The Witcher - Skellige / Characters

Skellige

While technically a Northern Kingdom, the archipelago of Skellige is culturally distinct from the mainland kingdoms. Seven clans led by Jarls rule the islands and elect a king from their ranks to rule over the isles. Warriors from the clans frequently raid the mainland for treasure and captives, while occasionally raiding other clans territory as well.

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Clan an Craite

Crach an Craite

Jarl Crach an Craite

Appears in: The Last Wish | Blood of Elves | Tower of the Swallow | Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Alexander Novikov (Russian), Michel Vigné (French)

Leader of Clan an Craite and ruler of the northern half of Ard Skellig. He is an old friend of both Geralt and Yennefer and served as a guardian of Ciri during her younger years.

Beard of Barbarism: One of the fircest warriors in the franchise, he also has a giant and glorious beard.
Cool Uncle: Although not technically her uncle, this is how Ciri views Crach.
The Dreaded: His raids on Nilfgaard are said to keep children up at night frightened and have led them to name him Tirth ys Muire, which means "Sea Boar".
Dying Moment of Awesome: Goes toe-to-toe with the King of the Wild Hunt while surrounded by his dead men and badly wounded. Although he gets cut down, most men would have been dead far quicker than he was.
Eredin: Any last words?
(Crach is bleeding profusely, barely able to stand or lift his axe, clearly defeated)
Crach: Shut your trap...and fight!
In-Series Nickname: Besides Sea Boar, he is also called the "Wild Boar of the Sea".
Outliving One's Offspring: Should neither of his children become ruler of Skellige, they both sail to fight the Nilfgaard fleet, from which no survivors return.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He is probably the only ruler in Wild Hunt who is wholly straightforward and honorable, with no hidden agendas or skeletons in his closet. He is also Ciri's uncle and an old friend of Geralt and Yennefer, making him doubly unique amongst the aristocrats in the story by treating a witcher with sincere warmth and respect.
The Rival: Of Madman Lugos. Their clans have warred for control of Ard Skellig for generations, and Lugos is itching to take back the land that Crach's grandfather won in their last war.
Thicker Than Water: His reason to keep waging war on Nilfgaard: his cousin Eist Tuirseach was married to Queen Calanthe of Cintra, both of whom died in the Nilfgaard conquest.
Undying Loyalty: To Ciri, having taken an oath stating that he would do anything to aid and protect her.

Hjalmar an Craite

Appears in: Tower of the Swallow | Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Allen Leech (English), Alexander Matrosov (Russian), Emmanuel Gradi (French)

The son of Crach an Craite and one of the candidates for the throne of Skellige. Hot-headed, hot-blooded and always eager for glory, he nonetheless is noble and honorable. His feat to claim the crown is to slay the Ice Giant of Undvik, leading an expedition that was cut down until he and two friends were left. With Geralt's help, he slays the giant. When the Massacre of Kaer Trolde occurs, he doesn't hesitate to find the culprits right away. His actions can eventually make him king, where he continues raids against Nilfgaard.

Ascended Extra: He is briefly mentioned in the books, but Geralt never meets him "on screen".
The Berserker: If Hjalmar wasn't an Craite, he would've made a fine Vildkaarl. Hell, he even has some nostalgia for Svalblod, the Skelligan Blood God and the Vildkaarl's patron.
Geralt: What'd this god do to get banished?
Hjalmar: Svalblod? Nothing! It was his priests that were the problem.
Big Brother Instinct: He shows some of this towards Cerys. Despite knowing that Cerys set out to perform her own deed to earn the crown, and thus her failing is to his advantage, if he's rescued first by Geralt he'll insist Geralt then go to help his sister on Spikeroog. He's also worried about her setting off on her mission alone.
The Big Guy: Having inherited his father's massive phyqiue and ferocity, he fits this trope to a T.
Brains and Brawn: Brawn to Cerys' brains.
Daddy's Girl: Gender swapped. Hjalmar loves his dad above all things in this world and gets violently protective on his behalf. Hell, he even intimidates Madman Lugos when he gets up in Crach's face, warning him to watch his tongue when he's talking to his father.
Hjalmar: (in a low growl) Maybe you'd better watch your tone when you talk to my dad.
Fiery Redhead: Runs in the family.
The Hero: One of two in the Skellige arc, with Geralt as the supporting protagonist.
The Good King: An interesting take on the trope. As Skelligans are basically Vikings, their idea of what constitutes a good king can basically be summed up as: "awesome warrior who's favoured by the gods and leads us to glory and victory in battle". Hjalmar fulfills all of these criterion exceedingly well, just like Bran before him. Even though he ends up neglecting Skellige itself as a result of his constant raiding when he's king, none of the clans hold it against him if they even acknowledge it as a problem. The only important thing is that the king's leading them to to bigger and better battles and filling their longships with plunder. Hjalmar's the perfect Skelligan king because Skelligans are so batshit violent and insane that all they want to do, like real Vikings, is fight, kill, die and go to the Halls of their ancestors.
Graceful Loser: If Cerys becomes High Queen, he immediately congratulates her and holds no grudge towards her, giving her his full support - which stands in contrast to a lot of his kinsmen who are wary of a woman on the throne.
Heroic Build: He is a broad-shouldered mountain of a warrior.
Hidden Depths: Despite being the traditional blood-soaked viking hero, he's surprisingly perceptive and intelligent.
Hot-Blooded: It runs in his family.
Ironic Name: Hjalmar means 'Helmeted Warrior' but the only headgear you'll see him wearing is a crown if he gets to be king.
Large and in Charge: He is a Skellige war waptain and a huge man, even larger than his father. Even more pronounced if he becomes king of Skellige.
Leeroy Jenkins: At times this behavior gets the better of him.
Myopic Conqueror: Cerys believes that this is the kind of king her brother would make. He is not a particularly wise leader, nor is he interested in any sort of progressive reforms or non-violent justice system; he is a warrior and conqueror, and a particularly good one. She's the only Skelligan who voices an opinion that this is a bad thing.
Nice Guy: When he isn't kicking ass, he's a rather honorable and amiable fellow who doesn't hesitate to share a drink and laugh with you. He's notably the only person who makes no remark about Cerys trying to win the crown despite of her gender.
Puppy Love: He had this going on with Ciri. Once the adults figured it out, Calanthe took her back to Cintra at once, before the kids got into the stuff too adult for Ciri's marriage prospects. Ciri got over him, but he was pining for her for many years afterwards.
Roaring Rampageof Revenge: After the massacre of Kaer Trolde, he immediately searches for the culprit and it does not go well for the Vildkaarls.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: And how. Perhaps the most stand out example of this is that whether or not he is chosen to be King, he will still travel all the way to Kaer Morhen with his men to do battle with The Wild Hunt and protect Ciri.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Downplayed. Hjalmar and Cerys appear different on the surface: He's a Proud Warrior Race Guy to the n-th degree, while Cerys prefers to reason through her problems. But at their heart, they are both stubborn and hotheaded.
Warrior Prince: Should he become king, he rules much as Bran did and leads the clans on many a mighty raid. He even manages to unite the clans and successfully kick Nilfgaard's black-plated arse back to the south in possible endings.

