Witcher schools

The **Witcher schools** are the organizations which train and equip Witchers, the itinerant monster slayers. While schools differ in mindset and details of training, most of them teach equally professional hunters. Headquartered in seclude locations, each one is built on the blood, sweat, and tears of countless children who stood within them, honing their technique and skill.

Split off from the original Order of Witchers created in the 10th century, the schools continued to train new generations of witchers. Most of them had fallen up to the first half of the 13th century under various human attacks, but at least some of them were rebuilt and continued to function even in the next centuries.

## Timeline of the Witcher Schools

### First generation of Witcher Schools

#### 951 AR ( creation of the Order of Witchers )

The first group of witchers which would take on the name of Order of the Witchers under Alzur and his mentor Cosimo Malaspina. It is unknown how long the original mages stayed but they were considered long gone by 970 AR when the group finally fractured beyond repair.

#### 970 AR ( creation of the School of the Bear, Viper and Manticore )

The witcher Arnaghad attacks fellow witcher Rhys, this leads to a big battle amongst the remaining members of the Order with those who stood with Arnaghad facing off against those that sided with justice for Rhys. The battle culminated with Arnaghad and a number of witchers leaving with him, this number would go on to form the schools of Bear, Viper and Manticore respectively.

#### 972 AR ( creation of the first iteration of the School of the Cat )

Two years after the events of Arnaghad's attack, a group of witchers decides to steal away research and knowledge to start their own school. The witcher Kodan founds the first iteration of the School of the Cat as Stygga Citadel in Ebbing along with 19 young witchers with the intention of create their own school which would surpass the Order and get them the respect of the continent.

#### 980 AR ( creation of the School of the Griffin )

The School of the Griffin is founded by Erland of Larvik, with the intention of preserving the original purpose and knightly values of the Order of Witchers.

#### 1000 AR ( creation of the School of the Wolf )

The last of the first witcher schools, the School of the Wolf is founded by Deglan who takes all the Witchers that remained after the others, with the intention of creating a well-rounded and trained, professional Witcher.

### Second generation of Witcher Schools ( birth of the School of the Hawk, second iteration of the School of the Cat, birth of the School of the Fox, etc... )

#### 1000 AR ( creation of the School of the Rhino )

A dispute between the Grandmaster of the School of the Bear, Arnaghad, and the witcher Atol Florry over how the training of the members of the School of the Bear should be conducted leads to Atol Florry's exile, along with those who supported his training approach. This eventually gives rise to the School of the Rhino when Atol Florry and his supporters settle in the country of Tenoch in the Far South.

#### Around 1000s AR ( creation of the School of the Owl )

When witchers of the Wolf took Kaer Morhen, some of them, especially those connected with the Griffin School, felt it was unlawful. They left Hertch and joined Skelliger expeditions to the east. There, they met the Skrælings, the indigenous population. Some of Skræling shamans decided to support the monster fighters, and joined the school in place of the mages left in Kaedwen.

#### 1031 AR ( creation of the School of the Spider )

An anonymous witcher, following the initial contacts between people from the Melukka region and the Northern Realms, decides to journey to Melukka with the intention of eliminating the monsters plaguing that part of the world. This leads to the founding of the School of the Spider.

#### 1100 AR ( creation of the School of the Lungonite and Dragon )

Out of fear of political manipulations by the Zerrikanian crown, among other reasons, a group of thirty members from the School of the Manticore, led by Gilgasmesh, decide to leave the school. Along the way, they escort a diplomatic caravan from the Tuyotuki Islands back to their homeland. This event eventually gives also rise to schools such as the School of the Lungonite as the group of thirty member splits in group of then during their journey to the islands after seeing the monster problem the region of Bia Thin. Later, in the Tuyotuki Islands, the School of the Dragon is founded with the ten members left of the original group who completed the travesy.

#### 1169 AR ( creation of the School of the Raven )

As a result of the heroic deeds of the School of the Griffin Witcher, Raven, a group of admirers within the same school decide to break away and establish the School of the Raven, inspired by his exemplary actions.

#### 1229 AR ( creation of the School of the Tiger )

Exiles from the School of the Cat come together and form a group, calling themselves the "School of the Tiger" in the southern part of the continent.

### Third generation of Witcher Schools ( reform of the School of the Cat and post - Second Conjunction of the Spheres )

#### 1380 / 81 AR ( creation of the School of the Crane )

The School of the Griffin Witcher, Putnam Pitch, travels to the Silk Islands and, on the island of Hawaiki, founds the School of the Crane – the first witcher school with a clear specialization in monsters, particularly focusing on aquatic and flying ones. However, due to various factors, the school does not officially start operating until 1381 when an old flame of Putnam, the Cat Witcheress Jolanta Dinmarb, joins the school, contributing with her ideas and enhancing Putnam's original concept, becoming its co-founder and co-grandmaster.

## The First Witcher School

Extinct
2. School of the Cat (972 AR)
3. School of the Griffin (980 AR)
 The original knightly order had a very short history of about nineteen years before the Rhys incident started the fracturing into independent schools.

## The First Four Schools

Founded in 970 AR

Founded: 971 AR
At one time the school was functionally extinct but was reinvigorated starting in 1305 after their leader signed the Witcher's Reformation Act and received aid from the School of the Fox.
2. School of the Manticore (Technically)
 The first of the four independent witcher schools that resulted from the fracturing of the Order of Witcher, the school was officially founded a year after the incident that led to the dissolution of the Order of Witchers. The School would later fall into decline after failing to eliminate a cabal of vampires. The School would survive long enough to be restored in the 14th century.

Founded in 972 AR
Nomadic/Mobile (Second Iteration)
following the incident that led to the dissolution of the Order of Witchers. The old witcher group at Stygga was wiped out and Gezras of Leyda\*canon\* founded the new mobile version of the Cats who would use the Dyn Marv Caravan)
2. School of the Rat (1100)
 The second of the four independent schools that resulted from the fracturing of the Order of Witcher, they had less scruples about taking on assassination contracts, leading to them being taken advantage of by a human monarch such as the Queen of Ebbing who granted them Stygga Citadel.
A coup would happen among the Cats which would conveniently be the reason that the new cats would survive the sacking of Stygga in a pogram to rid the world of them, they would then start up a caravan and make their base mobile naming it Dyn Marv or 'Dead Man's'.

Founded in 980 AR
Kovir & Poviss
Founded in 980 AR
2. School of the Leshen
 The third of the four independent schools that resulted from the fracturing of the Order of Witcher,

Kaedwen
Founded: 980 AR
The School was officially dissolved in the winter of 1272 following the death of the witcher Vesemir who had served as the last albeit unofficial Grandmaster.
 The fourth and final of the four independent schools that resulted from the fracturing of the Order of Witcher,

## Trivia

* New schools of Witchers appeared after the Second Conjunction of the Spheres.
* Cats and their derivatives are based on the D&D morality scale/alienation : Wolfs : True neutral, Lynxes : Neutral good, Foxes : Lawful good, Cats : Neutral evil, Tigers : Chaotic evil, Servals : Chaotic neutral and Lions : Chaotic good.
* Some of the schools were created by schisms in others.
* For non - common fanon schools or Witcher Schools in other parts of The Witcher Multiverse check this article : The Lost Art of Witchery.

## Notes

* Outside of the canon schools of Wolf, Cat, Griffin and Crane, if you count the books as well as the game canon of Bear, Viper and Manticore. Every other school is considered to be fanon.
* If you would like to add a school or have information about a school please contact Witcher190 or Adalwulf of Aedirn, either through the Discord (Preferable) or Message Wall.