Triss Merigold

Triss Merigold of Maribor was a legendary Temerian sorceress in the 13th century. Called the Fourteenth of the Hill by her contemporaries because she was erroneously thought to have been killed during the Battle of Sodden Hill, she passed into history as Merigold the Fearless. A former member of King Foltest's royal council along with Fercart and Keira Metz, as well as a founding member of the Lodge of Sorceresses, she was involved in politics for most of her life.
She was friends with Yennefer and the witcher Geralt of Rivia, but also unhappily in love with the latter.In , it's mentioned that Triss couldn't understand Yennefer and Geralt's relationship and it had fascinated her to such an extent that she had seduced Geralt with the help of a little magic. Triss took care of Ciri at Kaer Morhen for some time and was like an older sister to her. It was through her intervention that Ciri was not subjected to harmful hormone changes at Kaer Morhen, stripping her of her secondary gender traits.
She was a skilled healer and carried with her many magical potions, but she never used them on herself because ironically, she was allergic to potions, and used amulets to treat herself. She was also quite a powerful mage, certainly when it counted most. She wore an amulet - sapphire overlaid with silver.
==Biography==
===Early life===
She was born and grew up in Maribor. Sometime during her childhood, she had a conduit moment and was noticed by sorcerers. Thus, she found her way to Aretuza. Here, she became a sorceress on her own, specializing in making of magical potions, mainly healing ones. This was rather amusing twist of fate as she herself was allergic to magical potions and could only tolerate non magical ones.
During her studies, she befriended the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, and by 1249, the two of them were already close friends and colleagues. After graduation, she became a very well known and respected sorceress, taking her assignment as a advisor to the throne of Temeria.
===Romance with a witcher===
Some time later, Triss found out about her friend's relations with Geralt of Rivia. Curious about the nature of that relationship, she used a little bit of magic and seduced the witcher, resulting in short relationship between them.
After some time however, Geralt simply ended the relationship from guilt. This proved to be very difficult for Triss as she fell in deep love with Geralt. Despite that, the two of them remained very good friends in years to come and even though Triss was still unhappily in love with him, he did not wish to start anew.
===The Battle of Sodden Hill===
In , after the First Northern War with Nilfgaard started, and the kingdom of Cintra destroyed, sorcerers and sorceresses under the leadership of Vilgefortz of Roggeveen decided to stand on Sodden Hill supporting Northern troops with their magic. Here, they wanted to stop the invading forces. Triss was among those who volunteered. The battle was brutal and the mages stood against incredibly strong forces but in the end, they managed to defeat the invaders. The cost of victory was high, though, as 13 mages died. As a matter of fact, it was first believed that the number of dead was 14 - the last one being Triss. She was very seriously wounded, sustaining burns on her body, but also having all of her hair burnt off. With Yennefer, the only mage that would have still recognized her, blinded during the battle, she was counted amongst the dead.
When Geralt rode near Sodden some time later, he saw the memory stone erected in remembrance of those who gave their lives to protect the North. Triss was among them, which saddened Geralt very deeply. When it was later discovered that Triss had indeed managed to survive the battle, she became known as "the fourteenth of the hill".
===Kaer Morhen===
In December , Triss received a message from Geralt, asking her to come to Kaer Morhen to help him with his Child of Surprise - Ciri. Ciri was trained by the witchers, yet she started to show some strong magical abilities that were beyond what was conventional for witchers. Thus, Triss accepted and went there, but she was reluctant to be near Geralt again as her feelings for him had not faded. During her stay, she constantly struggled with the way she felt, but eventually managed to clear her mind and do her job. Ciri, as she discovered, was a young lady with a sad history and the two of them took a liking to each other instantly. Their bond was so strong that Ciri started to consider Triss her older sister and vice versa. Some disquiet between Triss and the witchers surfaced when Triss discovered that the witchers wanted to submit Ciri to special potions. While not as invasive as the Trial of the Grasses, the potions would still cause harm to her body and most likely leave her barren. She begged them not to give her those, and eventually they agreed.
The other problem was that Ciri slowly became a woman and, being only girl in the keep, she had nobody to ask about specifics that comes with that. When Triss discovered that Ciri had no idea about her own cycles and that the witchers were unaware of them as well, she was furious. Since then, whenever Ciri came in dress, the training would stop until she change to the training attire.
