In the third episode of The Witcher season 3, Geralt made an unsettling discovery when he stumbled upon a girl named Teryn in an abandoned castle. It was revealed that Teryn had fallen victim to a spell cast by a powerful mage who had abducted her from her dorm in Aretuza. Realizing that Ciri wasn’t safe in Aretuza, Geralt set off on a mission to rescue the girl. Meanwhile, Ciri found herself once again pursued by The Wild Hunt but was saved by her protector, The White Wolf. In the fourth episode of The Witcher, Geralt and Yennefer would team up to uncover the mystery surrounding the most powerful sorceress Rience was working for.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Geralt And Ciri Return To Aretuza?
Episode 4 opened with Ciri and Geralt in the woods, where Ciri expressed her reluctance to return to Aretuza. She explained her disgust at the catty and arrogant mages who treated the novices as servants rather than students. Ciri also felt guilty about hurting Yennefer’s feelings, but Geralt assured her that Yennefer would forgive her. Geralt’s main objective was to confront the powerful sorceress who employed Rience, and he intended to do so at Aretuza. Jaskier accompanied them as someone needed to watch over Ciri while Geralt and Yennefer attended the conclave and investigated the matter. However, before reaching Aretuza, they needed to cross a vast sea and convince a boatman to transport them.
The boatman initially refused due to the presence of a sea monster lurking beneath the waters. Ciri saw an opportunity to showcase her fighting skills and urged Geralt to strike a deal with the boatman. They offered to fight the monster as payment for passage. The boatman, relieved to have a witch on board, sailed in the direction of Aretuza. While on the boat, Jaskier encountered a group of singers, including Valdo Marx, who seemed to be his tough competition. As the group of singers enchanted everyone with their melodies, a sea monster, Aschena, emerged from the water and began terrorizing the people on board. Ciri, displaying her growing warrior skills, efficiently kills the monster, making Geralt beam with pride. Upon their arrival at Aretuza, Geralt revealed what he had discovered in the abandoned castle and how he had managed to save one of the abducted students from Aretuza. This revelation deeply concerned Ciri, and she insisted that they needed to find and stop the evil mage responsible for kidnapping these innocent young girls.
Why Was Vilgefortz’s Portal Intercepted?
In Aretuza, Yennefer made the decision to hold a conclave, inviting mages from all over the continent. Her goal was to unite the mages and demonstrate to the Northern Kingdoms that they could be trusted by fostering harmony among themselves. Due to her failure to kill Cahir during the Battle of Sodden, Yennefer faced ruthless criticism from the other mages in the Brotherhood. However, instead of engaging in further arguments, she humbly apologized for her mistake, impressing Tissaia and Vilgefortz. They agreed to support her plan to organize the conclave.
Yennefer and Tissaia had developed a close friendship, and with Tissaia’s assistance, Yennefer gained Vilgefortz’s trust. As part of the preparations, Yennefer took it upon herself to invite mages from across the country, including Philippa and Djikstra. Using a portal conjured by Vilgefortz, she traveled through Redania and arrived at the funeral of the Queen, where Vizimir was in attendance. Yennefer convinced Vizimir that in order to fight against Nilfgaard, they needed the assistance of the Brotherhood. Blaming Nilfgaard for his Queen’s demise, Vizimir granted permission for Philippa, Djikstra, and Radovid to join the conclave.
However, on her way back to Aretuza, Yennefer’s portal was intercepted, transporting her to a mysterious location. There, she encountered a magical manifestation of Geralt, who attempted to harm her. In their exchange, Geralt inquired about Ciri, and Yennefer responded that she knew Ciri was with him. Through this interception, the treacherous mage gained information about Ciri’s whereabouts. Yennefer managed to escape and return to Aretuza, but she failed to suspect Vilgefortz as the potential culprit behind the treachery, as the portal was under his control. Seeing Tissaia’s trust in Vilgefortz, Yennefer dismissed any suspicions about his involvement.
Why Was Emhyr Named After Francesca?
After being freed from her wine-tasting punishment, Fringilla found herself indulging in more wine at a tavern. Meanwhile, Emhyr approached Cahir, who expressed his concerns about Fringilla. However, the White Flame revealed that Fringilla had died. Furthermore, he assigned Cahir the task of finding Francesca and bringing her to him. Following Emhyr’s orders, Cahir set off on his mission and eventually encountered Francesca and her elven group in the woods. They were approached by Cahir, who informed them that the White Flame sought their assistance in finding Ciri.
Is Stregobor The Villain?
Geralt, Ciri, Jaskier, and Yennefer reunited in the woods, where the group split into two. Geralt and Yennefer joined forces to enter the Brotherhood’s headquarters and participate in the conclave, while Jaskier was tasked with looking after Ciri in a nearby hut. Geralt and Yennefer reconciled with a kiss, indicating that they had accepted each other once again.
Meanwhile, Jaskier and Ciri had the opportunity to bond as close friends. However, after a tiring day, Ciri fell asleep, and Jaskier was startled by someone lurking in the woods. Timidly, he ventured outside and discovered Radovid, who had been roaming around to meet Jaskier. Radovid had also been invited to the conclave but chose to meet with Jaskier instead. The two shared a romantic kiss, finally conveying their feelings to one another. Geralt and Yennefer spent time discussing their next steps for the conclave. They aimed to uncover the identity of the powerful mage behind Rience’s actions. They speculated that Stregobor, known for his dark inclinations, might be the one who’s responsible. Despite Geralt’s desire to kill Stregobor, Yennefer urged him to be patient and suggested gathering evidence against him first.
Their conclusions aligned with those of Triss and Istredd, who were also attending the conclave. Istredd possessed extensive knowledge of the Book of Monoliths, which contained information on interdimensional travel. Together, Istredd and Triss conjured a vision, revealing that the book had been stolen by Stregobor. In episode 1, Stregobor is seen assisting Rience in healing his broken wrists, suggesting that he might be the evil mage scheming to harness Ciri’s magical power to travel across multiple dimensions.
