Diksha Sundriyal
The third season of Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ focuses on Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer as they try to stay in the shadows, hiding from their enemies. Meanwhile, things get out of hand in the Continent, where several factions conspire against each other to get the upper hand on each other. They all want Ciri to serve their political purpose, but the main reason is Ciri’s powers, the likes of which have never been seen before.
The war between the kingdoms breaks out in full force after the coup of Thanedd, where a clear distinction is created between the ones supporting the North and those supporting Nilfgaard. In between this, Istredd tries to secure something very important but is confronted by Vilgefortz. What does Vilgefortz do to Istredd? Does he kill him? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Istredd’s Fate
Istredd is a mage interested in archaeology and has been dedicated to it since the beginning of ‘The Witcher.’ While the rest have made power plays against each other and tried to get on top of the food chain, Istredd has always been more interested in the world and the things that constitute it. The nature of his research always leads him to the middle of the action, and that’s what happens during the coup of Thanedd.
Istredd had been studying monoliths and their mysterious nature for a long time. It could tell him everything about the world before the Conjunction and help him understand the world better, maybe even lead him to other worlds. He had come across Ciri and knew about her being Hen Ichaer. He also knows a little about her connection to the monoliths, but to truly understand what’s going on with her, he needed something that talked in detail about everything.
While the rest of the mages congregate at Aretuza for the Conclave, Istredd comes there to find the Book of Monoliths in their library. However, he discovers that it has already been stolen. He knows how informative the book is and what its connection to Ciri is. He also knows that different powers have been chasing after Ciri for a long time, so whoever stole it has no good intentions.
On the night of the party, the book is found in Stregobor’s office, and everyone believes that he was using the book to find a way to get rid of elves. Later, however, when the coup is in motion, the truth about Vilgefortz comes out, and it becomes clear that Stregobor had nothing to do with the theft and was set up by Vilgefortz. After confiscating the book from Stregobor’s office, it was kept safe by Tissaia in her room, which is what Vilgefortz wanted. He knew where she’d keep it, and once he’d distracted everyone with Stregobor, he planned to take the book, with none the wiser.
However, Phillipa and Dijkstra foil his plans by arresting him and anyone else they suspect of helping Nilfgaard. However, Tissaia frees Vilgefortz, who allows the elves to enter Aretuza, leading to an intense battle between them and the mages. While the others are busy fighting, Triss and Istredd realize that Vilgefortz might make a move for the book. Istredd goes to Tissaia’s room to get the book, but he is confronted by Vilgefortz. Before he can do anything, Vilgefortz sends Istredd through a portal.
It is unclear where Vilgefortz sent him, but Istredd is probably in some desolate place that only Vilgefortz knows about. He could have killed Istredd, but he didn’t because he knows he will need the archeologist. Istredd is the only one who knows more about monoliths than most. He is a talented mage and very good at what he does, which is why Vilgefortz would want to use him to serve his own purpose. He might need Istredd’s help understanding what’s inside the book and how it can be used to manipulate the monoliths and do what he wants. Vilgefortz is also interested in Ciri and her powers and would want to know how she is connected to the monoliths.
Considering all this, it’s clear that Vilgefortz hasn’t killed Istredd because the latter can prove useful. Because Vilgefortz is so much more powerful than other mages, Istredd might not have a choice when it comes to helping him. However, this also puts him at an advantage in figuring out what exactly Vilgefortz wants with Ciri and how to stop him.
Read More: Is Tissaia Dead? Did MyAnna Buring Leave The Witcher?
