Knowledge is power in The Witcher and its prequel, The Witcher: Blood Origin. If you need proof, just ask all the spies placed throughout the castles of the Continent feeding secrets to their masters.

And, no piece of information is more influential than history — especially knowing what happened when. In Season 1 of The Witcher alone, three separate (and massively impactful) timelines introduce us to heroes Geralt (Henry Cavill), Cirilla (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). While Blood Origin’s timeline may not have any time-hops, all four episodes of the prequel adventure are necessary to understand the events that led to the Conjunction of the Spheres, which changed the Continent forever. 

But a lot has gone down in the centuries between Blood Origin and The Witcher — and within these two magical series. In a stroke of luck as charmed as a princess born under the right moon, you can now trace the complete Witcher timeline below. No matter what a mage or monster throws at you, you’ll never be lost again.

🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Ancient History

Dwarven-elf war
Before the elves came to power, dwarves controlled most of the lands that became known as Pryshia, Darwen and Xin’trea. The dwarves were ultimately defeated and driven east into the Korath mountain protectorate of Nolde, but their influence could still be felt: Dwarven script adorned the walls of the Xin’trean royal palace, their steel was needed for war and dwarves had a deep connection to the monoliths buried throughout the Continent that would eventually change the world forever. 

Solryth and the Elven Golden Age
Solryth was an ancient elven hero who helped drive the dwarves out of Xin’trea and claim the Continent for elfkind. She was the subject of the Solryth sagas and the namesake of Solryth’s Eyes, twin comets that crossed the skies during her time. Legend states that when a tempest cast Solryth far from her home, she followed the twin comets, eventually reaching the Continent and leading the elves to their Golden Age.

This era was a rich and complex pre-colonized elvish world filled with art, music, earth magic, architecture, deep math, high culture and science. The elves were post-agrarian and enlightened, with functioning cities, trade, higher education and a vast history and belief system. 

Pre-coup world: kingdoms and the 1,000 Year War 
Long after the elves defeated the dwarves and drove them to the East, their mighty leader Solryth died, throwing the continent into chaos as various factions warred for power. The elves split into three warring kingdoms — Xin’trea in the west, Pryshia in the north and Darwen in the south — and they have been at war with each other for a thousand years. 

Fjall is banished.
After rescuing Xin’trea’s newly crowned King Alvitir and Princess Merwyn from assassins, royal bodyguard and member of Dog Clan, Fjall, is banished from the kingdom. 

Balor is transported.
Chief Sage Balor enters another realm, having stolen the mage Syndril’s magical equations, and asks for magical help from a powerful entity to complete a task at which he’d failed — assassinating King Alvitir.

Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix

Fjall meets Éile.
The disgraced former Dog Clan member meets the nomadic bard and former member of Raven Clan — and the two instantly face off.

Ithlinne offers a prophecy to Éile.
The young girl hugs the Lark and falls into a prophetic seizure, saying that “the time of the spheres is upon us,” “one will become two,” and “The Lark’s most precious note shall be the key to all things…” 

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

The coup 
In the time before the Conjunction of the Spheres, during the 1,000 Year War, the majority of the lowborn elves were becoming restless, and the monarchies could feel it. There were rumors of peace between kingdoms, but the military and the mage classes were not keen on relinquishing their power in a world where every elf knew their place and birth role in society and acted accordingly.  

Chief Sage Balor used Alvitir’s peace treaty to rally these disgruntled mages and generals from the kingdoms to wipe out all the royal families, establishing Xin'trean princess Merwyn as the empress of a new, unified Golden Empire.  

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The Golden Empire forms.
A unified elven state is formed in the aftermath of Balor and Merwyn’s coup, with Xin’trea as its capital and with Empress Merwyn as the figurehead — a puppet empress to keep the masses happy. The Golden Empire troops quickly became unpopular, however, thanks to their brutal methods, use of slave labor to raise Dwarven monoliths and the worsening famine throughout the empire.

Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix

Éile and Fjall look for Scían.
Instead, Scían finds them. This former member of Ghost Tribe decides to join the two former clan members in their quest to bring down the Golden Empire.

Éile, Fjall and Scían head to Daedwode.
The trio attempt to rob a bank, but not everyone manages to stay in formation in order to get the job done, and Scían is wounded.