Cerys an Craite

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Sarah Greene (English), Natalia Tereshkova (Russian), Claire Baradat (French)

Cerys an Craite is the daughter of Crach an Craite, the Jarl of Kaer Trolde in Skellige. She is a tough but diplomatic individual who, atypically for the islanders, prefers to talk her way out of trouble instead of fighting.

Action Girl: A downplayed example. She clearly isn't afraid of a fight, or even a war, but always prefers to solve conflicts through non-violent means.
Brains and Brawn: The brain to Hjalmar's brawn.
Canon Foreigner: Although other characters from the an Craite clan appear in the novels, Cerys was created for the game. This is lampshaded in dialogue when Geralt fails to recognize her at first.
Dark Horse Victory: If she wins the kingsmoot.
Expy: Although she dramatically changed from her original role as False Ciri in the game's narrative, she still bears some character similarities to the real Ciri in that they're about the same age, are both similarly headstrong, have similar names, and both have scars on their cheeks, although Cerys' are more disfiguring.
Fiery Redhead: Downplayed. She's strong-willed and feisty, but not entirely impulsive.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a noticeable but non-deforming scar under her eye.
Graceful Loser: She handles it well if her brother Hjalmar succeeds the throne.
The High Queen: Like her brother, she too makes an ideal ruler for Skellige. She's a clever, more introspective sort, knowing the value of when to parley and when to fight. Under her the isles prosper, as she's strong enough to temper her people's Proud Warrior Race Guy antics to keep them from engaging in something stupid.
Only Sane Man: Pretty much this for all of Skellige - how about we figure out what's actually wrong with the Jarl rather than assume it's the gods? How about we don't piss off Nilfgaard and make them decide we're too much trouble to ignore? How about we actually find out who committed the massacre at the feast, using investigation and deduction, rather than charge at the first apparent guilty party with a head full of rage?
Remember the New Guy?: She was created for the game and does not appear in the original books, unlike the rest of her family. This is Lampshaded by Geralt when they first meet, as he notes that they've met before but he can't recall her name.
She Is the King: She can become the first female ruler of Skellige Isles depending on the players decisions. Some islanders are quick to adopt the Queen-moniker, but occasional references to "king" can still be found.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Subverted; while leaked materials indicated that very early drafts of the game had False Ciri from the novels in the role in the Skellige narrative she eventually took, the characters are nothing alike apart from that (besides some vague similarities in their names.)
Women Are Wiser: Considerably calmer and more diplomatic than her brother Hjalmar, though the trope is played with in that going off recklessly on her own to try and prove herself by doing highly dangerous Witcher's work showed how out of her element she was, and would have gotten her killed by a powerful Hym if not for Geralt's intervention, no less than Hjalmir needed Geralt's intervention to help him out against the giant he and his men were hunting. Her preferred Awesome, but Impractical method for dealing with the Hym instead of the Boring, but Practical Witcher's way also leads to the deaths of several innocent guards.

Arnvald

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Frédéric van den Driessche (French)

"We have adage here in Skellige... at a feast, mead and blood flow in equal measure."

