Dandelion

Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove, better known as Dandelion (Polish: Jaskier), was a poet, minstrel, bard, and close friend of the witcher Geralt of Rivia.
== Biography ==
===Early life===
Not much is known about Dandelion's family except that he was of noble birth and was a cousin of Ferrant de Lettenhove, the royal instigator of Kerack.
He received his early education in a temple school, where, according to Geralt, literacy was "beaten into him with a cane". However, he didn't truly get into poetry until he was 19, after being inspired by his love for Countess de Stael. Dandelion studied the seven liberal arts for four years at Oxenfurt University before later becoming a professor, but only taught students for a year before leaving the academy to travel the world. He would, however, visit Oxenfurt from time to time to give guest lectures.
Within a very few years he gained worldwide fame and became known as one of the best minstrels in the Northern Kingdoms, with his best known song was the Ballad of the Lion Cub of Cintra.
=== Meeting Geralt ===
In the mid-to-late s, Dandelion first met Geralt at a fête in the town of Gulet in Aedirn. There, the poet had knocked up a girl under the musician's podium, and her four sturdy brothers were looking for him all over town, threatening to geld him and cover him in pitch and sawdust.
The so called Valley of Flowers seemed just right the right location for the duo's swift escape, as it was supposed to be the edge of the inhabited world, the last outpost of civilization. It was in the small town of Upper Posada, located in a part of the Northern Realms that later became Dol Blathanna, that the pair had their first adventure together, involving a nasty sylvan and an encounter with Dol Blathanna's native inhabitants, the elves. During this adventure, Dandelion received his priceless lute from Toruviel.
=== Temple of Ellander ===
Later, in , Dandelion was in Vizima and heard word of Geralt being injured and recovering at the Temple of Melitele in Ellander. He visited the temple and spoke to Nenneke, trying to win her favour, despite her annoyance of him flirting with one of the priestesses.
After, he went and saw Geralt and the two spent time discussing Dandelion's education, as well as the lack of work for the witcher. Later that day, the two left for the city of Ellander. Once they arrived in the city, they were confronted by Dennis Cranmer, Arthur Tailles and Count Falwick, and Geralt was forced to duel Tailles. After the conflict the witcher and the bard returned to the temple and said their goodbyes before leaving.
===After the First Northern War===
In , during the First Northern War, Dandelion was around the Yaruga, but fled far north, unknowing of Geralt's fate. He went to Pont Vanis, in Kovir and Poviss, to join King Esterad Thyssen's court. After a long time, he left the king's company to go to the Hengfors League, into service with King Niedamir. He also became an associate of the Redanian Secret Service, answering to Sigismund Dijkstra, who requested information on King Ervyll after Dandelion visited Verden.
===Bleobheris===
In , he performed a concert reciting stories of Geralt and Ciri to over a hundred at the giant oak Bleobheris in Velen. Donimir of Troy, Sheldon Skaggs and Radcliffe were among those who attended.
After sneaking away from the concert, he travelled to a nearby town and visited the brothel Mama Lantieri's. At the brothel, he was approached by the mage Rience, who was looking for Ciri. After refusing to give up information and attempting to run, Dandelion was tortured by Rience and two other men in the pigstys behind the brothel. Yennefer then appeared, scarring Rience's face, and creating a portal for the two of them to escape.
===Oxenfurt===
After Yennefer's help, in early , Dandelion went to Oxenfurt, to report details of Verden to Dijkstra. In the marketplace he marveled at the sights and services, noticing he was being tailed by two men, and so rode on to the Oxenfurt Academy, where he signed in at the main gate and watched the students and tutors hard at work.
As he entered the academy, he saw the young student Shani, and proceeded to pretend to flirt with her, as to detach attention from the two men following him. After she promised to deliver a message to Geralt, Dandelion went up to the men, who were spies working for Dijkstra. They led him to the spymaster, joined by Philippa Eilhart and Ori Reuven for the meeting. Sigismund revealed their true interest was Geralt, and asked the bard for information on his location. Dandelion played dumb, having already seen Geralt in Oxenfurt, and so Philippa pushed for information about Ciri instead. After the bard promised to try and arrange a meeting, he left the building and spent several hours lingering around the academy, visiting different faculties, until it got dark. He used the night to sneak across the city to Wolfgang Amadeus Goatbeard's house, a brewer friend of his where Geralt was staying. After entering through the attic window, and discovering Geralt and Shani naked, Dandelion revealed Dijsktra's main objective was to find Ciri, and so if Geralt didn't flee, he would be forced to give up information. As the three went to leave through the window, they were interrupted by Philippa who polymorphed from an owl, and told them Dijkstra was under strict orders from King Vizimir II and Shani revealed she knew Rience, as he had visited a local store owned by Myhrman two days previous.
