Castran

**Castran of Poviss** or simply **Castran** was a lesser-known Witcher of the Northern Kingdoms, he was a known School of the Wolf Witcher. **Castran** was a originally a servant boy of Povissite descent, he was procured from the city of Thwyth as payment for a contract.

## Biography

### Training in Kaer Morhen (1131)

Upon his arrival to the keep he was put with the other Witcher novices at the time. Before undergoing his mutations, **Castran** and the other trainees were under the care of the instructor **Varin** at the bastion, **Varin's** training was ruthless on the boys especially the youngest of the group Razan. Between lessons to improve their stamina and breathing techniques, **Varin** had the boys run the 'Witchers Trail' also known as 'The Killer'. **Castran** keep pace with a majority of the other boys and joined them of their teasing of **Razan**.

### Known Enemies

* Bandits
* Church of the Eternal Fire
* Hostile, non-sentient monsters
* Witch Hunters

### Skills and Abilities

Trained Abilities

* Crossbowmanship: While it wasn't a weapon he was originally trained in, **Castran** adapted to the use of crossbows to hunt monsters. He used his enhanced senses to make highly accurate shots like at a distance or in pitch darkness.
* Expert Hand to Hand Combatant: Like other witchers, **Castran** learned to protect himself without his swords, able to defeat multiple armed opponents while being unarmed. His enhanced strength and knowledge of both humanoid and monster anatomy allows **Castran** a better chance unarmed than most people, able to shatter humanoid bones and use monstrous momentum against large monsters to throw them to the ground.
* Multilingual: Due to his training at Kaer Morhen and later study at various other places of learning, **Castran** learned to speak more than just the Northern language:
	+ **Common** - This was the language spoken throughout most of the Northern Kingdoms.

* Swordsmanship: Like most Wolves, **Castran** was thoroughly trained in fencing. He has learned multiple sword-fighting styles during his lifetime.
	+ The Temerian Devil (Wolf School Style)
	+ The Addan Aenye, The Fiery Dancer (Cat School Style)
	+ The Viroledan Naev'de Feaine Glaeddyv, Nine Sun Swords (Griffin School Style)

Witcher genetic mutations

Before even entering adolescence, Witchers apprentices were subjected to painful and potentially lethal mutative procedures with the goal of reshaping their bodies. The result of these mutations, when successful, were strength and speed far exceeding that of a normal human, capable of matching those creatures which preyed upon humanoids.

* Sterility: A condition which is a side effect of the trial of the grasses and the Witcher mutations.
* Witchers possess a disease resistance that borders on absolute immunity. This tremendous resistance to disease (which functions in most cases as complete immunity) and a boosted immune system, allowing them to consume large quantities of potions that could prove easily deadly if consumed even in small amounts by a normal man.

* Enhanced Condition- Witchers possess a enhanced human condition and mind brought about by training and mutations which results in exceptionally enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance, far beyond any normal or well-trained human, that allows them to swiftly end fights with minimal effort, and perform physical feats non-witchers couldn't hope to match.
	+ Enhanced Human Endurance- Witchers have also been shown to shrug off hits that would normally render normal men unconscious. Additionally, they have been known to survive the strikes of powerful monsters such as giants, or other beings possessing herculean strength, that would otherwise kill others with a single blow.
	+ Enhanced Human Senses- A Witcher's entire sensory system has been overall enhanced, trained and refined to an inhuman degree.
		- Enhanced Hearing- Witchers can hear with amazing clarity, distance, and even frequencies outside the normal range. Used with the Supirre Sign Witchers can pick up every single sound, can decipher layer upon layer of differing sounds/conversations, locate the source of noise or pick up a sound from a mile away in a busy city.
		- Enhanced Smell- Witcher are trained to detect specific persons, creatures, monsters, objects, substances or even places, locate their origin, and track targets with nothing but their nose. A Witcher can identify the species of animal from the scent of their blood alone.
		- Enhanced Vision- Witchers can see with amazing clarity/detail, distance, or color. Witcher possess cat-like eyes that grant very acute night-vision - Witchers can constrict their pupils to see in blinding light or open them to see in near pitch darkness. This night-vision can be further enhanced with the cat potion, but in general, it is good enough by itself to not require further enhancement.
			* Night Vision- Using the Cat potion, Witchers eyes change to allow Witchers to see in pitch blackness.
* Enhanced Human Strength- A witcher's physical skills alone are sufficient to defeat most monsters single-handedly if combined with extensive training and proper weaponry, whereas regular men could only hope to accomplish this in large groups. Its generally thought that a witcher is 2 to 3 times physically stronger than a normal man, able to cleave through cleave through monstrous flesh and bone but still capable of dying from a more skilled opponent or obviously fatal wounds like decapitation or having a lung run through by a pitchfork.
	+ Enhanced Running/Sprinting- Due to an extensive pre-mutation exercise program and later the mutations of the Witcher Trials, Witchers are able to run faster than normal humans beyond what can be emulated via natural training and with little to no maintaining.
	+ Enhanced Stamina-