The seneschal of Kaer Trolde.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He first appears to be an extremely loyal servant of Clan an Craite who gets along well and jokes with Hjalmar and Cerys. He actually considers them drunken hot-heads who will bring Skellige to ruin if one becomes king.
Deadpan Snarker: Gets in a good line on Hjalmar after witnessing an argument between him and Cerys.
Hjalmar: But you saw her, she's so... so...
Arnvald: Stubborn? Fierce? Mule-headed? Refuses to listen to anyone? (shares a knowing glance with Geralt)
Karma Houdini: If Cerys path is not chosen Arnvald gets away with his role in the massacre and continues to serve Clan an Craite, with them none the wiser for his hatred of them.
The Mole: For Birna Bran. He laced the Vildkaarl's cups with the required ingredients to make them transform.
Rank Up: Before he was seneschal he was a cupbearer at Kaer Trolde.
Replacement Goldfish: He became seneschal after the previous one, Guthlaf, died. Arnvald was not given as wide-reaching authority as his predecessor.
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: If he manages to meet Birna's men after fleeing Kaer Trolde, they will kill him to eliminate a potential loose end for her conspiracy.

Folan

Hjalmar and Cerys' childhood friend. Went with Hjalmar to slay the giant. In dialogue he refers to himself as a member of clan An Craite, but the journal lists him as a member of Clan Tuirseach.

Bash Brothers: With Hjalmar. He accompanied him on his giant killing expedition, and will accompany him to Kaer Morhen.
Childhood Friend Romance: Implied to have something for Cerys, whom he grew up with. He's incensed that Hjalmar left on his giant killing expedition before King Bran's wake, because that denied him the chance to accompany Cerys on her quest. If Geralt helps Hjalmar before helping Cerys on her quest, he repeatedly expresses worry about her fate and the fact she's alone, while he's relieved she's doing fine if Geralt tells her she finished her mission, but is annoyed he didn't get the chance to go with her. This is despite the fact that Cerys hasn't gone somewhere particularly dangerous, and that Hjalmar is missing, potentially dead, thanks to his expedition having gone off the rails on an island filled with monsters.
Friendly Sniper: He's a very skilled archer (something Geralt himself notes), and a pretty friendly guy.
Guest-Star Party Member: He'll accompany Geralt if rescued for the entirety of The Lord of Undvik.
Worthy Opponent: If asked his opinions on the other clans, he dislikes all of them, except Clan Drummond, the sworn enemies of clan An Craite. He recognizes this but maintains they are the only other clan worth respecting.

Clan Brokvar

Udalryk

Jarl Udalryk

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Vasily Dakhnenko (Russian), Patrick Laplace (French)

Jarl of Clan Brokvar and ruler of the island of Spikeroog. Though a fearsome warrior and beloved by his people, Udalryk is mistrusted by the other islanders due to a mysterious infliction which he claims is the gods speaking to him.

Cain and Abel: His father gave Clan Brokvar's family sword to Udalryk's younger brother Aki, which caused a considerable amount of tension between the siblings due to the sword traditionally being given to the eldest and heir. Udalryk went so far as to publicly question his father's decision, which was almost unheard of in Skellige. After being punished for his insolence, Udalryk and his brother supposedly made up and went out fishing together, at which point, Aki was knocked overboard when their boat was caught in a storm and drowned. Rumors that Udalryk killed him abounded, while Udalryk always swore he hadn't realised Aki was in danger until it was too late. The truth is never revealed, although either way Udalryk clearly feels great guilt over his brother's death and named his son after him.
Demonic Possession: He is haunted by a Hym, a powerful spirit that forces its host to hurt themselves out of guilt for past actions. Udalryk feels guilty over the death of his brother, although whether it is for murdering him or failing to save him is unknown.
Eye Scream: Eventually cuts his own eye out with a dagger after being encouraged by the voices he hears, thinking it a sacrifice to the gods so that he continues to received advice.
Hearing Voices: He, and many of his subjects, are convinced that the gods speak to him in his dreams and warn him of danger. Trouble is, he always ends up injuring himself preventing said danger, causing some like Hjort and Cerys to believe that it is in fact an evil spirit driving Udalryk to harm himself.
Papa Wolf: He's devoted to and extremely protective of his infant son Aki.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He is the only jarl who immediately believes Geralt and Cerys if they accuse Birna of organizing the massacre at Kaer Trolde, having come to trust both completely thanks to their aid.
Udalryk: [to Birna] After what happened on Spikeroog, I trust Cerys and the witcher. More than I do you.
The Shadow Knows: You can figure out that he's possessed by the Hym early if you can spot his shadow, which shows the outline of the spirit instead of his own.
Take No Prisoners: One of the messages on the notice boards in Skellige is a warning from Udalryk that he gave one of his raiders fifty lashes for taking a Nilfgaardian captive for ransom. He reminds everyone that all "black dogs" are to be put down on the battlefield no matter what they promise.
Women Are Wiser: If spoken to after being freed of the Hym's influence, Udalryk expresses this view for why he backs Cerys's claim to Skellige's crown. While he admits in part it's out of gratitude for what she did for him, Udalryk does point out that someone like Cerys, who thinks before acting, on the throne might be more beneficial for Skellige than some hot-blooded warrior more interested in leading the next raid for plunder.