That night, the four went to the docks where they broke into Myhrman's house, and Geralt and Philippa tortured him for information on Rience. They were able to obtain an magic amulet that Geralt used to message Rience, and before dawn they prepared to meet him. While Geralt dealt with the Michelet brothers and Rience, Dandelion and Shani stood on the palisades watching. After the last brother fell, Shani cried out and attempted to run and heal them as she was a medic, though Dandelion held her and told her it was too unsafe.
===Meeting Ciri===
After Oxenfurt, Dandelion stopped in the city of Dorian in Temeria, where he told Codringher and Fenn of the events with Rience, somewhat limited by his promise of secrecy with Geralt. He next went with Geralt to Hirundum, the Hofmeier family farm, where he would spend nights discussing political matters with Bernie while Geralt hunted a monster. They were deep in a conversation during the stormy night of June 29th, when the young girl Ciri rode up to the farm, followed by Geralt and then Yennefer, all from different ways. The next morning's talk between the sorceress and witcher included an invitation for Dandelion to accompany them to Thanedd Island. The following day they all went to Thanedd, and during the reception at Loxia, Dandelion spent his time collecting gossip from the arriving mages.
After the reception, Dandelion found some minstrels and performed ballads to them throughout the night, including Elusive. In the early hours of the morning however, a large-scale coup took place between the Brotherhood, with many siding with the North or Nilfgaard. Dandelion fled the conflict, and being told of Geralt's injuries and location by Triss Merigold, after the beginning of the Second Northern War, he travelled to the city of Brugge. There, he met with King Venzlav and told him of his mission to find Geralt so as to receive safe conduct through Brugge, which was met with a royal guard envoy. By early August, they escorted him to the Ribbon river near Brokilon, though left Dandelion somewhat short of the riverbank, fearful of the dryad's arrows. He rode his horse Pegasus deep into the forests where he found and began singing the ballad Elaine Ettariel to the dryad Fauve and her friend, who led him to the healing Geralt. He told the witcher of the events of the Nilfgaardian invasion, including details of the fall of Rivia and Aedirn. Fauve returned and the three of them noticed a group of Scoia'tael breaking through the tree line; Geralt left to aid them and so Fauve spoke quickly to Dandelion and then returned to the underbrush. After an hour, the witcher came back with Pegasus and another mare given to him by the Scoia'tael, before they set off from Brokilon to Nilfgaard, as Milva had told the witcher of a false Cirilla (unknowingly) who had been transported there.
===On the road===
Geralt and Dandelion began their journey south following the Ribbon to the Ceann Treise falls, where they planned their march to Verden, and then further onto Cintra along the Yaruga. As they set off and a heavy storm hit, they were surprised by two havekars, Kolda and his boss, though were quickly let go due to the traders mistaking the pair for elves because of their Brokilonian clothes. As they went to leave, however, Imperial agents arrived to grab the havekar's tied-up prisoner: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach. While first furious at the belief the traders had killed Cahir, due to him being tied up in a coffin, the meeting then turned into a mutiny when the Imperials attacked their so-called "allies". Milva then arrived, having been following Geralt's trail, and helped the witcher kill the remaining Imperials. Spotting the coffin again, the group opened it and untied Cahir, and upon Geralt's first unveiling and near-distain of the Vicovarian, they ambivalently decided to spare only his life, untie him, and leave him there to fend for himself, this being the second time the knight received mercy from the witcher, though he was warned of his doom should they meet again.
Despite Geralt's warning, Cahir took off after the group, though he never directly approached them. It was only several days later when the group, fed up with knowing someone was following them but not sure who, confronted them only to find Cahir once again in their presence. As Geralt demanded Cahir fight him, the knight stated he didn't wish to fight but to join them in rescuing Ciri. Geralt strongly objected to this, threatening to kill him once more but Cahir, unwillingly to pull out his weapon like Geralt demanded, reiterated that he didn't want to fight, leaving the two in a stalemate. Only when Milva stated she could put an arrow in his horse to prevent Cahir from catching up with them as they continued on did Cahir mount and run off.
Eventually, while travelling through the forest, they came across the dwarf Zoltan Chivay and his company. The dwarves told them of their plan to travel to the Turlough Hills, then the Old Road to the river Chotla in Sodden, before continuing onto the Ina. Zoltan, after hearing of the three wanderers journey south toward enemy clutches, invited them to join the dwarves on their march east, which was accepted.
