Arc 1The Griffin’s Bargain

Yavi survived the Trial of the Grasses, traveled to Oxenfurt, and enrolled at its academy while taking on a griffin bounty. After recovering the griffins’ egg and securing their promise to leave humans alone, he returned to Oxenfurt and began work at a forge.

  • Yavi’s birthstone shattered, and the Twelve Talismans System gave him the Tiger Talisman before Kharkov took him from Herbert and Maya to Kaer Morhen.
  • Professor C identified Yavi’s talent as Chaos Magic, and Yavi survived the Trial of the Grasses with help from the Horse Talisman, alongside Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel.
  • Yavi killed a lesser vampire that threatened Matilda and Glen, collected a bounty, and continued toward Oxenfurt at Professor C’s request.
  • Yavi accepted the griffin bounty near Moldavie Village and rescued Elena from the griffin before fighting it and offering to recover its stolen egg.
  • The griffin agreed to stop attacking humans and leave after Yavi promised to retrieve its egg, and Yavi traveled with Marvin’s group to Oxenfurt.
  • Yavi enrolled at Oxenfurt Academy, where Loriess recognized him as Professor C’s student and assigned him a premium dormitory room.
  • Yavi tracked the poachers to their wetlands camp, killed the three armed men, and recovered the griffin egg.
  • Yavi returned the egg to the griffins, who honored their agreement and gave him Cursed Stone and a feather, then Loriess rewarded him with mithril.
  • Yavi arranged to use a smithy for 170 crowns and began forging with the apprentice Thomas.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1Law of Surprise

Yavi was born in Saint Thomas City and expelled a mysterious black stone from his mouth, while his father Herbert learned that Kharkov claimed the newborn as his Child of Surprise. Kharkov gave Herbert six years before he would return for Yavi, whose birth stemmed from Herbert’s earlier agreement to the Law of Surprise.

  • Yavi was born to Herbert and a blonde mother, and Amanda tried to make the quiet newborn cry.
  • Yavi pushed a heavy, hexagonal black stone from his mouth, shocking his mother and Amanda before he began crying.
  • Kharkov told Herbert that Yavi was his Child of Surprise, then agreed to give Herbert six years before returning.
  • The chapter explained that Herbert was the benevolent lord of Fislo, a town near Saint Thomas City in Kovir.
  • The chapter revealed that Kharkov had saved Herbert from a monster, and Herbert had agreed to the Law of Surprise as thanks.

Ch. 2Yavi

Nearly six-year-old Yavi learned about Kovir and the dangers around Saint Thomas City before his birthstone exploded after touching his blood. That night, he activated the Twelve Talismans System and received the Tiger Talisman, which stabilized his attributes and magic and gave him storage space.

  • Yavi accepted flowers from his siblings Jace and Mel while Maya and Herbert watched happily.
  • Yavi read about Kovir and Saint Thomas City, then resolved to grow strong enough to survive in the dangerous world.
  • Yavi's blood touched his birthstone, which cracked and exploded, damaging the room but leaving his family unharmed.
  • Yavi explained the explosion to Herbert, who could not identify its cause.
  • Yavi activated the Twelve Talismans System and randomly received the Tiger Talisman, whose abilities included balancing his attributes and magic and providing storage space.

Ch. 3Kharkov

Kharkov arrived at Fislo Castle and shared a meal with Herbert and his family before asking to take Yavi with him. Herbert and Maya accepted, and Kharkov revealed that Yavi was born with magic.

  • Kharkov entered Fislo and Herbert let him through the inner keep gate.
  • Kharkov dined with Herbert, Maya, Jace, Mel, and Yavi, sharing stories from his travels.
  • Herbert told Kharkov that he and Maya had agreed to let Yavi leave with him, while Maya worried about her son's safety.
  • Kharkov promised to do everything he could to protect Yavi and explained that he had promised Arthur Morgan to look after his descendants.
  • Kharkov told Herbert and Maya that Yavi was born with magic, leaving Herbert stunned.

Ch. 4Setting out

Yavi left Fislo Castle with Kharkov to begin his journey to Kaer Morhen, saying an emotional goodbye to his family. After more than two weeks of travel, they reached the witchers’ stronghold and entered it.