Clan Dimun

Holger Blackhand

Jarl Holger Blackhand

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Yaroslav Agikyan (Russian), Jean-Bernard Guillard (French)

"But use it to build a longship, and you'll eat your fill of what others've grown and bred. After you've taken their wenches and their gold, burned their homes to the ground. That's how Clan Dimun lives."

Leader of Clan Dimun and ruler of Faroe, one of the poorest isles. Even by Skellige standards Holger is ruthless and brutal, as he raids other clan's lands as often as the mainland.

Covered in Scars: Has frostbite scars on his right hand, while the left side of his face is a mess. One scar runs through his eye and left him blind in it.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: An evil pirate he may be, but Holger loves his son Halbjorn and is devastated by his death.
Handicapped Badass: Despite the damage to his hand from frostbite and being blind in one eye, Holger is still quite the fearsome warrior.
In-Series Nickname: Called Blackhand due to the discoloration of his right hand and forearm by frostbite, which he got after his longship hit a rock during an autumn blizzard.
Jerkass Has a Point: Although he comes off as sexist due to his insistence that Birna should have burned on Bran's funeral pyre and his dismissal of her as a scheming bitch, he's proven right on the latter as she is plotting the deaths of all the other contenders for king.

Halbjorn

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Artyom Malikov (Russian)

The son of Holger Blackhand. Although young, Halbjorn has already begun to make a name for himself as a fearsome raider and warrior. This fame allowed him to become one of the contenders for King of Skellige.

Died in Your Arms Tonight: Dies during the Massacre at Kaer Trolde. He takes multiple wounds from the berserkers and bleeds out in his father's arms as he tries to stop the bleeding once the massacre is over.
Hunter of Monsters: His journal entry mentions that Halbjorn has gained some of his fame by seeking out and slaying dangerous monsters across Skellige.
Jerkass: At King Bran's wake he goes out of his way to belittle and antagonize Cerys an Craite and encourages Geralt to put her in her place during the race up the mountain.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Barely has any screentime or involvement in the plot before dying.

Clan Drummond

Madman Lugos

Lugos II Drummond

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Vladimir Gerasimov (Russian), Jean-Jacques Nervest (French)

The Jarl of Clan Drummond. He rules the southern portion of And Skellig from his keep of Kaer Muire.

Abusive Parent: Beat his son so badly for any minor mistake that he became known as Blueboy due to all the bruises. One of the worst instances was when Blueboy was three and pissed himself in front of the whole village when lightning struck a tree next to their house. Lugos deemed this to be a horrifical shameful stain on the clan's honor and beat his son senseless.
Ax-Crazy: He is a semi-sane brutal pirate who boasts about his intentions to rape the priestess of a fellow jarl's island to said jarl's face. Not to mention his fondness for screaming randomly, which helped lead to his nickname of Madman.

Establishing Character Moment: His first scene is announcing his plans to rape priestesses of Freya on his next raid during the middle of King Bran's wake.
Even Evil Has Standards: Vile as he may be, Lugos does have at least some standards.
- When thieves came to him with the ancestral blade of the an Crachs assuming he would buy it due to his hatred of the clan, Lugos was outraged by the theft and assaulted them before setting his dogs after them as they ran from his keep.
- The massacre at Kaer Trolde disgusts him, as does Birna Bran if the truth about her role in it is revealed.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: His wife, Hollerin' Hulda the Hellraiser, was a captive from the mainland.
Outliving One's Offspring: His son's death really pushes him over the edge, particularly if one of Crach's children becomes ruler of Skellige.
Pet the Dog: He gives Holger his cloak in the aftermath of the massacre at Kaer Trolde to try and stop Halbjorn from bleeding out. Sadly, it does no good.
The Rival: To Crach an Craite. The Drummonds and an Craites have been Feuding Families since the reign of King Harald an Craite, who conquered Drummond lands three hundred years ago, but Lugos has taken that rivalry more personal than most.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: During a side-quest where Geralt ends up in front of him for having killed two racist youths from a nearby village in self-defence, Lugos pays the weregild out of his own pocket and responds with this when the victims' father protests.
Leif: That goes against all our laws!
Lugos: I make the laws here! Get out, before I take that bag of silver, tie it round your neck and chuck you both in the sea!
Too Dumb to Live: Attacking Ermion, the most powerful magic user in Skellige, and Geralt, one of the most legendary Witchers who has ever lived, at the same time proves to be a very bad move on his part.
Worthy Opponent: Gains some respect for Geralt should the two engage in a fist fight when they first meet.

Blueboy Lugos

Lugos III Drummond

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Stéphane Fourreau (French)

Madman Lugos' sole trueborn child. After the death of King Bran, Blueboy is one of several contenders for king. To prove his worth he sets out to brave the Cave of Dreams and face his deepest fears.