=== Ciri returns ===
In , Dandelion was contacted by Ciri for aid in fixing a phylactery, which could either be used to cast or lift a curse; Ciri kept her objective to herself and Dandelion was unwilling to pry any further. Unfortunately, with mage hunts going on in Novigrad, Dandelion decided to turn to Whoreson Junior, a member of the Big Four crime lords of Novigrad. Junior agreed to find someone to repair the phylactery but for a steep price: he wanted Dandelion to steal Sigi Reuven's treasure and who was another Big Four.
Dandelion eventually conjured up a plan with the help of Dudu and Kalkstein and while he succeeded in getting the treasure, the commander of the Temple Guard, Caleb Menge, found out and took the treasure for himself. Believing the bard had betrayed him, Whoreson Junior's men chased Dandelion and Ciri all the way to Temple Isle. Ciri manged to barely escape from being killed by teleporting away, but Dandelion was unfortunately captured by Menge's men and was jailed while Menge waited to publically execute the bard on Oxenfurt.
== Known ballads ==
During his travels with Geralt, Dandelion started to write his memoirs, entitled "Half a Century of Poetry"; twice, in fact. His first attempt was lost in the bottom of the duchess of Toussaint's closet after the poet was banished from her duchy. But rather than bemoaning that loss, the poet decided to rewrite his memoirs from scratch. His poems were later bound in two collections: The Adversities of Loving and Time of the Moon. The following are the named ones:
* Elaine Ettariel
* Elusive
* The Stars above the Path
* Winter (or The Eternal Fire)
== ==
In the game, Dandelion is an avid dice poker player, a sharper rank. From Chapter III onward, Geralt can play him for the sheer pleasure of the game and orens, but officially, it is only in Chapter IV that he can play the bard as part of the Sharper quest.
=== Journal entry ===
:I've heard rumors that the famous bard and poet Dandelion visited the Outskirts.
:I met Dandelion, who has supposedly always been my best friend. From what I've heard, Dandelion is an indefatigable windbag, a buffoon, and a wastrel. He is also a womanizer with an incredible talent for getting into trouble. At the same time, Dandelion is a truly talented artist, despite his tendency to wander the countryside and eke out a living through occasional performances.
:Dandelion got into trouble and I had to help him out. Everything I've heard about him has proven to be true.
:A friend in need is a friend indeed. Dandelion somehow convinced Triss that I needed him and she teleported him here. He has joined me in my exile in Murky Waters.
:I ran into Dandelion again and I think it was no coincidence. Either Dandelion wants to aid me in my search or he wants to witness the end of this journey so he can compose a ballad afterwards. It could also be both.
=== ===
==== Journal entry ====
:A troubadour and bon-vivant, Dandelion is an old friend and companion. Known for his promiscuous lifestyle and romances, he also has an incredible talent for getting into trouble.
=== Associated quests ===
== ==
Dandelion first appears in Flotsam as he's about to be hanged at the main square for debauchery and burning down one of Flotsam's buildings. Geralt, Triss, and Vernon Roche (for whom Dandelion has secretly been working as a spy) come across this scene and deal with the problem.
==== Journal entry ====
: It is always awkward to write about oneself, yet I cannot shirk this duty. In an effort to preempt any accusations of partiality, I shall set down the humblest of notes, relating only the best-known facts. Dandelion, in reality the Viscount de Lettenhove, though titles are unimportant, is a certified troubadour, a lecturer at Oxenfurt University, a persona known among society as a charmer, poet, dandy and unparalleled lover. Almost everyone north of the Yaruga has heard of him, and those who have not are either boors or simpletons or both, as a result of which their opinions do not matter in the slightest. Dandelion played a significant part in the most important events of the era. He loved, fought, negotiated, and acquired immense knowledge, even that of the forbidden variety. His works are a testimony of the times, but it is his moving poetic tropes that have brought him true fame. The important thing in this story is that Dandelion was a friend to Geralt of Rivia – possibly his only true friend. He was Geralt's confidant, advisor, and companion in misery (for it was impossible to experience good fortune in the witcher's company). What Geralt did, Dandelion faithfully recounted, and one should not give credence to those who accuse this humble chronicler of confabulating.
: Discretion, a virtue I have always professed, obliges me to remain silent about the circumstances in which, through the person of Vernon Roche, I began working with the Temerian intelligence service. Suffice it to say that there comes a moment in everyone's life when, facing great events, they cannot remain indifferent. And so I could not stand aside as history took shape before my very eyes. My dedication to the cause brought me to Flotsam at the time. There, through an unfortunate incident involving twins at the local brothel, a town guard, a dog, a cat, and an oil lamp, I wound up on the scaffold in the town square, from which I barely escaped with my life.