===Caring for Ciri===
More problematic, however, was her increasingly strong proficiency with magic. The witchers told Triss, that since Ciri came to the keep, she had 3 incidents where she spoke with a different voice in an unrecognizable language and entered a trance-like state. In the last one, she also foretold the death of Geralt and Coën. They said that the first time it happened was after Ciri accidently drank a potion, the same potion, that now stood before Triss. When Ciri came, Triss tricked her into drinking said potion to the shock of all the witchers. She told them however, that she knew what she was doing, and she wished to understand the trances. Ciri started to dance and not long after fell into a trance. Triss telepathically connected with her and tried to find out the problem. While connected to the young girl, she felt a strong presence inside her, hallucinating that she was back at the Battle of Sodden Hill. Triss used all her power and identification spells but it all proved futile. This battle of wills proved very draining and she passed out.
Later, she woke in her bed with Geralt next to her. He told Triss that she was out for six hours and ensured her that Ciri was alright and slept in her room. The sorceress told Geralt that whatever was wrong with Ciri was way too powerful for her and that he should contact Yennefer, who was more knowledgeable about such things. Geralt was reluctant, considering their past, but Triss insisted it would be the best for the girl. After Geralt agreed, Triss told him that when spring came, they should take Ciri to the Temple of Melitele in Ellander. The witcher agreed and then spent the night with the old friend, taking care of her.
Over the next few months, Triss spent every day with Ciri and taught her various topics, including the Elder Speech and how to apply make-up. In February , as the spring neared, the witchers were slowly preparing to go on the path once again and wanted to know all the relevant news from the Continent, so as to decide where to go.
Triss told them everything she knew and they eventually talked about the possibility of a second war with Nilfgaard. This resulted in a heated debate about witchers and their neutrality on politics. Ciri ran in and interrupted the conversation, saying she wanted to kill all of the Nilfgaardians for they did to her city and grandmother Calanthe. Angered by this, Geralt told the young girl he was training her to defend herself only, not to seek revenge. Ciri ran outside and stood on the edge of the walls, tripping and nearly falling to her death, just in time for Geralt to catch her. With that, Triss and Geralt decided that with the morning light, they would go to the temple in Ellander.
===Path to the temple===
Triss, along with Geralt and Ciri, went south across the Gwenllech and Buina rivers. Not long after, Triss became ill, having very strong stomach aches and cramps. Her illness was worse and worse to such a state, that she was not able to hold herself in the saddle. Thus Geralt had to carry her on his horse. But even with that, they were slow and had to stop for the sorceress to relieve herself.
Eventually they arrived at a fort at the foot of a bridge. This however proved unhelpful, as the settlement had been attacked by elven commandos of Scoia'tael the night previous. Triss was laid down with the other wounded while Geralt went to find out what their options were. He learned about the attack and the planned retaliation, however he knew they had none who could cure Triss. What was worse, the men started to think that Triss may have some infection that could spread, even though Geralt told them that mages cannot have an infection due to their immunity, and that it had to be a case of food poisoning, they did not want her there.
Thus the trio was forced to go on. Fortunately, Geralt learned about a convoy that went the same way as they need to so they rode to them. There they discovered that in the convoy was an old friend, the dwarf Yarpen Zigrin, leading his company of dwarves. Geralt persuaded Yarpen and Vilfrid Wenck, who was in charge of the convoy, to allow the trio to join them. Triss was laid to one of the wagons but her state was still very severe. She was no longer able to relieve herself on her own and Geralt had to carry her into the woods.
They continued on the way towards the Lixela, and Triss started to feel better, but she was still very weak thus Geralt and Ciri had to help her with bathing and clothing. As a matter of fact, despite her state, Triss rather enjoyed Geralt holding her so tightly and caring for her. Sometime later the convoy was approached by soldiers from Kaedwen. Those soldiers warned the men that Scoia'tael were near so they should continue very carefully. Not long after that, the elves indeed attacked the convoy. Triss was thrown out of the wagon and suffered a nasty wound to her head. The attack was swift but the defenders managed to repel it. By that time, Triss was well enough to be able to take care of the wounded and help them with her magic.
The rest of the journey was without any incident and they successfully arrived in the temple. Triss then went on her own giving her farewells to both Ciri and Geralt.
