Vilgefortz of Roggeveen was a mage and a member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
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Who plays the character Vilgefortz in the Netflix series 'The Witcher'?
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How did Vilgefortz rise to power among the mages despite not attending a magical school?
Why was Vilgefortz in search of Yennefer of Vengerberg in Nazair?
What is the relationship between Tissaia and Vilgefortz in 'The Witcher' series?
Biography[]
Early life[]
Vilgefortz was born to a prostitute who quickly abandoned him as a baby in the sewers. However, he was discovered by druids who taught him about magic. Despite never attending one of the magical schools, like Ban Ard Academy, he became a force to be reckoned with among other educated mages and quickly rose among their ranks.[1]
Tracking down Yennefer[]
Vilgefortz tracked Yennefer of Vengerberg to Nazair, as he needed her help. Nilfgaard had been conscripting mages into their service. And since neither of them possessed a letter of safe conduct, they both needed to leave as fast as possible. He needed Yennefer to accompany him back to Aretuza. He and Tissaia needed her help. Tissaia even said herself that Yennefer was the best student she'd ever taught.
Vilgefortz brought Yennefer back to Aretuza with him, where he and Vanielle of Brugge informed her that Nilfgaard was planning to attack Cintra. Not that Yennefer cared. She only cared for finding Tissaia. To her surprise, Tissaia had no idea Yennefer was in Aretuza. Vilgefortz lied to Yennefer in an attempt to convince her to join their cause.
Vilgefortz was one of many mages who attended the conclave of Northern mages in Aretuza. Artorius, Stregobor, and Tissaia led the conclave. Artorius and Stregobor had no desire to go to war with Nilfgaard, especially not on behalf of Cintra, who had rejected their mages for decades. However, Vilgefortz worried that more kingdoms would fall after Cintra as Nilfgaard wanted the entire Continent. Rather than watching them fall, Tissaia wanted to help Cintra defeat Nilfgaard. Vilgefortz, Sabrina, and Vanielle sided with Tissaia, wanting to convince the kings to send their armies and arguing that if they didn't stop Nilfgaard now, more kingdoms would fall.
Fringilla arrived at the conclave and denounced any suspicion that Nilfgaard was planning to take over the Continent. She stated that under their new leader, Emperor Emhyr, Nilfgaard had strengthened trade and funded research. Tissaia accused Fringilla of rejecting the order and way of life that took centuries to build. Fringilla retorted that they had modified it and had taken a new path, guided by the White Flame. She claimed that Nilfgaard believed in shared sacrifice and that there was no such thing as dark or light magic. Fringilla argued that by taking Cintra, they could save the Continent. The mages put it to a vote. Unfortunately, most sided with Stregobor and Artorius in allowing Cintra to fend for themselves.[2]
Battle of Sodden Hill[]
Approximately 60 mages, Vilgefortz, Triss, Yennefer, Tissaia, Vanielle, Coral, and Sabrina, included, board a ship headed for Sodden Hill. They must get to the Elven keep that guarded it before Nilfgaard did. They had already sent word to the Northern kingdoms. Temeria and Kaedwen agreed to join them in defending the land. The plan was to protect the keep. Once on land, Yennefer questioned Nilfgaard's strategy of sacking Cintra and exposing themselves. Vilgefortz explained that the bigger picture was often left for history. Their task was much clearer: hold Sodden and save the continent.
Vilgefortz, Triss, Yennefer, Tissaia, Vanielle, Coral, and Sabrina arrived at the keep, the only thing separating Nilfgaard from the North. A man greeted them. Yennefer advised him to take the children and hide, but as he explained, there was no more hiding from Nilfgaard. Their only chance was to fight.
Fringilla and Nilfgaard attacked the keep in the late hours of the night. The sun had risen, and the Northern mages made it through the night. Unfortunately, Nilfgaard arrived much sooner than they anticipate,d and the Northern armies were still a ways out. There were only 22 of them left: Vilgefortz, Triss, Yennefer, Tissaia, Vanielle, Coral, Atlan Kerk, and Sabrina, included. They witnessed as a thick fog consumed the mountains around them, signaling Nilfgaard's encroachment.