: If Geralt chooses Roche's path during the end of chapter I:
:: Obviously, when Geralt decided to continue his search in King Henselt's military camp, located in a borderland soon to be engulfed by the flames of war, I chose to accompany him, for the witcher could at times be naive as a child and knew as much about politics as a ghoul knows about cooking. Thus the chances were slim to none that, bereft of my help, he would manage to find new leads without getting embroiled in some trouble along the way. As his friend, I clearly could not allow that.
:: In hindsight, the pamphlet against Henselt's rule could have been better written, yet I am pleased with it anyway. I'm not accustomed to ignoring human misfortune, and Henselt made a mistake when he insulted art – I was merely the instrument of its retribution.
:: When Geralt and Roche headed for Loc Muinne to meet their destiny, I had little desire to sit in Henselt's camp. Despite their victory, the Kaedwenis' mood was as sour as milk in the udders of a dead cow. Therefore I packed up, resolving to reach Loc Muinne in time to witness the important events transpiring there. This was not to be, however, as Geralt's arrival accelerated events as usual. Thus I know the rest of the story only from the accounts of others, yet I present it here as faithfully as possible – anything omitted was surely not worth a mention in the first place.
:If Geralt chooses Iorveth's path during the end of chapter I:
:: Obviously, when Geralt decided to continue his search in Vergen, located in a borderland soon to be engulfed by the flames of war, I chose to accompany him, for the witcher could at times be naive as a child and knew as much about politics as a ghoul knows about cooking. Thus the chances were slim to none that, bereft of my help, he would manage to find new leads without getting embroiled in some trouble along the way. As his friend I clearly could not allow that.
:: Having taken part in many adventures by Geralt's side, when he asked for my help I agreed without hesitation. I had already been imperiled when helping him in less rewarding tasks than using poetry to lure an unparalleled demonic lover. Thus I had the chance to risk my life in the name of three most beautiful values: friendship, poetry and love – there was no other decision to make.
:: Geralt and Iorveth headed for Loc Muinne to meet their destiny, yet I decided to stay in Vergen a bit longer. I had more than enough material for new ballads, therefore I fought the urge to reach Loc Muinne in time to witness the important events transpiring there. Thus I know the rest of the story only from the accounts of others, yet I present it here as faithfully as possible – anything omitted was surely not worth a mention in the first place.
=== Associated quests ===
* By the Gods - Stringing Up Sods
* With Flickering Heart
* Fight Club (dependent)
* The Secrets of Loc Muinne
* Conspiracy Theory
== ==
==== Journal entry ====
:I would wager anyone that you, dear reader, are a person of culture and taste - and therefore already familiar with me, Dandelion, and the role I am to play in the following tale. Nevertheless, allow me to sketch a few lines by way of self-portrait, for the sake of thoroughness, and in the event you have spent much of the last half-century in some dark corner where the light of my star has yet to reach.
:"Born in 1229, a talented poet and troubadour, a graduate of Oxenfurt Academy, a frequent performer at royal courts, an unequaled lover appreciated, and in some cases adored, by ladies worldwide, a skilled negotiator and a stirring orator" - such is the image of the bard Dandelion as painted by his friends and promoters.
:This image is, of course, somewhat overbright in its coloring - I personally prefer to think of myself as a dedicated artist in thrall to his Muse, one whose work has benefited immeasurably from the fact that I was, am and forever will remain a close friend and steadfast companion to the witcher Geralt. It is his fate I chronicle in this present work and his story which I shall sing till the end of my days.
:Having learned of my disappearance, Geralt dropped everything to find out what had become of me. Though at first he suspected the cause of my trouble lay in my many and turbulent affairs of the heart, he later determined that I had strayed into a life of crime, seeking to steal treasure belonging to one of the leaders of Novigrad's underworld.
:The motivations for my actions became clear some time later. I proved that, when it came to helping Cirilla, I would not balk at sticking my head into the lion's maw, let alone crossing such common scum as Cyprian Wiley, better known (for good reason!) as Whoreson.
:Only a madman calls it courage to fight when faced with overwhelming odds. Though known for my capricious and unpredictable charm, I am not yet considered mad, and so, while defending my companion's escape to the very last, I ultimately allowed the temple guard to take me to their prison, where I awaited my imminent execution.
:The saying does not lie - "true friends show when fortune hides her face." My dear comrades gave ample evidence of this by breaking me free from my prison transport, saving me from certain and painful death.
