The Axii Sign

[Alpha8Wolf]

The Axii Sign

This is a question that has been on my mind since I first used the Axii sign in the Witcher 2...

What is the Axii Sign exactly? How is it described in the books? What are its capabilities?

In the game we only get to use it in dialogue when CDPR lets us, but in the reality of the Witcher universe, what are its capabilities?

For example, in the prologue, you can use the sign on the soldiers to leave the La Valette citizens alone. Could have Geralt just used the sign on Letho and told him to suicide? Would Letho or Iorveth or any other comply if Geralt just ordered them -using the Axii sign- to fuck each other to death?? Is the Axii sign an ultimate weapon which can be used to persuade anyone into doing anything Geralt might want?? If so, why does he even bother to pay to merchants or persuade anyone to do something??

Anyone ever wondered about this??

 

[Cs__sz__r]

Books- It's not so much a mid control but a calming spell. I've only read the first two books but he uses it to calm Roach down.

In cutscenes- Seems more of a influence spell.

In gameplay- Straight up mind control. Fuck your friend, kill him I say.

I don't think axii would work on Iorveth or especially Letho being a Witcher himself. Weak minded individuals or animals/creatures.

 

[Alpha8Wolf]

Books- It's not so much a mid control but a calming spell. I've only read the first two books but he uses it to calm Roach down.

In cutscenes- Seems more of a influence spell.

In gameplay- Straight up mind control. Fuck your friend, kill him I say.

I don't think axii would work on Iorveth or especially Letho being a Witcher himself. Weak minded individuals or animals/creatures.

Hmmm... So in the books, he never used it in a fight against any monster/human?? Or to persuade his lifetime crush to love him?

 

[Cs__sz__r]

As I said I've only read The Last Wish and Blood of Elves, and the instance he used it was to calm his horse down as it was startled. That was in Last Wish, I don't call another time where it was used, in those two books. From what I gathered on other forumites that are more knowledgeable on the books the game and book axii are quite different.

 

[floppypig.425]

This is a question that has been on my mind since I first used the Axii sign in the Witcher 2...

What is the Axii Sign exactly? How is it described in the books? What are its capabilities?

In the game we only get to use it in dialogue when CDPR lets us, but in the reality of the Witcher universe, what are its capabilities?

For example, in the prologue, you can use the sign on the soldiers to leave the La Valette citizens alone. Could have Geralt just used the sign on Letho and told him to suicide? Would Letho or Iorveth or any other comply if Geralt just ordered them -using the Axii sign- to fuck each other to death?? Is the Axii sign an ultimate weapon which can be used to persuade anyone into doing anything Geralt might want?? If so, why does he even bother to pay to merchants or persuade anyone to do something??

Anyone ever wondered about this??

Yeah, in the books (from the first 3 books at least) it's a calming spell. It seems to be basic mind control - ala "jedi mind trick" but a very weak version. It gets pumped up a bit in the games.

On a somewhat unrelated note, didn't CDPR say something about removing one of the signs we had in 1 & 2 and adding a completely new one - or maybe just removing an old one, can't remember. In any case, my bet is going to be that they're going to remove Axii. I NEVER used it in the Witcher games during gameplay - literally never.

 

[colibrie]

^ but haven't they said you can calm wild horses with axii or something like that?

 

[Whetmore]

In the books, I dont remember him using it in combat. However I do remember using it against a peasant that was trying to disturb him.
Also in the books, in some place, a sorceress literally laughs of the power the signs have.
They are more like little triks, not really magic she said, (or something like that)

 

[ezop]

Every sign in the games is way too overpowered for the sake of gameplay. Geralt uses his signs in books few times. He can burn ropes with igni and then he must rest and he calms roach witch axii. Other wizards lagugh at him that the signs are just juggler tricks. He doesn't use them much. He is very good swordsman.

For all of you who have many answers about the books, why don't you read it? It is really worth your time. More worthy than playing the games, sincerely. Not that I don't love these games from CDPR, but they are anywhere near to the original. Read it and you will have better experience even while playing. Especially witcher 1.

