Witcher Trials

The Trials were processes which transformed the organism using a specific combination of secret herbs, infusions and tests. Those who survived became witchers, gaining superhuman reflexes, speed of reaction, the ability to see in the dark and other attributes making them lethal monster hunters.
== Overview ==
Composed of grueling tests, the Trials followed after the Choice. During these rites, young adepts were taught sword skill, monster lore, herbalism and rudimentary spells called Signs while also being mutated through mutagens, magic and alchemy. The process was extremely painful and cost plenty of lives. Initiated in the 10th century. it was administered by renegade mages. First by Alzur and his associates, then by their apprentices who kept all vital details a tightly-guarded secret.
However, a tale persisted among the witchers that the Children of Destiny would not require the Trials at all. The knowledge on how to create witchers had ultimately been lost when Alzur's successors died in the attacks on the witcher schools.
== Major trials ==
=== Trial of the Grasses ===
The first of the Trials to happen was the infamous Trial of the Grasses. An incredibly painful one, it required the absorption of special virus cultures plus alchemical ingredients known as "the Grasses" to modify the physiology of the subject. It took about a week. The grasses in question included corn lily, nightshade, speargrass, wildrye and wolfsbane. Furthermore, mutagenic elixirs were essential as well. Supposedly, albumen of gray scolopendromorphs constituted the basis of witcher mutagens. Before the main portion of the Trial began, one segment of the grasses was served to the children via teas.
The herbs and elixirs were injected directly to immobilized children's veins. Most adepts died by the third day. The survivors, agitated by strikes of sudden madness, would fall into a deep stupor. Their eyes turning glassy, hands reaching for any nearby clothing, and breath loud and hoarse. After being administered the elixirs again, the children's cough would progress into vomiting. They also suffered from seizures, while cold sweat ran down their skin. Thus weakened, the adepts fought with the mutagens, herbs, and viruses penetrating their bodies. When they woke up by the seventh day, their eyes had already turned cat-like. No more than three or, at best, four in ten survived; the rest died in agony. Aside from the eyes, The Trial followed by the Changes granted witcher adepts lightning-quick reflexes, slower aging, physical strength as well as sharpened senses.
=== Trial of the Dreams ===
Consisting of a series of psychedelic visions induced into adepts by supervising druids or mages, the second rite called the Trial of the Dreams further enhanced the witcher trainees' abilities. The Trial, among other benefits, augmented their nightvision. On the other hand, it also sterilized them.
=== Trial of the Mountains ===
The Trial of the Mountains, much better known to Wolf Witchers as the Trial of the Medallion, served as an exam intended to verify what the adepts remembered from the previous stages of training. Would-be Wolves needed to swim across a pond near Kaer Morhen, get through caverns inhabited by an old cyclops called Old Speartip without waking him up, then climb Troll's Head, deal with its mistrustful rock trolls, and get to a Circle of Elements. After activating their medallion at the Circle the Trial was complete. All this was done in groups, as mentors believed that even though witchers were lone hunters they could still benefit from cooperation.
Back in the time of Vesemir's youth, the Trial of the Medallion took place in the Red Swamp instead. It was a dense, cursed bog crawling with evil spirits and beasts. It served not only as a source of cautionary bedtime tale, but also as a trial for young, unmutated, Wolf trainees. The adepts, often unconscious, were transported to the swamp at night with nothing but their medallions and there they had to use their wits to survive the night. No tools or weapons were available to them during this trial, meaning that the trainees would have to use branches as improvised weapons.Netflix's Map of the Continent
Adepts of the School of the Bear, meanwhile, needed to pass a more ruthless version of the Trial. The goal was to reach the summit of formidable Mount Gorgon and retrieve a special runestone as a token of their ascent. Many froze to death before ever finding the summit, their frozen bodies left in the snow to mark the way.
=== Trial of the Sword ===
When one of master witchers doubted at the last moment whether the candidate was worthy of becoming a full-fledged member of the school, the not-yet-graduate had to either defeat a monster of the master's choice or another witcher. If the latter, both sides would wear the traditional armor of the Witcher Order.
== Other trials ==
=== School of the Wolf ===
At times when the witchers found themselves outside of the Morhen valley, the Trial of the Forest Eyes was used as the final exam instead. During the Trial, adepts were taken out into the woods blindfolded and tied up. They thus had to completely rely on senses other than sight. To pass, they were to return back to their instructors before the next morning. If they were late, if they failed the trial, or if they were caught cheating, an instructor hung them by their feet for one night as punishment.
Due to remarkable resilience to standard trials, Geralt of Rivia and several other adepts were subjected to additional experiments. These experiments were much more complicated and painful. Out of all chosen, only Geralt survived and, completely losing pigmentation in the process, emerged with white hair.
=== School of the Griffin ===
When the adepts of Kaer Seren reached their final Trial, they were presented with a choice. They either completely recited Liber Tenebrarum by Silvester Bugiardo or went out to find and fetch an egg from a griffin nest. To Master Keldar's great sorrow, not one trainee has ever chosen the recitation.
=== School of the Cat ===
Placing emphasis on agility and flexibility, the Cats had a final Trial which was reached by gradually walking higher and higher on a tightrope. Meant first and foremost to develop balance in young adepts, the failure wasn't too dangerous at first. Falling off during the final Trial, however, equaled death.
== Trivia ==
*In the album Inspired by The Witcher, there is a song titled "Trial of the Herbs".
== Gallery ==
Proba traw komiks.jpg|Wolf Guild trainees receive spoonfuls of the Grasses.
== References ==
cs:Zkoušky zaklínačů
pl:Próby wiedźmińskie
uk:Випробування Травами
Category:Witcher culture