Merwyn is attacked.
The empress is attacked by one of her own kitchen workers who lost a sister in the famine, but is saved by a mage named Avallac’h.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Brother Death joins the trio.
Scían’s wound isn’t healing, but a newcomer to the group — Brother Death — promises to take her to a healing mage. The newly formed quartet go to Zacaré, but Fjall’s suspicion is aroused by the presence of Syndril, a mage from Merwyn’s court.

Merwyn forms an alliance.
Tired of being cooped up in the palace by Balor, Merwyn convinces his military accomplice Eredin to form an alliance with her to combat the Chief Sage.

Syndril gives a warning.
Having escaped from Xin’trea — and Balor — using his own portals, Syndril warns the warriors that their problems extend beyond the empire. He says they must destroy the master monolith in Xin’trea to stop an apocalypse from happening. The group of warriors increases from four to six as Syndril and Zacaré join up.

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Meeting Meldof
The sextet officially become the Seven when they greet Meldof — and her hammer, Gwen of the Flowers — into their midst.

Syndril’s idea
Realizing that the best way to defeat Balor’s beast is by merging its essence with his own, Syndril lays out a plan to essentially become the first prototype Witcher — much to Zacaré’s dismay. It quickly becomes clear that Syndril shouldn’t be the one to merge, and Éile volunteers for the dangerous task.

Éile and Fjall give in…
As Éile prepares to merge with the beast, she and Fjall spend an intimate night together, knowing that their future is uncertain. Especially so when Éile wakes up in the morning to find Fjall missing.

Fjall the first
Believing Éile should be the one to live, Fjall betrays her and sacrifices himself, enduring the brutal transformation into becoming the First Prototype Witcher.

Scían sets a trap.
Having sneaked away from the group, Scían heads to Xin’trea, promising Empress Merwyn that she’ll lead her troops to Fjall, seemingly betraying her friends. Instead, Scían turns the tables and the Seven Warriors are ready to march on Xin’trea, disguised as empire soldiers.

Balor’s betrayal
Though Merwyn attempts to overthrow Balor, she realizes she needs him, and he uses this opportunity to travel through a portal with Fenrik, Eredin and some of his troops. Once there, he sacrifices Fenrik in order to gain Chaos Magic, and forces Eredin and his troops into another dimension, saying, “Wherever this takes you, may you burn for all time...” — the first step in Eredin becoming the leader of the infamous Wild Hunt.

Inside the castle
The Seven go to take back what is theirs, whether it’s Scían’s hunt for Soulreaver or Éile’s hunt for vengeance. Éile stabs Merwyn, and Fjall defeats Balor’s hydra but loses himself completely to the monster inside. Éile is forced to kill him.

Syndril’s last stand
In a final effort to defeat Balor, Syndril harnesses the power of the monoliths in order to prevent the Chief Sage from having total control of Chaos. But this causes the fragile veils between worlds to be ripped apart, and those worlds then merge together into one. This is…

0000

The Conjunction of the Spheres
Worlds in different dimensions passed through each other, depositing humans and monsters on the Continent in its wake, forever changing it.  

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Éile’s legacy
After the conjunction, Éile returns to a life of singing; she’s also pregnant with Fjall’s child. When she encounters Ithlinne again, another prophecy is made: “The seed of The Lark shall carry forth the first note of a song that ends all times...”

The Witcher: Blood Origin Mega ExplainerDon't know Witchers from Mages? Here's our Mega Explainer to help you out.

839 

The Laws of Magic are drafted.
The Brotherhood of Sorcerers is established and its first members draft the Laws of Magic, dictating how Chaos should be used.

Aretuza Academy is opened.
Klara Larissa de Winter opens the esteemed magical academy, Aretuza, on Thanedd Island.

967 

The first witcher is created.
A few mages gather at Kaer Morhen to create the first witcher, a genetically enhanced monster killer.

Jay Maidment/Netflix

1095 

Birth of Vesemir
Born to a servant named Bevin and bound to be one himself.

1107

Deglan recruits Vesemir.
A chance encounter at a local market leads Vesemir to join Deglan at Kaer Morhen.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

1160 

Birth of Geralt
Geralt is born to Visenna, a druid who leaves her young son with the witchers a few years later.

1165 

Kaer Morhen is sacked.
Humans declare war on the witchers for their “crimes against humanity.”