 

[Cs__sz__r]

Not all books have been translated (horribly) into my language. I'm still waiting on Times of Contempt to be delivered at my house but it's been in limbo. Yes there are fan translations that are better but I like to have the book in my hands, for better or worse.

 

[sfinx]

^ but haven't they said you can calm wild horses with axii or something like that?

Yes. (Grain of truth)

Hmmm... So in the books, he never used it in a fight against any monster/human??

I don't remember he would use that during fight. He used it once to avoid fight with soldiers..

About Letho: Geralt can break regular spell in a while, he mentioned that in "The last wish" and I think other witchers have similiar ability. On top of that, he can't cast 'regular spell', he can cast just Signs .. in case of Yennefer or other mages, that would be different ..

 

[Shavod]

He actually use it on a guards in the beginning of The Witcher short story after slaughtering some aggresive folks. They not only calm down, but also start following his orders, so there is some mind control element to it. Why he doesn't use it more often? We can just assume it working only on weaker minds.

 

[SMiki55]

Geralt used unnamed Sign in short story "The Witcher". It works exactly like Axii in games.

 

[Nerevar.220]

Aard is the one power that has the same powerlevel from books and games. In the 5th book he uses it against a barricade, and despite being stated it´s weaker than could be because he´s been too long without potions, he still bursts the barricade in pieces.

Interestingly, Geralt could become a sorcerer, he just doesn´t care for it.

 

[sfinx]

Aard is the one power that has the same powerlevel from books and games.

I wonder if they will add long-lasting Aard in W3. It was in W1 intro, I saw that again in W3 trailer, but I think there was no chance to hold that spell for few seconds in previous games.

 

[val.mitev]

Aard is the one power that has the same powerlevel from books and games. In the 5th book he uses it against a barricade, and despite being stated it´s weaker than could be because he´s been too long without potions, he still bursts the barricade in pieces.

Interestingly, Geralt could become a sorcerer, he just doesn´t care for it.

Considering that his mother is a sorceress, who knows, maybe it runs in the family.

I'm currently reading the fifth book and he still hasn't burst anything with Aard, now I'll be waiting for that to happen.

 

[Nekrypt]

Hello there. I've read all the books, but that was quite some time ago. I read the Spanish version, wich I liked a lot, and is often depicted as a very good translation.
In the books Geralt hardly uses his powers, and those are very weak in comparison with a mage's ones.
The ones he uses more often are Aard, then the Heliotrop, Axii (just to calm his horse or comand some weak-minded guards), and I just recall him to have used Yrden once.
Sometimes, Sapkowski refers to a sign just as the Sign ("Geralt used the SIgn to..."), and so you don't know exactly which sign is.
The only sign I can't recall from the books is Quen. I think the Heliotrop is used by Geralt to stop either magic attacks, monsters phisic attacks or stones thrown by the peasants.

Spoiler

If my memory doesn't fail, after the events in Thanned, Geralt loses his powers, and I don't remember if he recovers them before the story ends.

In the game the usage and power of the signs is greatly higher than in the books

 

[SMiki55]

Yes, Heliotrop in new novel ("Season of Storms") works exactly like Quen in games.

Geralt used Quen only in "A Grain of Truth" novel, when the Bruxa was screaming. It was protection from sonic attacks.

 

[blackgriffin]

He uses the Yrden when he is in the sarcofagus to keep it closed( i think ) in the short story about the striga

 

[SMiki55]

He uses the Yrden when he is in the sarcofagus to keep it closed( i think ) in the short story about the striga

Im my opinion, Yrden doesn't work that way. Geralt used this Sign to strigga was frightened and afraid to get closer to sarcofagus IMHO.

 

[blackgriffin]

Im my opinion, Yrden doesn't work that way. Geralt used this Sign to strigga was frightened and afraid to get closer to sarcofagus IMHO.

i guess that can work to but if you look at TW2 where you use it to stun and trap someone in place, but then again in TW1 it was more like a spike trap so who knows