"A cataclysm which occurred 2,000 years ago, trapping in our dimension many unnatural creatures, including ghouls, graveirs and vampires. These beasts have no ecological niches of their own and are merely relics of bygone times.
According to elven lore, humans arrived during the Conjunction, their own world having been destroyed. These human ancestors learned how to harness the power of primordial Chaos, and thus the first human wizards were born. Looking for a place in the world, humans took up arms against the Elder Races, who were unable to withstand the barbarians and ultimately surrendered. This is how humans came to rule the world."
For centuries, human kingdoms fought long and bloody wars for power. And then, it all seemed to stop. The Great War brought peace, and prosperity to the Continent. A Renaissance started to form, with art, and technology, and more civilized kingdoms throughout the land. For a time, there was peace. Soldiers focused on hunting down monsters roaming the lands. Populations grew, and it occurred to the Grand King that there were only two true threats left in their land.
The Kingdoms started a purge against the now scarce monster hunters, Witchers, and sorcerers, who once were personal strategists for their respected kings. People hunted them down, slaughtered them out of fear and anger, after all they have done for the Continent. One Hundred years later, only a few sorcerers and sorceresses survived, either hiding in plain sight, or in exile. Only a handful of Witchers are left as well, and although they are shunned, they still travel the land in search for monsters to kill for coin.
The Kingdoms converged into one rule, with territories going to Lords. A Grand Kingdom emerged, and all seemed to be going well for humanity... Until the Second Conjunction of Spheres. It brought back creatures thought to be extinct. Devilish monsters fell from the skies, both familiar and not, reigning havoc across the Continent once again. They are stronger, and smarter than the ones of old, and they are ruled by a Dark Lord. The kingdoms fought, some fell, others stayed strong, but fear struck them all. In a desperate attempt to save the Continent from the new threat, The Grand King called upon one of the last Witchers, giving him a task.
He must gather his own kind, recruit new ones, and find the Sorcerers to help fight against the new creatures of darkness, and their leader.
It is not an easy task, but it is all the Witcher knows what to do; Fight.
------
ALTHOUGH THIS IS A WITCHER-BASED RP, YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING TO JOIN! I WILL DO MY BEST (AND OTHERS) TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, AND BELOW IS A LIST OF QUESTIONS I FEEL WILL BE ASKED THE MOST! THIS IS ALL IN ALL A FANTASY RP
Lore:
"Indeed, naught is more repulsive than these monsters that defy nature and are known by the name of witcher, as they are the offspring of foul sorcery and witchcraft. Unscrupulous scoundrels without conscience and virtue, they are veritable creatures from hell, capable only of taking lives..."
Witchers are genetically modified monster hunters for hire. They were created by sorcerers long, long ago. Taken as young children, they undergo extreme physical, mental, and magical training for years, before undergoing the Trails of Grasses, which mutates and modifies their bodies to be perfect killing machines. They no longer become human, but a whole new breed.
Becoming a witcher has many traits, such as:
-Sterility (which partially explains selection from the outsiders, as they cannot breed to pass on their traits).
-Cat-like eyes that grant very acute nightvision - witchers can constrict their pupils to see in blinding light or open them to see in near pitch darkness. This nightvision can be further enhanced with the cat potion, but in general, it is good enough by itself to not require further enhancement.
-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.
-Exceptionally increased 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. 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. 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 heruculean strength, that would otherwise kill others with a single blow
-Having the ability to perform simple yet incredibly versatile combat 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
-Accelerated healing granting quick recovery from injuries
-Incredibly long lifespan and prolonged youth.
Though they cover proficiency in basically any weapon that comes to hand, a witcher's training focuses on two primary tools: a silver (for monsters) and steel (for humans) sword. They can perform simple, yet effective magic spells, create potions to help them fight off monsters, but although they are perfect killing machines, they can make mistakes, or be caught offguard, causing their deaths.
Besides seeing their cat-like eyes, their withcer medallions also indicate that they are a witcher. It senses any magical disturbances, and is in the shape of the school they went to: The school of the Wolf, Cat, or Griffin, Bear, Viper, and Manticore.
