Throughout the Witcher games, the Witcher schools are mentioned mainly in passing but are a great source of history, prominent even in the last title, The Witcher 3. The school that seems to have the most lore available for players is the School of the Wolf and for good reason, as this is the school that the game’s main character Geralt is in. It is implied throughout the Witcher games that the most honorable and dependable Witchers are from the School of the Wolf and a dive into the lore and history of the school sheds light on why.
The school of the wolf, along with the other schools, originated as a result of the disintegration of the original Order of Witchers. When the school was still ripe with valiant Witchers, they settled in the valley of Kaer Morhen up north. Kaer Morhen is a fortress originally constructed and abandoned in the 11th century, surrounded by a network of caves.
In its prime, The School of the Wolf was one of the most recognized factions. Its Witchers seemed to uphold honorable values and didn’t stray in the direction that some of the more radical schools did after the splintering of the Order. The school’s members were reliable and gained a good reputation as professional monster hunters, and they were gracious hosts and polite guests to the all they encountered.
Unfortunately, the School changed quite a bit after experiencing its first of two Massacres. The first massacre occurred in the 12th century when the stronghold was attacked by an angry mob of peasants. This mob was excited and led by a group of mages and priests who fueled the mob's fear for the Changelings and what would come with their influence. All the Witchers at Kaer Morhen died that day, save those on the path.
After the first Massacre, Vesemir was the only “old” Witcher left, a fencing instructor. All the other Witchers who were involved in the Trial of Grasses, which turned young children into Witchers through a string of mutations, had died. This means that from then on, no new Witchers were created in the School of the Wolf. While Ciri seems a part of the School of the Wolf, it's hard to fully consider her a Witcher, as she never went through the Trial of Grasses.
For a while after the first massacre, the School of the Wolf as well as the School of the Cat were funded by Kaedweni Monarchs. Kaedwen was the largest kingdom in the north at the time. Some of the older Witchers in the two schools befriended each other. However, most of the younger Witchers ended up in fistfights whenever the schools held any exchanges. While these two Schools didn’t necessarily have a rivalry, a growing tension was forming, exacerbated by the influence of King Radowit II.
King Radowit II was himself under the influence of his advisors, specifically court mage Astrogarus, who convinced him that the schools were a threat to his reign. As the School of the Wolf started to seem to be reviving after its first massacre at this point, Radowit took extreme action to solidify his rule. He manipulated Master Treyse of the School of the Cat to engage in a merciless plot against the School of the Wolf during the Witcher Tournament. This resulted in a large number of Wolves dying. After Rodowit’s plan seemed achieved, he ordered the murder of the Cats as well.
Vesemir trained the last Witchers from the School of the Wolf at Kaer Morhen in the 1230s. As Vesemir was the only surviving “old” Witcher, these Witchers are likely to be the last of the School of the Wolf. After its second massacre, the School of the Wolf took in a few additional members from other schools, but the School of the Cat and the School of the Viper were strictly banned. Unfortunately, the School of the Wolf took another hit when the Wild Hunt came for them. Vesemir, the oldest Witcher and the schools leader at this point, died in the Wild Hunt's first major attack on Kaer Morhen.
By the end of The Witcher 3, its seems as though the School of the Wolf was more or less disbanded with most of the surviving Witchers going their separate way. While they all still wear their medallions and continue down the path of the Witcher, there is no School of the Wolf master, and they do not reside in Kaer Morhen any more. Perhaps Geralt will start his own revitalization of the School of the Wolf. Until Witcher 4 comes out, players will have to wait and see what becomes of everyone’s favorite Witcher school.
The Witcher 3 is out now for PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox one.