Despite retreating south of the Yaruga river and being defeated in the First Northern War,
Emperor Emhyr of Nilfgaard immediately started making preparations for the next invasion
by implementing another purge, this time killing the generals and commanders who led the failed
campaign to replace them with a new generation of young warriors, eager to prove themselves
in battle.
Believing another war was inevitable, the Northern monarchs Vizimir II of Redania, Meve
of Lyria and Rivia, Foltest of Temeria, Demavend of Aedirn and Henselt of Kaedwen, attended
a secret meeting at Hagge castle in 1267 AR.
Devising a plan to strike the first blow, the Kings of Aedirn and Kaedwen were first
tasked with clearing their lands of non-human rebels like the scoia’tael.
Next they were to send troops into the castles along the border with Nilfgaard.
And lastly Demavend was to prepare a special unit to perform a false flag operation, attacking
a Northern stronghold with troops dressed in Nifgaardian armor.
Using this event as a justification, the Northern Kings could descend upon the south in full
force, taking back the lands lost in the previous war.
As for the missing Princess Cirilla, sole heir to Queen Calanthe, the monarchs concluded
she needed to die, as they believed the Emperor wanted her to solidify his control over Cintra.
Learning of the meeting and plan through his vast spy network, Emhyr pre-emptively sent
a large army under Field Marshal Menno Coehoorn to occupy fortresses along the border, waiting
for the chance to strike.
However, King Vizimir, who had his own great spy network though his head of intelligence
Sigismund Dijkstra, discovered that enemy troops were being prepared because their plans
were leaked and so sent a messenger with all haste to Demavend of Aedirn, asking him to
delay the false flag attack because the Empire knew it was coming.
Unfortunately, the Royal Messenger Aplegatt was killed by Scoia’tael and never delivered
the warning.
With the stage set for conflict, a great sorcerers meeting was held on the Isle of Thanedd, and
soon turned to violence, when Philippa Eilhart and those loyal to the North, pre-emptively
arrested the Elves and those suspected of allying with the south.
Yet there was a third faction present as well, led by Tassaia DeVries, who believed loyalty
to the Brotherhood was paramount, admonishing Philippa as she did not see any evidence that
those under arrest were traitors.
Casting a spell, Tassaia freed them, only to immediately learn she was sorely mistaken.
Among the liberated, was the elf Franscesca Findabair who ran to open the gates, allowing
an army of Scoia’tael to descend upon them.
Another of the traitors was the powerful Vilgefortz, who used the opportunity to try and capture
Princess Ciri, who was brought into the middle of this chaos by the sorceress Yennefer of
Venegeberg.
After escaping Cintra during the First Northern War, Ciri taken in by a peasant family, until
destiny reunited her with Geralt of Rivia who in time came to be viewed as her adoptive
father.
Taking her to the Wolf School of Kaer Morhen, Ciri was trained as a Witcher, but her instructors
were unprepared to deal with her powerful magical abilities, as she sometimes went into
a trance and made dire prophecies about the future.
To understand what was happening, Geralt sent for his friend Triss Merigold, who came to
Kaer Morhen and helped look after the girl.
Although Triss identified her as a Source, one of those born with innate magical abilities,
she did not know enough about this subject, and so with no other choice left to him, Geralt
contacted his former lover Yennefer of Vengeberg.
Taking over the girl’s education, Yennefer soon became her adoptive mother as the two
travelled together, training in the magical arts.
After spending some time in a Temple School, Ciri was meant to attend the Academy of Aretuza,
where her abilities could truly be explored.
Yet before they arrived, Yennefer’s former teacher Tassaia DeVries asked that Ciri be
brought to the meeting on Thanedd, as she not only represented a political prize but
also a magical one, and so might serve to unite the disparate factions within the Brotherhood.
Instead, Ciri fell into a trance and delivered a dire prophecy in front of the Sorcerers,
resulting in further chaos and bloodshed.
Learning that Ciri was in danger, Geralt tore through Thanedd, killing soldiers and sorcerers
alike, until he was finally defeated and nearly killed by Vilgefortz.
Yennefer was also incapacitated by the Elves and taken away, leaving Ciri to flee to the
tower of the gulls where her Elder Blood activated an unstable portal, transporting her far into
the east.
Lost and alone, Ciri suffered greatly and so latched onto the first group to accepted
her, which was a gang of outlaws called the Rats.
After Thanedd, the Brotherhood was gone, and so Tassaia DeVries killed herself in disgrace.
The Elves under Franscesca Findabair were now openly allied with Nilfgaard, while those
following Philippa Eilhart remained loyal to the north.
Yet the Thanedd coup was not the only great event to occur that night, as King Vizimir
of Redania was assassinated, while further east a Lyrian fort was attacked by soldiers
dressed in Nilfgaardian armor, officially beginning the Second Northern War.
In Redania, the Sorceress Phillipa Eilhart and Head of Intelligence Sigismund Dijkstra
ran the kingdom from behind the scenes, and began a purge of all those who might be loyal
to the Empire.
In Temeria, Foltest lost faith in magic users, and expelled them from his lands.
Wanting to regain the power lost to them, Phillipa started a new organization, named
the Lodge of Sorceresses, a woman’s only secret society dedicated to the preservation
and prosperity of magic across the continent.
Inviting representatives from the North, Nilfgaard, the Elves and even the Neutral states, this
council of 10 began to manipulate events from the shadows, greatly influencing how the war
and future of the continent developed.
In regards to Ciri, they planned to make both her and Yennefer members of the lodge, in
order to train the girl to become a Queen and leader of their Organization.
After the attack in Lyria and declaration of war, Niflgaard marched their massive army
beyond the Yargua, quickly conquering Lyria and Rivia, forcing their queen to flee north.
Next they invaded Aidern, winning the battle of Aldersberg and capturing the city of Vengeberg,
before King Demavend fled into Redania.
Queen Meve meanwhile, gathered as many as she could and returned south to start a guerrilla
campaign against Nilfgaard, launching ambush attacks in the forest and mountains.
Having made rapid advancements in the war, it now appeared as though their victory may
be inevitable, King Hensalt of Kaedwen entered into a secret agreement with the Emperor,
allowing him to send his soldiers into the north of Aedirn, to pretend they are liberating
their allies, while their true purpose is to sit out the war.
With the ancient Elven lands of Dol Blathanna now under Imperial control, they were gifted
to Queen Francesca Findabair to rule as a puppet of the south.
With the east all but defeated, the Kings of the West were terrified, and so Verden
surrendered, declaring for the South, while Temeria signed a non-aggression treaty which
was broken just a few weeks later when Nilfgaard invaded Brugge, their vassal state.