=== Thanedd coup ===
On June 30th , she travelled to Thanedd Island to attend the Grand Mage's Assembly between the Chapter and Council of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. At the evening banquet, she spoke with the brothers Drithelm and Detmold and then Geralt before Yennefer interrupted them. During the night, she joined the Northern supporters in arresting the Nilfgaardian-allied traitors, and was quite annoyed and surprised when she found Lydia van Bredevoort's corpse, due to the agreement of no-bloodshed. When Geralt passed the group, she helped him stand due to him being lightheaded, and then ran off to find Drithelm, Carduin and Dorregaray, to bring them to Garstang on Philippa Eilhart's orders.
After they all arrived in Garstang, a fight broke out between Philippa and Tissaia de Vries, who grew angry and freed the traitors from their dimeritium cuffs, sparking a intense conflict between both sides in the main hall. After a band of Scoia'tael broke in and started firing their bows, the massacre became worse when the roof started to crumble and Triss was injured. She fled from the fight and eventually found a heavily wounded Geralt, and tried carrying him away from the conflict until they ran into Tissaia, who teleported the two away from the invading Redanian soldiers. They were transported to Brokilon, where Geralt was received by the dryads. Triss left soon after recovering, back to Thanedd, where she found a frightened Dandelion and explained what had happened, what the political implications were, and of his location healing in Brokilon.
By the end of July, due to the coup and Nilfgaard's newfound alliance with Temeria, Foltest drove all mages who had served him out of the kingdom, including Triss. She travelled with Philippa Eilhart, Margarita Laux-Antille, Keira Metz, and another unnamed mage to Tretogor, and later Montecalvo, where they tried to assist Queen Hedwig regain control of Redania.
===Formation of the Lodge===
On August 5th, the four used a projection spell to begin the first true meeting of the Lodge of Sorceresses, focused around recruitment and their purpose, summoning Assire var Anahid, Sabrina Glevissig, Sheala de Tancarville, and Francesca Findabair. Despite initial disagreements over the events of Thanedd, they agreed to work together to protect the safe practice of magic. Backed by Margarita's evidence of women performing better with magic (based off comparing pupils from Aretuza and Ban Ard), they agreed women would only be allowed to join.
== ==
Triss is a major character in The Witcher computer game. She is one of the first people Geralt meets after being found unconscious in the woods by his fellow witchers.
She is also the one to nurse Geralt back to health after his first battle with Azar Javed in the Swamp. Once Geralt regains consciousness, he finds himself in the bedroom of her luxurious Trade Quarter home, and he sees her talking presumably to another sorceress. She diligently "checks him for internal injuries".
=== Journal entry ===
:Along with me and the other witchers, Triss fought in defense of Kaer Morhen. The sorceress stood against the mysterious mage, one of the leaders of the assault. She was injured and lost consciousness. Ironically, Triss is allergic to magic and she can only be administered natural healing potions.
:Triss Merigold is my friend. She saw me die and my return to the world of the living surprised her. Triss is a sorceress — one of the most influential and talented of her kind. She has numerous powerful friends, and she knows the Kaer Morhen witchers. She is one of the few people who know the way to the fortress. I have a feeling Triss likes me a lot.
:After Leo's funeral, the sorceress teleported to Vizima. She decided to use her extensive contacts and search for information on Salamandra. Triss promised to find me as soon as I arrive in Vizima.
:Triss found me in the swamp, where I lay unconscious after my clash with Azar Javed. She transported me to her house in the Trade Quarter and took care of me until I came round. Lying there awake I overheard Triss gossip with her friend on the magic communicator, and I now know that other sorceresses are also interested in Salamandra.
:if Geralt leaves Alvin with Shani:
::I left Alvin in Shani's care. Triss decided that I don't trust her and that I prefer the medic. She is angry with me and it seems our affair is over.
:if Geralt leaves Alvin with Triss:
::I concluded that it would be best to leave Alvin in Triss' care. She saw my choice as proof of my trust. She decided I liked her more than Shani, which only improved our relationship.
::Dandelion delivered a letter from Triss. The sorceress has asked me to take good care of Alvin. She is also worried about me — she hopes we can have a steady relationship and raise Alvin together when I complete my mission.
::I answered Triss' letter and explained my feelings.
::After Foltest's return to Vizima, Triss fell into disfavor — the monarch didn't approve of her political scheming. The sorceress is practically a hostage at the Royal Palace and her fate is in my hands.
::Triss joined me during the attack on the Old Manor. As a friend, she aids me in my search. I think she seeks revenge on Azar Javed for their magical duel at Kaer Morhen.
::I met Triss, or rather a vision of her, in the Ice Plains. The sorceress helped me pursue the Grand Master.
