Stefan "The Crane"

“*I'm not even the shadow of what my father was.*”
―Stefan "The Crane"

Young Stefan "The Crane" art by Iván Mazo Sánchez

### Died

1730, killed by a unknown sea monster in the route between Cherdian and Novigrad

## Political Information

### Profession

 Witcher
Bounty hunter
Privateer
Explorer

### Affiliation

School of the Crane
The Company
Fabiola Government

## Relationships

### Sibling(s)

Putnam Pitch other adoptive sons

**Stefan "The Crane"** also know as **Stefan Pitch** was a witcher from the School of the Crane. He was hired by The Company on several occasions to protect the ships travelling between Cherdian and Novigrad from monsters, but he used to hunt pirate crews as well and he even admitted once he actually killed off the whole ship crews once or twice.

## Biography

### Early life

Stefan "The Crane" was born in 1370, in Haakland, more specifically in the capital of the Haaki Empire, Abarva. Son of two khitans convicted of corruption.

### Orphanhood

Stefan was orphaned at the age of 3. When his parents' corruption cases were discovered and they were sentenced to death because of this and following haaki traditions, believing that the seed of corruption was in him, he was rejected and expelled from the haaki society.

### Enslavement

At the age of 5, his punishment was decided and he was sold as a slave to the nilfgaardians. Who was gathering labor forces to explore and colonize the newly discovered Western Continent.

### Adoption by Putnam

While Putnam was traveling along the Eastern Coast, he came across a slave sale, where he met Stefan  and seeing the bad situation of the child, decided to buy it and adopt it as his son, and then try to give him a better life.

Later on and after the birth of the Crane School, Putnam would make Stefan the first student of the School of the Crane.

### Illness

At the age of 7, Stefan contracted the disease called Kiguya *( "The Painful" in Zangwebari Language )* , which was brought by the first zangwebari who came to settle in the Western Continent, after news of their discovery began to spread throughout the world.

Which included symptoms like headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and a rash. The ones that were getting worse with the passage of time.

Due to the lack of a cure. Putnam Pitch, his father, took a risk and subjected him to mutations, hoping that he would survive and eventually be cured.

Indeed, Stefan survived by miracle. Although, with sequels. Which would affect him for the rest of his life.

### School of the Crane

Similar to his father in the school from which he came, Stefan, despite his condition and his early submission to mutations, stood out. Being one of the most brilliant students of the first generation of cranes

Highlighting in several aspects, including combat in dangerous terrains and apnea.

### Graduation

Similar to his father Putnam Pitch. Stefan would graduate with all kinds of honors along with his other siblings.

### Working for The Company ( 1391 - 1401 )

Stefan, after graduating from the School of the Crane, was hired by the Company, where he served as the protector of various ships, for a period of 10 years.

It was at this time that he killed the first pirates in his life and not just the sea monsters that could threaten ships. This made him change his mentality and realize that witchers should not only kill monstrosities, as well as the scum, which hindered the development and progress of society, and a scum which greatly affected Fabiola's society, were the pirates.

And because of that 10-year work period, Stefan earned the nickname of "The Yellow Death", between different groups of pirates, which came to fear him.

Also, in that period of time, Stefan maintained a relationship with Rusla, a witcheress, of the School of the Siren, who had come to the Western Continent in search of a new life, although through Stefan's actions, she ended up returning to her old job.

Rusla would be killed after participating with Stefan in the assault on the ship of Roche Nan, a famous pirate of Cidaris, who would become one of Stefan's greatest enemies during that decade. Until he was finally killed by Stefan in his hideout in the Silk Islands.

### Time as a bounty hunter ( 1405 - 1410 )

For a period of 5 years, after leaving The Company, Stefan dedicated himself to eliminating criminals throughout the Western Continent. Especially in the more remote settlements, where the presence of bandits was much more common. Charging large amounts of money for it.

In spite of his personality, that 5-year period earned him a good reputation, which would later affect him in his life for good.

### Time as Grandmaster / leader of the School of The Crane ( 1500 - 1507 )

After his father's retirement, Stefan took over the school. During his time in power, the cranes underwent a series of reforms. Not very drastic, but they did cause the school to stop having the most heroic and chivalrous dye inherited from the Griffins and become much more professional and cold, but still, without losing its initial essence.

### Time as a Privateer ( 1510 - 1515 )

During 1510 from 1515, Stefan, because of his reputation, was hired by the government of Fabiola, to work as a privateer, due to the recent attacks that ships of the colony had suffered on behalf of rival colonies.

During time he would know Flora Buno, with whom he would have a relationship in spite of being a corsair of a rival colony.

