This exploration of The Witcher saga will be divided into four articles:

(Reminder of what a spoiler is to avoid any confusion: It’s a significant revelation about a story or plot. People who want to discover things for themselves hate spoilers)

WARNING! If you plan to play the game and don’t want to know the story, we strongly recommend that you **DO NOT** read the following paragraphs, as they contain numerous spoilers that could spoil your enjoyment. If you don’t mind or already know the story and just want a recap before the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, we wish you a good read!

Storyline of The Witcher 1

Prologue

After explaining that a war between humans, elves, and dwarves is raging, we find Geralt of Rivia, unconscious in a cart with his Witcher friends and Triss, a sorceress. His friends are surprised to see him alive since they thought he was dead after being attacked by villagers. The Witchers head towards Kaer Morhen, their old, dilapidated fortress. Geralt soon realizes that he has amnesia.

(It’s interesting how many films, series, books, or video games use an amnesiac protagonist. Sure, it's a great way to introduce a tutorial for players, but it’s a rather convenient solution we see more and more often.)

Soon after, a group of armed men from an evil organization called Salamandra lays siege to the fortress. The group is led by a mysterious mage (his name will be revealed later, but for the sake of clarity, we'll call him Azar Javed) and an outlaw known as "The Professor." This gives Geralt a chance to take up arms alongside his friends and allows players to learn the combat system. We are introduced to Geralt's allies: Vesemir, an experienced Witcher; Triss, a sorceress; Lambert, another accomplished Witcher; and Leo, a Witcher apprentice. After various confrontations, Triss is injured, and Geralt and Leo head to the fortress’s basement, where the Witchers' secrets are kept. There, The Professor and Azar Javed are stealing alchemical recipes and other elixir secrets. After Geralt relearns his first combat spell, he tries to stop them. The mage escapes through a magic portal, and The Professor kills young Leo with a crossbow before fleeing. Geralt brews a potion to heal Triss, but there’s no hope for Leo.

After Leo's funeral, the surviving Witchers decide to scatter to recover the stolen secrets and seek revenge for Leo's murder. Geralt heads to Wyzima, following Vesemir's advice, as the king of Wyzima owes him a favor after a monster hunt in which Geralt was the hero.

Chapter 1

After a few days of travel, Geralt arrives at the outskirts of Wyzima. There, he meets Shani, a healer and old friend of his (though he’s still amnesiac). Shani is caring for a boy named Alvin, who lost his mother in a monster attack. Alvin has visions and, upon meeting Geralt, recites the prophecy of Ithlinne, foretelling an impending war. Geralt begins investigating Salamandra and soon discovers horrific crimes such as child trafficking, drug dealing, and assassination.

As Geralt investigates, he finds that the village is deeply involved with Salamandra. He also encounters the Wild Hunt, a mysterious specter that seems to be interested in him and wonders why he isn’t dead. The Wild Hunt hints that Geralt has an important mission to fulfill.

Chapter 2

Still in search of Azar Javed and The Professor, Geralt heads deeper into Wyzima, with Alvin following him and asking questions about the Witchers. The atmosphere in the city mirrors that of the outskirts: everyone knows about Salamandra, but fear keeps them silent. With the help of detective Raymond, Geralt uncovers Azar's whereabouts. It turns out that Azar has been impersonating Raymond, feeding Geralt false information.

Geralt confronts Azar and The Professor, but they escape again, leaving Geralt wounded.

Chapter 3

Geralt is saved by Triss, who takes him to her home in Wyzima's merchant district. Later, Geralt and Triss attend a high-profile gathering, where they meet Adda, the incestuous daughter of King Foltest, who had been cursed to become a striga but was saved by Geralt in the past. As Geralt investigates further, he finds two Salamandra hideouts in the sewers and the swamps.

After a series of battles, Geralt confronts and kills The Professor, freeing Wyzima from Salamandra’s grip. However, Adda, revealed to be in league with them, tries to kill him, but Triss teleports Geralt to safety.

Chapter 4

Geralt finds himself near a lake, where he meets the Lady of the Lake. She seems to know a lot about his past and hints at his destiny. Geralt also encounters Berengar, another Witcher thought to be dead. Together, they investigate a local village where Alvin has been staying.

Alvin continues to have visions and wishes to become a Witcher like Geralt. During a conflict, Alvin uses his powers to teleport away, leaving Geralt to seek Triss’s help in finding him.

Chapter 5

Wyzima is in flames. With Salamandra gone, the Order of the Flaming Rose has risen to power, leading to violent clashes with non-humans in the city. The king returns, but too late to prevent the chaos. Geralt confronts Roderick De Wett, King Foltest’s advisor, who has been aiding Salamandra. After stopping De Wett, Geralt learns that Adda is still cursed and confronts her once again.

Geralt then faces Azar Javed in a final battle. Javed had stolen the Witchers' secrets to create his own army, but Geralt kills him. In a final twist, Geralt realizes that Jacques d'Alderberg, the leader of the Flaming Rose, is actually Alvin, who traveled back in time. Geralt is forced to kill Jacques to prevent further catastrophe.

Epilogue

Geralt is thanked by King Foltest and departs. However, as he leaves, he encounters an assassin trying to kill the king. Geralt saves the king and is shocked to discover that the assassin is a Witcher. Now, Geralt becomes the king’s bodyguard, determined to uncover the truth about this mysterious killer.