1187 

The Great Cleansing begins.
Tensions between humans and Elder Races come to a boiling point. Countless elves are forced out of their homes and many more are slaughtered.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

1192 

Birth of Yennefer
Born in Vengerberg, Aedirn, to a human mother and a half-elf father.

1206 

Yennefer attends Aretuza.
Tissaia travels down to Vengerberg in search of a girl who had her conduit moment. She finds Yennefer, living in the pigsty of her parents’ farm.

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1210 

Yennefer is transformed by Giltine.
Yennefer sacrifices her ability to have children in exchange for looks and power.

The Ascension Ceremony
Aretuza’s newly transformed apprentices are matched with the kings and queens they’ll come to serve.

1212 

The Black Sun eclipse
A seemingly ordinary solar eclipse, the first one in approximately 1,200 years.

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Birth of Renfri
The princess of Creyden is born during the Black Sun eclipse, and Stregobor believes she’s cursed for it.

1216 

Birth of Calanthe
King Dagorad and Queen Adalia welcome their daughter, Calanthe of Cintra.

1221 

Jaskier is born. 
Before he was the fun-loving bard, he was Julian Alfred Pankratz.

1229 

Ostrit curses Princess Adda.
Lord Ostrit curses the princess of Temeria. After her death, the unborn bastard child conceived with her brother turns into a striga.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

1230 

Calanthe ascends to the throne.
The late King Dagorad leaves the Cintran throne to his then 14-year-old daughter Calanthe. 

The Battle of Hochebuz
Calanthe defeats the Nazair military, earning the moniker the Lioness of Cintra.

1231

The Butcher of Blaviken
Refusing to choose the lesser evil, Geralt fights Renfri and her henchmen, resulting in his moniker, the Butcher of Blaviken.

1233

Calanthe marries Roegner.

1235 

Urcheon of Erienwald saves King Roegner.
In return for saving the king’s life, Urcheon of Erienwald — also known as Duny — requests the Law of Surprise.

Birth of Pavetta
That which Roegner had but did not know is born: his daughter, Pavetta, Duny’s surprise child.

1239 

Nilfgaard progresses north.
Niflgaardian forces take Ebbing, starting a war that would wage for years to come.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

1240 

The Edge of the World
Geralt and Jaskier meet. They set out to capture a monster but end up getting caught instead.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

Yennefer escapes a Ronin mage.
Yennefer is en route to Lyria with Queen Kalis and an infant princess when they fall under attack. The royals don’t make it, but Yennefer does.

1243 

Geralt lifts the striga’s curse.
On the road, Geralt meets Triss Merigold, who asks him to save the creature that’s been tormenting Temeria for years.

1249 

The Law of Surprise
Geralt claims the Law of Surprise for saving Duny’s life but knowingly turns his back on Destiny.

Cintra celebrates a double wedding.
Pavetta and her betrothed, Duny, are joined in matrimony. That same night, Eist finally convinces Calanthe to take his hand in marriage.

Jay Maidment/Netflix

1250 

Birth of Ciri
Pavetta gives birth to Ciri, Geralt’s surprise child, in Skellige.

1256 

The last wish
Geralt’s and Yennefer’s fates are forever intertwined when they encounter a djinn and fight for its wishes.

1262 

The bounds of reason
Years after breaking up on bad terms, Geralt and Yennefer join opposing teams in a dragon hunt and learn the real reason why they couldn’t escape each other.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

1263 

Geralt returns to Cintra.
The witcher comes back to Cintra to claim Ciri. Once he realizes he is being played for a fool, Calanthe locks him up.

The Battle of Marnadal Valley
Cintra’s outnumbered army, led by Calanthe and Eist, fights a losing battle against Nilfgaard.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

Vilgefortz lures Yennefer to Aretuza.
Yennefer reluctantly joins a gathering of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers where Cintra’s fate is to be decided.

The Slaughter of Cintra
Nilfgaard breaches Cintra’s borders, threatening to destroy the entire city and kill everyone within its walls. Ciri is escorted out of the city, Mousesack is captured, and Calanthe goes down with her kingdom.

Revolt in the refugee camp
Ciri finds her way to a refugee camp where she meets Dara, an orphaned elf. When fights break out within the camp, they flee.