=== Romance ===
Prologue
During the prologue, after dealing with the Salamandra invasion of Kaer Morhen, Triss is gravely wounded and needs a special potion which Geralt must brew to help her recover. If not rushed during the dialogue, after drinking the potion, she offers Geralt his first sexual encounter of the game.
Chapter III
If it was Triss and not Shani who was chosen to take care of Alvin the second romance option becomes available if she is given a ruby ring, and in regards to Alvin, Geralt must be strict at least once.
=== Associated quests ===
== ==
Triss plays a major role throughout the story. She first appears in the prologue as Geralt's lover; her feelings for him have evidently remained unchanged. Triss assists Geralt and Foltest in taking La Valette castle. She gets separated from them when a dragon attacks Foltest's forces. After Geralt is imprisoned for Foltest's murder, she meets up with him and Vernon Roche before they set sail for Flotsam, having lost her position as advisor after Foltest's death. In Flotsam, she meets with fellow Lodge member, Síle de Tansarville, and becomes suspicious of her presence. She helps Geralt prepare to fight a kayran by introducing him to Cedric, finding the Kayran's lair, and helping him create a potion to allow Geralt to resist the beast's poison. After Geralt meets Letho, Triss and Cedric break into Síle's room and Triss uses the megascope to try to gain more information on Síle (by speaking either to Dethmold or Philippa). Shortly after, Letho abducts Triss and forces her to teleport them to Vergen.
In Vergen, Triss gets away from Letho and tries to make contact with Philippa. She finds Philippa's room, but comes upon Philippa's apprentice, Cynthia, there instead. Cynthia, a Nilfgaardian spy, captures Triss using Artefact compression, and smuggles Triss across the mist of wraiths, where Triss eventually makes it into the hands of Nilfgaard's ambassador, Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen. Before Geralt can rescue her, Shilard takes his ship to Loc Muinne.
In Loc Muinne, he commissioned the help of Assire var Anahid to decompress Triss. Triss is restrained and interrogated for more information of the Lodge. If Geralt chooses not to save her, in favor of helping Roche or Iorveth, a massacre erupts in Loc Muinne, with opposing forces fighting not only one another, but also mages after Nilfgaard revealed the Lodge's involvement with the Northern regicides. In the chaos, Letho saves Triss from the Nilfgaardian camp, and takes her to the now abandoned Temerian camp and protects her until Geralt arrives after fighting the dragon. Once Geralt reaches the camp, Triss steps away, while the two witchers talk.
If Geralt chooses to rescue Triss, he breaks into the Nilfgaardian camp and eventually finds her restrained and asks her about the Lodge and their influence behind the Demavend and Foltest's murders. When Geralt and Triss go to the amphitheater, Triss reveals Síle's role in the assassinations, allowing Carduin to reject Síle from joining the reformed Conclave of Mages. Triss and Geralt are separated again when Geralt goes to fight the dragon, and they meet up shortly afterwards, where Triss tells Geralt that Letho is waiting for him. On their way to Letho, Triss explains that mages helped prevent further bloodshed in the city. Regardless whether Geralt rescued her or not, after Geralt confronts Letho, he leaves Loc Muinne with Triss (and maybe with Roche or Iorveth).
=== Romance ===
Triss is the default romance option - the game begins with her and Geralt already in a relationship. One of three opening scenes of Geralt's story during the prologue shows him getting up as Triss lies naked beside him as a messenger soldier enters their tent to summon the witcher to the King Foltest's side.
The first real opportunity arises near the end of Chapter I during the quest The Rose of Remembrance. When given the option to go to the elven baths, Geralt can choose to take the sorceress along with him. After a battle partway through the quest, the ground under their feet collapses, sending the two plummeting into ancient elven baths. Noting that an immediate escape is impossible, the two can take advantage of their location. Selecting the correct conversation options will initiate a cutscene, in which Triss completely takes off her clothes with magic and jumps into the water. Our Witcher soon joins her in the bath. After the lovers enjoyed one another well enough, Triss comments this short time of bliss in such a manner: "We should take walks more often. For a while there, I forgot all about Flotsam, the Scoia'tael, the kingslayer, the whole world really...".