  • Maya, Herbert, Jace, and Mel said goodbye to Yavi as Kharkov prepared to take him away.
  • Yavi and Kharkov traveled for about seven days to Kaedwen, then continued toward Kaer Morhen.
  • After roughly half a month on the road, Yavi and Kharkov left their wagon at an abandoned watchtower and rode to the castle.
  • Irgo and another witcher recognized Kharkov, welcomed him, and exchanged jokes with him.
  • Kharkov led Yavi into Kaer Morhen without introducing him to the witchers.

Ch. 5Chaos Magic

Yavi arrived at Kaer Morhen and learned from Professor C that his rare Chaos Magic could be uncontrollable but would make him survive the Trial of the Grasses. He settled in with Kharkov as more witchers and children arrived for training.

  • Kharkov told Professor C about the magical stone Yavi had been born with, and Professor C examined Yavi and identified his talent as Chaos Magic.
  • Professor C explained that Yavi might never control magic but would unleash devastating power if fatally injured, and said he would likely survive the Trial of the Grasses.
  • Kharkov took Yavi back to his room and helped him settle in at Kaer Morhen.
  • Yavi toured Kaer Morhen and learned about its hidden support network, Professor C's past, and the other witcher schools.
  • More witchers returned with children, bringing Kaer Morhen's training group to over sixty children.

Ch. 6Training begins

Yavi began witcher training in Kharkov’s group alongside Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel, and endured three months of demanding physical exercises. Professor C then called Yavi to his study and began helping him awaken his magical potential so he could safely undergo the Trial of the Grasses.

  • Vesemir divided the young witchers into groups, and Yavi joined Kharkov’s group with Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel.
  • Kharkov told the ten children to trust and support one another through training and the final trials.
  • Kharkov began the group’s training with strict morning routines and exhausting runs, and the children’s fitness improved over the following months.
  • After observing and occasionally testing Yavi with magic, Professor C invited him to skip Sunday training and study how to awaken his magical potential.
  • Yavi thanked Professor C and returned to the courtyard to continue training.

Ch. 7Transformation

Yavi began the Trial of the Grasses alongside Geralt and eight other children, and his body endured a severe reaction to the mutations. The Horse Talisman eased his pain and helped guide the magic through him as Professor C watched in astonishment, while the other children continued to suffer.

  • Irgo learned from Professor C that only two children in the third group had survived, and Kharkov left the room in silence.
  • Three days later, Kharkov brought ten children, including Yavi and Geralt, to the transformation laboratory for the Trial of the Grasses.
  • Yavi drank the decoction, was strapped to a restraint bed, and lost consciousness from the pain.
  • Professor C injected Yavi with a second mixture, and Kharkov urged the unconscious boy to endure as the magic reshaped his body.
  • The Horse Talisman activated, soothing Yavi's pain and guiding the magic through him, leaving Professor C astonished as the other children continued to suffer.

Ch. 8A witcher at last

After surviving the Trial of the Grasses, Yavi mourned his lost companions and adjusted to his enhanced body and the Horse Talisman's recovery effects. Vesemir began the new witcher training, and Professor C discovered that Yavi had activated magic with help from a strange power.

  • Yavi woke with Lambert, Eskel, and Geralt and learned from Kharkov that their other companions had died.
  • Yavi checked the Horse Talisman and found that it increased his health recovery and magic recovery.
  • Geralt, Lambert, and Eskel woke, and the four survivors spent the following days adapting to their transformed bodies.
  • Vesemir led the young witchers in a moment of silence for the dead and announced that their new training would begin the next day.
  • Kharkov brought Yavi to Professor C, who demonstrated that Yavi could draw in magic and explained that a strange power had helped him activate it.

Ch. 9Nights of Novigrad

After ten years of witcher training at Kaer Morhen, Yavi confronted a lesser vampire stalking Matilda and her son Glen in Novigrad. He disrupted its attempt to attack them and knocked it out of stealth, leaving the fight to continue.

  • A vagrant followed Matilda and Glen after Glen gave him a copper coin as they walked from the port district toward the trade district.
  • A lesser vampire emerged from the shadows and cornered Matilda and Glen, while the vagrant caught up behind them with a sword.
  • The vagrant revealed himself as Yavi and blocked the vampire’s claw-blade with his sword, then attacked it.
  • Yavi cast Quen as the lesser vampire turned invisible and tried to gain an advantage.
  • Yavi used a shockwave to knock the vampire to the ground and expose it, forcing it to fight openly.