Each Witcher is trained a certain style, and philosophy of fighting. The three main schools are the Wolf, Cat, and Griffin, but recent witchers rebuilt the Bear, Viper, and Manticore schools before the Purge. Although there are slight differences in the schools, the main difference is the location of where they were "chosen"
-School of the Wolf: A balance of sword fighting, signs, and defense. Their base is in the isolated mountains, not easy to get to, at a fort called Kaer Morhen.
-School of the Cat: Speed, agility, and percision. Probably the most hated school of the witchers, because of their tendencies of taking on human contract kills, which is against Witcher code. Long ago, it is said that they betrayed the Wolf School, and destroyed their home at Kaer Morhen. Legends also tell of the Cat School forming because of the more violent nature of their mutations. The Wolf schools exiled them, creating a rivalry.
-School of the Griffin: The school is specialized in magic usage, and group attacks, instead of fighting only one enemy at a time.
-School of the Bear: The heavy, defensive witchers that favored strength over anything else. They and the Cat School are the only two that incorporated crossbow combat into their fighting style.
-School of the Viper: Located in the heart of Nilfgaard, The school focused on shortswords, and poison. They also kept a lot of books and knowledgable scrolls in their fort, but they, and their knowledge, vanished mysteriously.
-School of the Manticore: Located in the far east, little is known about this school, except that they might have been more spiritual than most, and used chain attacks in their combat.
"Only rare individuals have the potential to become mages and many of those with this potential are doomed to madness. Unless the individual in question - known as a source - learns to control their power quickly, he or she may end up a half-insane, slobbering oracle. That is why schools of sorcery were created, where talented children study for many years, acquiring knowledge and mastering magical skills. Because of their powers, mages age more slowly than ordinary people. They can extract magical energy from the four elements, transport themselves long distances and heal, as well as kill, in the blink of an eye. They have extensive scientific and political knowledge; in the latter respect, many mages are the equals of rulers.
The early days of the war with Nilfgaard saw the end of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, an organization which grouped mages and closely controlled the practice of magic. During the Brotherhood's last assembly, a rebellion broke out on Thanedd Island; some of the mages were accused of high treason, that is, working for Nilfgaard, and were either arrested or killed. The remaining sorcerers won independence and set up smaller associations.
In the wake of the rebellion, the mages retained their influence. Many of them remained royal advisors, sometimes even ruling countries from behind the scenes. Philippa Eilhart strengthened her position as eminence grise of Redania, whereas the elf Francesca Findabair, the queen of Dol Blathanna, took greater interest in the affairs of humans and became ruler of elven lands in general.
Simple folk fail to differentiate between witches, sorcerers and witchers. Anyone who wields magic is regarded as suspicious and godless. But the better educated, and those who dwell in large cities, know to treat mages with due respect."
---Courtesy of the Witcher Games' Glossary
The races are like any other fantasy world. The most abundant races are humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings. Dwarves were the first inhabitants of the Continent, while the Evles were the second, and started to rule over the land. During the Conjunction of the Spheres, humans and halflings appeared with the monsters such as trolls, goblins, and vampires. Humans quickly took control and started to make kingdoms, while exiling elves into the mountains. There is a very deep hatred for humans by the elves.
**If you guys have any more questions, let me know!!!
Character Sheet :
Name: Age: Appearance: Race: Witcher, elf, human, dwarf, etc. Also if you're a mage, say it here! School: Witchers only Bio: Optional Personality: optional Weapons: optional Family/relationships?: friends, family, ex-lovers, etc. Other:
---------------------------------
Name: Rilden of Redania, Slayer of the Thousand Army, "Gweintalan" in Elder Speech
Age: Roughly 150 years old, but looks like he's in his 30's
Appearance: Rilden stands at 6'2", and has a rugged, and angry look to him, like most Witchers. Besides his golden cat-like eyes, he has short dark brown hair, with a matching trimmed beard, a scar going across his eye, with many, many more all over his body. His skin is pasty white, also like normal Witchers, and his mouth is always curled in what people would mistake as a frown. He wears his wolf medallion over dark leather armor, with chain-mail embedded into the leather on his shoulders, and forearms. His two swords are placed parallel to his spine for easy access.
