A Night to Remember

"A Night to Remember" is a pre-launch trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt released by Digic Pictures and CD Projekt RED during May 14 in 2015. In same way as did Killing Monsters, also this one told a short but very interesting story about Geralt hunting a bruxa.

Story
At start, our protagonist fearless witcher Geralt of Rivia meets a woman that we dont know by name on the bank of river, who is singing a haunting lullaby. When Geralt approaches and notes that locals paid him for her, she remarks that in the times past witchers would never take such a contract. Then she throws off her clothes transforming into something invisible and unnaturally quickly disappears in the nearby barn. Geralt, after taking some preparations and drinking potion, enters it. And than scramble begins where she is revealed as some kind of high vampire. During the fight she manages to bite Geralt, but the potion which happens to be Black Blood affects her, slowing her down. Geralt seriously wounds her and she flees the barn, falling right outside it transforming back into her human form. Geralt follows preparing his hook for trophies, but collapses alongside her seeing her last tear and agony.

When White Wolf of Rivia awakes, it is revealed that song, the lullaby, was about witchers who are paid for killing. He leaves her melting body without taking the trophy and rides on his faithful Roach away in a hurry towards the big city with great towers.

In the trailer
Lyrics are original and together with the music arrangement were composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz. Vocal is performed by Laura Doddington.

Full version
Full version of the lullaby was released during 2015 on August 26 on official youtube channel under the name "Lullaby of Woe".

Interpretation
The trailer story is presented masterfully, with a bunch of small details hinted only, leaving the spectator to deduce and guess the deeper context behind it. Here is one interpretation based on the Witcher stories approach to ambiguity and moral struggle. But it can be understood in a number of ways, and that shows how well the trailer is done. (Note: this is an interpretation and it doesn't claim to match the unexpressed intent of authors). Geralt didn't really know her, and came because folks from town accused her (presumably for somekind of murder). He wasn't fully convinced that she was guilty, that's why he approached her first in calm. She was singing a vampire a song which higher vampires would sing to their younglings, describing witchers as creatures from her childhood, those who hunt her kind for gold. It's hinted by the scene when she finds a dolly. When Geralt confronted her, she provoked him out of spite, and he took that as an admission of guilt. They fought each other perceiving the other as a "The Monster". In the end White haired one wanted to take the trophy as a proof in order to get paid by the folks from nearby city, but collapsed as he saw her transforming back to human form and suffering in agony because of effect from Black Blood potion he drank. When Geralt awoke, he realized that he didn't have enough evidence of her guilt and was horrified by result of his recent deed. That's why he didn't take the trophy and rode away in a rush.

Hidden note
Theteaser for this trailer released earlier has a hidden message from developers duirng 00:22 second:

After 3 long years The Witcher: Wild Hunt is finally ready to go. The reviews are already out and the reception is amazing. We can't wait to hand our baby over to you.

It is a very important milestone for all of us here. We went from 50 people in the first Witcher to over 200 creating a massive world of Wild Hunt.

It's a grand scale now, but the nuance and soul of the series is intact. We won't have it any other way.

This is one for the fans who supported us all this time Those who cheered for a different kind of fantasy.

One that's dark unsettling and personal. Here's something to sweeten these last days of waiting Here's "A Night to Remember," A short, spoiler free cinematic.