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This article is about Ciri's impersonator. For the real Ciri, see Ciri. |
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... it is a dull name, Your Imperial Majesty. A name just right for somebody who's a nobody. As long as I am Cirilla Fiona I mean something ... |  | |
| - False Ciri on why she refuses to state her real name, The Lady of the Lake | |||
Cirilla Fiona as she was officially called, known also as False Ciri, was the wife of Emperor Emhyr var Emreis.
She was an orphaned girl of nobility and of roughly the same age and somewhat similar in appearance as Ciri. Because of this, she was abducted and taken to Nilfgaard in order to deceive Emhyr. Despite the emperor instantly recognizing this deception, he officially recognized her as the real Cirilla and gave her the titles of Duchess of Rowan and Ymlac before sending her to one of the farthest reaches of the Empire. While averse to her at the beginning, during his rare visits Emhyr began to develop feelings for her and officially married her after the war, thus legalizing the Nilfgaardian control over Cintra via personal union.[2]
Quick Answers
What led to the abduction of the False Ciri?
How did Emperor Emhyr var Emreis react to the deception of False Ciri?
What titles were bestowed upon False Ciri by Emperor Emhyr var Emreis?
Why was Cirilla Fiona chosen to be the imposter of Ciri?
Is there any significant difference in appearance between the real and the false Ciri?
Biography[]
Journey to Nilfgaard[]
Not much is known about false Ciri's past or even her real name. She was of Cintran nobility before her parents were killed, likely during the First Northern War, leaving her an orphan, and went through several refugee camps before finally ending up in Brugge, where she worked by measuring out cloth. When the detective agents Codringher and Fenn were tasked by Geralt to learn why a sorcerer named Rience was trying to so hard to get his hands on Ciri, Codringher learned of a girl, similar in age and appearance to Ciri, and tried to persuade Geralt to use her as a decoy to get Rience to back off. However, Geralt refused to do so and the matter was dropped.[2]
On June 30th 1267, during the night of the Thanedd coup, Rience sent Schirrú to deal with the detective agency and the half-elf, along with another accomplice, Nazarian, found the notes on the lookalike. They then met up with Rience on July 3rd, a few days after the failed attempt on Thanedd to get the real Ciri, and after some discussion, went to Brugge the next day and kidnapped the girl before handing her off to Godyvron Pitcairn in Verden.[2]
By July 10th, she had been transported to Nilfgaard and put under Countess Stella Congreve's care.[3] Later that month, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis formally welcomed her and gave her the title of Suzerain of Attre and Abb Yarra (one of the real Ciri's titles). However, he knew immediately that she wasn't the real Ciri, as the real one was his daughter, and thus sent false Ciri to Darn Rowan, one of the farthest points from the capital, and thus out of sight while the search for the real Ciri continued.[4]
In Darn Rowan[]
At Darn Rowan, Stella continued to educate the young woman when, 6 months after Emhyr formally met her and sent her away, he came to visit while a portrait of her was being painted by Robin Anderida.[5] As it was believed they were close to getting the real Ciri, something had to be done with her imposter. After he asked if there was anything she wished for, and receiving a no, the emperor then asked for her real name, but she refused, stating her own name meant she was a nobody, while as Cirilla she was important. After reassuring her no harm would come to her, the emperor once more asked if there was anything she wished for and this time she responded that she wished to stay there, in Darn Rowan with the countess. Though the emperor personally thought it was a mistake on her part he agreed to it.
"I shall not, ... Why should I? I've chosen Lady Stella, I've chosen things I have known so little of in my life ... A home, warmth, goodness ... kindness. You can't make a mistake by choosing something like that."
A short time later, she and Stella visited the city of Nilfgaard, after Emhyr had found and talked with the real Ciri and had let her go. Emhyr then decided to marry false Ciri, making her empress, though it was only to secure Cintra as part of the Empire.[5]
Later life[]
As the empress, Cirilla Fiona continued her close personal relationship with Stella Congreve, who was referred to as the "Imperial mother-in-law". She eventually died some time before 1331, being outlived by Stella.
Notes[]
- Though she never features in the release version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, "False Ciri" was mentioned in leaked materials from 2014. She was an earlier version of Cerys and used another name - "Becca" (the same as the first queen of Cintra). It was not explained whether or not this was her real name or just another alias.
- Ironically, centuries later, the only known portrait left of Ciri is actually that of false Ciri, painted by Robin and eventually possessed by Nimue.[5]
- Though it's insinuated that Emhyr started to develop feelings for false Ciri, whether or not this meant he truly loved her is left ambiguous.
Gallery[]
![Gwent: The Witcher Card Game avatar[6]](/wiki/File:False_Ciri_The_Empress_Avatar_Gwent.png "False Ciri The Empress Avatar Gwent.png (97 KB)"){kind=avatar}
.png "Netflix Cirilla Fiona (imposter).png (382 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt leaked material
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Time of Contempt
- ↑ The Tower of the Swallow
- ↑ Baptism of Fire
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Lady of the Lake
- ↑ While the file name is labeled as "False Ciri", indicating it's of her impostor, it doesn't explain how come False Ciri is depicted with the scar on the real Ciri's cheek
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