Refuge in Brokilon Forest 
Dara and Ciri find the dryads. After their intentions are tested for purity, they’re allowed to stay and enjoy the dryads’ protection — but Ciri leaves anyway.

Circa 1264

Ciri delivers Ithlinne’s prophecy.
Ciri tries to make her way to Skellige. When she’s forced to defend herself, she unleashes a power — and a prophecy — she never knew she possessed.

Katalin Vermes/Netflix

The Battle of Sodden Hill
A group of mages travels to Sodden to face Nilfgaard’s forces — sacrificing 14 powerful mages, but saving the northern realms in the process.

Geralt is rescued by Yurga.
Amid the remains of a Cintran refugee camp, Geralt is attacked by ghouls. A local, Yurga, gets him home and Geralt briefly meets his mother on the way.

Destinies meet.
In a forest near Sodden Hill, Geralt and Ciri finally find each other.

Yennefer is captured by Nilfgaard.
Depleted from the fire magic — and presumed dead by the Brotherhood — Yennefer is taken prisoner by Fringilla and shackled in dimeritium.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Circa 1265

A grain of truth 
On their way to Kaer Morhen, Geralt and Ciri meet Nivellen, an old friend of Geralt’s who’s cursed. Geralt lifts the curse but has to kill the bruxa, Nivellen’s true love.

Yennefer and Fringilla are abducted by elves.
Filavandrel ambushes Fringilla’s regiment. He takes her and Yennefer prisoner and presents them to Francesca.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Geralt returns to Kaer Morhen.
Geralt returns to his home and — much to the other witchers’ dislike — brings Ciri with him.

The elves join forces with Nilfgaard.
Francesca and Fringilla form an alliance: The elves are prepared to join Nilfgaard’s ranks in exchange for protection in Cintra.

Jay Maidment/Netflix

Voleth Meir is calling.
Francesca, Fringilla and Yennefer have visions of robed figures, which lead them to an ancient elven temple where they open Voleth Meir’s tomb.

Aretuza holds a memorial for the Fourteen Fallen.
Mages, kings and queens gather at Aretuza to commemorate the Fourteen Fallen. Yennefer is supposed to execute Cahir, but instead helps him escape.

Lydia enlists Rience’s help.
After freeing him from a dimeritium dungeon in Cintra, Lydia sends Rience out to track down Ciri.

Yennefer meets the Sandpiper.
Yennefer and Cahir follow a pair of refugee elves through the Gors Velen aqueducts to meet the Sandpiper — a man who can provide safe passage to Cintra.

The Chernobog appears.
As Geralt and Istredd examine the monolith crevice near Cintra, the witcher realizes the correlation between Ciri’s presence and the spike in monster activity around her.

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Istredd discovers Ciri’s true lineage.
A visit to Codringher and Fenn’s office clarifies several things for Istredd: Ciri’s ancestry, Calanthe’s xenophobia and Ithlinne’s prophecy.

Ciri begins her magical education.
Geralt whisks Ciri away to Nenneke after Vesemir and Triss nearly administered a makeshift mutagen to her. At the Temple of Melitele, Ciri starts her magical education.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Circa 1266

Trouble in the temple library
Rience tracks Ciri down to the Temple of Melitele and corners her in the library. Geralt intervenes, but Ciri is still taken — by Yennefer.

Yarpen helps Geralt retrieve Ciri.
Right when Yennefer is about to complete Voleth Meir’s task, she grows a conscience. As they are surrounded by Nilfgaardians, Yarpen and Geralt swoop in to save Ciri and take her back to Kaer Morhen.

Future hope is lost.
Francesca wakes to find Filavandrel covered in blood, cradling their dead newborn. The distraught parents suspect Redania and seek out justice.

Susie Allnutt/Netflix

The witch leaves the hut.
The suffering from the loss of the baby was enough for Voleth Meir to leave the confines of her hut and regain a corporeal form in Ciri.

Voleth Meir is expelled.
Back at Kaer Morhen, Voleth Ciri kills several witchers in their sleep. Only with combined efforts do Yennefer and the witchers manage to expel the witch and send her back to the sphere from whence she came.

Emhyr travels to Cintra.
The emperor finally arrives to check up on Fringilla and Cahir and casually reveals that he was behind the murder of the elven baby — and is Ciri’s father.