Affably Evil: He may be a pirate and slaver, but he and Geralt actually get along fairly well after an initial threat to throw Geralt overboard.
Bring My Brown Pants: When he was three, Blueboy pissed himself in front of the whole village when lightning struck a nearby tree. Furious at his son for embarrassing them by being so scared, Madman Lugos beat him worse than ever after that.
Dying Moment of Awesome: Subverted. According to legends, Blueboy Lugos knocked a berzerker's head clean off during the Massacre of Kaer Trolde with a barrel of beer. However, Geralt notes when examining his body that Lugos did not even get a chance to defend himself before dying. Given the chaos of the massacre, the truth of this is unknown to most, and the bards put it into song.
In-Series Nickname: He was dubbed Blueboy in his youth due to the number of bruises he bore. They supposedly came from the typical roughhousing of Skellige children, but actually came from his father's beatings.
Pet the Dog: Consoles his friend Jorulf over his guilt in the Cave of Dreams regarding an accidental shipwreck he caused while distracted by the singing of sirens.
Lugos: Jorulf, it was an accident. The athling cleared you of blame.
Jorulf: They couldn't absolve my guilt.
Vision Quest: Goes on one in the Cave of Dreams with Geralt, Uve Jabberjaw, and Jorulf the Wolverine to confront his fears about his father.

Clan Haymaey

Donar an Hindar

Jarl Donar an Hindar

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Ivan Litvinov (Russian), Frédéric Cerdal (French)

"I've lived my fill: steeped my hand in the blood of foes, felt the warmth of the southern sun and bite of the northern winds, the touch of women of the east and west. Now, I wish to die a death worthy of song."

Jarl of Clan Haymaey, Donar an Hindar is the eldest Jarl in the Skellige Isles.

The Atoner: According to one rumor he only became pious after raping a priestess of Freya and coming to fear the goddess's wrath.
Berserk Button: Madman Lugos is his, being the only person able to break Donar's composure. Of course, Lugos raids Donar's holdings and is threatening to rape the priestesses at Freya's temple, so it is no surprise a pious man like Donar becomes so infuriated.
Death Seeker: Not actively seeking to die just yet like King Bran did, but he hopes a worthy death will come for him soon due to his age.
Real Men Love Jesus: He is quite pious, which is no surprise considering Freya's temple is located on Hidarsfjall. This piety did not spare the sanctuaries of any of the mainland gods, which he raided quite often as a young pirate.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Most of the time. He keeps heads cool between all the jarls after the berserker massacre at the kingsmoot. However, he refuses to listen to Geralt's claims that Skjall was not a coward, noting that only deeds, not words, can prove the truth of that.
Retired Badass: No longer goes on raids due to his age. Although he no longer raids, Donar is still capable of defending himself, which is proven during the massacre at Kaer Trolde.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If Svanrige becomes king, Donar leaves a meeting between the king, the jarls, and a Nilfgaardian envoy in disgust when it appears Svanrige is about to sign a treaty with Nilfgaard. Thus, Donar misses out on Svanrige murdering the envoy in a rather dramatic fashion.
Tranquil Fury: If Birna Bran is exposed as the instigator of the massacre at Kaer Trolde, Donar remains calm but his voice is clearly breaking with anger as he passes the death sentence on her.

Skjall

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: ??? (English), Dmitry Krivoshchapov (Russian)

A young warrior who lives in the village of Lofoten on Hindarsfjall with his mother and sister. He rescues Ciri from the sea after she accidently teleports herself just off the shore of Hindarsfjall.

Clear My Name: Since no one believes that he was trying to help Ciri lead the Wild Hunt away from Lofoten, Skjall is forced to take on a dangerous task to clear his name. He attempts to rid the Garden of Freya of Morkvarg but is killed, leaving his name sullied in the eyes of his clan. His character entry by Dandelion reveals that Ciri's efforts help clear Skjall's name and that Skellige legend claims he joined his ancestors in feasting in the halls of the dead.
Due to the Dead: His people toss his body into an unmarked mass grave. Ciri and Geralt find and bury him to the fury of the islanders, but Ciri calls them out on their treatment of him and testifies on his behalf, which convinces some that Skjall was not a coward.
Dying Alone: After being wounded by Morkvarg, Skjall manages to crawl into a well and hide in a cave underneath the garden. Sadly, he is trapped inside and dies a painful death by bleeding out from his wounds, knowing he had failed in his task and would be dishonored forever.
First Kiss: Can possibly have his with Ciri just before the Wild Hunt attacks.
In the Back: While trying to lead Ciri to safety, he gets slashed from behind by a warrior of the Wild Hunt and is left for dead. He survives, but given what happens to Skjall afterward, it might have been better if the Red Rider had killed him.
Nice Guy: He might be one of the nicest people in the franchise. This being the Witcherverse, it does not end well for him.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He heroically tries to rescue Ciri from the Wild Hunt, and leads them away from his village. His reward? For having been thought to have fled the battle, he is dishonored, banished from his home and renounced of his name, dubbed "Craven" by everyone who knew him. And, trying to clear his name, he ends up killed and left to rot.
Ship Tease: Begins crushing on Ciri the moment he meets her, which she can reciprocate.
Unperson: Due to his perceived cowardliness, Skjall is stripped of his name, dubbed Craven, stricken from the roll of ancestors, and is forbidden to be interacted with.