On Yennefer's command, Vilgefortz portalled to Cahir's destination, taking out half a dozen soldiers before getting to Cahir. During the fight, Vilgefortz was disarmed multiple times, each time using magic to return his sword, despite Yennefer's warnings to reserve his chaos. Cahir eventually bested Vilgefortz, and with his chaos depleted, Cahir kicked him off the hill. Vilgefortz rolled down the hill and hit his head on a tree stump. Vilgefortz, once awakened, found dozens of dead Nilfgaardians in the woods and a wounded comrade. Instead of saving him, Vilgefortz bashed his head in with a mace.[3]
Aftermath of Sodden Hill[]
Vilgefortz and Tissaia were among the few left standing at the Battle of Sodden Hill. While Vilgefortz counted the fallen, Tissaia searched for Yennefer, but Vilgefortz advised her to accept that Yennefer was gone.
The mages returned to Aretuza from Sodden Hill, where they healed and tended to their wounded, Triss among them, who suffered bad burns and was experiencing seizures, which they managed to get under control before deciding to step up their methods of persuasion with Cahir, who they had taken prisoner.[4]
Taking leadership of the Brotherhood[]
The Brotherhood called forward Istredd to determine if they were justified for not acting sooner against Nilfgaard despite Vilgefortz's hunch, which Artorius and Stregobor ignored. With the Northern Kings coming for the memorial, they'd need answers, and their prisoner hadn't spoken a word. It was then that Yennefer returned, alive and well after a month away.
With Vilgefortz and Tissaia making a play for Stregobor and Artorius' seats, Tissaia explained to Yennefer that they needed to allow Vilgefortz to carry the mantle of victory, even though Yennefer had actually saved them. And when he crossed paths with Yennefer, she explained that per Tissaia's request, she was staying out of his way. He wished it were different, but politics required calculated measures.
After Stregobor accused Yennefer of potentially being a spy, the Brotherhood decided to put her loyalty to the test and have her execute Cahir before the Northern Kingdoms. However, when the time came, Yennefer freed Cahir and helped him escape.[5]
Vilgefortz lay in bed, waiting for Tissaia to return, as she stared out the window. Something was clearly bothering her, but she didn't wish to burden Vilgefortz, who insisted they were partners. And so, she reluctantly revealed they had an unexpected visit from Dijkstra, who revealed to the Brotherhood that an elven baby had been born of a mage, which Artorius and Stregobor saw as a potential threat. However, Tissaia and Vilgefortz didn't intend to act on unfounded prejudice and rumor, to which Dijkstra replied, "Today's gossip is next month's news." For instance, he heard that Triss had returned, which the Brotherhood was not aware of, but Tissaia claimed she had come back to recover after falling ill.
After learning the truth about Ciri and Triss' return from Tissaia, Vilgefortz demanded to speak with Triss, who had made Tissaia promise that this would remain between the two of them. She saw this as a betrayal and left without another word. Tissaia blamed Vilgefortz for not heeding her warning and for waiting until the time was right. Still, Vilgefortz saw this as a chance to end all war, because if Ciri fell into the wrong hands, she could destroy the world. Vilgefortz always considered Tissaia his equal partner. He wished he could prove to her that he's equal to the same.[6]
A traitor within the Brotherhood[]
When Vilgefortz learned that Tissaia had decided to allow Yennefer to return to Aretuza, he said he was not opposed to it. He, along with Tissaia, supports Yennefer during her speech at the Council, when she calls a Conclave of Mages to unite once again the wizards and the Northern kingdoms.
During the ball in Thanedd Island, Vilgefortz meets Geralt of Rivia, where he shows him his favorite painting, "The First Arrival." He insists that the two have more in common. Vilgefortz reveals that he was an orphan who had a difficult life. He didn't fit the labels of mage, human, or druid, so he decided to become a sorcerer. Vilgefortz says he changed after meeting Tissaia. Watching Yennefer talking to Istredd, Vilgefortz tells Geralt that they were a young couple. First loves are difficult to forget. Later, he reveals that Yennefer's presence in Aretuza can only strengthen the Brotherhood. Vilgefortz tried to convince him to get on the right side and become a mage too. Geralt insists on adapting to the world around him, responding to events. Vilgefortz believes that enemies will perpetually surround him if Geralt does not choose a side.
In the midst of all this, it turned out that Vilgefortz had been secretly conspiring with Nilfgaard all along and was also the traitor mage behind everything that was happening on the Continent. At first, they thought it was Stregobor, whom he was using as a false lead to cover himself. Vigelfortz was not only an ally of Nilfgaard. Still, it was also behind the mysterious disappearance of the novices, during which he carried out horrible experiments on them, practicing mind control with Ciri's memories. Vilgefortz is also the one who corrupted Yennefer's portal, and Lydia van Bredevoort's mysterious employer, who sent Rience to find Ciri. He had also taken a position from the Book of Monoliths.
