#zerrikania

Got too silly and made a poster for the Witcher campaign I'm currently running (got inspired by one I saw on here). ~ individual portraits under the cut ~

Zerrikanian Fire

“ I don’t mess around with Zerrikanian fire. Never have, never will. Stuff’s too dangerous. When it hits air the stuff bursts into a horrid green fire. They use a version of this stuff in Zerrikanian fire scorpions. "

Rodolf Kazmer

Journal of Enchantress Maathai, Mother Witcher, Dragon-Loved, Storm of the Savanna

12th of Lammas, 1053

It is a popular belief throughout The Continent that women cannot become witchers. “They’re weak,” they say. “Their bodies are soft and their minds fragile, and they always break.” What they fail to understand is that the witcher trials as performed by the Wolf and the Viper and the Bear and the Griffin were designed by men for men. They are workings of hormones, toxins, herbs, and magic. And should one take a moment to consider that women are not blank slate men with pretty breasts but creatures with unique hormones and unique responses to herbs, one could just as easily conclude that the problem is not that women cannot be witchers but that no one invested any energy into discovering how a woman could be one. 

Just as black cohosh will not bring a man a moon cycle, so the herbs used in the Trial of the Grasses will not result in the desired mutations.

But with time and patience, it could be done. It has been done. For what greater exaltation of our Zerrikanian warriors can there be than to improve their bodies and lengthen their lives and send them into the world to vanquish monsters the weak men of the Four Kingdoms cannot dream. 

What greater gift can I give to the lowly and unwanted girl child than the strength to protect herself. To sell her life not for sport but for glory.

I call them the School of the Raven.

These are our rules.

Ravens shall always train and travel in pairs. Only the fools of the west believe monster-hunting is best done as a solitary pursuit. The quicker to die, says I.

Ravens shall choose to train in speed, heavy combat, or balanced arts, and as pairs may either represent one with speed and one with heavy combat or two in the balanced arts.

Ravens take half their pay up front for the risk and half on completion. Their contract is their bond.

Ravens answer to no one but themselves.

Ravens will never kill a dragon.

If a Raven should fall and leave her sister alone, return to the nest for mourning. Take flight with a new sister when you are ready, and never before.

Because a Raven is not like a witcher man of the west, her potions are different from theirs. Do not share potions with a male witcher unless the circumstances are dire, as this has not been tested.

Because a Raven is not like a witcher man of the west, her signs are different from theirs. 

Mikono: Is like Aard, but cannot be done from a distance. It must transfer via touch and imparts an electric stun.

Moto: Is like Igni but also cannot be done from a distance. It must transfer via touch, although it can be a glancing touch and the heat will grow over time into a conflagration.

Ukuta: Is like Yrden in that it repels monsters, but it also makes the caster invisible for a short time, so it appears they have hidden themselves.

Akili: Is like Axii, except that instead of making someone suggestible it makes them the caster’s puppet for a short time, letting them move their limbs and see through their eyes, though the caster is left vulnerable.

Baridi: Frost, the opposite of Moto, the frost can be summoned at a distance, getting so cold as to freeze flesh solid if it is held long enough.

The Ravens have no sign to compare to Quen. 

Like the witcher men of the west, a Raven’s mutations make her infertile. They also end their moon cycles. This is a gift, as the smell of blood is a liability best avoided.

So, of course it get´s a bit boring if you are living as long as an elf and spend all your time in a cabin in the woods... even though your buddies live with you and the forest is full of adventures it, you might crave for some diversion.

Our three elves like to travel from time to time.

After the Battle of Brenna, Faoiltiarna could escape the deathsmen and made his way far Eastern, probably to Zerrikania. He spent several years in exile, but he returned when he heard rumours about the rise of an elven army (Iorveth, as we know. The Zerrikanians worship dragons and that elves fought side by side with a woman who claimed to be a dragon slayer.. you can imagine.).

Anyway, Faoiltiarna decides to take Yaevinn and Iorveth to Zerrikania. The two are amazed by the foreign culture, all the new tastes and scents. Yaevinn loves the patterns of the fabrics on the huge markets, it does not even take a day for him to buy a completely new outfit in red and black with golden ornaments... Iorveth is intrigued by the dragon cult of the people. Secretly of course :) All three are pretty impressed by the skills of the famous archeresses of Zerrikania (Not because they are female of course, but because they are human). They end up buying awesome Zerrikanian compound bows and Iorveth is already super excited to draw Francesca so they can try the bows ;)

Yaevinn constantly complains about the heat and SAND EVERYWHERE. Even in his undergarments. He hates sand...

The architecture of Zerrikania is very different to what they know from the Northern Realms, and even Nilfgaard seems to be less developed than Zerrikania. The elves spot design elements they know from their own culture, and some facial features of some people make them think that maybe the Aen Seidhe that made it to Zerrikania had a different fate than those who stayed in the Northern Realms...

Indeed, Faoiltiarna introduces his friends to Zerrikanian elves. They have much darker, copper toned skin and are very alike to the Zerrikanian humans. Surprised Iorveth and Yaevinn see how it could have been - humans and elves living as a unity.

The elves are called āġelāne, the wise folk, and instead of hiding from the humans, they welcomed them and taught them the elven way of living (which is the reason for the awesome female archers). Even though most of the elves stayed for themselves, the races blended into each other.

While Yaevinn still thinks the humans will betray the elves, Iorveth is on the same level amazed and heartbroken. He realizes what could have been - and he hates the filthy dh’oines of the Northern Realms even more.

When they return to their cabin, it feels like something has changed, but they can´t put a finger on. Iorveth understands some of Faoiltiarnas views better than before. And he can´t stop asking himself want went wrong in the Northern Realms between dh’oine and Aen Seidhe.

Even months later Yaevinn still finds sand in his underpants...

To be continued ;)

Scoia`tael Headcanon 1: https://woodlandelk.tumblr.com/post/163670387960/my-scoia-tael-headcanon

Scoia´tael Headcanon 2: https://woodlandelk.tumblr.com/post/163980070155/my-scoia-tael-headcanon-2

To be honest I’m not sure about the game but my first thought was Zerrikania. It’s a “mysterious land located in the south-eastern part of the Continent” and from what I remember people living there have dark skin. I checked it and i found a picture from the tv series (do not look it up. trust me.) which confirmed my thoughts. I can’t really post it now (because I’m on my phone and Idk how to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) but you can google Tea and Vea.

Zerrikania & Haakland

“ Far beyond the reaches of the Blue Mountains lie the legendary lands of Zerrikania and Haakland. The former is inhabited by warlike clans led, if the tales are true, by women. Thought such things may seem unbelievable, companies of Zerrikanian mercenaries do sometimes include Free Warriors - women with tattoos covering their faces, clad in the furs of wild beasts, and brandishing their weapon of choice, the curved saberras, which they use with deadly efficiency...

We know even less of Haakland, save its location to the northeast of Zerrikania. The people of that land are rumored to be the finest horsemen in the world, learning the art as babes before they even learn to walk. Though not referred to by name, they are also possibly mentioned in one of the apocryphal versions of Ithlinne's prophecy, which speaks of a people that will come from the East like a storm, to burn, slaughter, and feast on the ruins, drinking from the skulls of their fallen foes. "

Bella Jande, "Tales and Legends of Distant Lands"