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We'll uphold the knightly values that define us. That is our quest. |  | |
| - Gwent: The Witcher Card Game Audio version: | |||
Erland of Larvik was one of the first-generation witchers and the founder of the School of the Griffin.
Biography[]
Erland was born to Vanja, a spear-maiden from Hindarsfjall, and an unknown father, although Erland suspected his father might have been an unfortunate Redanian fisherman. Vanja had little affection for her son, and it was believed she kept him only to avoid incurring Freya's wrath.
From a young age, Erland worked as a deckhand, spending much of his childhood at sea. He received little formal education, instead learning practical skills like tying ropes, sharpening weapons, and standing night watch. By the time he was 10, he had become wild, once even drawing steel on a new deckhand who had insulted him. Shortly after this incident, the ship docked in Novigrad, where his mother was approached by the wealthy sorcerer Alzur. Eager to rid herself of Erland, Vanja sold him to the mage, sealing her son's fate.[1]
Rissberg Experiments[]
Erland, along with other children, was taken to Rissberg Castle, where Alzur and his fellow mages began their experiments to create a new kind of monster hunter. Over several weeks, the children endured brutal and dangerous training. Four children died during this period, but the survivors grew close through their shared suffering. Despite this kinship, Erland frequently found himself in fights, though grudges didn’t last long as they all faced the terrifying prospect of the mages’ trials.
Erland formed a special bond with an Aedirnian girl named Jagoda, and they would often sit together, venting about their dire situation. Their bond helped him retain a sense of humanity amid the horrors they faced. When the real experiments began, however, the children’s resolve started to crumble. Though the early stages of the experiments made them stronger and faster, the concoctions soon grew more toxic. Jagoda, like many of the girls, fell ill, and Erland did his best to care for her. When Jagoda died during one of the gruesome trials, Erland was devastated. He buried her with the other survivors and withdrew from his companions for days.
Order of Witchers[]
After weeks of torturous experiments, one of the younger boys successfully survived the transformation and became the first witcher. Erland followed, surviving his mutation out of sheer hatred for the sorcerers. The pain he endured on the operating table remained unmatched even two centuries later. By the end of the experiment, only five boys had survived.
The mages continued to train the new witchers, enlisting experts from across the continent—hunters, alchemists, and swordsmen. Though the witchers’ mutations had opened them to the flow of magic, their magical abilities remained limited, a fact that disappointed the mages. Nonetheless, Cosimo Malaspina, Alzur, and Idarran of Ulivo continued to support the witchers, relocating them to Morgraig Castle in the Kestrel Mountains. Here, Cosimo developed the witcher signs, and Erland found solace in practicing these simple forms of magic. Deep into the night, he would stay up, perfecting the hand gestures and honing his willpower. Despite the pain and trials he had endured, the shared experiences of hardship forged a camaraderie among the witchers, and Erland particularly cherished the moments when he could engage in conversations with his fellow witchers.[1]
Coming of Age[]
By the time Erland was 15 or 16, the first generation of witchers had grown into their new roles. They were almost ready to set out into the world, while the mages continued to gather more children for future experiments. Before departing, Erland trained under a new sword instructor, a knight-errant named Taliesin Bleddyn Yorath aep Lywelyn, whom the witchers affectionately nicknamed "Gryphon" after the black griffin on his shield. Unlike their previous trainers, Taliesin taught the witchers not just how to fight but also instilled in them a sense of purpose. He believed they had a duty to protect the world from threats beyond humanity’s reach. Taliesin’s words resonated with Erland, giving him peace of mind and a sense of meaning after years of anger and grief. When he set out on the path, it was with a clear goal: to protect the people of the continent from dangers they couldn’t face alone.[1]
On the Path[]
Erland fighting foglets
As Erland and his fellow witchers embarked on their first hunts, the First Age of Witchers began. His early hunts saw him ridding southern Kaedwen of rotfiends, lifting curses, and defending peasants. Initially, people were wary of him, especially due to his unnerving eyes, but once he resolved their monster problems, they warmed to him. Many villagers invited him to their taverns for a drink after a successful hunt, and he even made a few friends along the way.
However, not all received the witchers kindly. The mages were jealous of the witchers' growing reputation, and the churches of the Northern Kingdoms spread fear, portraying them as unnatural abominations. Even Erland’s best efforts couldn’t win over everyone, and by winter, he would return to Morgraig, sharing tales with his brothers and mourning those who had died. Despite his occasional friendships with townsfolk, he found a deeper bond with his fellow witchers, and each winter’s return to Morgraig became something he looked forward to as the years passed.[1]
The End of the Order[]
By his late 40s, the Order of Witchers had begun to fracture. Without the guiding influence of mages like Alzur, the witchers became divided. Tales of witchers betraying each other for contracts grew more common, and the once-united brotherhood started to splinter. When Erland’s brother, Rhys, was gravely wounded by another witcher named Arnaghad, Erland knew things had gone too far.
Conflict erupted when Arnaghad and his followers arrived at Morgraig, resulting in a brutal fight. Though Erland and his faction won, driving Arnaghad and his group away, the Order suffered significant losses. In the years that followed, the Order grew weaker and more unstable. Eventually, disillusionment spread among the witchers, with many abandoning the tenets they had once held dear. A group of younger witchers eventually left the Order altogether, taking with them crucial alchemical tools and mutagenic compounds.
