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 Locations
Kaer Morhen
Meaning “old sea fortress” in the elven tongue, Kaer Morhen is a remote mountain
stronghold that has for centuries served as the headquarters of the witchers’ guild.
The castle’s times of greatness have passed and a cold wind now blows through its
halls. Only a handful of witchers live here now, though there was a time when many
young men underwent gruesome training along the infamous “Gauntlet” near Kaer
Morhen.
Temeria
Ruled by the wise King Foltest, this once-powerful realm has regained importance in
recent years. Temeria mints its own coin – the oren. A multicultural state, it is home
to humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes and dryads. Temeria has largely lifted itself
from the devastation of the war with Nilfgaard, yet much of the kingdom continues
to be ravaged by monsters. Thus, the witcher’s profession is once again in demand,
though most common folk fear, and some even disdain, the monster-slayers.
Vizima
Vizima is Temeria’s capital and largest city. Located along Lake Vizima, where
important trade routes intersect, the city profi ts from commerce. Vizima is divided
into three large districts. The Temple Quarter is the poorer of these, while the city’s
wealthy and infl uential citizens inhabit the Trade Quarter. The Royal Castle is located
in the Royal Quarter, the most exclusive and least accessible of the city’s districts.
The Outskirts
Like every metropolis, Vizima has its Outskirts. Near the city walls stand the houses
of townsfolk who could not afford to live in the city or could not stand the stench of
Vizima’s gutters. At a distance, among fi elds and meadows, stand peasant homes,
many of them empty, their owners the victims of war, monsters or disease.
The Hairy Bear Inn
The Hairy Bear is for the indiscriminate. The innkeeper skimps on portions and
waters down his ale, and vermin already inhabit the thin mattresses in his guest
rooms. Yet there’s plenty of entertainment, as it draws hosts of hustlers, drunkards,
and illegal fi ght fans.
The Sewers
Vizima’s sewers date from a time when an ancient elven city stood on the site.
Little remains of the underground structures’ former greatness, but they still serve
their function well, carrying off sewage from the entire city, making the stench of
its gutters a little less appalling. The sewers connect the city’s Temple and Trade
quarters.
The Dike
Merchants and travelers dock their boats at this landing just outside Vizima’s walls.
Ferrymen offer transport to the nearby swamp while merchants can be persuaded
to sell goods before they fi nd their way to market stalls. The Dike also offers access
to Old Vizima, the gate to which has been closed under the quarantine.
The Cloister of the Order
There is only one haven of law and order in Vizima’s Temple Quarter, and that is the
cloister, the seat of the Order of the Flaming Rose. Crimson banners embroidered
with roses hang at its entrance. Only the select are allowed inside.
The Swamp
This vast marshland across the lake from Vizima is home to small human
communities and rather large monsters. It is hardly safe, even in daytime.
The New Narakort Inn
The New Narakort is a large and classy inn frequented by Vizima’s rich and
powerful. It is the perfect place to enjoy conversation over a goblet of good wine,
play dice with sophisticated partners, or try your strength against the capital’s best
fi st fi ghters. In the evenings, the New Narakort hosts “invitation-only” receptions.
Old Vizima
In moving his seat from the Old Manor to the Royal Castle, King Foltest began the
arduous process of changing Vizima from a wooden village into a brick town. After
the war, the quarter adjacent to the king’s former home became a nonhuman
ghetto. Elves and dwarves, assimilated or not, were resettled to this place where
even the most destitute humans refuse to live.
The Swamp Cemetery
When the Royal Court gathered at the Old Manor, the nearby swamp was regularly
drained and cleared of monsters. A good part of the marsh was an old cemetery
dating to elven times. Vizima’s main necropolis now lies within its walls, while the
swamp cemetery is reputed to be a dangerous place. Muddy waters fl ood many
crypt entrances while myriad creatures roam amidst its vapors. Nevertheless,
some exiles from Old Vizima have found refuge in the small caves that litter the
marsh.
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Advent Children
