Sword of Destiny

Andrzej Sapkowski

Sword of Destiny

Andrzej Sapkowski
69 pages2-hour read
Fiction
Short Story Collection
Adult
Published in 1992

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Geralt is a mutated human enhanced through alchemy and magic to serve as a monster hunter for hire. Known as the "White Wolf" due to his distinctive white hair, he traverses the world facing societal prejudice while adhering to a strict personal moral code. Despite his claims of being a stoic and emotionless mutant, he frequently displays profound empathy, compassion, and a pragmatic view of his violent profession.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Yennefer of Vengerberg

Best Friend of Dandelion

Destined Ward of Cirilla of Cintra

Son of Visenna

Companion of Three Jackdaws

Rival of Istredd

Romantic Interest of Essi Daven

Yennefer is a formidable sorceress recognized by her signature scent of lilac and gooseberries, along with her violet eyes. Driven by powerful ambitions and a desire for control, she actively seeks a cure for the infertility caused by her magical abilities. Her complex relationship with Geralt heavily influences both of their paths as they deal with their fated connection.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Geralt of Rivia

Romantic Interest of Istredd

Rival of Dorregaray

Dandelion is a famous 24-year-old bard who travels with a lute and dresses in vibrant, colorful bonnets. He actively embellishes actual events into dramatic ballads, prioritizing universal emotional truths over factual accuracy. As Geralt's closest friend, he humanizes the stoic witcher and frequently pulls him into unexpected adventures and social predicaments.

Key Relationships

Best Friend of Geralt of Rivia

Colleague of Essi Daven

Ex-fiancé of Vespula

Cirilla is the young princess of Cintra, possessing fair mousy hair and striking green eyes. She rebels against the royal expectations placed upon her by her family with a fiercely independent attitude. She carries the rare Elder Blood and is bound to Geralt through the Law of Surprise, an ancient custom that marks her as a child of destiny.

Key Relationships

Protector of Geralt of Rivia

Daughter of Duny

Daughter of Pavetta

Guest of Eithné

Supporting Characters

Calanthe is the fiercely determined ruler of Cintra, known as a "woman of iron" with mousy hair and green eyes. She is deeply protective of her lineage and actively opposes the concept of destiny when it threatens her family. She uses her political acumen and forceful personality to challenge anyone who might take her granddaughter away.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of Cirilla of Cintra

Adversary of Geralt of Rivia

Employer of Mousesack

Mother of Pavetta

Mousesack is a formidable druid with a flaxen, fan-shaped beard who serves as a royal advisor in Cintra. He possesses a deep understanding of destiny and the ancient laws governing the world. He frequently acts as a logical counterpoint to Geralt's skepticism, issuing stern warnings about the dangers of attempting to evade preordained fate.

Key Relationships

Protector of Cirilla of Cintra

Visenna is a delicate, flame-haired sorceress who often dresses in men's clothing and works as a traveling healer. She possesses powerful magical abilities and freely offers her medical services without demanding payment from witchers. Her past decisions cast a long shadow over the present, prompting difficult questions about familial duty.

Key Relationships

Mother of Geralt of Rivia

Eithné is the silver-haired, silver-eyed queen of the dryads who rules the sacred forest of Brokilon. Small and slender but commanding, she staunchly defends her territory against human encroachment. She holds an unwavering belief in destiny and employs harsh, uncompromising methods to preserve her race and woodland borders.

Key Relationships

Adversary of Geralt of Rivia

Host of Cirilla of Cintra

Leader of Braenn

Borch Three Jackdaws is a wealthy, charismatic traveler who hires Geralt as a companion. He holds a unique perspective on monsters and openly acknowledges that humans are often the true agents of chaos. He actively champions the protection of misunderstood creatures and harbors a deep interest in the legendary nature of dragons.

