Adda the White



Princess Adda the White is the daughter of Foltest, king of Temeria. She was born a striga as a result of a curse cast by either Ostrit (a local magnate who loved her mother) or Sancia (Foltest's mother). The magnate was in love with king's sister, the mother of the princess, whose name was also Adda. When he learned of the incestuous relationship between the king and his sister, Ostrit tried to put a curse on the king and this is blamed for Adda's transformation into a striga. However, Foltest's mother was also furious at the incestuous relationship between her children and may also have cursed their child. So it is possible that either Ostrit or Sancia, or both were the cause of the curse.

Adda was named for her mother who died during the birth. Her nickname "the White", which came from the colour of her hair after the curse was removed by Geralt, served to distinguish her from her mother, Adda of Temeria and Adda of Cidaris, the wife of kind Goidemar. She was also left mentally impaired, so while she remains the logical Temerian heir to the throne, the continuation of the royal line begun by Geddes is definitely in question.

Early life as a striga
Adda was born a striga, but together with her mother, died at her birth. She was laid to rest with her mother in the family tomb, but after seven years, she came back to life, as a full-grown striga. For seven years the striga roamed Old Vizima, stalking and devouring the unwary. Many had made attempts to kill her or lift the curse, but none had succeeded, until witcher Geralt of Rivia arrived.

After an intense battle, first killing the man responsible for her curse, Ostrit, Geralt locked her out of her coffin until sunrise, breaking the curse on her and restoring her to her 14-year old human shape.

Princess Adda
While Adda's human form was fully restored, her mind was left terribly degraded by trauma, and she is still in danger of relapse. To ward off the curse, Geralt instructed the princess to wear an amulet necklace and told her keeper to have her participate in rituals designed to ward off the curse. ("The Witcher" short story)

Unfortunately, even though Adda's curse was lifted, she remained mentally retarded. It was also then that her hair became white, which earned her the name "Adda the White".

In the non-canon short story "Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna", Adda seems to have recovered sufficiently from her curse to have become the queen of Temeria.

Adda appears in the 8th episode of The Hexer TV series, "Rozdroże" ("Crossroads"). As a striga, she is portrayed by Zbigniew Modej, while Adda after the curse is lifted is portrayed by Magdalena Górska.

Even though in the "Temerian Dynasty", additional material written by Andrzej Sapkowski and published on his official website, Adda was described as white-haired and mentally retarded. However in the game and in the English translation of the short story "The Witcher", her hair is red, and while there is no explanation for the change of her mental state, it is possible this change was to make her more like the strigoi of Romanian myth, on which the Witcher Striga is based. According to Romanian mythology a strigoi has red hair, blue eyes and two hearts.

The princess has grown into a pretty, if some what wild and spoiled girl whom Geralt met at Leuvaarden's reception, where she was accompanied by the ever attentive Roderick de Wett. During that reception, when she has lured Geralt to her alcove, if he denies her the sex she so obviously wants, she petulantly lets a tidbit slip about her intentions towards her father's crown.

According to the Professor's notes, Adda collaborated with Salamandra. She was behind the counterfeiting of the royal seal and forged the proclamations of the state of emergency, and therefore was responsible for the chaos in the Trade Quarter. She was promised the throne of Temeria, though in reality Salamandra believed her to be unpredictable and would not likely have honoured that bargain. The organization planned to break the alliance.

When Ostrit put a curse on Adda, he described the process in his diary. Whoever possesses the diary may renew the curse and transform Adda back into a striga. But Adda is not only dangerous as a striga, she is equally dangerous with the power she wields as princess. It is only thanks to Triss' intervention, that Geralt managed to escape Adda's (manicured) claws by the skin of his teeth.

Associated quests

 * A Posh Reception
 * Frozen Reflections
 * Her Highness the Striga
 * Witchers' Secrets

The Gift

 * Adda wants catoblepas meat, rare is best. To obtain the item, speak to Velerad, the burgomeister, but do not forget some strong alcohol to loosen his tongue. Then he will point you in the direction of Thaler, who wants a letter from a chest in the nearby alcove before revealing any more information. Finally, speak to Triss, as she can conjure the necessary gift for the princess.