In the morning, it turns out that Vilgefortz, along with other possible traitor mages, was captured and chained in dimerite shackles by the Northern coalition, headed by Dijkstra and Philippa. They claim they have ample evidence that Vilgefortz is cooperating with Nilfgaard. Vilgefortz refutes the accusations by stating that the traitors here are precisely the Redanian representatives trying to seize power, and convinces Tissaia to remove his shackles. Once freed, the sorcerers neutralize the Northern partisans.
Vilgefortz leaves in a hurry, and when Tissaia goes after him, he gloats before her and says that the Scoia'tael will come here, as well as the Nilfgaardians, to devastate this place in the name of the White Flame. Also, how easy it was to trick her, revealing that her feelings were just a manipulative tactic to further his plans. This broke Tissaia's heart. Vilgefortz removed the protective barrier, letting in the Scoia'tael and Nilfgaardians, led by Francesca and Cahir, orchestrating the Thanedd coup.
Vilgefortz himself does not participate in the battle. Instead, he goes in search of Ciri, during which he confronts Geralt. He now has the luxury of not hiding his true strength as an inhumanly powerful warrior, allowing him to deal with the witcher easily. Leaving Geralt to die after defeating him and leaving him badly wounded, Vilgefortz goes after Ciri to the tower of Tor Lara. He arrived inside and saw how Ciri interacted with the monolith that was hidden in the tower. He tried to stop her, but a powerful energy explosion occurred immediately, destroying the tower and injuring Vilgefortz, while Ciri was teleported to the Korath desert.
Vilgefortz managed to survive the explosion, although part of his face was scarred. He later traveled to Nilfgaard, where, together with the emperor Emhyr var Emreis, and everyone, they received Cirilla of Cintra as their queen, who is not actually Ciri, but Teryn, one of the novices that he experimented with.
Attempting to recruit Yennefer[]
Yen seeks out Vilgefortz, visiting several places she hopes will yield any shred of information on his whereabouts, but to no avail.
Reaching the outside of the Giancardi Bank, Yennefer finds what she thought was Vilgefortz; however, it was an Imposter Mage who impersonated him. The mage, named Jocephus of Muroc, refused to tell Yen where Vilgefortz was unless she accepted the invitation to join Vilgefortz's side, but Yen refused. After Keira and Giancardi die at the hands of the angry mob, Jocephus warned Yen that this would happen because she declined Vilgefortz's offer and disappeared.
Heading back to the crowd, Yen runs into another mage, who rallied the mob against her sisters and tried to get Yen to join Vilgefortz's side. However, Yen knocks her out and takes her hostage back to Giancardi's bank.
Inside the bank, Rita, Triss, and Sabrina stand by the corpses of Keira and Giancardi; they learn from Yen that Vilgefortz sent two mages to try to recruit her. One of the mages was captured and bound to a chair, which Triss recognized as Burnita, one of them. Desiring to find Vilgefortz's location, Yen attempts to mind-warp Burnita to discover where Vilgefortz is. Her first attempt fails, but in her second attempt, Yen, empowered by her sisters, tries again, only for Vilgefortz to intervene and offer her to join him, but she refuses. Hence, Vilgefortz kills Burnita by frying her brain, and with newfound resolve, Yen decides to form an army to fight against Vilgefortz and his own army.
Yennefer's attempt to rally a counter army[]
Yen visited Philippa in Montecalvo, where she attempted to recruit her into the army she was forming to fight against Vilgefortz and his own army. Initially, Philippa was not interested in joining after what happened on Thanedd. Still, she later helped Yen when confronted by a few of Vilgefortz's assassin mages, deciding to join her cause.
In between that, Yen also sought Fringilla's help, offering her a diminitrium blade to join Vilgefortz's side and use the blade that she gifted her to assassinate him. However, when Fringilla locates Vilgefortz, she informs him of Yen's plan and decides not to use the blade against him, instead joining him on the winning side.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Twitter: Deleted scene between Vilgefortz and Stregobor
- ↑ Season 1, Episode 07: Before a Fall
- ↑ Season 1, Episode 08: Much More
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 01: A Grain of Truth
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 03: What Is Lost
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 07: Voleth Meir