Clan Tuirsech

Bran an Tuirseach

King Bran an Tuirseach

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bran_tuirseach_tw3.png

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: ??? (English), Alexander Andrienko (Russian)

The elderly ruler of Skellige. He is the uncle of Crach an Craite.

Awful Wedded Life: His marriage with Birna was reportedly anything but a happy one. It is commonly said that part of the reason he spent so much time raiding was to escape from her.
Face Death with Dignity: Knowing he was dying, Bran set out to hunt a boar armed only with a knife to die a warrior's death rather than waste away from old age.
The Good King: Considered one by Skellige standards, since he was a fierce warrior who led plenty of raids against Nilfgaard. However, some felt that he spent too much time raiding and not enough time worrying about the islands issues. During his reign, Skellige culture was stagnant, monsters became more common, and tensions between some of the clans increased and went unaddressed.
Historical Hero Upgrade: An optional conversation with Cerys has her discussing how in death Bran is seen as a great king because it's not nice to Speak Ill of the Dead. She tells Geralt in private that Bran more or less governed over a failed state in Skellige. He was an absentee king who left large parts of the island without justice and administration and without functioning laws, instead distracting everyone with Bread and Circuses when he did bother to show his face.
Myopic Conqueror: According to Cerys an Craite, the late Bran Tuirseach was a High King that wasn't very good at keeping the Skellige Islands stable. She says that his rule was an endless cycle of dissatisfied and complaining people, who quieted down when Bran led the Skelligans on another successful raid on neighboring islands and villages, returning with riches and slaves, only for said complaints to slowly creep back later.
Posthumous Character: Never actually appears in any of the novels, only as a corpse and in visions during Wild Hunt.
Viking Funeral: Geralt arrives on Skellige in the third game just in time for Bran's funeral in the harbor of Kaer Trolde. His younger lover joins his body on the ship as it is set out to sea and lit afire.

Birna an Tuirseach

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birna_bran_tw3.png

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Ekaterina Afrikantova (Russian), Virginie Méry (French)

"Bran's son will not haggle for a crown that is his by right."

Wife of King Bran and self-styled Queen Mother of Skellige. She supports her son in becoming the next king of Skellige in order to establish a dynastic tradition.

Ambition Is Evil: Her desire to see her son on the throne and reform Skellige's cultural and political traditions leads her to plotting the deaths of the other contenders to the throne.
Arc Villain: Of the Skellige succession plotline.
Awful Wedded Life: If there had ever been any love between her and Bran, it was long gone by the time of his death. The fact his mistress seems genuinely heartbroken by Bran's death while his widow seems to just be going through the motions of mourning him speaks volumes.
Bribing Your Way to Victory: Crach tells Geralt that she tried to do this to him by telling him to order his children to drop their claims to the throne in favour of Svanrige. Crach, when asked, says he told Birna where to shove it.
Cruel and Unusual Death: If Cerys' path is followed Birna's plot to get her son on the throne by murdering the competition is found out and she's sentenced to death. Later you can find her body Chained to a Rock and left for the harpies, with a large amount of blood around her wrists indicating that she struggled hard to escape.
Deadpan Snarker: She has several bitter and sarcastic lines.
Birna: Holger, perhaps you'd like to show us the meaning of courage, walk willing into the flames. I'm sure we can scrape together some wood.
God Save Us from the Queen!: Never the most popular queen in the first place, her declaration of being the "Queen-Mother" and insisting that Svanrige is the rightful king quickly makes the jarls fear what would happen under his rule with Brina at his side. Their fears seem proven right as she leads the charge on a treaty with Nilfgaard, but Svanrige quickly makes it clear that she actually hold no true power.
Holger Blackhand: Birna's a scheming whore. Refuses to admit her reign's ended.
Karma Houdini: If any path other than Cerys is taken while investigating the massacre at Kaer Trolde, Birna's role in orchestrating the attack is never discovered. She does gain some form of comeuppance in that her schemes are All for Nothing as either Hjalmar becomes king or Svanrige makes it clear he will not be her puppet.
Obviously Evil: Everyone in Skellige knows she is up to no good and views her as a ticking-time bomb of problems.
Oh, Crap!: If she's exposed, this is her reaction. She also has this reaction when Svanrige destroys her plans for peace with Nilfgaard by killing the Nilfgaardian ambassador, proving he won't be her puppet and that she will have no power in Skellige.
Silence, You Fool!: She essentially tells Svanrige this when he questions why she ordered him to leave the feast at Kaer Trolde just before the massacre started. Unfortunately for Birna, this convinces Svanrige she is guilty of the charges laid against her, whereupon he denounces her for both bringing shame down on him, their family and clan and being the mastermind of the massacre.
Villain Has a Point:
- She may be a manipulative and murderous jerk, but she has fair points about how several Skellige traditions are barbaric, including a jarl or king's widow joining her husband on a funeral pyre and the fact that the island's economy consisting of piracy and Rape, Pillage, and Burn is bad.
- Delivers an interesting take on the concept of voting for a king as she points out that every contender has to make promises of land, money or future favours. As she puts it, a king chosen by votes is a debtor, rather than a ruler.
The Woman Behind the Man: What she intends to be for her son's reign as king. It does not turn out that way, with Svanrige quite literally axing her plans in front of her face.