Ch. 10Night Battle with a Vampire

Yavi fought the low-ranking vampire through a fierce night battle, using his witcher signs and sword to protect Matilda and Glen. The vampire escaped Yavi’s attacks and fled across the buildings, but a thrown ball exploded beside it.

  • Yavi dodged the vampire’s claws, broke its knee with a kick, and slashed at it with his silver sword.
  • The vampire healed its broken foot with a blood-red glow, then blasted Yavi into debris with a shock wave.
  • The vampire swooped toward Matilda and Glen, but Yavi’s Yrden Sign slowed it and let him sever its arm.
  • Yavi struck the vampire again, cutting off its shoulder and part of its torso, then used Aard to shield Matilda and Glen from its sonic attack.
  • The vampire fled by leaping between buildings, and a round object flew toward it and exploded.

Ch. 11Rest and recovery

Yavi killed the lesser vampire that had attacked Matilda and Glen, then escorted them home and collected the bounty in Novigrad. After receiving 300 crowns from Qiaogeli, he returned to Red’s house to gather his luggage and continue his journey.

  • Yavi used an Enhanced Northern Wind Bomb to stop the lesser vampire from escaping, then killed it and collected its useful materials.
  • Yavi reassured Matilda and escorted her and Glen home to Red.
  • Red offered to accompany Yavi to collect the bounty and use his acquaintance with Qiaogeli to secure extra payment.
  • Red told Qiaogeli how Yavi had saved his family, and Yavi presented the vampire’s corpse as proof.
  • Qiaogeli paid Yavi 300 crowns, and Yavi returned to Red’s home to collect his luggage.

Ch. 12Heading to Oxenfurt

Yavi left the city after Red gave him food and money, then traveled toward Oxenfurt using a royal pass to pass through a border checkpoint. He reached the Inn at the Crossroads at dusk and approached the bar.

  • Red thanked Yavi for saving his wife and child by giving him food and a hundred crowns, and Yavi gave him two monster-repelling potions in return.
  • Yavi rode south toward Oxenfurt, where Professor C had sent him to help an old friend and study alchemy at the academy.
  • A checkpoint guard recognized Yavi’s royal pass and summoned the captain, who arranged for him to pass without waiting in line.
  • Yavi declined an escort into Velen and continued across the bridge, then fed his pony an apple and unlocked its sidestep function.
  • Yavi arrived at the Inn at the Crossroads at dusk, tethered his pony, entered, and approached the bar.

Ch. 13Inn at the Crossroads

Yavi stayed at an inn on his way to Oxenfurt, enjoyed a meal and ale, and heard that a griffin was attacking travelers for a bounty of four hundred crowns. After taking a room, he opened the door to a young woman in revealing clothes.

  • Yavi rented a room and ordered black pepper pork chop noodles, sausage, a runny fried egg, and cold ale.
  • Yavi ate and drank while overhearing travelers discuss a griffin attacking people on the eastern road and a four-hundred-crown bounty.
  • Yavi decided to watch for the griffin while traveling east toward Oxenfurt the next day.
  • Yavi collected his room key, went upstairs, and unpacked his backpack.
  • A young woman in revealing clothes knocked at Yavi's door, and he opened it.

Ch. 14Setting out for Oxenfurt

After waking from a disturbing dream, Yavi left the Inn at the Crossroads and headed east toward Oxenfurt. He accepted a higher-paying griffin bounty near Moldavie Village and discovered the remains of a caravan the beast had attacked.

  • Yavi woke from a vivid dream of flying through the heavens, unsettled by the sense that something had controlled it.
  • Yavi ate breakfast, checked out of the Inn at the Crossroads, and rode east toward Oxenfurt.
  • At Moldavie Village, Yavi ignored a law officer's warning and took the griffin bounty, which had risen from four hundred crowns to five hundred.
  • Yavi traveled east with his Witcher Senses alert and followed a scent of blood into the woods.
  • Yavi found a wrecked wagon and mangled bodies, judged the caravan had been attacked at least five days earlier, and took fabric and weapons before continuing toward Oxenfurt.

Ch. 15An encounter with a griffin

Marvin’s journey to Oxenfurt turned into a disaster when a griffin attacked his convoy, trapping Elena beneath the carriage and overwhelming the guards. The griffin continued slaughtering the defenders as Marvin’s family remained in danger.