* Signs- Witchers have the ability to perform simple yet incredibly versatile simple magic in the form of signs. They also develop a sixth sense that allows them to "feel" things around them, be it items of importance or people's immediate intentions. This explains their uncanny ability to track and hunt people and monsters.
* Regenerative Healing Factor: Level 2- Witchers usually have quick(er) recovery from injuries. While not instant healing a witcher's healing time is highly unusual taking a fraction of the time to heal as well as surviving more deadly wounds possible. For example when slashed in the neck by a Striga's talons the famed witcher Geralt of Rivia it only took him a few days to heal before he was back on The Path.
	+ Minor to moderate wounds such as small cuts, bruises, and burns usually take a few seconds to fully heal, with more severe injuries like lost limbs, internal organs, and damaged nerves and cells taking minutes or hours to heal.
	+ Demi-Immortality- A Witcher's cellular senescence is drastically reduced, if not completely halted. It is unknown if a witcher has semi-immortality or a life extension as no known witcher has died of natural causes but witchers have incredibly long lifespans and prolonged youth. While each witcher is different, a witcher's known life expectancy is varied as they usually died in battle.

* Witchers' possess the ability to receive mutagenic materials from monsters and process it into their being through witcher decoctions. This allows a Witcher to take on traits and the improved conditions of the monster, this is a incredibly dangerous process so a witcher can only handle one or two decoctions at a time, as a inbred safety precaution if a witcher already has two decoctions in their system and takes a third one, the oldest decoction's effects are overwritten.
	+ Monster & Beast Physiology: By consuming witcher concoctions, a witcher is able to take on traits of the decoction's donor.

