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abraxas:: AU INFO.
Apr. 2nd, 2024 10:05 pmBasics
Guardian of the Torn
Geralt of Rivia;
Moniker
Wolf ◈ The White Wolf ◈ Gwynbleidd
Age
~906 (appears late-30s)
Blessing
White Knight
Affliction
Black Knight
Arcanum
The Hanged Man
Call Signs
Snow; paw prints
Appearance
At first glance, Geralt takes on the appearance of a great wolf [ 1 | 2 ], but this is an illusory shroud that forms around him when he pulls up the hood of his fur cloak. Underneath that, Geralt is physically unchanged, although his hair is slightly longer and his eyes shine in the dark. He's never seen without a sword [ 1 | 2 ] on his back or strapped to his horse. His shadow always takes the shape of the same large wolf.
He's followed by the forest, which springs up around him wherever he goes: lush trees, thick grass, pine needles, blooming flowers (notably, lilacs and dandelions). It isn't just pretty aesthetics. If you're careless, you'll trip over roots or have an unfortunate brush with poison ivy. The occasional half-eaten corpse of a small prey can be seen. When he brings the forest, he brings all of it.
He's also accompanied by either a sandpiper or a swallow, both of which frequently sing familiar songs from long ago. A glowing phoenix feather is often tucked into his hair cord.
When his ire is provoked or he's in a fight, the forest will transform into a frosty blizzard. He will take on a more monstrous appearance, with pitch-black eyes, darkened spiderweb veins, and lengthened teeth and claws. If he bleeds, it's an inky black.
He's followed by the forest, which springs up around him wherever he goes: lush trees, thick grass, pine needles, blooming flowers (notably, lilacs and dandelions). It isn't just pretty aesthetics. If you're careless, you'll trip over roots or have an unfortunate brush with poison ivy. The occasional half-eaten corpse of a small prey can be seen. When he brings the forest, he brings all of it.
He's also accompanied by either a sandpiper or a swallow, both of which frequently sing familiar songs from long ago. A glowing phoenix feather is often tucked into his hair cord.
When his ire is provoked or he's in a fight, the forest will transform into a frosty blizzard. He will take on a more monstrous appearance, with pitch-black eyes, darkened spiderweb veins, and lengthened teeth and claws. If he bleeds, it's an inky black.
Demeanor
Geralt is defined by his desire to protect, whether it be his family or someone who hasn't got anyone else to help them. He has little wish to be worshipped or recognized, but will acknowledge that it's unavoidable—a facet he was used to long before he stepped into Abraxas, thanks to a certain bard. He will virtually never linger once he's accomplished whatever task he came to do, vanishing immediately.
To the other Summoned, he's called Geralt or Wolf (a nickname granted to him by an old mentor he no longer recalls). He will leave you alone if you leave him and his people alone. Geralt is keen to hold onto the ones he considers his family, rebuilding the brotherhood lost to time: the Witchers, old friends...souls left behind on the Continent and now replaced by the clearer faces of others in Abraxas.
Each winter, he hibernates in the mountains somewhere unknown. He doesn't exactly slumber, but he will spend the season alone except Ciri or his adopted "wolves," who may or may not choose to join him. When spring arrives, he will venture down and bring the blooming woods. The first person he always looks for is Jaskier.
To the other Summoned, he's called Geralt or Wolf (a nickname granted to him by an old mentor he no longer recalls). He will leave you alone if you leave him and his people alone. Geralt is keen to hold onto the ones he considers his family, rebuilding the brotherhood lost to time: the Witchers, old friends...souls left behind on the Continent and now replaced by the clearer faces of others in Abraxas.
Each winter, he hibernates in the mountains somewhere unknown. He doesn't exactly slumber, but he will spend the season alone except Ciri or his adopted "wolves," who may or may not choose to join him. When spring arrives, he will venture down and bring the blooming woods. The first person he always looks for is Jaskier.
Lore
Creed of the Path
Stories involving the White Wolf comprise equal parts truth and tall tales. Consistent motifs are his white hair and demon eyes: black or yellow, depending on who you ask. He may or may not turn into a wolf or resemble a wolf, but in many tales, he's simply a man. In others still, he's an unknown beast. His horse is often a chestnut or bay, sometimes black. She appears white only to those he seeks to guard.
