Ard Skellige, early summer of 1271

The continent is in unrest in spite of the relative peace among the rulers. Here on the Skellige Isles, it opens ample opportunities for the Clans to either trade the treasures of the surrounding sea or to simply raid the shores.

Cerys an Craite, daughter of Jarl Crach an Craite, is using the sunny morning to take a bath and to clear her mind.

Things were definitely not as good as they appeared in the eyes of her fellow islanders. She needs to find a way to explain the looming danger to the clans and Jarls - which is an extremely difficult undertaking.

Sorrows and the burden of responsibility darken her mood.

Luckily, other daughters of the clan have arrived to join her. And their presence brightens Cerys' mood within a second. Her older great-cousin Freya an Craite has returned from an extremely successful trading trip to the shores of Redania and has many tales to tell.

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Also on my DA

https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Cerys-an-Craite-1113052548

https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Cerys-an-Craite-1123880910

An undisclosed warehouse, Novigrad, spring 1272

Trying to rescue as many mages as possible, Triss Merigold has to get the support from a few of Novigrad’s wealthy merchants.

However, wealthy merchants are extremely careful people, especially when a conversation's topics are of a very sensitive nature and when their guest is in ill standing with the city’s political powers.

As a sign of trust, Triss accepted being shackled in dimeritium chains during one of such meetings. The presence of this mysterious metal subdues her tremendous arcane powers down to almost nothing and renders her completely helpless to the will of her host.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Triss-Merigold-in-dimeritium-chains-1110548673

Oxenfurt, autumn of 1270

Frustration!

Shani is waiting for hours in the halls of Oxenfurt’s famous academy. All this annoying wast of time, just to get some meaningless papers in order to finish her doctorate in medicine.

"Keep smiling, girl! They take pride in being a pain in the arse,“ and with that thought, she straightened her back again.

"We’ll meet again once you have grown haemorrhoids at that desk of yours."

The academy’s bureaucrats are equally famous as it's professors. A rank that keeps to be unchallenged by the academy’s main rival, the Imperial academy in Nilfgaard.

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See also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Shani-at-the-Academy-of-Oxenfurt-autumn-1257994664

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Alternate version at https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Shani-at-the-Academy-of-Oxenfurt-1187557141

Undvik, Skellige Isles, early summer of 1262

Hardy villagers from Clan Torrdaroch have settled in this valley near Urskar many decades ago.

Aside from the plenty of fish in the nearby stream, this valley is rich with lodes of iron ore and other metals directly under the ground. They are a major supply for the Clan’s famous forge.

They don’t suspect at all to be forced to abandon their homes or to die in no more than 10 years.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Undvik-Skellige-Isles-1256435673

Grande-Dame Justine de Bois-Fresnes is making it a personal matter to oversee the harvest for the most famous wines of the world.

Although she isn't formally in charge, the Maître d’affaires couldn’t deny her expertise and capabilities.

As she had proven last year, her guidance and ubiquity all over the place pushed the many workers in the vineyard to outperform in their already excellent reputation and to create THE top quality harvest of a decade.

Wines like Est Est, Erveluce, or the royal Sangreal gained their glorious fame only by the devotion and hard work of generations of such outstanding personalities as Grande-Dame Justine.

However, even though everybody could observe her work in the vineyard, it remains a complete mystery, how she achieved this unprecedented success. Did she employ nouvelle and innovative methods, unnoticed by all the many critical eyes?

The success left the other vineyards speechless and more importantly the Ducal Court too.
Success creates jealousy. Resentment. Hate!
It didn’t take long for foul rumours to creep in the shadows. Fraud, witchery, indecency of the worst kind, and more. But since the reputation of the wines is of national interest, all these rumours dried out very quick.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Harvest-in-Toussaint-1248719655

A quiet and discrete spot in Beauclair’s Ducal Gardens.

Ciri and Triss have their own moment, hidden away from the eyes and ears of the ducal court.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/A-hidden-spot-in-the-Ducal-Gardens-1113387883

PS:  👋 @Evaloves4 😊

Empress Cirilla I, rightful heir to the throne, has decided her court duties can wait for another hour.

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Also on my DeviantArt:

https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Empress-Cirilla-in-the-Palace-Gardens-1116378124

https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Empress-Cirilla-in-the-Palace-Gardens-1118219885

Years before, she stepped down from the throne and her daughter Queen Calanthe was Sovereign of Cintra.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Queen-Mother-Adalia-of-Cintra-1119255495

In a moment of despair, while she is running from the Wild Hunt, Ciri spotted a glowing object at the bottom of the lake.

A mysterious sword, made of a strange material.

Is it a relic?

Is it even real?

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Relic-from-the-lake-1112992847

Yesterday, Triss Merigold, royal advisor to King Foltest, has arrived in town to take care of some undisclosed matters.

Is it either the tiresome journey from the King’s Palace in Vizima, or a general indisposition towards early mornings, but it was long after sunrise, before she ordered hot water into her bedchamber in the inn.

As it seems, her attention is not upon the Duke of Ellander or his court. The footpath from these outskirts of the city is leading only up to the Temple of Melitele. It’s not the direct main road, but detouring and meandering along the small brook that passes through the temple’s orchard downhill.

By her stride, it appears that she is not in a hurry, but clearly on her way to Mother Nenneke. One might wonder what important issues are going to be discussed at such a visitation.

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Also on my DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/worikda/art/Triss-Merigold-1253510682