Season 2 of The Witcher seemed to start out calm, but it was unreasonable expecting a fantasy series to stay uneventful for too long. By this time in the series, Geralt and Ciri were finally together and the two were headed towards Kaer Morhen. But fate wanted the two to meet a Bruxa and help a friend. The episode was enticing but also slightly confusing. Here’s the character of Vereena from season 2 of The Witcher explained.

Who is Nivellin?

Toxic couples that can easily be romanticized by anyone who doesn’t know better aren’t a rarity. In literature, we have seen the trope everywhere- from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier to Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. The Witcher features Vereena and her partner Nivellin in season 2 to fulfill the quota for the toxic couple trope.

Nivellin seems like the perfect man who met ends he didn’t deserve. We see the character for the first time at the beginning of The Witcher when Geralt needs help. Though he is endlessly charismatic and has all the riches he needs, viewers sympathize with him.

Apparently, Nivellin was cursed by a priestess to live in solidarity forever in the physical form of a boar/bear hybrid. Despite everything nice about the character, there is an air of uneasiness. It is revealed later in the episode that it comes from secrecy. Nivellin said he had a cat named “Vereena”, but as we see by the end of the episode on Netflix, it was a Bruxa.

After being cursed into a horrible form, Nivellin realized that he had to lead a life of loneliness. The man tried to make his solidarity peaceful by trying to do make the most out of it. But the isolation got to him. This is when he stumbled upon Vereena, a powerful Bruxa.

For those unfamiliar with the lore of The Witcher, a Bruxa is a very powerful vampire. Their natural form is that of a large bat with deadly fangs and claws. But, often, they take the form of a dark-haired, attractive young human, usually a woman. Their attractive physical form helps them entice hosts.

Vereena and Nivellin- love story messier than Fringilla’s ethics

“If you crush a cockroach, you’re a hero. But if you crush a beautiful butterfly, you are a villain. Morals have aesthetic criteria.”

-Frederick Neitzsche

Due to his loneliness and the enticing capabilities of a Bruxa, Nivellin took her in. He fed her and cared for her deeply. Even as he came to gradually realize that his partner was responsible for killing many people, he ignored her actions. The man even let her feed on his blood. This is what Geralt witnessed in the first episode of the Netflix Original as he broke into Nivellin’s room at night.

The Witcher and the Bruxa have a great fight. Bruxas are powerful and Vereena was rugged, even for her kind. Her shrill screams were particularly striking. She would have gotten the better of him had Nivellin not interfered.

Despite his instant regret, Nivellin stabs Vereena through the heart. As proof of their toxicity and her sense of possessiveness towards him, she tries to kill him. She claims how Nivellin cannot belong to anyone that isn’t Vereena. Right as she is about to kill Nivellin, Geralt cuts her head off.

Nivellin’s curse is now lifted as he returns to his human form. But it isn’t time to celebrate. The man reminisces on events that led to his curse and why he turned to Vereena. He asks for Geralt to kill him but the Witcher and his Child Surprise leave the place.