Svanrige an Tuirseach

Jarl Svanrige an Tuirseach

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: ??? (English), Mikhail Sushkov (Russian), Christophe Lemoine (French)

The son of King Bran and Birna, he succeeds his father as Jarl of Clan an Tuirseach and is one of the candidates seeking to replace his father as king.

Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: No matter how things turn out for Svanridge, he more than proves that most people's assumptions about him were wrong and that he is his father's son.
Dark Horse Victory: He only becomes king if Clan an Craite is not cleared of responsibility for the massacre at Kaer Trolde. Before that event, he was likely the weakest candidate due to the prestige of all the other contenders and the other jarls' distrust of Svanrige's mother.
Heroic Sacrifice: Performs one in the climax of the "Royal Gambit" quest if Cerys' path is chosen. Convinced by the evidence they bring forth, he confronts and exposes his mother as the mastermind behind the murder of several contenders to the throne as well as their multiple retainers and servants and the attempted murder of Geralt and Cerys. He does this completely aware that according to Skelligian laws, the crimes of the parents are carried over the children or even the whole clan and thus he will lose his wealth and rank (and possibly life) for his trouble.
Golden Ending: If he becomes king, his ending can have shades of this, surprisingly. He unites the jarls and strengthen the economy (by making a centralized kingdom instead of warring clans) whereas the others can only manage one of these. And since it is mentionned he builds a dynasty no matter what, it means that even in the case Nilfgaard wins he can keep them away.
Hidden Depths: Many regard him as a henpecked mother's boy whose reign would be truly run by her. They are shocked when he immediately goes against her wishes and goes to war with Nilfgaard, which he declares by silently burying his axe in the Nilfgaardian ambassador's skull.
Momma's Boy: How most of Skellige regards him due to his quiet and well-mannered nature in comparison to his larger-than-life father and his overbearing and ambitious mother.
Mother Makes You King: He seems to be the only candidate for the throne who isn't actually doing anything to prove himself worthy of it, and can only become king if his mother's machinations are unexposed.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Exposing his mother means Svanridge will either be exiled or killed.
The Quiet One: He speaks very little, contributing to the image of him being little more than his mother's puppet. Turns out, he would simply rather let his axe do the talking for him.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: When Svanrige realises his mother is guilty of masterminding the Kaer Trolde massacre, he shouts one at these at Birna for bringing shame down on him and their family by her actions, as well as berating the jarls present for dismissing Cerys and Geralt's evidence out of hand.
Svanrige: Wait! Mother, you bade me leave the hall before the feast. Why?
Birna: Son, not now!
Svanrige: Why did you do it?! HOW DID YOU KNOW?! HOW! (Birna doesn't answer) You stand silent. (to the other jarls) You gave Cerys no credence, gave the witcher no credence, but you must give credence to a son who accuses his own mother! The massacre was her doing! She's shamed herself, me, the family, the clan!

Clan Tordarroch

Vigi the Loon

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Stéphane Fourreau (French)

A boatwright and warrior of Clan Tordarroch known for his utter fearlessness, which disturbs even other Skellige warriors.

Badass in Distress: He is captured by the ice giant and kept in a cage to be eaten later.
Blood Knight: Even for a Skellige warrior, Vigi is eager and rushes into battle.
I Just Want to Be Badass: All Vigi really wants is to be acknowledged, not mocked, for his fearlessness and be called Vigi the Unfearing. He gets his wish after his death.
Killed Offscreen: He is slain at some point during the Siege of Kaer Morhen if he, Hjalmar, and Folan are recruited to help. His death is never shown, however, nor do his surviving companions make a comment about it before departing back to Skellige. The only reason the player learns of his fate is because his character page acknowledges it.
Leeroy Jenkins: His lack of fear makes him run into situations that he should really scrutinize more carefully, which can get others killed. Case in point, he runs screaming at a sleeping ice giant and kicks it awake while his friends were getting into place to ambush it silently.
True Companions: With Hjalmar and Folan. Even Vigi's screw-ups on the mission to kill the ice giant do not get in the way of their friendship, as they all burst out laughing in joy and relief once the battle is done.

Druids

Mousesack / Ermion

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mousesack_tw3.png

Appears in: The Last Wish | Sword of Destiny | Wild Hunt

Voiced by: Patrick Drury (English), Vasily Bochkarev (Russian), Michel Ruhl (French)

The Hierophant of the druids of Skellige, old friend of Geralt and guardian of Ciri's.