Realizing the Order was beyond saving, Erland gathered 13 of his closest friends and announced their departure. Unlike the previous schisms, Erland sought a peaceful split, viewing the Order as his family despite its failings.[1]
Founding the School of the Griffin[]
Erland and his companions traveled to the Dragon Mountains, where they took over an abandoned fortress called Kaer y Seren. The castle had been abandoned due to a curse, and it was overrun with specters when they arrived. After defeating the ghosts, Erland discovered the castle sat atop a powerful confluence of air magic. He decided that his new school would honor the knightly values for which the witchers had been created, taking up the mantle of the Gryphon to lead the School of the Griffin.
In time, the school flourished. Erland trained his new recruits to value honor, discipline, and magic, ensuring that the next generation of witchers followed the principles he held dear. Despite the challenges, the school prospered, thanks in part to the strong sense of purpose and unity among its members.[1]
Later Years[]
Fighting the cyclops of Ard Skellig
Though Erland had become Grandmaster of the School of the Griffin and was often sought out by kings for counsel, he never abandoned the witchers’ path. As his fame grew, he was welcomed at courts across the Northern Realms, where rulers held him in high regard for his wisdom and legendary exploits. He used his influence to petition these rulers for financial support for the School of the Griffin, advocating that the school's services be accessible to all, even beggars, so that anyone in need could afford a witcher's help. However, despite the respect he earned, his pleas were always refused, with rulers often seeing witchers as a necessary evil but not a cause worth funding.[2]
Erland continued hunting monsters, building friendships with allies like the hunter Vaz and the Ofiri merchant Nylah. Over the decades, his adventures became the stuff of legend, from killing a shaelmaar in Mahakam to defeating a higher vampire and a brown dragon from the Kestrel Mountains.
Despite his long life and many adventures, Erland never returned to Skellige, where his journey as a witcher had begun, until 1151. However, he never forgot the bond he had shared with his fellow witchers, nor did he lose his commitment to his duty.[1]
The End of an Era[]
As the need for witchers dwindled and distrust in them grew, the School of the Griffin fell victim to political machinations. Jealous sorcerers caused an avalanche that buried Kaer Seren. Erland, though not at the keep at the time, witnessed the event and, fearing for his remaining brothers, retreated to a hidden cave in the mountains. There, he chronicled his knowledge in journals, hoping it would guide future generations when the monsters inevitably returned.
What became of Erland after this is unknown.[1]
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game[]
- Scroll 1: Erland of Larvik was one of the first witchers created by Alzur, and would go on to become the perfect embodiment of the mage's vision, despite holding great contempt for the man and his so-called "Trials".
- Scroll 2: Nevertheless, the master of the Griffin School sincerely believed in the same values that Alzur professed. Like the mage, he knew "The Guide to Chivalric Virtues" by heart, and could recite any passage from the book at a moment's notice. Erland even learned fencing from one of the great-grandchildren of its author. In a sense, he became a knight before he became a witcher.
- Scroll 3: This was one of the reasons why Erland founded his own school—to guide witchers toward more noble virtues, in hopes of changing how the common folk perceived them. Perhaps one day, he envisioned, they would stop fearing the monster slayers and instead show respect and gratitude.
- Scroll 4: Erland of Larvik also conceived a future where Griffins would not have to charge anybody for their services. To this end, once he made his name famous, the witcher began to visit royal courts in an attempt to persuade rulers to donate to his cause. If successful, even a beggar without a broken oren to his name could count on the help of a Griffin. Unfortunately, while the aristocrats respected Erland, they failed to see any way they could profit from such an investment, and so denied the witcher's request each and every time.
- Chest: The Witcher School of the Griffin made their home within the walls of the Caer y Seren fortress, or Kaer Seren if you go by the common tongue. This was a prominent fortification due to its location. Not because it stood on the shores of the Great Sea, but because of its vicinity to the Dragon Mountains. As a result, reaching Kaer Seren by land proved too daunting a task for most. The locale also provided the residents of Kaer Seren access to seafaring traders, ensuring they were always well-supplied. Armed with crossbows, a secured position, and a reliable source of provisions, the Griffins remained ready and capable to repel any assault. Nevertheless, not a single soldier was employed in Kaer Seren's destruction. Using the very mountains that had long protected the Griffins, the Council of Mages turned the tables—unleashing a devastating avalanche... burying them alive. Only Keldar survived.The old mentor still guards the ruined fortress of his beloved school.
Personality[]
Despite the world's hatred and fear of mutants, Erland always strived to uphold the knightly values that the first witchers were taught. It was these values that led Erland and a group of his closest allies to split off from the Order of Witchers as it began its decline. Erland ensured that the school he founded taught not only monster hunting skills but also chivalry.[3]
Notes[]
- In the note that introduced Erland, he was incorrectly stated to be mutated at Kaer Morhen. This did not match the established timeline according to which Kaer Morhen was built only 200 years before the Saga, entire century after the first generation of witchers started to roam the Continent. Moreover, in Season of Storms Ortolan strongly suggests that the first witchers were linked to Rissberg rather than Kaer Morhen. Following feedback from fans, R. Talsorian Twitter profile promised incoming corrections. In the released version, Kaer Morhen is replaced with Rissberg and Morgraig.
