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But you, you can go places and do things most of us could only dream of. You can accomplish incredible feats, make the world a better place, and be remembered for it. To renounce that gift because of bad blood and stubbornness... well, it would be a grave affront to all those less fortunate. |  | |
| - Gwent: Alzur's Story | |||
Madoc was a witcher from the Order of Witchers and one of the first to survive the mutation process.
Biography[]
As a child, Madoc was either taken from the streets or sold by his parents to the mage Alzur, who brought him to Morgraig to undergo training as a witcher. The mages, including Alzur, Cosimo Malaspina, and Idarran of Ulivo, treated Madoc and the other children coldly, only showing emotion during visits from the nobles or kings who funded the creation of witchers. Despite the hardships, Madoc formed bonds with the other children, but many of them perished due to the mutations and trials they were subjected to. Madoc and the surviving children were often left to bury their dead friends themselves. Despite the immense challenges, Madoc endured and became one of the first witchers.
Madoc's time at the Order of Witchers was brief, as he left the order and Alzur behind, consumed by bitterness, resentment, and guilt over surviving when so many others had not. He eventually found work as a bodyguard for a merchant traveling from Vizima to Maribor.
The merchant traveled as part of a group consisting of two dwarves, a soldier, a Halfling, and the retired bard Galanthea. One night, while the group made camp, Galanthea began telling the story of how she met Alzur and how he had saved her. Madoc, skeptical that Alzur would do anything out of kindness, only grunted or spat when addressed by the others. When the topic of witchers came up, he feigned ignorance before going on a patrol of the area. During the night, the camp was attacked by a Wererat, which killed the merchant and one of the dwarves. Madoc engaged the monster as it charged toward Galanthea. He managed to bring the creature to its knees, but it grabbed him by the throat as it quickly regenerated. Acting swiftly, Madoc cast Igni at the wererat, melting its head, and then dropped a bomb at the creature's feet, killing it.
As the caravan resumed its journey, Madoc spoke with Galanthea, revealing what Alzur had done to him and the other children, insisting that Alzur cared only about his ego and legacy, not about making a better world. Galanthea, however, thanked him for saving them and expressed her gratitude for his presence. Madoc nodded and moved ahead to ensure they wouldn't run into any further trouble.
Later, when he returned to the group, he found their cart abandoned near an inn, with blood on the ground. Approaching a peasant standing guard outside, Madoc punched him in the stomach when he was told to leave and entered the inn. Inside, he found a group of peasants pilfering through the belongings of his travel companions. The leader of the group, a woman, aimed a crossbow at him and threatened to shoot if he didn't leave. When Madoc's attempts to calm her down failed, she fired the arrow, but Madoc deflected it with his sword, causing it to strike another peasant in the throat. The entire group then surrendered, and Madoc ordered them to leave.
After freeing his companions, Madoc dug a grave for the peasant he had inadvertently killed. While digging, Galanthea approached him, revealing that she knew his name because Alzur had spoken of him. She claimed that Alzur had been fond of Madoc. Initially angered by this, Madoc listened as Galanthea urged him to let go of his resentment and live life for himself. As Madoc prepared to resume digging, it began to rain. He watched, amused, as his companions and the innkeeper frantically collected rainwater. However, his amusement turned to concern when he noticed clouds gathering over Maribor and a portal opening in them. The group watched in horror as a giant monster, the Viy of Maribor, emerged. Without hesitation, Madoc jumped on his horse, looked back at the group one last time, and rode off to face his fate.