Elder Blood

What is Elder Blood

Elder Blood, known as Hen Ichaer in the Elder Speech, is a genetic trait that grants the carrier immense magical power, particularly the ability to manipulate space and time, open portals between worlds, and travel between different spheres of existence. It is the most powerful form of magic known in the Witcher world.

The gene was passed down through generations of a specific bloodline, eventually reaching Ciri. Her Elder Blood abilities were the central plot driver of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, where the Wild Hunt pursued her to exploit this power.

The breeding program

Elder Blood did not arise naturally. It was the product of an extensive selective-breeding program conducted by the Aen Elle (Alder Folk), the elves of a parallel world. The program was based on the innate dimensional-travel abilities of unicorns and spanned multiple generations. Its goal was to breed a person capable of reopening the Ard Gaeth (Gate of the Worlds), which the Aen Elle had lost control of after the Conjunction of the Spheres.

Lara Dorren

Lara Dorren aep Shiadhal was the most powerful Elder Blood carrier produced by the breeding program. She was the daughter of King Auberon Muircetach of the Aen Elle. Despite being the product of calculated eugenics, Lara fell in love with a human sorcerer named Cregennan of Lod, who advocated for peaceful coexistence between humans and elves. She had originally been intended to marry the elven sage Avallac'h.

Their union caused outrage among both races. Jealous elves murdered Cregennan. Lara, pregnant with their child, fled but was turned away by humans who refused to help her. She gave birth to a daughter and died shortly after, reportedly cursing the human queen who rejected her: "My doom is at hand, but yours, queen, is also nigh. Remember Lara Dorren in that terrible hour."

Lara's orphaned daughter was adopted by Cerro, Queen of Redania. Through generations of convoluted bloodlines involving both activator and latent genes, the Elder Blood descended through royal houses until it reached Pavetta, Princess of Cintra (Ciri's mother), in whom it manifested as uncontrolled magical outbursts. The gene reawakened at full strength in Ciri.

Ithlinne's prophecy

The elven prophetess Ithlinne foretold that a descendant of Lara Dorren would one day wield the Elder Blood at its full potential, with the power to either save the world or destroy it. The prophecy called this person the "Swallow" (Zireael in Elder Speech, which is also Ciri's nickname and the name of her sword). This prophecy drove the Wild Hunt's obsession with capturing Ciri.

In The Witcher IV

Ciri's Elder Blood powers appear to be limited in The Witcher IV. She retains a short-range teleportation dash for combat, but the full reality-warping abilities from The Witcher 3 are restricted.

A protagonist who can teleport between dimensions would break an open-world RPG built around monster contracts. The developers have not explained the in-universe reason for the limitation, which leaves room for it to become a plot point.

Ciri's remaining magical abilities come from her witcher training (signs), her sorcery education under Yennefer (elemental manipulation), and her status as a Source (a person born with natural magical talent), rather than from Elder Blood specifically.