‘The Witcher’: Ciri’s Family Tree Explained

“She’s a Child of Destiny. There are forces at play larger than we know. You are a part of her; she a part of you,” Nenneke told Geralt regarding Ciri. Over the three seasons of The Witcher, it became clear that Ciri was the most powerful being that has ever lived. Not only do her magical powers exceed anything Yennefer can do, but her Elder Blood also makes her invaluable to everyone, which is why her family tree is so important.

While Ciri’s Nilfgaardian roots through her father, Emhyr Var Emreis, cement her place as the heir of the Northern Kingdom, her most important genes come from her mother Pavetta. Ciri’s grandmother, Calanthe, is the great-granddaughter of Lara Dorren’s granddaughter Fiona. Therefore, Ciri is the last descendant of Lara Dorren and the most powerful being on the continent, as she carries the activated gene of the Elder Blood.

Powerful Elven scientists created Elder Blood to make the most powerful sorceress in the world to defeat humans. However, its last elven bearer, Lara Dorren, married the powerful human mage Cregnnen of Lod, thwarting the elven revenge plan. Ithlinne, an elven prophetess, told of a child of destiny with Elder Blood that would destroy the humans and all monsters and save their race. Elves believe that Ciri is that child, so let’s examine why her family tree makes her so important.

How did Ciri get Elder Blood?

Cirilla ‘Ciri’ Fiona Elen Riannon got her Elder Blood through her mother, Pavetta, a long-lost descendant of Lara Dorren and Cregnnan of Lod.

Elves created the Elder Blood as a weapon to defend themselves against humans after the Conjunction of Spheres.

The conjunction of Speheres is a major event that saw different worlds/dimensions pass through the same point of space simultaneously for a few moments.

The event caused different beings from other worlds to fall onto the continent, including monsters and humans.

The Elves were the conquering force on the continent at the time after they subdued the Dwarves, as detailed in Blood Origin.

The humans also proved to be expansionists, and they multiplied faster than the elves could cope, which led them to overpower the elves and start conquering their territories.

To defeat humans, the elves created the famous Lara gene that their sorcerers could use to summon great powers, which they hoped to use against their enemies.

After passing down between many descendants, the last elven bearer of the Elder Blood was Lara Dorren, a sorceress who later chose to marry a human mage instead of fighting the humans.

The union was a huge disappointment for both races, and the humans didn’t hesitate to kill Cregnnan for betrayal, while the elves banished the then-pregnant Lara Dorren.

Lara’s union with Cregnnan of Lod produced their daughter Riannon, a half-elf baby whose descendants would change the fate of both races forever.

the gene found its way into human royalty because Cerro, the queen of Redania, adopted Riannon and later married her to Goidemar, king of Tameria.

Goidemar and Riannon had twins Fiona and Amavet. While a lot happened during the pregnancy due to the Falka Rebellion, Fiona survived to become the mother of Elder Blood carriers with magical powers.

Fiona went on to marry Corram II of Cintra, and Ciri’s grandmother Calanthe was born from her lineage three generations later, which is how Ciri got her middle name, Fiona.

Coram II and Fiona bore Corbett, who married Elen of Kaedwen and gave birth to Calanthe’s father Dagorad.

It is unclear whether Calanthe had the magical powers of the Elder Blood, but her daughter Pavetta did as she nearly brought down the palace with her scream.

Ciri also carries the Lara gene, just like Fiona and Pavetta, which is why the elves believe she is the promised child in Ithlinne’s prophecy.

What makes Ciri’s Elder Blood so special?

Apart from being Fiona’s descendant, Ciri is also the descendant of Fiona’s brother Amavet who carried the activator gene of the Elder Blood.

It all started during the Falka rebellion when Riannon was imprisoned by Falka while nursing her twins Fiona and Amvet.

During the imprisonment, Riannon became insane, while Falka gave her a third child to nurse, and she couldn’t tell which of the three babies were her twins as a result of her insanity.

After the rebellion, Falka died before identifying her child, forcing Riannon to move back to Tameria with the three children.

The confusion led to the three children being raised together as the infamous Houtborg Triplets in the royal court of Tameria.

The sorcerers knew that Falka’s child was Adela, but they didn’t tell Riannon and her husband to prevent the murder of the innocent child.

Amvet was the other carrier of Lara Dorren’s Elder Blood, but it didn’t show its powers because he only carried the activator gene.

Amvet had an affair with Countess Anna Kameny before his untimely death and bore the twins Muriel and Crispin.

While Crispin’s son disappeared without a trace, his daughter Muriel lived and married Count Robert of Garramone, with whom they had a daughter Adalia.

As destiny would have it, Adalia ended up marrying Fiona’s grandson and Calanthe’s father, Dagorad, bringing the activator and the Lara gene back together.

Through the reunion of the activator and the Lara gene, Calanthe, Pavetta, and now Ciri got the most powerful combination of the genes of the Elder Blood, making their magic powers so potent.

Are Ciri and Geralt of Rivia related?

There are no direct blood relations between Geralt and Ciri revealed in the first three seasons of The Witcher or in the books.

It is also important to remember that Geralt is originally from Kaedwen and not Rivia, as his name suggests.

One of Ciri’s ancestors, Elen, is also from Kaedwen, so the two may have blood relations.

Crispin, one of Amvet’s children, also disappeared and is believed to have lived, but his descendants are unknown, so it wouldn’t be too strange if it turns out that Geralt is one of them.