Kaer Morhen

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	From there they could see the ruins of Kaer Morhen huddled against the stone precipices - the partially demolished trapezium of the defensive wall, the remains of the barbican and gate, the thick, blunt column of the donjon.
- pg. 51, Blood of Elves (UK edition)

Kaer Morhen (Elder Speech: Caer a'Muirehen, meaning Keep of the Elder Sea) is an old keep where witchers used to be trained. The name is a corruption of Caer a'Muirehen, revealing that there used to be sea around it, which is further indicated by the presence of fossilized sea creatures embedded in the stones on which it was built.^[1] However, by the 1200s it is located in the mountains of the kingdom of Kaedwen, right off the Gwenllech river.

In older times, witchers trained and underwent mutations here, but fanatics who considered witchers an abomination attacked the keep and killed most of the teachers and students. Vesemir was the last known witcher to live in the keep, although other witchers sometimes rested here between their assignments, often during the winter, after which they set out on The Path again.

The castle can only be reached by "The Witchers Trail", which is easy to miss, and encircles the keep. It is often given the nickname "The Killer" by young witchers.

Known Witchers

Trained but not witchers themselves:

Ciri
Leo^[5]

Locations

History

The following is considered game canon only and may contradict Andrzej Sapkowski's works.

In 1232, Eskel's surprise child, Deidre Ademeyn, took refuge here as those pursuing her didn't dare enter with the witchers around.

In 1270, Kaer Morhen was a ruin of its former self, with only a few witchers remaining. During this time, Triss Merigold was staying here with the remaining witchers when an unconscious Geralt was found near the fortress. Soon after he regained consciousness, the fortress came under attack by a criminal organization, the Salamandra, and the school's closely guarded herbs that were once used for the Trial of the Grasses were stolen and Leo was killed. After Leo was buried just outside Kaer Morhen, the witchers aided by Triss left in different directions to learn more about their attackers and recover the ingredients.

A couple years later in 1272, the witchers of the school once more met up here on learning that Ciri was back but being chased by the Wild Hunt. Yennefer arrived before Geralt to begin preparations, as she wished to use the first part of the Trial of the Grasses on Uma, an odd creature that was their only link to learning what happened to Ciri. After a successful transformation, Geralt headed out and soon brought Ciri back, but with the Wild Hunt right on their tail. During the Battle of Kaer Morhen, the group tried various tactics to defend their home, but were eventually overpowered, resulting in Vesemir's death, until Ciri's Elder Blood activated, threatening to destroy not just the Wild Hunt members but the entire fortress along with it. However, a weakened Avallac'h was able to stop her.

The remaining allies then held a pyre funeral for Vesemir before the witchers decided to go their separate ways, leaving Kaer Morhen behind.

End of game canon content.

The Witcher

Journal Entry

Kaer Morhen is an inaccessible mountain stronghold which has been the headquarters of the witchers' guild for centuries. The name comes from the language of the elves — the original Caer a'Muirehen translates into Old Sea Fortress. The castle's time of greatness has passed, the battlements and moat have deteriorated, and a cold wind blows through the spacious halls. Currently, only a handful of witchers live here, but once many young boys underwent gruesome training along the infamous "Gauntlet" near Kaer Morhen.

The Price of Neutrality premium module

Journal Entry

Kaer Morhen is an inaccessible mountain stronghold which has been the headquarters of the witchers' guild for centuries. Its name derives from its original elven appellation — Caer a'Muirehen, meaning Old Sea Fortress. The castle's times of glory have passed, its battlements and moat have deteriorated, a cold wind blows through its spacious halls. Only a handful of witchers live here now, but in past times droves of young boys underwent gruesome training along the infamous "Gauntlet" near Kaer Morhen.

Years ago a horde of fanatics, their hatred incited by various publications defamatory of witchers, laid siege to Kaer Morhen. The mob would not have captured the fortress nor later turned it into a ruin without the help of mages. Practically all those who were in the Old Sea Fortress during the assault perished. From among those witchers who called Kaer Morhen home, only a few survived the massacre, merely because they were out on their Paths at the time. The bones of the dead remain at the bottom of the moat surrounding the stronghold, left there as a reminder of the massacre that was born from hatred directed against changelings.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Map Description

The Keep of the Sea of Yore, home to the witchers of the Wolf School.

Associated Quests

Trivia

Kaer or Kêr means "city" in Breton, while Ker means "city" or "fortress" in Cornish. Caer means the same in Welsh. Morlen means "Bay" in Breton. Môr hen means "ancient sea" in Welsh.

Notes

According to Vesemir, Kaer Morhen was home to twenty-three witchers and forty students before it was attacked.
In The Witcher and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you can examine the 3 tapestries inside the main hall and Geralt will comment about each one of them.