Race: Witcher
School: Wolf
Bio:
I never knew my parents. There wasn't a time I can remember that I wasn't at Kaer Morhen, home of the Witchers. I arrived with a couple dozen other children, and we were put to work very fast. years of pain, and beatings, and fighting, and memorizing every single creature and potion and fighting style. It was hell, and half of us didn't make it through the training. After me and the 12 others proved ourselves capable, we underwent the Trials... the Less said about that the better. When I woke a few days later, I could tell the effects have taken over. I was a Witcher, and only four other colleagues made it.
Before we left our home, we were told to create "normal" names so that people would feel more comfortable with us. I chose Rilden of Redania, and with my swords, I left to the Continent. After being alone with your kind for so long, going into the normal way of life was a shock. No one treated you like an equal, you were spat at, glared at, people would talk to you as little as possible, and your only task was to kill monsters. For fifty years I did that. I learned that people tried so hard to not be compared to monsters that they turned out to be one in their own rights. I drank, fucked, ate, slept, all around the Continent. It is said that Witchers lose all emotion when they go through the trials... I think they say that only to help us deal with the fact of who we are. Not everyone hated Witchers that much. I had acquaintances. mages, townspeople, bartenders, a couple people who knew me. I was efficient, fast, and reliable. Lords would call unto me for assistance, and there were few bards that would sing about my travels.
When the purge started, my first instinct was to go back to Kaer Morhen. It took longer than expected, I didn't know how many survived, who was after us, or why. When I arrived, the fort was under attack, by the Redanians. I assisted in the battle against the army, but we were pushed back into the main hall. In an attempt to protect the younger children, I tried to find the hidden exit into the mountains, but when i opened it, the elite killing force erupted, knocking me unconscious. They were known was the Thousand Army, because their skill was equal to that. When I awoke, the Thousand Army slaughtered the last of the children. I was relentless. I killed them all in a fit of rage, and then left, going into hiding.
One hundred years passed, hiding, keeping my head down, and doing what I had to to survive. I hid in Dryads' forests, took refuge with the friendly forest spirits, I told them my story, and said I was different from normal Witchers, and they named me "Gweintalan"; "Burden of Youth." As the decades passed, I didn't age, but people soon forgot about the mages, and the Witchers. I would ask around, and the answer was always the same: The Witchers were nearly extinct. I continued my profession, I was not hunted, but I was not welcomed even more than I was a hundred years ago. But it didn't matter. Sometimes I heard stories of a Sorceress rebelling against a Lord, or that another witcher came through and killed their beast problem. But it didn't matter.
Many would think that the Second Conjunction would have made me happy to be in work again, but it didn't. It left me more cautious, weary, and longing for a companion to assist me in my travels. It left the world in fear, even more than before. One night, I was abducted in my sleep, and taken to the Grand King, Ezli. He showed me with a surprising amount of respect while I was chained and poked at. It was not a man I wanted to talk to, but I had no choice. He gave me my "destiny." He gave me the choice of "redemption" for what I've done to humans. He told me to gather up the rest of my kind, the rest of the sorcerers, and recruit as many as I can for the cause.
The cause to kill monsters, and the Dark Lord. I started my journey almost a year ago, looking for anyone and anything that would help in the quest. I'm not doing it for the Grand King. I'm not trying to find redemption. I'm doing it to prove something to myself I suppose. That not all of us need to be monsters.
Personality: Like most Witchers, Rilden seems cold, expressionless, and menacing. He has a biased hatred for soldiers, but does his best to stay neutral, because of the Witcher Code. He does have sympathy, and small senses of dry humor, and does his best to conceal any other emotion, because of what he was taught.
Weapon(s): Small blades, a "Witcher's Kit" filled with potion ingredients and medicine, but mainly used the Witcher crafted steel and silver swords.
Family/Relationships: Anyone interested let me know!
Other: Although he'll deny it, he's a sucker for a really well written poem.
Age: Well over 100, but stopped counting around 113. Looks around early to mid 30's
Appearance: A 6' tall, dark skinned woman, with brown, long hair that normally keeps braided. Careful observers can take note of a subtle scar running along her left cheek, going back towards her ear. Her facial features became hardened after years of roaming, and her normal stare could easily be taken as a scowl by any bystander. Her green eyes have a golden hem and she's got a muscular build.