=== Journal entry ===
:I have known the sorceress Triss Merigold for a long time, for she is one of the Geralt's closest friends. The young, pretty, talented, auburn-haired mage from Maribor hardly reminded me of the giggling flapper of years past. Her knowledge, abilities and loyalty had brought her far. A hero from Sodden, known as the Fourteenth of the Hill - for she was mistakenly counted as the fourteenth mage to die in that battle - she sat on the royal council of King Foltest of Temeria. And though they say that a monarch's favor is uncertain - for the king had once expelled all mages from Temeria - Triss had managed to gain Foltest's trust. As regards the witcher, everyone who was witness to Triss' friendship with Geralt, anyone who saw them together, would easily confirm that these two had much in common... And it is common knowledge that an old flame never dies...
:For those reasons, after Foltest's death the sorceress decided that she would help the witcher most by staying by his side. Not heeding her threatened position at court, she harnessed all her strength and powers to helping Geralt, whom she still had feelings to.
:I was not there at the time, but I heard tales of the show of power Triss put on at that beach near Flotsam. Though she was weakened and barely conscious, the sorceress managed to sustain a magical barrier and the three survived the Scoia'tael arrows thanks to her.
:Nobody was surprised that Triss knew Sile de Tansarville. A more attentive observer would certainly have noticed the chill in their greetings, as well as Triss' evident dislike of her elder colleague.
:If Geralt agrees to forget about chasing the king slayer:
::The sorceress' greatest desire was to be the one and only woman in Geralt's life, and to forget about all the troubles and dangers they had recently experienced. Geralt agreed to her proposal, but before they could act, Fate showed them how hard it can be to carry out such romantic plans.
:If Geralt decides he must continue chasing the king's slayer:
::The sorceress' greatest desire was to be the one and only woman in Geralt's life, and to forget about all the troubles and dangers they had recently experienced. Geralt was close to agreeing to her proposal, yet he knew that it would be impossible to lead a quiet life until he could clear his name. His decision saddened Triss, but the sorceress understood.
:Triss was kidnapped by Letho. Geralt and I feared what he might do to her. Believe me, it was eating me alive, making rest impossible.
:Searching Sile's quarters and talking to her neighbor brought more questions than answers. It appeared that Triss had known the woman she had talked to, but the fragments of the conversation recounted to us remained mysterious.
:Triss had reached Aedirn – there was evidence to prove it. Finding her would prove difficult, however.
:If Geralt chooses Iorveth's path and helps Philippa in order to lift a curse from Saskia instead of rescuing Triss:
::In Aedirn, the search for Triss ended with the discovery of a bitter truth - transformed into a nephrite figurine, she had ironically been in the possession of an oblivious Geralt for a time and he had brought her straight to the Nilfgaardian camp. The Nilfgaardian emissary envisioned a special part for her in Loc Muinne...
:If Geralt chooses Roche's path and rescues Anais La Valette instead of Triss:
::In the end the sorceress was freed by a witcher, yet it was not Geralt. Thanks to Letho she escaped unharmed, but I am sure she would be glad to forget the time she spent in Nilfgaardian captivity. Thus were the lovers reunited among the ruins of Loc Muinne after their long parting, and the story of Triss Merigold's kidnapping ended.
:If Geralt rescues Triss instead of Anais La Valette or Philippa:
::Yet the witcher foiled this plan, wrestling Triss from Nilfgaardian hands. I described the story's finale in one of my ballads, omitting the carnage Geralt wrought there, however. For his part, he thinks that my version, with its colorful description of a mounted pursuit of Renuald aep Matsen, a limp sorceress trundled across his saddle, is too pretentious. Witchers...no sense of licentia poetica at all.
::Triss had one more part to play, and a significant one at that. Thanks to her, De Tansarville's machinations were publicly revealed. The scene – now known as "Triss Merigold accuses the Lone Witch of Kovir" – passed into history and presently is one of the more common motifs in contemporary painting.
:The testimony Shilard extracted from Triss was used to accuse the sorcerers. In this way Miss Merigold contributed involuntarily to a witch-hunt greater than any before it.
=== Developer comments ===
=== Associated quests ===
* Trial by Fire
* By the Gods - Stringing Up Sods
* The Rose of Remembrance
* Where is Triss Merigold?
* A Summit of Mages (if Geralt saves Triss)
== ==
Since March 31, 2015, Triss Merigold is a new playable character in the MOBA "The Witcher Battle Arena".
== ==
Triss returns in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as the leader of the mage underground due to the witch hunt begun by Radovid V. Her appearance did not change much but interactions with Yennefer prove quite interesting. There is also a free DLC which gives Triss an alternative outfit.