  • Marvin chose to bypass Moldavie Village and continue toward Oxenfurt with his wife Noelle, daughter Elena, and guards.
  • Kirk warned Marvin to take shelter when he sensed danger, but a griffin swooped down and overturned the carriage.
  • Elena was trapped beneath the wreckage with her legs bleeding, while Marvin’s wife was thrown into the grass.
  • Kirk rallied the guards to attack the griffin, but it struck him with its claw and sent him flying with a shattered arm.
  • The griffin killed several guards with its beak and claws while their weapons failed to harm it.

Ch. 16Facing the griffin

A griffin nearly killed Elena after she was pinned beneath a carriage, but a black-cloaked figure arrived and rescued her. He brought her back to her family while the griffin remained alive and hostile.

  • Marvin and the surviving guards failed to lift the carriage trapping Elena, while the griffin drove them back and approached her.
  • Marvin struggled against a guard restraining him as Elena called for help and prepared to die beneath the griffin's beak.
  • A black-cloaked figure struck the griffin with a blue triangle, hurled the carriage away, and lifted Elena.
  • The griffin recovered and attacked them, forcing the figure to dodge its tail and repeated beak strikes while carrying Elena.
  • A transparent yellow barrier blocked the griffin's beak long enough for the figure to retreat with Elena to the convoy.
  • Noelle embraced Elena, and Marvin checked her for injuries before the family reunited and wept.

Ch. 17Battling the Griffin

Yavi protected Marvin, Elena, and the caravan from an enraged griffin after learning that humans had stolen its eggs. Negotiations failed, and Yavi wounded the griffin in battle, but the fight remained unresolved as he leaped toward its back.

  • Yavi told Marvin and the caravan to stay inside a circle of protective runes and introduced himself after removing his cloak.
  • Yavi learned that the griffin was attacking travelers because humans had stolen its eggs, but it refused to leave when he ordered it to.
  • Yavi dodged the griffin’s claw and wounded it with his silver sword, then knocked it to the ground with an Aard Impact Sign.
  • The griffin struck Yavi with its tail, sending him crashing into a tree, while Yavi’s sword wound and Aard Impact left the griffin struggling to rise.
  • Yavi tricked the griffin into defending against a feint and cut away half of its left wing before leaping toward its back.

Ch. 18A bitter battle

Yavi survived the griffin’s devastating attack, healed himself with potions, and fought back with Signs, swordplay, and a bomb. He defeated the griffin and held it at swordpoint, demanding that it accept his terms or die.

  • The griffin struck Yavi through his Quen Defense Signs and bent his silver sword, leaving him gravely wounded.
  • Yavi slowed the charging griffin with Axii, drank White Raffard's Decoction and Swallow Potion, repaired his sword, and coated it with Hybrid Oil.
  • The griffin raised a dust cloud and fought Yavi at close quarters, but a bomb exploded beneath it and badly injured it.
  • Yavi used a speed-enhancing Sign to mount the griffin, then struck it with Aard and knocked it to the ground.
  • Yavi pinned the griffin’s head beneath his foot and held his sword to its eye as Marvin and the others cheered.
  • Yavi gave the griffin one last chance to accept his terms or die.

Ch. 19A choice

Yavi spared the griffin after learning it was protecting its missing eggs and agreed to help it recover them in exchange for its promise to leave and stop attacking humans. He traveled with Marvin’s group toward Oxenfurt, and at camp he explained why he had chosen negotiation over killing the griffin.

  • Yavi learned that poachers had taken the griffin’s eggs and promised to help recover them if the griffin left afterward and stopped attacking humans.
  • The griffin agreed to Yavi’s terms and flew away, while Yavi collapsed from exhaustion and recovered with Marvin’s help.
  • Yavi agreed to travel with Marvin’s group toward Oxenfurt, and the party buried their dead and continued on by carriage.
  • After waking at camp, Yavi used an Igni Flame Sign to light the cooking fire and joined the others for dinner.
  • Yavi told Marvin that he spared the griffin because it was an intelligent mother, humans had provoked it, and killing it could have led to further attacks.
  • Elena asked Yavi whether he was a witcher.

