The Witcher 4 could fill these 4 lingering lore gaps

The Witcher 4 is still a long way out, with CD Projekt Red not even offering a release window or a look at gameplay for the highly anticipated sequel. But we do know the general setting, and we know that Geralt is hopefully enjoying retirement, as Ciri takes the leading role. The trailer makes it look like The Witcher 4 takes place a few years after The Witcher 3, one of the best single-player games of all time, with a slightly older Ciri, who is now a full-blown Witcher.

But there are tons of unanswered questions still lingering in the greater story, and we don't know what's going on with fan-favorite characters like Yennefer, who may or may not make an appearance. But there are tons of loose threads or lore bits that we would like to see clarification on, from events that have happened since the last game to more world-building. Here's what we want to know.

4 How did Ciri become a Witcher?

While she was obviously on the path, there are some clarifications needed

In The Witcher 4, Ciri is obviously a full-blown Witcher. The devs have said as much. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who played The Witcher 3, as Geralt was clearly leading her down this path. The clarification is, however, that in the lore of the Trial of Grasses is incredibly grueling, with only 30% of men surviving. According to lore (via Slash Film), it's incredibly difficult for women or adults to pass the test, and none have, as far as everyone knows. Ciri is an adult woman by the time she takes the test, making the odds stacked against her.

Now, is it unbelievable that Ciri passed? No, of course not, but an explanation appears to be coming. CD Projekt Red studio head Adam Badowski said that the exact details of Ciri's journey to becoming a full-fledged Witcher is the plot of The Witcher 4 (via Comicbook). In the same post, Badowski made reference to the detailed lore written by The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski, so it seems like a lore explanation is planned, although we will have to wait for the game to release.

3 What's going on with the Law of Surprise?

Geralt and Ciri have a special connection. How will that continue?

Geralt and Ciri are eternally tied to each other, thanks to the Law of Surprise. The quick version is that the Law of Surprise awards someone with something unexpected, and the way it worked out for them is that Geralt and Ciri both got the family they were denied for one reason or another. However, a less focused aspect of the Law of Surprise is its ties to fate. A reason why it's such a powerful force is that it's believed to be fated, so once you get something from the Law of Surprise, even if it's another person, it can be difficult to escape.

That connection is believed to play a role in Geralt's and Ciri's adventures, protecting them from danger as a fated pairing. With Geralt passing on the mantle of protagonist to Ciri, it's unclear how much of a presence he will have in the story, but the Law of Surprise should make it hard for them to stay apart.

2 Are there more Witcher schools operating?

Sure, we meet witchers from other schools, but will we get to see them?

Other Witcher schools besides Geralt's and Ciri's School of the Wolf exist, but we haven't seen the schools themselves. There have been mentions of other schools in the books, and the villain of The Witcher 2, Letho of Gulet, the Kingslayer, hailed from the School of the Viper. Now, at the point in history where the games take place, the number of witchers left in the world has dwindled, making them increasingly rare. It's also important to note that the games have added more schools than those present in the books, making the question of how canon the schools are a little murky.

If these other schools still exist, or just the ruins perhaps, it would be interesting to see Ciri explore them. Ciri could learn from other witchers on her journey, or from their leftover texts if the schools had been wiped out. I don't expect The Witcher 4 to introduce a dozen new witchers, but it would be interesting to explore what's left of these schools.

1 Will we find out more about the Curse of the Black Sun?

While much remains a mystery, we know it's tied to Ciri

The Curse of the Black Sun's influence runs deep in The Witcher series, including in The Witcher 3. While we know the curse appears to be bogus and is mostly dealt with in The Witcher 3, there is much we don't know about. If you're unfamiliar, the curse was theorized by mages, but was primarily about experimenting on people with eleven ancestry. Basically, it was decided that any child born during the extended eclipse would be cursed, set to bring about the end of the world. They convinced them to imprison them in far-away towers, so they could be experimented on.

This ties directly to Ciri, whose mother, Pavetta, was born during that time, and her husband, Emphyr, agreed to give Pavetta up for experimentation. He did it so Ciri could live, which ended up resulting in the early events in her life and the events of The Wild Hunt. While plenty of details allude to the grand conspiracy, little of that information has been confirmed, and since it's so integral to Ciri's life, The Witcher 4 seems like an excellent opportunity to expand on it.

Tons to dig into, but hopefully not everything

There is no shortage of events and places in the world of The Witcher that could use a deeper dive, and I have no doubt that The Witcher 4 will answer some of those questions. Of course, I do hope that not every single event from the previous games is touched on. There needs to be room for new stories, and, more importantly, fictional worlds lose some of their shine if too much information is known. If you don't have unanswered questions to think about, you probably won't think about your experience all that much. CD Projekt Red has a track record of excellent storytelling with previous games, including Cyberpunk 2077, so I'm willing to trust the vision when it comes to The Witcher 4.