After the events at Loc Muinne Triss and Geralt (who had now regained his memory) separated. Triss decided to go to Novigrad, which many mages believed to be a safe haven, and set up a shop in the city center. The Eternal Fire religion in the city, however, declared all mages to be witches and traitors and began arresting and murdering them.
Triss was forced to seek the protection of The King of Beggars to whom she paid 80% of her earnings whilst attempting to gain enough money to escape the city with her fellow mages. Geralt, upon arriving at the city, found Triss with the King of Beggars and assisted her ridding a rat infested mill. The Mill owner, however, sold her out to the witch hunters, and if not for the efforts of Geralt, Triss would have been captured.
Triss accompanies Sigismund Dijkstra to Margrave Henckel's house to meet with Geralt, who was searching for Dijkstra's lost treasure; Triss agreed to stick her neck out in exchange for Dijkstra's financial aid in smuggling the mages out of Novigrad. After Geralt told Dijkstra that Caleb Menge, the leader of the witch hunters, had his treasure, and after the ex-spy had left, the witcher informed Triss that Menge had Dandelion imprisoned. To find Ciri, Triss then helped Geralt discover the location of Dandelion by allowing herself to be taken to the witch hunters and tortured whilst Geralt gained the information. Ultimately she kills her torturers before killing Menge.
If Geralt assists Triss in spiriting all the mages under her wing to Kovir, it results in the witch hunters targeting nonhumans. Helping Triss ensures she goes to Kaer Morhen to fight the Wild Hunt. Before the Hunt's attack, she is happily reunited with Ciri, whom she provides with a magical stone that will call down a fireball that would strike down all her attackers except herself.
Following the battle, Triss goes with Yennefer and Avallac'h to Novigrad to try and reunite the Lodge of Sorceresses, taking up residence at the Rosemary and Thyme, an establishment owned by Dandelion. Unfortunately, they had not much luck, as Ida Emean outright refused and Francesca Findabair wouldn't budge from her realm with a war raging.
When Geralt later arrived, Triss berates him for putting Ciri in danger by taking her to the Sabbath to face Imlerith. Afterwards, she informed him that the only Lodge member she could locate was Philippa Eilhart, who was tricked into her owl form by Arthur de Vleester, who put a dimeritium band on her leg afterwards. Worse yet, Philippa came into the possession of Zoltan Chivay, who lost her in a card game. Luckily, Triss found a feather. Using hydromancy at the fountain behind the Passiflora and divined that Philippa was in the possession of Sigismund Dijkstra. They rush to his bathhouse, where Philippa, having regained human form after Dijkstra foolishly removed her dimeritium band, was wreaking havoc. After Geralt managed to subdue her, Triss led her colleague to safety.
===Romance===
Geralt can reignite his romance with Triss in separate stages. While extracting Lady Ingrid Vegelbud's son from her estate past the witch hunters, Triss gets drunk, which leads to Geralt kissing her as the fireworks start. At the conclusion of Now or Never, if Geralt professes his love for Triss and kissed her previously, she seemingly departs on the ship for Kovir. But she returns, interrupting Sigismund Dijkstra's anecdote about his affair with Philippa Eilhart. She asks to speak privately with Geralt at the lighthouse, where they have sex.
While searching for Philippa using hydromancy, Triss' spell in the reflection of the pool behind the Passiflora, changes to an unknown house. When pressed by Geralt, she reveals that King Tankred had offered her a position as his court advisor. She also reveals that the house is to be hers in Pont Vanis, where she wants them to live together after the Wild Hunt is defeated.
If Geralt finds one of Triss' lost earrings in their bed back at Kaer Morhen, he can return it to her. During the epilogue, Geralt and Triss settle in far-away Kovir. Geralt would take jobs, more out of habit than need, due to the fortune Triss received as the advisor to Kovir's king. If Geralt romances both Triss and Yennefer, they trick him into thinking they're having a threesome, only to leave him tied to the bed in the Rosemary and Thyme.
If Geralt romanced Triss in the main game, then she makes an appearance during Geralt's adventures in Toussaint.
After the quest Blood Run, Geralt receives a letter from Triss that begins the quest Turn and Face the Strange. The letter is read in her voice and not only details the discovery she made about Professor Moreau's research, but also expresses a desire that Geralt remain safe and return to her quickly.
