Sigismund Dijkstra

"See me smiling? I'm dead serious."

Sigismund Dijkstra (born 1219 ) was the head of Redanian Intelligence, or secret service. He was a physically imposing man; nearly seven feet tall and bald, with a rather noticeable stomach that was said to give the impression of a scrubbed pig.

Preferring bright colors and flamboyant dress, he didn't dress the least bit like a spy. However, he was an exceptionally clever man, having studied at Oxenfurt Academy, and was said to be very influential in Redania. While he was referred to as a count in public, this was merely a cover that King Vizimir II ordered him to use so nobody would know that Dijkstra was a "mere" commoner.

Andrzej Sapkowski novels
During the Second Nilfgaard War, King Vizimir of Redania was assassinated. During the interregnum, the country was ruled by a Regency Council headed by Dijkstra and Philippa Eilhart. This basically made him the most powerful man in the kingdom.

After the war with Nilfgaard, he was one of the negotiators of the peace treaty.

His personal assistant was Ori Reuven, who was known for his sniffing. His lover was Marie, the wife of the Redanian Minister of Finance.

In the aftermath of the Treaty of Cintra, Dijkstra told Philippa Eilhart that he was hot on the trail of the conspirators that killed king Vizimir. When an assassination attempt was made on his own life, he realized that he may have confided in the wrong person and fled Redania. At the foot of the Elskerdeg Pass, he met with Isengrim Faoiltiarna and Boreas Mun, both fugitives for their own reasons. The three of them formed an unlikely traveling party, heading East, towards Zerrikania or even Haakland, presumably leaving the territories of the Nilfgaard Empire and the Northern Kingdoms for good. To his companions he introduced himself as "Sigi Reuven".

E3 Demo (2014)
In an E3 demo of The Witcher 3, he was shown to be back in the Northern Kingdoms, having contracted Geralt to hunt down a griffin in Novigrad. In exchange, he would find the whereabouts of an ashen-haired lass. After Geralt returned successfully with the griffin's head, Dijkstra reveals that Ciri was spotted in Velen in the company of a childlike creature named Johnny. He then asked Geralt if the girl is who he thought she was, but the witcher simply doesn't answer and thanks him for the information as he departs his company.

The E3 quest is absent in the full-release version of The Witcher 3.

Description
"Sigismund Dijkstra—former Redanian count, one-time chief of that kingdom's special forces, and current crime boss in Novigrad. As he was an important character in the books, we drew on the descriptions of him there as we designed his look for the game. Dijkstra as presented in the books is a spy that goes against most stereotypes we have about that profession. Rather than a thin, rat-like individual with dark eyes staring out of a black hood, he is a strong man of nearly seven feet who prefers richly ornamented, brightly colored garb and hides an astute, enterprising mind under a somewhat sleepy face."

In The Witcher 3, Geralt meets the spymaster once more.

Journal entry

 * The individual masquerading as Sigi Reuven was in fact none other than Sigismund Dijkstra, the former head of Redanian intelligence and a man Geralt and I had had many dealings with in the past.


 * He had fallen out of King Radovid's favor and nothing had been heard of him for many years. Now it seemed he had finally decided to emerge from the shadows, but instead of returning to high political wrangling he dove deep into the criminal underground – and quickly surfaced as one of its leading figures.


 * Though he did not show it, in his own way Dijkstra respected Geralt – even though the very thought of their last meeting brougt a pained grimace to his face. The two had found themselves standing in each other's way during the coup on Thanedd Island. The stalemate was quickly broken when Geralt summarily broke Dijkstra's leg.


 * The spy's life story would make for a postively enthralling adventure tale. A victim of Philippa Eilhart's intrigues, he had been forced to flee Redania at breakneck speed – or have his own neck broken by assassins. For a certain time he sought refuge in far-off lands, but in the end he decided to return to the Free City of Novigrad.


 * Well aware of Geralt's extraordinary talents, Dijkstra asked him to help find his stolen treasure. Though Geralt knew the identity of the criminal mastermind responsible, he decided not to divulge this information and set about investigating as if the case were a complete mystery.


 * Though the witcher's lips remained tightly sealed regarding my role in the treasure heist, Dijkstra still sniffed out his dishonesty – and made if clear how much he disliked being played for a fool.


 * Though Dijkstra did not aid the persecuted mages out of the goodness of his heart, Triss appreciated his support all the same, for it proved vital to the endeavor's success.


 * Dijkstra opposed the mage hunts sweeping the city, but for Philippa Eilhart he was willing to make an exception. He had never forgiven his one-time friend for betraying and then trying to kill him. Unfortunately, Geralt needed Philippa alive - and knew how to free her.


 * Though Dijkstra craved vengeance, he was willing to resign from his plans in return for valuable information.


 * Anyone who thought Dijkstra had broken all ties with the world of political schemers and plotters was sorely mistaken. His great comeback was to be a patriotic act that would free Redania from the rule of a madman – the assassination of King Radovid.


 * If Reason of State is completed:
 * As an experience dragonslayer once commented, more than once heads have only rolled after the dragon's been slain, the mead broken out and the campfire lit, for when it comes time to share the treasure, hunters of beasts often become slayers of men instead. Such was the case after the assassination of Radovid, when Dijkstra tried to renege on the terms of their arrangement and do away with Thaler and Vernon.


 * If Geralt decides to intervene:
 * Dijkstra counted on Geralt maintaining witcher neutrality in this matter - a miscalculation which cost him his life.

Associated quests

 * A Deadly Plot
 * Brothers in Arms: Novigrad
 * Count Reuven's Treasure
 * Get Junior
 * Gwent: Big City Players
 * Reason of State