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Graveirs are a species of necrophage, and the cousins of ghouls. Unlike their smaller cousins, these creatures can be distinguished by the three bony combs on their skull, blunt claws, strong teeth and a long tongue for feeding on marrow. The smallest wound from a graveir will infect you with corpse-venom, which can cause death if not treated.[1]

There is no greater delicacy for the graveir than marrow from the cracked bones of a dead man. When feeding, this creature becomes very attentive to guests. A witcher appearing during lunchtime, silver sword in hand, can expect to be invited to join the meal — sadly, though, not in a manner that in any way conforms to the general rules of hospitality.

Andrzej Sapkowski[]

A graveir is a type of ghoul. It looks very much like a ghoul but is considerably larger. He can also be told apart, as you can see, by these three bony combs on his skull. The rest is the same as any other corpse-eater. Take note of the short, blunt claws, adapted for digging up graves, and churning earth. Strong teeth for shattering bones and a long, narrow tongue used to lick the decaying marrow from them.
pg. 97 Blood of Elves (UK edition)

The Witcher[]

Graveirs are depraved, lecherous and treacherous bastards. Larger than ghouls, they have three bony combs on their head and short but cruel, thick claws. Their teeth and thin tongue allow them to eat marrow — and the more rotten and rancid the marrow, the more it is to their liking. The vile graveirs have cadaverine in their teeth, so anyone who engages one in battle beware. Graveirs fear fire, silver, and magic, but weapons of steel cause them no harm.

Journal Bestiary entry[]

"After the war with Nilfgaard, graveirs became a real plague. Until then the monsters were familiar only to specialists and professional beast killers, thus everyone mistook them for ghouls. Today, any child could give an accurate description of a graveir, and people who have passed near battlefields or necropolises offer first-hand accounts of the horrible murders committed by these ruthless necrophages."

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Notes[]

  • Graveir remains will not contain Graveir Bones unless you have their bestiary entry.
  • In the Prologue, Lambert claims the Strong Style is best to use against graveirs, but the conversation does not result in a bestiary entry.

Monsterbook[]

Developer CD PROJEKT RED's characterization of the graveir taken from the monsterbook, which was enclosed with the Collectors Edition of the computer game The Witcher for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic:

Half-dead, half living creatures, ghouls are scary, miserable and repulsive at the same time. They feed on human corpses and hide from sunlight in the dark crypts. Graveirs are their larger cousins and can by no means described as miserable. They are just plain scary.

The graveir's hefty, strapping silhouette suggests it is no normal necrophage. Closer examination reveals some chilling details. Its hard, stone-like skin is covered with dry blood. Its most striking features include its small eyes and a low-set head that makes the graveir look dumb (which it is indeed). With its small mouth full of curved, uneven teeth, it easily crushes even the thickest bones, and it possesses a long tongue useful for sucking out marrow, its greatest delicacy.

Vetala is an unusual graveir, one endowed with human features, a keen intelligence, and the ability to speak. When Geralt encounters him on one of his adventures, he ponders whether to kill the creature or to leave it be as an intelligent being capable of rationally justifying its way of life.

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