During the quest The Warble of a Smitten Knight, Geralt can make the necessary vow for the knights' tourney on "his lady's love". In which case, he will say "I vow on the love of my lady, Triss Merigold, to respect the chivalric virtues".
After the main questline for Blood and Wine is complete, Geralt can return to his home in Corvo Bianco and is surprised by Triss, who is waiting for him. After an embrace, the two venture outside to a sunny spot overlooking the vineyard. Once there, they have a conversation about various topics, including current events in Kovir and romantic plans the two have for each other in the future.
=== Developer comments ===
=== Journal entry ===
:I always considered it a point of particular pride to count Triss Merigold of Maribor among my closest and dearest friends. This exceptionally talented sorceress was a shining star of her profession, the former mage advisor to King Foltest, and a famous hero of the Battle of Sodden, known as the Fourteenth of the Hill. yet in no way did she resemble her often unbearably haughty sisters in magic. Her deft mind, warm smile and considerable personal charm had always won over even the hardest of hearts.
:Though my personal relations with Triss never ventured beyond the fraternal, Geralt of Rivia at one point found her allure irresistible. From then on the two shared feelings that ran far deeper than a superficial and fleeting fancy.
:Yennefer told Geralt that Triss had recently taken up residence in the Free City of Novigrad.
:It seemed Triss had gone into hiding from the so-called witch hunters persecuting magic wielders in the city, turning to one of the leaders of the local underworld for protection.
:After a bit of a run-around Geralt found the sorceress, who had indeed entered into an arrangement with the so-called King of Beggars. She paid for his protection by providing magic services to his organization. Though Triss did not know anything about Ciri and her stay in Novigrad, she promised to do all within her power to aid Geralt's search.
:Though theoretically Triss and Geralt had ended their romance half a year earlier, it was clear the feelings they felt for each other had not vanished so easily. To deal with this, the sorceress pretended that nothing had happened and the witcher, as is his wont, sheepishly masked his feelings with a mix of hesitant interest and fake indifference. It must be said that both of them handled the situation quite awkwardly.
:The plan to get close to Caleb Menge that Triss presented to the witcher was very risky and placed her in great danger. The sorceress knew, however, that Ciri's life might be on the line, and so did not hesitate for even a moment.
:If Geralt kisses Triss:
::The sorceress' laugh, the look in her cornflower blue eyes, the memory of enchanting moments spent together - all that surely weighed on Geralt's decision to kiss Triss in the Vegelbuds' garden. And though their moment of sweet oblivion lasted briefly, it breathed a gale's worth of new life into feelings between them.
:If Now or Never is completed:
::Though Triss and Geralt said their final goodbyes on that wind-swept Novigrad dock, in the end the sorceress decided not to leave for Kovir after all. She knew that when Geralt asked her to stay, the witcher was opening up his heart to her for the first time.
:Geralt and Triss met again at Kaer Morhen. Triss arrived there at the witcher's behest to help defend Ciri, whom she had always treated as a younger sister.
=== Associated quests ===
== ==
:In the world of The Witcher, only a select few talented and highly trained individuals can wield magic. As casting every spell requires knowledge, time, and diligent preparation, only the most adept in the mystic arts are proficient enough to use them on the battlefield. One such individual is Triss Merigold, considered to be among the most powerful members of the Lodge of Sorceresses, a secret organization of prominent female mages. Depending on whether the sorceress is your ally or your enemy, she can either annihilate you in a shower of flames or heal you in your hour of need. A dear friend to Geralt of Rivia and the personal advisor of King Foltest of Temeria, ruler of one of the richest kingdoms in the North, she has played a key role in the most important events of recent Northern history.
:Triss's power comes from knowledge, and whether it entails spying on others through her magical devices or using raw force to extract the information she needs, she always finds a way to get to the heart of the matter. Most of her spells take time to prepare but, given the proper momentum, she's an unstoppable force that can break through any obstacle in her path. Using her intellect and magical prowess, Triss is able to bend the rules in her and her party's favor, which will frequently come in handy during the numerous adventures to come.
== Trivia ==
* Name "Triss" means happy or blessed (from Latin origin).
* Triss made an appearance in polish Playboy (05/2011), moreover - a front cover girl.
== Notes ==
* In the Czech translation of the books and the game, Dandelion's name is "Marigold" and Triss is called "Triss Ranuncul". The original name of Dandelion is "Jaskier" (in Polish).