To some, his arrival signifies a monster in the shadows or death looming. To others, he's a symbol of safety, a guardian knight. He usually does leave something behind: bodies, bloodshed, or the corpse of a beast haunting a town. Whether the violence is justified, or whether he's terrifying or comforting to behold—that's for you to decide.
Mortals who earn his favour will find a whittled wolf left at a shrine or by a window. Typical recipients are children, but anyone who needs a guardian can receive one. It's said the carvings can be used to call upon him in times of need. The token cannot be lost. Once you have it, it's yours for life...unless you commit an unforgivable sin.
Feast of the Wolf
Offerings to the White Wolf are in gold or other currency. That's the only kind he'll accept. The money disappears once your problems are solved, never before. He's known for being apathetic, refusing to intervene if he decides you aren't fit. There are claims he'll show up unasked, too, under certain circumstances.
Do not try to remove or steal the payment placed out for him. You will regret it.
Cry of the Songbird
Over the centuries, the Wolf can leave great destruction in his wake, especially when those he loves are threatened. Between the gaze of the Drelch, which turns villages into desolate landscapes, and the stain of Vhóel Ichaer, which marks its victims for death, his presence can be as bloody as it is protective.
Legend tells of a many-winged figure who swoops in afterwards to restore such abandoned towns or, in one rare instance, cleanse a mortal of his curse. When the Wolf departs, many listen for the flutter of wings and birdcall that signals the Piper's arrival.
Flight of the Swallow
Heavily associated with the Huntress, the two are occasionally seen riding across the skies together. Stories say the Wolf will only rouse from his midwinter slumber when she faces danger or calls for him.
No one is sure what the nature of their connection is, but the Wolf is seemingly never far behind, carefully watching over her for all time. Those who cross her often discover this in the bloodiest way possible.
Abilities
Along with his strengthened Signs, Geralt possesses the following:
Cáerme Gláeddyv
Forged from silver and steel, his sword can cut through anything: rock, iron, water itself, dividing lakes in half. The blade never dulls. It cannot be wielded by anyone else except his daughter—the other edge of Destiny.
Stráede
Geralt's tracking skills have taken on new life. He can find anyone or anything, given enough time and determination, and can spot tracks eroded by wind and rain. His ability to detect a scent is greatly enhanced.
Drelch
Those caught in the path of his clawed and black-eyed form will flee in terror. At its strongest, he can clear a village simply by walking through. Not always within his control, it often manifests when he's angry.
Vhóel Ichaer
When his blood is spilt or he spills mortal blood, anyone who comes in contact with it will be marked for death, whether right then or later—violence begetting more violence.
Bonds
History
Pre-500 Years
— ◈ Thorne's collapse results in a reckless act by Yennefer that places her life in grave danger. This sparks an explosive fight between he and Yennefer, one that breaks them apart for the next century. They reconcile following the recovery of his memories.— ◈ The second he's capable of leaving the desert borders, Geralt begins to winter in the northern mountains. The rest of the months, he wanders the continent. Elements of the forest start to sprout around him where he goes, and he takes on the form of a great white wolf when donning his fur cloak (gifted by Hilda).
— ◈ John begins to spend some winters with Geralt. Their friendship becomes a kinship.
— ◈ Cassian, newly reformed after a "dusting," is scrounging for food. Geralt stops to help this sad dusty man.
— ◈ Rocket begins to appear in Geralt's forest and Horizon domain as an occasional companion. In the latter, he frequently "steals" Geralt's ale. River also walks with him in his forest every so often.
— ◈ Ciri commissions a new sword from Hilda for Geralt. The weapon is skillfully enchanted and melds silver and steel into one. He has the phrase Duettaeánn aef cirrán Cáerme Gláeddyv engraved on the blade in Elder runes, and carries this sword for the rest of time.
— ◈ Geralt becomes aware of a schism between Dean and Sam Winchester, but does not intervene directly.