Race: Witcher
School: Cat
Bio:
Cenkos has always known the life of a Witcher, the strain the training put on her made her the best version that she could ever become, and she was always eager to prove herself. Whenever she had the time, she would go out and hunt whatever it was for whatever the reason, she didn't care how much food she had, or how small of a critter it was, she always could work around any excuse to enjoy a good hunt.
She never felt any ulterior motives to become a monster hunter, she was just the best at it, the pay was good as she could get, and the whole thing was about tracking and taking down beasts from her size to several times her size. It was the ultimate test of skill when it came to hunt, and Cen couldn't resist to something like that. She always shrugged off the praise of the people, with or without the needed tact, and always walked away with some trophy from whatever beast she had slain.
Her life was comfortable enough as she had plenty of money to spare, and she lived a laid back life whitout almost any concern, living mostly on the road with her own hunted food, her money always ended up paying reapirs to her equipement, or purchases of new gear, herbs, or fully made potions.
She remembers the day she saw the Purge, from afar and coming back to the city. She had just hunted a hulking monster, easily twice her size and broad as a house. The fight itself had been a blast, but she hadn't recieved any of the fanfairre and praise that she normally had. She didn't mind, but it was something odd that there was people missing from the usually lively town.
The city was in the middle of the Purge when she entered, seeing Witchers laying dead on the street or pitted against walls, with their swords drawn and surrounded. Immediately after seeing this, she threw everything that was not a weapon and drawed her crosbow, aimed at one of the soldiers and shot without a second thought. As the bolt was shot, she turned and ran for the gates.
She retreated to a nomad life in the woods, hunting for herself and laying as low as possible. She saw the lack of monsters, and knew that the services of a monster hunter were of no use without said monsters, so she understood the principle in which humans had acted, but still despised the actions they had taken. She grew older and more accustomed to the simple life she was keeping, every day integrating herself more and more to the world she had once served, but that now had no place for her.
When living on the wild, she had picked up the hobby of hunting thieves and grunts as she once hunted monsters. They yielded far less coin, and she now had no use for it, but some offered her exciting news about the human world, and, if the information was good enough, could walk away. One of such attempts, however, left her empty-handed. She had heard a couple of days before of the second conjunction, and she couldn't care less of this human quarrel, but the thief who she had caught this time, he was not alone, and was no thief.
As soon as she jumped onto him, heavily armored guards jumped out from nearly everywhere. She had, apparently, become too laid back in her retirement. She knew that she was outmatched, but as soon as she surrenderd, she was handed a seal, and read a letter from the king himself. He offered a "pardon" for the "horrible things her species had done" for the "honor" of helping humanity once more. She would have thought about it, and she might have had accepted, but given the circumstances, she was taken- I mean, escorted to the castle, where the king gave some speech about something, and he offered her, again, the "pardon"
She's had an idea, while the sodiers where taking her. She would become the first "Kingdom Approved Assassin" with the help of all the work she was to get done in the mean time. After all, if she had no choice, she might as well enjoy a big reward.
Personality: Normally eager to have a good hunt and relaxed in most of other things, thinks low of the king calling back the people who he sought to exterminate, but will answer to any hunting call, more so if the pay is good. Ususally seen focused and calm in and out of combat, she also has a quirk of smiling to pretty much anything, to conceal any true feeling.
Weapons: The two witcher swords, along with a couple of potions and a crosbow with its bolts.
Family/relationships?: None.
Other: Has a quirk of trying to be into anything that is happening, trying to hear conversations or snatch any piece of information that she can get a hold on.
So, Witchers are taken at a very young age to train, and usually only have those signs that @VKAllen mentioned.
In the books and games, the girl Ciri (Geralt's "Daughter") was very strong with magic, and trained by Witchers, but she didn't have the genetic effects of being a Witcher, so she was just a human...
The Mutation process was only made for humans, so elves, or dwarves would most likely die during the process!
Oh, and I'd love to work out a little backstory with our characters! send me a PM whenever!
Age: Has lost count but believes to be around 127 (looks to be in his mid to late twenties)
Appearance: He stands around 6'2" with a very well defined physique. Underneath his armor and mask, scars are brushed across his body like a violent canvas, each one with a story to tell. His hair is long and white as so with most witchers but still has a slight highlight of black near his forehead. He has deep golden cat eyes that are steeled to age and experience. He has never removed his mask since he has put it on unless in the privacy of his own room.
