody nowadays can survive such a wound - it is one of the safest way how to kill somebody. In order to survive you have to be operated within 30 minutes.

I've read stranger survival stories. For instance a few months ago a guy got impaled by a 3m pole that damaged his lung, liver and pancreas but was alive and conscious for over an hour before being operated on. I saw the photo.

About Nenneke's age and Geralt's - I'm not sure about it - could you quote?

[quote author=The Voice of Reason 2]'Geralt, you're sick.''Injured, you mean.''I know what I mean... After all, I have known you ever since you were a youngster. When I first met you, you came upto my waist... '[/QUOTE]

 

[username_2061574]

No, she and Yennefer came later to that city.

I see. I haven't actulally read the last book. I assumed Triss was present when he got stabbed because a book inside the game says that Triss was the one who dispersed the mob with a hailstorm.

Those weren't the same people - the "pogrom" was affecting all the city, this "event" happened a while after Geralt was injured (about 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours ??? who knows...).

I've read stranger survival stories. For instance a few months ago a guy got impaled by a 3m pole that damaged his lung, liver and pancreas but was alive and conscious for over an hour before being operated on. I saw the photo.

He was lucky, really lucky. Geralt wasn't. In fact, Geralt was extremelly lucky few months before that accident, so his bad luck looked natural to me.

[quote author=The Voice of Reason 2]'Geralt, you're sick.''Injured, you mean.''I know what I mean... After all, I have known you ever since you were a youngster. When I first met you, you came upto my waist... '

[/QUOTE]Sadly I meant the opposite - where is written that Geralt is older than Nenneke.

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

Sadly I meant the opposite - where is written that Geralt is older than Nenneke.

It's not explicitly written. But the assault on Kaer Morhen happened 50-80 years ago and Geralt graduated some years before that. So naturally he's at least in his 80s during the Saga.

 

[username_2061574]

Sadly I meant the opposite - where is written that Geralt is older than Nenneke.

It's not explicitly written. But the assault on Kaer Morhen happened 50-80 years ago and Geralt graduated some years before that. So naturally he's at least in his 80s during the Saga.

He could be 80 - it seems that he is quite old but still younger than Triss (most likely) and Yennefer (Yennefer is 98 at the end of the Saga; but she looks like she was 30 ... using magic tricks, ofc. ;D ). Nenneke is probably even older than Yen - about 120, 150, who knows.

 

[godkingofdivineroad]

^Nenneke isn't a sorceress. She's a normal human, so she can't be older than 60's in the Saga.