### The Colonial Wars ( 1530 - 1540 )

During this period, Stefan did not serve only as a witcher, as the number of harmful creatures increased after the chaos of the various rebellions. Also taking advantage of his "neutrality" and superhuman abilities, he acted as a double agent, between the rebels and the colonial government, which led to a resolution of the conflict that allowed the same status quo to be maintained.

It was in this period of time, where he met Akew, a pirate who also acted as a double agent, but on behalf of the rebels. Both became lovers, but soon after they had to face each other in a duel where Stefan had to assassinate her.

### Defender of The Colonies ( 1550 - 1560 )

During the 1550s and 1560s, Stefan would act as a vigilante for the northern colonies, because of the sabotage attempts by the nilfgaardian colonies with the intention of destabilizing them in order to annex them.

### War against the Ammurun ( 1590 - 1626 )

For this time, the presence of the Ammurun in the Western Continent was a problem. This would lead to a crusade of the humans against them. All this, thanks to the creation of the School of the Bat, founded by one of Stefan's adoptive brothers, which would end up developing methods to kill them. Because of their isolation, these vampires had become weaker than those of the other two great tribes.

Stefan would join several witchers from this school and others, as well as sorcerers, to destroy them. Giving way to a bloody "war" that would end the flight of these vampires to the westernmost part of the continent.

In this crusade, it would be where he would meet the sorceress Avilda and initiate a relationship with her, which would last a short time, due to the conflict with the vampires, who would assassinate her.

### Time as explorer ( 1630 - 1680 )

In his most mature stage, Stefan would follow in his father's footsteps and together with Sela, a descendant of Fabio Sachs, would explore certain areas of the Western Continent to be discovered, especially the Northern Coast and some places, which were considered to be of mythical category.

Ironically, Stefan and Sela would end up in a romantic relationship and Sela would die in much the same way her ancestor did.

## Death

Stefan would die in 1730, while he was working again for The Company. The dates are inexact, because the sea trip was complicated, due to a detour that suffered the ship in which he was going, which ended in the Mad Sea.

Stefan, apparently faced an unknown sea monster, who intended to destroy the ship.

In the words of the survivors *"Stefan had to do his job and sacrifice himself for all of us so that we could return to the original route and reach Novigrad"*.

Some speculate that because of the area in which he died, he did not actually die, but traveled to another world or another time, since neither the body, nor objects related to Stefan, were ever found.

## Relationships

* Avilda ( Girlfriend ) [ Sorceress ]
* Akew ( Lover ) [ Pirate ]
* Rusla ( Girlfriend ) [ Witcheress ]
* Flora Buno ( Lover ) [ Privateer ]
* Sela ( Girlfriend ) [ Explorer ]

## Friends

* Semolt Riasi [ Witcher ]
* Eistar Lunsay [ Sorcerer ]
* Giclal Dada [ Explorer ]

## Known enemies

* Ammurun vampires
* David Caved [ Pirate ]
* The Fabiolan [ Pirate ]
* Roche Nan [ Pirate ]
* Kira Brouwer [ Pirate ]
* Maineri Sharp [ Pirate ]

## Relatives

* Putnam Pitch ( Adoptive father ) [ Witcher ]
* Orser "The Robin" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Ucalt "The Vulture" ( Adoptive brother) [ Witcher ]
* Ezeld "The Parrot" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Acol "The I´iwi" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Deeran "The Hoa" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Enu "The Flamingo" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Uzoma "The Alicanto" ( Adoptive brother) [ Witcher ]
* Idowu "The Benu" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]
* Math "The Boobrie" ( Adoptive brother ) [ Witcher ]

## Personality and traits

Stefan was a cold, reserved, somewhat rude and conceited person. But effective in his work. His behavior was the subject of discussion between his siblings and his father, but he stayed that way until the end of his days.

Physically, he was thickset tall and tanned with his body covered in scars like all the witchers.

His eyes were greenish-yellow due to the disease he suffered before being mutated. Similar to the case of the witcher Coën.

## Religious beliefs

Stefan considered himself an atheist. But with the passage of time, the death of his father, Putnam Pitch affected him more than he would have wanted. And once Putnam was sanctified, in difficult situations he used to pray to him to give him strength to solve what was happening.

## Abilities

* Swordsmanship
* Bomb - making
* Expert Hand to Hand Combatant
* Crossbow
* Witcher mutations
* School of the Crane mutations
* Signs
* Alchemy

## Equipment

* "Crane School Armor"
* Crane Witcher Steel and Silver Swords
* Crossbow
* Guns ( Since 1620s )

## Trivia

* Stefan was 6,8 ft tall ( 2,10 meters )
* Ever since I was a kid, Stefan always liked the sea.
* Due to the illness he suffered, occasionally, especially if he was subjected to very extreme physical activities (even for a witcher) his whole body resented and began to have pains throughout the body.This fact had a great influence on the personality he would end up having.