Race: Witcher
School: Cat
Bio: To be explained through the RP
Personality: Sort of detached from society, he finds humans to be fascinating little creatures even though he was one himself. He prefers to remain silent and be a listener rather than a speaker as interactions with the regular crowd seem to put him off a bit as he has become somewhat apathetic towards them, seeing as they are more coin than anything else. One thing to particularly note is his like of proper nouns, preferring the pronoun game by saying "his", "her", "a man" or "a woman" when speaking about himself or anyone else. It isn't too difficult however to figure out when he is being serious as he then moves into the third person communication. Only when he is angered does he turn to first person speak though this is very hard to do. He comes off as blunt and dangerously so, to his own physical health as he does not filter what he says.
On the battlefield he is cold, cunning and analytical. Leaning towards quick and easy tactics that are precise and effortless while providing the most efficient outcome but even then he still has his faults. He prefers to work alone but has gotten use to the idea of group effort, although agitation tends to raise inside himself as stupid moves are made by others, sometimes causing him to blatantly knock them out so they can stay out of his way.
Weapons: 1x Two handed Silver/steel Damascus blade 1x Single hand Silver/steel short sword 2x Silver daggers forged with poisons running across the blade. 1x Bow made of dense rare wood and strung together with a mix of fibers and hairs to create a tough and durable bowstring. 1x quill of silver dipped arrows (roughly 25 arrows) 1x Witcher's kit
Family/relationships?: (To be discussed with others)
@Jones Sparrow How fussy are you in terms of human culture in Witcher? Aka how Skelligers are basically Vikings and how Novigradsmen are ye olde englishmen? Planning to make something akin to it.
Also! I would like to note just for the potential reference and usage during the rp. Old tomes in Witcher lore, and the story involving Leo Bonhart point to the rumors of their being Elven witchers in he School of Cat.
Particularly the Art of the head of the "Cat Witcher" denotes Elven ears and facial appearance. Although this is just something made to be uncertain in the lore, so players will always have something to speculate about in the end.
Koldar stands roughly six feet and six inches tall and his build is that of a powerful titanic man. He puts many figures to shame, but this was only due to the processes of Mutation he volunteered for at the School of Bear. Koldar's eyes are considered sharper than the average Witcher's, as his Witcher training and mutations were voluntarily more intense and unique to the School of Bear.
Race: Human Witcher School: Bear
Bio: Coming Soon
Personality: Despite the general conception of a Witcher under full training being that of a Cold, silent person, Koldar is nothing of the like. His time and his being have formed something all it's own. He is boisterous and proud, and rarely quiet, but he isn't without his own beliefs and ideals. The School of Bear taught him how to be a Witcher, but he taught himself how to be a Hunter. He believes not only in the Witcher Code, but a code to hunt down Monsters to assure that he is one day sung about in the taverns for his trophies. He enjoys the hunt, and the way it effects a person, and this is why he often feels most peaceful and most himself when trailing his query.
Weapons: Koldar of course has his Axe, a uniquely designed war-axe of Witcher Steel. This was his weapon of choice after he broke his Witcher blades during training, and the School Bear saw fit to give the man a weapon worthy of his strength. However he took only a steel Axe, and opted to craft his own tools of the hunt.
The first creation was his Silver Lantern Flail. This weapon is a marvel in it's design, as it is both finely crafted and beautiful, but also strong enough to be swung against a mountain by Koldar. This Flail's lantern is also lit with a unique Sign, one that combines the uses of Igni and an unusual sign that hasn't been seen too often. This combination produces a blue flame that doesn't require a fuel source, and it seems to amplify the effects of Silver onto beasts susceptible to it.
The Second weapon was a much simpler design, as the weapon is a merely an enlarged Crossbow. The Crossbow of the School of Bear were always larger than Cat's, but this one was made for a man who desired to shoot his query from the sky, and nail them to the ground. This mighty weapon, named "Medvedi Zub" or "Bear's Tooth" is one wielded by Koldar when his prey can fly, or when he knows that he must deal a blow long before the prey knows he is close. He carries both steel and silver bolts for the Crossbow as well, to ensure it can be used against all potential prey.
