Grandmaster

An important position within several different organizations.

Order Knights

Ulrich, the disillusioned Grand Master of the Fallen Knights.

	I knew you could be trusted. After your official investure, visit me at the palace. We have much to discuss... Grand Master.
- Foltest to Siegfried of Denesle, The Witcher

Grand Master, less often Grandmaster, is a title used in both the Order of the White Rose and its successor, the Order of the Flaming Rose, to describe the supreme head of the knightly order. During the existence of the White Rose, Grand Master was elected by an assembly called the Chapter, made up of country masters and other senior officials, for lifetime. Nevertheless, it was possible for a Grand Master to choose a sucessor, as was the case after the death of Rudolf Valaris, who left the Order in the hands of Jacques de Aldersberg.

Master de Aldersberg then went on to reform the decying White Rose into the once-more-influential Knights of the Flaming Rose. During this time, the Grand Master became one of the most important figures in Temeria. In order to take control of the kingdom, de Aldersberg attempted a full rebellion in Vizima but was ultimately defeated.

One of the symbols of the Grand Master is a signet ring.

Known Grand Masters

Order of the White Rose

• Hugues de Napeys
• Rudolf Valaris (?–ca. 1268)

Order of the Flaming Rose

• Jacques de Aldersberg (ca. 1268–1270)
• Siegfried of Denesle (1270–1272)

Fallen Knights

• Ulrich (1272–1272)

Northern Mages

Francesca Findabair, mighty Aen Seidhe archmistress, daughter of an Aen Saevherne.

	What are we talking about? Because in order to enter the teleporter, to even view it, you have to use magic at the fourth level. And in order to activate the portal would take the abilities of an archmage! I don't know if Vilgefortz could do this, let alone a fifteen year old girl.
- Sabrina Glevissig about Ciri, Baptism of Fire

Grandmaster, also known as archmage or archmaster/archmistress, rendered in Scholar language as Magnus Magister, is a rank given to tremendously powerful mages by the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. To ascend to a rank as high as archmage, mages must first successfully complete the final exam at their respective academy and then devote additional decades to mastering the arcane arts.

During the centuries when the Chapter of the Gift and the Art still operated, the Brotherhood examined aspirants for the prestigious rank during summits. If these proved skilled and learned enough, the members of the Brotherhood officially granted them the title. Being one of the grandmasters meant receiving invitations for exclusive congresses, where no lower-ranked sorcerers or sorceresses were invited.

Befitting of the highest rank obtainable, the grandmasters' capabilities allowed them to perform incredible displays of Power. For example, they are able to see through complex screening spells and thus view invisible items, sense thoughts and internal impulses of other elite magicians, lift anti-magic blockades with one mere spell, or activate teleporter towers such as Tor Lara. Moreover, some of them can even temporarily shrug off dimeritium and, although dizzy and uncomfortable, cast spells. Since they employ magic for extended periods of time, their bodies get accustomed to its flow. Such mages included Geoffrey Monck, Mardin of Rakverelin, Radmir of Tor Carnedd, Tissaia de Vries, Francesca Findabair, Ortolan, and Narses de la Roche, who oversaw the Chapter in the 1240s from Novigrad.

As one of the greatest archmages of her era, Tissaia de Vries was occasionally addressed as "Archmistress de Vries". Meanwhile Ortolan, a veritable legend heading research at Rissberg, was referred to as "Reverend Ortolan". Other honorific styles included Illustrissimus et Reverendissimus and "Honoratissime Grandmaster". Aside from that, however, sorcerers didn't truly recognize polite forms nor expected them.

Witcher Schools

The founding Grandmaster of the Griffins, Erland of Larvik, facing off against a fire elemental in Gors Velen.

	Even as the Grandmaster of the newly founded Gryphon School I set out every spring on the Path, traversing the lands from Poviss to Cintra and from the Arcsea to the Kestrel Mountains.
- Erland of Larvik, A Witcher's Journal

Grandmaster, sometimes simply called the master, was the leading member in the witcher schools too, as they emerged from the chivalric tradition of the early Order of Witchers. They oversaw the life in the keep, but didn't flinch from the duty of slaying monsters on the Path either. It was Grandmaster who decided what objective the guild would follow, apart from killing monsters. Ivar Evil-Eye, for example, founded his school in order to uncover the mystery of the Wild Hunt.

School of the Griffin in particular cherished the knightly values witchers were meant to follow. At one point, it was so celebrated that royal courts invited its Grandmaster to get advice. Bear Witchers, on the other hand, were trained with an emphasis on practicalities of the trade, without a sense of fraternity. Therefore they saw no reason to stay loyal to each other or the master of their school, Arnaghad.

This role is not to be confused with "Master Witcher"—a common, respectful way to adress any witcher.

Other uses

	I know I have no equal in the trade. Yet until I complete witcher armor of grandmaster quality, I shall never be certain I've become my teacher's equal.
- Lazare Lafargue, Blood of Elves

The rank of grandmaster also exists among the blacksmiths of Toussaint. Renowned all over the North, Tyen'sail was one such smith who ran a workshop in Beauclair. After he died in a pogrom aimed against elves, his apprentice Lazare Lafargue took over the forge and in 1275 reached his teacher's rank and esteem in the guild.