— ◈ Geralt comes across a decimated village burnt to ash. Locals claim it was set ablaze by a horned beast that spouted flames, and that a massive dragon came down from the heavens to battle the beast. He recognizes the description as Clive, and surmises that the dragon must have been Dion. He does not act on this information.
— ◈ Geralt intervenes in a small town with Jo. When the bloodshed is over, they get to know each other a little more. This becomes a habit for them every few decades.
— ◈ Geralt brings a young girl to a refuge outside the Witchwood. He meets Cid for the first time, though they exchange very few words.
— ◈ A village suffering devastation under a callous leadership comes to his attention. Geralt takes care of the men responsible and leaves the village in Teddy's hands. Though he does not return unless called upon, its well-being is important to him.
Amnesia Period
— ◈ Roughly 300 years in, an accident involving Haelva, Astarion, and some unfortunate crossfire strips Geralt entirely of his memories. He spends the next few years gradually regaining them. Some memories will return within a week while others take much longer.— ◈ Blake brings Geralt to the closest friend he knows of: Jaskier.
— ◈ Distressed, Ciri refuses to be around Geralt. They are estranged for the next 10 years.
— ◈ Dean helps Geralt unearth the training that lies beneath his consciousness, but an incident with Steve Harrington causes Geralt to cut things short. He spends the remainder of the winter with Sam Wilson before returning to Dean.
— ◈ Jaskier assists Geralt with his recollections from the Continent while Ciri seeks a cure from others. Yennefer becomes a grounding force where he retreats to when he does not wish to dwell on the absence of his memories. Istredd offers his library as a place of refuge.
— ◈ Occasional meetings with Jo Harvelle get him away from the complications of the situation.
— ◈ Geralt spends a brief period with Steve Rogers, who is reminded of an old friend when he realizes Geralt is missing some pieces of his life. He also visits the Doctor, who lends an ear, and Sabine walks with him in a small memory in an attempt to help.
— ◈ Geralt intervenes in a small village on the outskirts of the Velan Republic, but a spark of memory results in things getting out of hand. A young boy is inadvertently marked by the Vhóel Ichaer, something Geralt realizes only after the fact. This becomes the one and only time Jaskier arrives to undo the curse.
— ◈ After Ciri is gravely injured, Geralt returns to her side to protect her. This act finally returns his memories of her.
— ◈ By the end of the decade, he'll have recovered even the inconsequential memories, but a few pieces are lost for good: his mother's name and face, the incident at Blaviken, and the gold dragon. While flashes of the Trials and his childhood return, he can't recall it all in full. His unwillingness to re-examine such traumatic events means they slowly begin to fade.
Year 500
— ◈ Geralt ceases to identify as a Witcher. If asked what he is, he refers to himself as the White Wolf. He responds more readily to this title, or simply Wolf.— ◈ His Horizon domain becomes a modest log cabin in the snowy mountains. Aside from his medallion, all traces of his past as a Witcher vanish with Kaer Morhen.
— ◈ Geralt continues to bring one or two rescued mortals to Cid's village every few decades. They are often children with no parents and nowhere to go.
— ◈ The Doctor becomes a familiar presence over the decades, occasionally seeking Geralt out for simpler times.
Year 600
— ◈ Over time, Geralt uses his wolf shroud more frequently. When amongst the mortals, he becomes a strange amalgamation of beast and man, lurking from underneath his cloak...if he shows himself at all.— ◈ He begins to forgo cooked meat, consuming what he hunts raw. He'll still enjoy a properly prepared meal if offered one and will cook and hunt for those who continue to indulge in food.
— ◈ Briefly assists a lost child in the woods with Adrienne. He leaves as soon as the child is safe, letting Adrienne take the child without lingering. He does not introduce himself, though she may recognize the White Wolf regardless.
Year 700
— ◈ Geralt settles fully into a contented life. For the first time, he lets himself believe that he and his family can be safe for good.Year 800
— ◈ Little changes from here. Geralt continues to wander the continent. He has a fondness for the Lunae Settlement and the Nether. He very rarely ventures into the crumbled Thorne kingdom or the Feywilds.