Ch. 20Arrival in Oxenfurt

Yavi and Elena arrived in Oxenfurt and enrolled at Oxenfurt Academy. After parting from Elena, Yavi went to deliver Professor C's letter to the headmaster and stood outside the headmaster's office.

  • Yavi told Elena and her family that he was a witcher who had come to study alchemy at Oxenfurt Academy.
  • Yavi traveled safely with Marvin and the others to Oxenfurt, where magical golems watched over the city.
  • Yavi and Elena presented their admission documents at the academy and completed their enrollment.
  • The receptionist gave Yavi and Elena student handbooks and directions to the dormitories.
  • Yavi parted from Elena and went to the fifth floor to deliver Professor C's letter to the headmaster.

Ch. 21Loriess

Yavi met Loriess, the headmistress of Oxenfurt Academy, who revealed Professor C’s real name and paid him for resolving the griffin bounty. After settling into a private dormitory room, Yavi planned to visit the griffin the next day and reviewed his four upgraded or newly acquired runes before falling asleep.

  • Loriess recognized Yavi as Professor C’s student, revealed that Professor C was Sicco Jett, and praised Yavi’s handling of the griffin dispute.
  • Loriess gave Yavi two hundred crowns as his bounty reward and assigned him a single room in the premium dormitory.
  • Loriess told Yavi to resolve the griffin problem before classes began, and Yavi moved into his room at the academy.
  • Yavi decided to visit the griffin the next day and try to retrieve its egg before classes started.
  • Yavi reviewed his Tiger, Horse, Rabbit, and Ox Talismans and fell asleep.

Ch. 22Heading to the Griffin's Nest

Yavi visited the griffins’ nest to search for clues about the humans who had trapped them, but found only rotting remains. After the male griffin pointed him toward the wetlands, Yavi began searching there and discovered a faint footprint in the mud.

  • Yavi rode southwest to the griffins’ nest after retrieving his pony from the stables.
  • The female griffin stopped her mate, a Royal Griffin, from attacking Yavi and let him inspect their nest.
  • Yavi searched the nest but found no useful clues among the rotting animal and human remains.
  • The male griffin told Yavi that the humans were likely hiding in the wetlands to the southwest.
  • Yavi rode to the wetlands and found a faint footprint in a muddy pool.

Ch. 23Deep into the Wetlands

Yavi tracked the griffin egg to a poachers’ camp in the wetlands and pretended to be the contact sent to rescue them. When the leader exposed Yavi’s deception, Yavi seized the egg and killed the three poachers.

  • Yavi followed faint footprints through the wetlands, killing several drowners along the way.
  • Yavi overheard poachers discussing the griffin egg and their failed meeting with the Scoia'tael.
  • Yavi found four people at the camp and convinced the three armed poachers that he had come to get them out.
  • Yavi inspected the intact griffin egg, but the leader became suspicious when Yavi could not answer about Kalio.
  • Yavi attacked the poachers, put the griffin egg into his Talisman Space, and killed all three in seconds.

Ch. 24Reward

Yavi recovered the griffins’ egg from the poachers and returned it, allowing the griffins to leave peacefully. After reporting his success to Loriess, he received a piece of mithril as a reward.

  • Yavi found over a hundred crowns among the poachers’ belongings, left the sleeping poacher alive, and headed to the griffins’ nest with their egg.
  • The griffins confirmed the egg was unharmed, honored their agreement to leave, and gave Yavi a large piece of Cursed Stone and a feather.
  • Yavi searched the griffins’ ruined nest for more ore, burned it, and returned to Oxenfurt.
  • Yavi told Loriess he had resolved the griffin problem but concealed the Cursed Stone.
  • Loriess praised Yavi and rewarded him with mithril, which he gladly accepted.

Ch. 25A peaceful life

Yavi secured permission to use a smithy in Oxenfurt so he could repair and forge weapons from mithril and dimeritium. The next morning, he began working with the apprentice Thomas.

  • Yavi went to the craftsmen's district and asked to borrow a smithy's forge.
  • Yavi and the blacksmith agreed that Yavi would pay 170 crowns to use the smithy until term began.
  • Yavi returned to the academy, ate dinner, took a walk, and went to sleep in his dormitory.
  • Yavi arrived at the smithy the next morning and found the apprentice, Thomas, waiting to help him.
  • Yavi and Thomas prepared the furnace and began Yavi's forging work.
Arc 1 of 5
Arc 1 of 5