=== Associated quests ===
== ==
:Julian Alfred Pankratz Viscount de Lettenhove, better known as Dandelion—a minstrel, poet, and lecturer at the Oxenfurt Academy, and also the best friend of Geralt of Rivia. His love of women, spirits, and the sound of his own voice is constantly getting him into trouble and then providing him the means to get out of it. Those who underestimate him commit a grave error—this seemingly harmless bard is capable of unmatched feats of intellect and diplomatic maneuvering. A friend to kings, and a lover to the most influential women in the realm, one word from his lips can carry more power than an army of tin-plated brutes—provided it's not interrupted by a wine-scented belch.
:Thanks to his vast network of contacts, Dandelion rarely engages in combat. He has others to do the dirty work for him. To fuel his vagabond, yet lavish, lifestyle, the minstrel needs a hefty amount of cash; therefore—when he's not drinking—you'll frequently see him giving concerts and also providing that extra special encore for the ladies in the audience. Be it a slap on the cheek or a fat purse, the man always gets his share. Dandelion is a force of chaos and serendipity, the only person that can turn a hopeless situation into a surefire success...and the other way around.
:He finds silver linings where others see only dark clouds; yet, frequently to his own peril, he can't keep his mouth shut when silence is worth far more than twice his weight in gold.
== In other languages ==
Flag	Language 	Name
 	English 	Dandelion or Dandilion
 	Polish (original)	Jaskier
 	Belarusian 	КазялецKazialets
 	Bulgarian 	ЛютичеLyutiche
 	Czech 	Marigold
 	Dutch 	Ranonkel
 	Finnish 	Valvatti
 	French 	Jaskier
 	German 	Rittersporn
 	Hungarian 	Kökörcsin Dandelion
 	Italian 	Ranuncolo Dandelion
 	Japanese 	ダンデリオン Danderion ヤスキエル Yasukieru
 	Lithuanian 	Vėdrynas
 	Portuguese 	Jaskier
 	Romanian 	Jaskier
 	Russian 	ЛютикLyutik
 	Serbian 	Neven
 	Slovak 	Blyskáč
 	Spanish 	Jaskier
 	Swedish 	Riddarsporre
 	Turkish 	Dandelion
 	Ukrainian 	ЛюбистокLyubystok
== Notes ==
* Dandelion's mount, Pegasus, is a white gelding.
* Dandelion's original Polish name, "Jaskier", literally means "Buttercup", but was changed in the English translation because "Buttercup" sounded too feminine in English.
* In the Czech translation of the books and the game, Dandelion's name is "Marigold" and Triss Merigold is called "Triss Ranuncul".
* In the second and third game all the journal entries and characters' descriptions are written by Dandelion.
* In The Witcher 2, Dandelion is shown with either lipstick or a hickey on his neck.
* He appears in The Hexer film and, in The Hexer TV series, he appears in 7 episodes (Smok, Okruch lodu, Dolina Kwiatów, Mniejsze zło, Jaskier, Falwick, Ciri).
* In , while working as a shepherd in Kaedwen, he is encountered by Geralt, April, Dorreniel and Vesemir. While leading his goats, he mocks April for her hunchback appearance, and is jokingly threatened by Geralt, who warns that April might enchant his goats. This breaks canon, as Dandelion is of noble birth and doesn't meet Geralt until years later at a ball.
== Gallery ==
People Dandelion.png|Dandelion in the computer game
Jaskier z gry.jpg|In 
Tw2 full Dandelion 1.png| concept art.
Dandelion screen1.jpg|In 
Dandelion painting.png|Dandelion's "heroic" painting of himself
Tw3 cardart neutral dandelion.png|Gwent card
Tw3 cardart neutral dandelion alt.png|Alternative Gwent card
Gwent cardart northern dandelion.jpg|Gwent standalone cardart
Gwent cardart neutral dandelion poet.png|Alternative standalone card art
Dandelion by Jana Komárková.png|Illustration in book by Jana Komárková
Jaskier.jpg|In the graphic novels
Jaskier z filmu.jpg|In The Hexer movie
Dandelion OFaF.png|In 
Dandelion twtbotw.png|In 
== Footnotes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
*
cs:Marigold
de:Rittersporn
el:Δελφίνιος
es:Jaskier
fr:Jaskier
it:Dandelion
hu:Dandelion
lt:Vėdrynas
nl:Ranonkel
pl:Jaskier
pt-br:Jaskier
ru:Лютик
sr:Данделион
sv:Riddarsporre
uk:Любисток
zh:丹德里恩
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