Key Relationships

Friend of Geralt of Rivia

Employer of Téa

Employer of Véa

Istredd is a local sorcerer in Aedd Glynvael who studies how monsters adapt to urban environments. He is highly valued by the town's leadership and maintains an extensive collection of preserved animal parts for his magical workings. He is deeply in love with Yennefer and firmly believes that witchers are incapable of genuine emotion.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Yennefer of Vengerberg

Essi Daven, affectionately nicknamed "Little Eye," is a brilliant, blue-eyed blonde bard. She possesses significant poetic prowess and can fluently speak the ancient Elder Speech. She is perceptive and emotionally open, quickly discerning the sensitive nature hidden beneath Geralt's stoic exterior.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Geralt of Rivia

Colleague of Dandelion

Agloval is the stubborn ruler of Bremervoord who frequently hires Geralt for dangerous tasks. He is deeply, obsessively in love with a mermaid but refuses to compromise his own comfort to accommodate her aquatic nature. He is quick to anger and frequently withholds payment when his exact demands are not met.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Sh'eenaz

Employer of Geralt of Rivia

Sh'eenaz is a fiercely independent mermaid residing in the waters near Bremervoord. She possesses a deep connection to the ocean and strongly resists Agloval's demands that she abandon her aquatic life. She proves to be a vital ally in navigating the dangerous waters of the region.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Duke Agloval

Savior of Geralt of Rivia

Dainty is a halfling merchant operating in the bustling city of Novigrad. He possesses strong financial acumen but finds his life thrown into chaos when a shape-shifter assumes his identity and conducts massive business deals in his name.

Key Relationships

Victim of Tellico Lunngrevink Letorte

Client of Geralt of Rivia

Tellico is a doppler, a shape-shifting creature capable of mimicking a person's exact physical form and personality. He assumes the identity of a local halfling merchant to conduct market trading. Despite committing identity theft, he is essentially benign and seeks peaceful coexistence with humans.

Key Relationships

Impersonator of Dainty Biberveldt

Target of Geralt of Rivia

Yurga is a hardworking merchant who values kindness, loyalty, and familial duty. When Geralt is gravely injured defending him, Yurga refuses to abandon the witcher, demonstrating a deep compassion that restores Geralt's faith in humanity.

Key Relationships

Caretaker of Geralt of Rivia

Husband of Goldencheeks

Guardian of Cirilla of Cintra

Chappelle serves as Novigrad's security minister. While the original minister was known for cruelty and terror, the current Chappelle maintains the city's strict anti-monster laws while displaying unexpected mercy and rational thinking.

Key Relationships

Acquaintance of Geralt of Rivia

Duny is a knight who suffered from a curse that gave him a hedgehog-like face. He relies on ancient laws and the love of a princess to break his affliction, inadvertently setting Geralt's destiny in motion.

Key Relationships

Husband of Pavetta

Father of Cirilla of Cintra

Pavetta is the late princess of Cintra and daughter of Queen Calanthe. She possesses a quiet strength, boldly choosing to honor her love for a cursed knight over her mother's political machinations.

Key Relationships

Wife of Duny

Mother of Cirilla of Cintra

Dorregaray is a powerful mage who advocates fiercely for the protection of all monsters, including dragons. He holds an absolutist perspective on conservation, putting him at odds with nearly every other member of the hunting party.

Key Relationships

Sir Eyck is a strictly pious and chivalrous knight dedicated to protecting people from evil. He views pagans and non-humans with deep suspicion while actively seeking out single combat with monsters to prove his righteousness.

Key Relationships

Antagonist to Geralt of Rivia

Herbolth is the corrupt and jovial mayor of Aedd Gynvael. He routinely accepts bribes and imposes arbitrary taxes to swindle laborers. He also employs wanted criminals to serve as his personal bodyguards.

Key Relationships

Employer of Geralt of Rivia

Téa is a fiercely skilled Zerrikanian warrior who travels alongside Three Jackdaws. She worships dragons as divine beings and executes her duties as a bodyguard with swift and lethal precision.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Three Jackdaws

Companion of Véa

Véa is a deadly Zerrikanian warrior deeply devoted to her employer, Three Jackdaws. Cryptic and lethal, she harbors an unshakeable reverence for her master, describing him as the most beautiful being she knows.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Three Jackdaws

Companion of Téa

Braenn is a young dryad who still retains several human traits from her past life before drinking the transformative waters of Brokilon. She serves as a skilled archer and guide within the highly restricted forest borders.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Eithné

Freixenet is an unlucky soldier and friend of Geralt who previously suffered from a curse that turned him into a cormorant. Grievously wounded while trying to track down the runaway princess, he is ultimately forced to serve the dryads as penance.

Key Relationships

Friend of Geralt of Rivia

Prisoner of Eithné

Death manifests as a modestly attired young woman with blue eyes and blonde hair. Contrary to traditional malevolent depictions, she functions as a compassionate companion who offers solace to the dying, ensuring no one faces their final moments alone.

Key Relationships

Companion to Geralt of Rivia