The Witcher season three part one spoilers follow.
If you initially overlooked the moment Geralt (Henry Cavill) stumbled across Teryn (Frances Pooley) you'd be forgiven.
The mangled mages fused together in the most horrifying fashion were literally the stars of that nightmarish scene, as is their right.
Few things could command our attention quite like their dismembered heads (dripping in audible slick-sounding goop) peeling from the walls, while their Megazord bodies creak out of the corners, limbs scattering across the floor like a beefier, beasty spider.
Sorry, what were we talking about again? Oh yes, Teryn.
Teryn was the only kidnapped novice mage to be spared that fate, but her trauma is not to be underestimated.
What to Read Next
A very powerful rogue mage (now confirmed to be Mahesh Jadu's Vilgefortz) has been experimenting on the young girl using mind-control enchantments.
Thanks to a combination of powerful magic practices, the part-elven mage has been manipulated into thinking she is Ciri of Cintra.
The elf-ears of every hardcore Witcher fan just pricked up.
It's possible Teryn could turn out to be more important than she initially seemed – here's how.
Who is Teryn in The Witcher season 3 part one?
BOOK SPOILERS FOLLOW
Pooley's Teryn is not only a new addition to The Witcher cast. She's also a new character in The Witcher universe altogether, sort of.
In Andrzej Sapkowski's books, the character Teryn does not exist, at least not under that name.
There is, however, another Ciri doppelganger in the tales who takes on the identity of the Lion Cub of Cintra.
This 'False Ciri', as she has been dubbed, is Cirilla Fiona.
While False Ciri on the page and Teryn have both acquired Ciri's identity, they have done so under very different circumstances.
Cirilla Fiona is not a mage novice whose mind has not been twisted into nonsense by powerful spells and magic. Instead she is the orphan of noble parents whose vulnerability led to her being groomed to be a Ciri.
With even her real name being unknown she was manipulated (the regular twisted way, not the magic way) into believing she was worthless and that it was better to be Ciri than nothing.
While their origins may be different, it is not coincidental that Teryn showed up exactly when she did.
SEASON-THREE FINALE SPOILERS FOLLOW
False Ciri's debut appearance on the page occurs in the book Time of Contempt, on which we know the third season of The Witcher is based, and the events in the book seem to have loosely come to fruition.
One of the final scenes of the season shows False Ciri being ceremonially welcomed to Nilfgaard as an honoured guest.
There, they refer to her as Queen of Cintra, Princess of Brugge and Duchess of Sodden.
A fourth and fifth prestigious title (Duchess of Rowan and Ymlac and Lady of Castle Darn Rowan, if you're interested) are also bestowed upon her, thus legitimising her as a true royal.
This somewhat ties in with the events that take place in the book. We can only hope that the creators will adapt False Ciri's story arc to fit their vision for the television adaptation, because things on page are a little too icky and wild to comprehend.
The Witcher seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix. Spin-off The Witcher: Blood Origin is also streaming on Netflix.
The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher
Sword of Destiny: Witcher 2
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
