I will not be playing Geralt of Rivia, I just used this image because I'm lazy. This will be more book-accurate, which I'll expl

READ THIS COMMENT AND ITS ADDENDUMS IN THEIR ENTIRETY. I will assume you read everything here, including everything under the rules section. The information there is vital to ensuring you understand this RP and will actually enjoy it.

Prompt One: You are a Witcher (schools listed below). You're tracking a monster through the forest. The trail is muddied, but you've recently found prints belonging to the creature's species. Curiously, you seem to have found another pair of tracks, though you cannot determine their origin. You've come across a cave supposedly belonging to the monster, but when you enter, the creature is dead, and its head - the usual trophy - has already been taken. You hear the sound of a sword drawing behind you, and a gruff voice saying "What are you doing here?" You turn to see another Witcher standing there.

Prompt Two: You are a peasant. A few weeks ago, you put up a notice for a monster. You never expected it to be taken; local militia isn't ballsy enough to take on such a contract, and you didn't count yourself lucky enough for a Witcher to show. That is, until a tall man in a traveling cloak appears, his eyes yellow with slit pupils and a steel sword slung over his back.

Prompt Three: You can choose a prompt, so long as it fits with the setting.

Rules: No joke RP or OCs. Usually, I say "no ERP," but if you've ever played a Witcher game or read a Witcher book, you probably know just how long that will last. I'm not intentionally gonna go in that direction, but due to the nature of the source material, it certainly isn't off the table. This roleplay scenario will be grittier, as the world of the Witcher is very low fantasy, where disease and death are common. Andrzej Sapkowski originally wrote his Witcher books to mock traditional fairy tales and folklore in which the knight in shining armor swoops in on a noble steed and saves the day out of the goodness of his heart, and he didn't mince any subjects, reflecting the actual bleakness and depravity of the dark ages, especially during war time. If you are easily offended, upset by violence or mature content, or anything of that sort, then this isn't the RP for you. Preferably, I'd like this RP to be done on a private image, or in memechat if you would prefer. Regardless, you are not allowed to kill my character. You can have multiple characters, since the peasant prompt doesn't go very far. Trigger warnings include: Blood, violence, dismemberment, and trauma or trauma references.

My Character: Alec, a Witcher of the Wolf School. Alec was trained alongside Geralt of Rivia at Kaer Morhen, though his training lasted longer and he became a Witcher after Geralt did. He is a skilled tracker, though often points to Geralt as being better than him in most fields, such as alchemy or swordfighting. Alec is particularly good at following trails and sniffing out conspiracies, though he often co-ops Geralt's fake "Witcher's code" to avoid getting involved in politics.

Witcher Schools: Andrzej Sapkowski only mentioned three schools in his books: the School of the Wolf, to which Geralt, Vesemir, Lambert and Eskel belong; the School of the Griffin, more ancient and prestigious than the Wolf School and adhering to more "knightly" values; and the School of the Cat, briefly mentioned in the book "Season of Storms" without detail, personified in the games as sneaky and shunned by other Witchers, particularly the Wolf School for their secrecy.

Game/Book Inspiration: This is taking mixed inspiration from the books and games, using the personification of the Cat School from the games to make up for the lack of detail in the books. Some aspects from the games are carried over, though changes have been made. The key example is the Silver Sword. In the books, silver swords are a specialized tool, made of a steel core plated in silver. Silver is a soft, rare, precious metal. Only a handful of swordsmiths can properly forge them. Because of its lack of durability, it is used sparingly; the silver edge is difficult to maintain and dulls easily, and would be costly to replace. A single strike against another blade or iron plate would dull, chip, blunt, or even break the sword instantly. Usually, Geralt leaves his silver sword wrapped in cloth and hung from the saddle of his horse, Roach, opting only to carry his steel sword on his back, to avoid damaging it. He only takes it out to deal with certain monsters.

Silver is highly specialized in the books. Most monsters can be handled with steel; among them Necrophages (Ghouls, Alghouls, Drowners, Rotfiends), Draconids (Wyverns, Forktails, Cockatrices, Slyzards), and Hybrids (Griffins, Harpies, Sirens, Succubi). Like in the games, steel is also used for natural beings (Humans and Nonhumans like Dwarves and Elves, and mundane beasts like wolves, bears, and the like). Geralt makes a point that both his swords are for monsters, because a man can be just as monstrous as any Striga. However, Silver is required for certain beasts, such as Wraiths (which do not have a base physical form), or Cursed Ones (like Lycanthropes or Strigas). They are also used for lesser vampires (such as Burxae, Alps, or Ekimmaras), though Higher Vampires (true vampires, with human forms) are immune to silver and require steel or other methods to kill.

Regarding the construction of Silver Swords: Silver cannot easily be forged. Because of its lack of durability, the hardening process can leave it extremely fragile; yet leaving it unhardened will cause it to warp and become useless due to the lack of structure. They dull fast and require constant sharpening. Because only Witchers use silver swords, only a few specialized smiths bother to make them; your average village bladesmith won't have the knowledge to make one, and even the specialists who do don't merely stock them in bulk due to their high maintenance requirement. In roleplay terms, Witchers are taught to use their silver sparingly because of how weak it is, so don't overuse your Silver if you choose the first prompt or make a prompt where you are a Witcher, unless you opt to be a young, unskilled Witcher without experience. If you don't know the cues, follow my character's lead for which sword he draws for what scenario.

Last thing: The "Witcher's Code" is a farce. In the books, Geralt explicitly states that he made up the concept of Witchers being totally neutral so he had a way to weasel out of contracts involving politics or that would force him to choose a side in a conflict. Most Witchers follow no such code, though some do hold a stance of neutrality, such as Vesemir. It's up to you to choose whether you fall under that or not.