Family/relationships?: Koldar doesn't have much family, his parents are long gone, and the only other person he ever came to know as family was a young huntress, however that story is long and full of moments both close and far from Koldar's heart. Other:
History As with many of his species, Valter's life has been long and storied. His driving goal, however, has always been the study of his species, their origins and their mysteries. This quest has lead him to many strange places, and to many interesting individuals. He has become somewhat infamous among his Vampiric kin for his brazen lack of regard for vampiric hierarchy when it comes to the availability of knowledge, particularly regarding the vampiric races. When he's not pursuing a lead regarding such ancient knowledge, he usually haunts the Northern Realms and the northern tip of the Nilgaardian Empire, occasionally sating his habit with the blood of the local peasantry's undesirables.
Personality Valter is a polite, erudite being, though he can sometimes come off as rather haughty and superior. This is never his intent, however, and he often attempts to rectify such miscommunications, though frequently to no avail. His vampiric nature is quite expertly concealed, though on occasion he has been known to strut about blood-drunk and belligerent, abusing his power and preying on the innocent. The addiction to blood is a difficult beast to master, and Valter is still relatively young for a vampire, and so has less control over his thirst than the more ancient of his kin. He has developed a code of conduct to cope with this. That is, he tends to raid dungeons, prisons, and stockades to sate his thirst. By feeding only on the "evildoer," Valter keeps his conscience relatively clear, whilst also keeping his bloodthirsty nature in check, and avoiding the ire of local populations.
Abilities
Superhuman strength, speed, and agility beyond that of any mortal, save perhaps a very skilled Witcher. He always has access to these abilities, yet when he takes his bestial true form, they increase exponentially.
Invisibility. Though he cannot mask his scent by any magical means, he can obfuscate from view, chamelionizing into his surroundings. This is not a perfect invisibility, however, and Valter has little talent for it, often making too much noise to avoid suspicion, or faltering in his concentration, thus losing the effect. As such, he tends not to rely on this power.
Levitation. Exactly as it sounds, Valter has the gift of slow, graceful levitation in human form. (Note, this is not full-blown flight, though some higher vampires can achieve this. Valter cannot fly swiftly, trasnformed or not. His levitation is however, a very convenient means of silent traversal.
Transformation. Valter can assume his more bestial true form at will, though he rarely does this save when need is dire, as he does not enjoy the ghastly appearance. Valter can partially-transform as it suits him, giving him access to his bestial claws when in human form, etc. This too, he disdains, however, as he sees his natural weapons as a bit gruesome and inelegant. He will often rely simply on his strength and speed to overwhelm an enemy in martial combat, without bringing his transformation to bear in any capacity.
Functional Immortality. Higher Vampires are as close to immortal as it gets. They are extremely difficult to dispatch, able to withstand losing limbs and more. Should one manage to slay a Higher Vampire, there's no guarantee the creature will remain dead, as a Higher Vampire given enough time can regenerate nearly any wound, including the severing of the creature's head.
Weaknesses
Though ordinary fire is effective against lesser vampires, Higher Vampires like Valter are essentially immune to mundane temperature increases or decreases. However, sorcerous fire produced by mages (or the Igni sign used by Witchers) is highly effective, often more effective than it would be against a human being.
Vampire Blade Oils employed by Witchers are quite potent against higher vampires, provided the Witcher is swift and accurate enough to land a blow.
Black Blood Potion can be ingested if one knows they are about to be fed on by a Vampire. The potion works as a targeted poison for the vampire, and will deal them great harm, potentially leading to loss of consciousness or even temporary death.
Family/relationships? Have some things in mind here, will get to it soon.
Your character looks great. I love the flail also. I do have a thing for the bear school though, they're awesome.
Sadly I personally have never played any of the Witcher games or read any of the writings, but from the lore and the detailing of the creator of this Universe, I love it.
Bear is by far my favorite school in my recent researching of The Witcher Universe, the Bear School is most befitting to my personality as a person, and it fits many of my character designs well. However, with that note comes the note that I have grown to despise the School of Cat most of all in the lore. They betrayed the ideal of the Witcher Code and turned assassins, killing people as freely as monsters, or even more so in some cases.