The frigid winter night of The Witcher Season 2's Episode 1 begins with a blanket of snow covering the land. A merchant and his family arrive, seeking refuge from the unforgiving cold. However, their journey is cut short by a ferocious monster that mercilessly lays waste to them all.
Meanwhile, Yennefer's absence looms heavy in the air. The battlefield stands as a grim reminder of the carnage, with the lifeless bodies of 20,000 soldiers strewn across the ground like discarded mosaic tiles. Out of the smoky haze emerge Ciri and Geralt, now united in their quest. But their futile search for Yen only leads them deeper into the foreboding woods.
Facing a crossroads, they discard the idea of visiting Cintra and Geralt decides to steer towards Kaer Morhen, the winter refuge of the Witchers. Amidst the frigid temperatures, he reasons that the other Witchers would have made the same choice.
On their journey, Geralt stumbles upon a lifeless carcass by the roadside. After calming his steed, Roach, he encounters Nivellen, now transformed into an unfamiliar figure. Geralt is assured of Ciri's safety within Nivellen's abode, yet an unsettling presence seems to skitter within the walls, watching Ciri from afar with an unseen eye.
Nivellen's connection to Geralt dates back to when Geralt eradicated a wyvern infestation for his father. Nivellen's appearance is a testament to a curse inflicted upon him by a Priestess, forcing him to lead a solitary life. Her screams echoed with words of love and blood, and the magic binding him is so potent that even death is beyond his grasp.
Amidst these revelations, Nivellen speaks of the impending doom, warning of the world's tumultuous state and the rumors of the Wild Hunt riding out. The world stands precariously balanced on a knife's edge, and the coming days hold more uncertainty than ever before.
That night, Geralt winds up playing a game with Nivellen, but the cursed man uses magical knives to fix the game of truths. This only furthers Geralt’s suspicions that something is amiss here.
Triss Merigold continues to suffer from bad dreams, quelled slightly by Tissaia using her magic. Fringilla is also lost, although as we soon find out she’s actually out in the woods with Yennefer. Despite being in chains, Yen realizes that they’ve won the battle. So naturally Fringilla intends to use Yennefer as a sacrifice to Nilfgaard to try and change their fortunes.
For now, Tissaia is more preoccupied with her prisoner, Cahir. He continues his discord regarding the White Flame, unwilling to speak. So naturally, Tissaia decides to use her magic to rip the memories right from his head.
That night, we find out what Nivellen is hiding. A strange creature known as a Bruxa in the house. It comes to Ciri that night, revealing her name is Vereena.
As Geralt stumbled upon the lifeless merchant and his family outdoors, he set his sights on hunting down the monster. In the courtyard, he lunged for Vereena, but her cunning grasp tightened around Ciri, hostage in her grasp. Just when all seemed lost, Nivellen emerged, his blade piercing Vereena's heart. As Geralt delivered the final blow, slicing off her head, Vereena's eyes darted towards Ciri, a foreboding warning whispered, "He'll come for you too." This single, decisive act lifted the curse, restoring Nivellen to his human form. Despite her monstrous nature, he had allowed Vereena to remain, feeding on him in a futile attempt to quell her insatiable hunger. Their bond, though unconventional, was one of love. However, this did not overshadow the brutal fact that she had slaughtered countless villagers, including the merchants Geralt had found.
Ciri and Geralt retreated into the depths of the woods, their journey continuing. Geralt vowed to safeguard Ciri, ensuring her safety as long as she adhered to his guidance.
Meanwhile, in the forest, Yen and Fringilla faced an invisible menace. Their platoon decimated, they were left to confront this unseen threat, relying solely on their wits and courage.