* Signs: A simple form of combat magic that witchers use.
	+ Air Signs
		- **Aard**: **Aard** is a simple magical sign that draws from the Plane of Air or the Astral Plane (Research has so far been inconclusive about the type of Chaos particularly) that is used by witchers. The **Aard** sign is a simple magical sign used by witchers that directs a blast of telekinetic energy to stagger opponents, leaving them open for a subsequent attack. **Aard** can also blow out any existing fires, blast open poorly secured doors, or punch through cracked or damaged walls.
		- Aard Alternate Form- **Sweep**: Aard's alternate form turns it into a bubble of telekinetic energy that focuses around the witcher and expands outward with destructive force.
	+ Fire Signs
		- **Igni**: The Igni sign is a simple magical signs that draws from the Plane of Fire that is used by witchers and causes a burst of fire that can repel and ignite opponents, as well as start fires.
		- Igni Alternate Form- **Firestream**: Igni's alternate form turns the burst of fire into a sustained stream of sparks and flames.
	+ Earth Signs
		- **Quen**: The Quen sign is a simple magical sign used by witchers that draws from the Plane of Earh to form a protective field around the caster. Quen's basic ability is to cover a witcher in a basic shield that absorbs a limited amount of damage.
		- Quen Alternate Form- **Active Shield**: Quen's alternate form creates a bubble of protective energy to form around the witcher it is stronger than the original form but is more draining on the witcher and requires them to remain in place.
	+ Spirit Element Signs
		- **Yrden**: The Yrden sign is a simple magical sign used by witchers that draws from the Astral Plane to form a circular, magical trap. The trap triggers a certain number of times when traversed by a foe, causing knock back, damage, and a chance of inflicting ailments on its targets Most foes that wander into the ring are significantly slowed, though some monsters are unaffected by it. Yrden is one of the witchers best tools for controlling multiple enemies in melee range. It's also particularly valuable for witchers when up against noonwraiths and nightwraiths, who remain incorporeal most of the time unless caught within a Yrden circle.
		- Yrden Alternate Form- **Magic Trap**: Yrden's alternate form creates a stationary glyph of magical energy that strikes at and slows down hostile forces within a certain radius, as well as destroys and projectiles that happen to pass through that radius. Multiple Magic Traps can be placed down at once by experienced witchers.
		- **Hatri** (Hate-reflecting sign): Hatri is a telempathic sign which reflects the opponent's hate, bloodlust and hunger back to its source, making the monster afraid.
		- **Heliotrope**: **Heliotrop** or **Heliotrope** is a magical sign used by witchers. It is made by crossing one's wrists, as well as interlocking ones pinkies and works as a buffer against physical attacks, combat magic and impacts with walls, ground etc. Contrary to Quen, which is active until broken or dispelled, the Heliotrop is active only for a moment and cushions from a single powerful attack or damage.
		- **Somne** is a simple magical sign used by witchers. It is used to put the target to sleep, and may possibly also leave them open to some form of suggestion.
	+ Water Signs
		- **Axii**: The Axii sign is a simple magical sign used by witchers that draws power from the Plane of Water that can charm an opponent's mind to stun them, temporarily eliminating them from combat. However, the stun effect disappears after seven seconds or when the target receives harmed. This sign can be used by witchers to calm their mounts or on people to gain information or benefits. This sign can usually only affect one person at a time and its effects are visible to other people in the vicinity.
			* Brainwashing/Compulsion
		- Axii Alternate Form- **Puppet**: Axii's alternate sign forces an enemy to temporarily become an ally and fight on your side during a conflict for a short time as well as boosting their physical abilities for the duration of the conversion.
			* Mind Domination

Alchemy: A brewing process for making potions, oils, decoctions, etc of the witcher trade.

* Witcher Potions- Using alchemy **Castran** is able to brew potions which have calculated effects on Witchers but are toxic to most other mortals.

* Witcher Decoctions- Using alchemy **Castran** is a able to brew decoctions which are a stronger type of Witcher potion often using monster parts as ingredients, and have stronger effects. Only a few decoctions at a time can be used at once as they are much stronger than conventional Witcher potions.

* Weapon Oils- Using the alchemical process and using dog or bear fat as a base **Castran** is able to brew oils to coat his swords in to deal more damage to certain types of beings and creatures.
* Bomb Recipes- Through alchemy **Castran** was able to make bombs with different effects.

### Witcher Achievements

* Beasts:
	+ N/A
* Cursed Ones:
	+ N/A
* Draconids:
	+ N/A

* Elementa:
	+ N/A
* Humans/Non-humans:
	+ N/A

* Hybrids:
	+ N/A

* Insectoids:
	+ N/A

* Necrophages:
	+ N/A
* Ogroids:
	+ N/A

* Relicts:
	+ N/A

* Specters:
	+ N/A

* Vampires:
	+ N/A

## Notes

* **Castran of Poviss** is free to use in stories and articles, all I ask is that you honor the lore present.

## Notes

* **Castran** is a pure fanon creation as such there is no official proof of his existence in the Witcher works outside the fanon community.