Adaptation Name Change: Renamed 'Ermion' in the English dub of third game, possibly so he'd be easier to take seriously.
The Archmage: Arch-druid, to be precise. His knowledge and skill far surpasses the rest of Skellige's druid class and so was appointed their leader.
Berserk Button: Sorceresses in general mean nothing but bad news to him. He tolerate Yennefer only because she is searching for Ciri. When Geralt returns to Skellige with multiple sorceresses, he's reasonably mortified.
Cool Old Guy: He is one of the more reasonable people in the Witcherverse and has little issue standing up to powerful people like Yennefer when he thinks they are going too far. As such, he gets along very well with Vesemir. His age doesn't stop him from throwing down with the best of them. He even travels to Kaer Morhen to aid Geralt in defending Ciri against the Wild Hunt.
Court Mage: Well, court druid, but he advises the King and the Jarls in his role as Hierophant.
Deadpan Snarker: When his patience is tested too much, which, around Yennefer, happens frequently.
Grumpy Old Man: Mostly towards sorceresses and their machinations, and often with good reason.
Magic Staff: Yennefer notes he is one of the few druids who uses one.
Not So Above It All: A grumpy old druid he may be, but even Ermion is obsessed with gwent and claims to have taught half of Skellige how to play it.
Only Sane Man: He's a lot more relaxed than the average Skelliger.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite all the grief Yennefer puts him through when she almost dooms all of Skellige by using the Mask of Ouroborus without his consent, he ends up letting it slide, albeit begrudgingly, once Geralt explains everything to him.
Shock and Awe: His choice of combat magic.
What the Hell, Hero?: Gives one to Yennefer in the third game, for using an Artifact of Doom in her quest to hunt Ciri, which triggers a massively destructive storm.

Hjort

Appears in: Wild Hunt

Voiced By: Andrey Sokolov (Russian), Jean-Jacques Moreau (French)

A druid in service to Clan Brokvar, and Jarl Udalryk's closest advisor. His wisdom proves most useful to Geralt

Dreaming of Things to Come: On their first meeting at a banquet at Kaer Trolde, Hjort tells Geralt he dreamed the witcher would help Udalryk. He also manages to creep out Geralt and Yennefer by predicting their finding Ciri will lead to her death.
Like a Son to Me: Not stated outright, but it's clear Hjort cares for and is extremely loyal to Udalryk.
Magic Mushroom: Hjort's extremely knowledgable about these, thanks to his role as The Medic. Geralt and Cerys make use of this to identify the mushroom used to trigger the berserkers that slaughtered the wouldbe claimants to Skellige's throne.
The Medic: He serves in this role to Udalryk, as his knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants prove invaluable in soothing Udalryk's constant nightmares. He continues in this role after Udalryk is freed from the hym, with the purpose of weaning Udalryk off medicines he's become dependent on.
Old Retainer: According to Cerys, Hjort has been in service to Clan Brokvar since Udalryk was an infant in the cradle.
Only Sane Man: He does his best to try and rationalise Udalryk's insistence of injuring himself to appease the gods.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He's clearly growing concerned about Udalryk's propensity for hurting himself at the gods' behest. When Geralt and Cerys inform him it's a hym's influence driving Udalryk to mutilate himself, Hjort is more than willing to help them free his jarl from the demon's control.

Gremist

"If you think I'll simply betray to you what I learned through years of sacrifice and toil... then you are mistaken. Deeply."

A cranky hermit druid who also happens to be a master alchemist that is sought out by Geralt in the hopes of learning a bit of his alchemy knowledge. Gremist reluctantly agrees to teach him, but only on the condition that Geralt assists him in completing a few tasks first.

The Alcoholic: That difficult ritual he needed help with? It was just an excuse for Geralt to help him and an old friend get completely smashed for a day on some good booze.
Grumpy Old Man: Granted, he doesn't appear to be that old, but his mannerisms and disposition certainly match the trope pretty well.
The Hermit: He's a druid who mostly shuns the outside world due to his dislike of interacting with people. Oddly, he has a pretty powerful Gwent deck despite there being very few people for him to play against.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's pretty rude and unfriendly when Geralt first meets him but keeps his word to teach him alchemy after Geralt completes his assignment. He also gives him the extremely powerful "Mysterious Elf" card after being beaten in a round of Gwent.

Characters / The Witcher - Skellige

Clan an Craite

Jarl Crach an Craite

Hjalmar an Craite

Cerys an Craite

Arnvald

Folan

Clan Brokvar

Jarl Udalryk

Clan Dimun

Jarl Holger Blackhand

Halbjorn

Clan Drummond

Lugos II Drummond

Lugos III Drummond

Clan Haymaey

Jarl Donar an Hindar

Skjall

Clan Tuirsech

King Bran an Tuirseach

Birna an Tuirseach

Jarl Svanrige an Tuirseach

Clan Tordarroch

Vigi the Loon

Druids

Mousesack / Ermion

Hjort

Gremist

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Characters / The Witcher - Skellige

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Clan an Craite

Jarl Crach an Craite

Hjalmar an Craite

Cerys an Craite

Arnvald

Folan

Clan Brokvar

Jarl Udalryk

Clan Dimun

Jarl Holger Blackhand

Halbjorn

Clan Drummond

Lugos II Drummond

Lugos III Drummond

Clan Haymaey

Jarl Donar an Hindar

Skjall

Clan Tuirsech

King Bran an Tuirseach

Birna an Tuirseach

Jarl Svanrige an Tuirseach

Clan Tordarroch

Vigi the Loon

Druids

Mousesack / Ermion

Hjort

Gremist

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