Ferret School.

sacrifices and renewal of runes.

The Sign of Mordere

A unique school sign: it induces sleep paralysis in the enemy with low-frequency vibrations. The victim is unable to move but remains conscious, hallucinating Ferret as a black silhouette. This lasts for seconds or minutes. Ruzzia can use it without gestures.

Code

Three rules: Devotion (to a cause, to school, to love - until death), Lies (to lie a lot and well, without revealing your soul to the unworthy), Honor (do not kill the weak - weakness can become strength; if the weak betrays - kill without mercy).

Relationships with the world

Friendship with Wolves and Manticores, neutrality with Griffins, hatred of Cats (for betrayal) and Bears (for stupidity). The Nilfgaard Empire is unaware of the school's existence—the Ferrets erase the memories of witnesses and disguise themselves.

After this, Ferrets stop feeling pain from burns.

Skeletal Breakdown: joints are dislocated with surgical precision, the spine is bent backward, and a salve made from dragon bones, mushrooms, and Ziv's blood is rubbed into the bone crevices. Thirty days of immobility—and the body gains incredible flexibility, at the cost of chronic pain in damp weather.

The Sleep of Death: The student is placed in a three-day coma, with mercury injected into Ziv's lymph and blood. The anesthetic eliminates physical pain, but not consciousness—the student relives all their fears in nightmares. Upon awakening, they are infused with poisonous blood and nerves of steel.

Starvation: Nine days in a cave with rotten troll meat, which must be eaten to survive. After this, Ferret can digest any organic matter and is immune to disease.

Runes and scarification

After the trials, the student receives their first runes. They are carved with knives on the face, neck, and shoulders, and then rubbed with ointment to make the scars appear raised. They are tinted with cinnabar every day, otherwise luck fades. The main runes are: Klogon (luck), Kenaz (the power of fire), Gebo (friendship), Hagalaz (acceptance of chaos), Thurisaz (fortitude), and others. Runes on the face are a special honor: on the cheeks—for five slain enemies, on the forehead—for a magical gift, on the bridge of the nose—for a loss experienced. Culture and Leisure

The Ferrets live an anarchic existence: there's the Council of Ash, the Ziv, and the mentors, but orders aren't given—decisions are made by a collective hum. Women make up about sixty percent of the school and are considered stronger and wiser.

They make a living selling weapons and artifacts in cities, altering their appearance. They sew their own clothes, burning any purchased ones. They cook amazingly well, turning rats and maggots into delicacies (candied worms are their pride). They embroider patterns on clothing and armor using needles made from the bones of their fallen comrades.

Leisure: They play Gwent with candied worms, spar on tables (throw each other without weapons), sing wild songs to the accompaniment of bone flutes, dance around the fire, and drink "Sour Blood"—wine laced with poison. Twice a year they celebrate Blood Night—ritual dances,

Ferret School: Full Description

You descend beneath Nilfgaard, into the network of passages beneath Vicovaro—thirty meters deep, where the stones breathe geothermal heat and the air smells of cinnabar, sour wine, and old blood. This is Kaer Grun—the underground city of the Ferret School, carved from limestone centuries before humans came to these lands.

Structure and everyday life

Kaer Grun consists of three levels. The first, "The Roots," is reserved for the apprentices: damp, cold, and dark, the perfect conditions for the first mutations. The second, "The Throat," is the main residential level: forges, braziers, common rooms, and living alcoves carved into the walls. The third, "The Heart," is the abode of Ziv the Ghoul, where geothermal springs flow and the air is scorching hot.

The Ferrets don't have chairs—they sit on cushions, rugs, or even on tables. Their caves are deliberately chaotic: piles of old bones, empty flasks, torn rags, and unfinished embroideries. This is camouflage—only a Ferret, by scent and vibrations, will find their sword beneath the pile of junk. The walls are covered with embroidered fabrics, animal skins, and old banners—everything here holds a memory.

Physiology and mutations

Ferrets are abnormally thin, with prominent ribs and sharp cheekbones. But their muscles have inhuman density, and their bones contain cartilage, allowing them to bend like a book and rotate their joints almost 360 degrees. Their metabolism metabolizes poisons ten times faster than that of ordinary witchers—standard elixirs have no effect on them. Their eyes, after mutations, are dark yellow or scarlet, due to the high mercury content in their blood.

Weaknesses: photophobia—the sun causes stinging and temporary blindness; dependence on poisons—without them, withdrawal symptoms occur, accompanied by pain and aggression; excessive irascibility, which they learn to control through creativity and rituals.

Trials

Each student undergoes four trials. About thirty percent survive.

Fire Baptism: the student is infused with three poisons and the body is heated with the Igni sign to 50–60 degrees, accelerating metabolism.

Lireya (Wolf) Geralt's daughter. 15 years old. Dark hair, green eyes. Smart, courageous. A friend of Moronhe, she admires his skill.

Geralt's son. 18 years old. Light hair, dark eyes. Inquisitive, friendly. Friend of Ruzzia and Moronhe.

A Witcher of the Wolf School, a friend of Ziv. Wise and calm. Frequently visits Kaer Grun with his family. Respects the Ferrets for their wildness and freedom.

Rangiha Son of Valkar and Razkhig. 13-14 years old (6 KN). Tall, strong, takes after his mother. Passed the Trials and received his first runes. The pride of his parents.

Valkar Razghig's husband, an elite warrior. He's large, with scars on his face. He's quick-tempered, but he loves his wife. He's always losing to her at Gwent and complaining, but he adores her.

Razkhig Valkar's wife, a "from outsider." She's large, dark-haired, and commanding. Calm and sarcastic, she commands her husband and everyone around her. She's the best Gwent player.

Remigius A Witcher of the Viper School, Ziv's lover. A powerful man with black hair, bushy eyebrows, a goatee, and scars on his face. Stern and reserved, he gradually succumbed to Ziv's insane charm.

Moronhe Mentor, friend of Ruzzia. 16-17 years old (8 KH). Red hair, freckles, slender fingers. Completed the "Call of the Bloodfaces"—sees prophetic dreams. Wise, patient, cowardly, but loyal. Conducts rituals and initiations.

Ruzzia Ziv's son, heir. 16-17 years old (8 KH). Black braid, scarlet eyes, vitiligo. A carbon copy of his father. Mordere magic without gestures. Bold but vulnerable. Suffering from withdrawal symptoms without artifacts. Moronhe's best friend.

Ziv the Ghoul The founder of the school, an immortal witcher (200+ years old). Skinny, black hair, black eyes without pupils, scars on his lips. Eccentric, insane, perpetually drunk, but a loving father. Achieved immortality by eating artifacts. Beloved of Remigius.