* After her fall at Sodden Hill and her consequent resuscitation, Triss mentions that she "will never again be able to wear a dress with a low neckline", suggesting that some skin disfigurement still remains on her chest. In the game however, she displays a generous amount of cleavage without any traces of damage whatsoever. Furthermore, in the books it's mentioned that after the battle the injured mages were patched and up and their former appearances restored, though to what extent is unknown.
*In , if the player hadn't recovered Triss' earring in the main game and the romance had progressed into the , the player won't be able to return the earring to her.
* In , if you decide to get her a ring, it must contain a ruby. She will not take any other types. On top of that, you have to behave like a good father, by being strict with Alvin at least once.
** You can find Gold Ruby Signet Ring from the Salamanders in the Swamp in Chapter III.
** The gift of a ring will provide a second opportunity for sex, third if you count the checking for internal injuries.
* Triss is rarely home in Chapter III and stays at Leuvaarden's party at The New Narakort from 17:30 till 3:00.
== Videos ==
File:End of Prologue and Triss First Sex Scene (The Witcher) HD
File:The Source Triss' Lover (The Witcher) HD
File:Triss Merigold Romance and Sex (The Witcher 2)
File:TW2 Characters 2 - Triss
== Gallery ==
People Triss full.png|Triss Merigold in The Witcher
People Triss battle.png|Triss in her battle gear in The Witcher
People Triss Merigold.png|Journal image in The Witcher
Romance Triss1.png|First censored sex card from The Witcher
Romance Triss2 censored.png|Second censored sex card from The Witcher
People Triss undressed.png|Triss in her nightie in The Witcher
Triss Merigold.jpg|Promotional poster for The Witcher
Triss - Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 2
Tw2 full Triss.png|Render of Triss for The Witcher 2
Tw2 full Triss 1.png|Triss in The Witcher 2
Tw2 Triss accuses.jpg|Triss during the deliberations in Loc Muinne in The Witcher 2
Triss concept 3 eurogamer.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
Fact01_EN.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
Trisszkice.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
Triss_TW3_eurogamer_concept1.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
Triss_concept.png|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
Triss_TW3_eurogamer_concept2.jpg|Concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt-Triss.jpg|Near final concept art of Triss for The Witcher 3
TW3 alternative Triss concept.jpg|Concept art of Triss in her alternative outfit DLC for The Witcher 3
Triss Merigold-Ranuncul - Artwork.jpg|Render of Triss for The Witcher 3
Tw3 Alternate look for Triss.jpg|Alternative look for Triss in The Witcher 3
Tw3 smilling Triss.png|Triss in The Witcher 3
Tw3 Triss and Yamurlak.jpg|Triss casting a spell on Yamurlak in The Witcher 3
Tw3 cardart neutral triss.png|Triss Merigold in Gwent
Gwent cardart neutral triss.png|Triss Merigold in 
Gwent cardart neutral triss telekinesis.png|Triss: Telekinesis in 
Gwent cardart neutral triss butterflies.png|Triss: Butterflies in 
Triss Avatar Gwent.png|Triss Avatar in 
Triss Elven Style Avatar Gwent.png|Triss Elven Garb Avatar in 
Triss Fox Mask Avatar Gwent.png|Triss Fox Mask Avatar in 
TWAG Triss.png|Avatar in The Witcher: Adventure Game
Denis_Gordeev_sick_triss.jpeg|Sick Triss
== References ==
== External links ==
*
*
*
ar:تريس ميريغولد
cs:Triss Ranuncul
da:Triss Merigold
de:Triss Merigold
es:Triss Merigold
fr:Triss Merigold
hu:Triss Merigold
it:Triss Merigold
nl:Triss Merigold
pl:Triss Merigold
pt-br:Triss Merigold
ru:Трисс Меригольд
sk:Triss Merigold
sr:Трис Мериголд
uk:Трісс Мерігольд
zh:特莉絲‧梅莉葛德
Category:Humans
Category:Mages
Category:The Last Wish characters
Category:Sword of Destiny characters
Category:Blood of Elves characters
Category:Time of Contempt characters
Category:Baptism of Fire characters
Category:The Tower of the Swallow characters
Category:The Lady of the Lake characters
Category:Something Ends, Something Begins characters
Category:The Witcher characters
Category:Romance cards
Category:The Witcher 2 characters
Category:The Witcher 3 characters
Category:Blood and Wine characters
Category:The Witcher Adventure Game characters
Category:The Witcher Battle Arena characters