Calanthe
An iron-willed matriarch who chose death over dishonor for her bloodline.
Calanthe was the ruling monarch of Cintra, a kingdom known for its beauty and tragic fate in the Northern Realms. She is the grandmother of Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. Her reign ended when Nilfgaard invaded Cintra and sacked the city.
Lore & Background
As Queen, Calanthe was known for her strength and refusal to bow to foreign powers. At the betrothal celebration for Princess Pavetta she admitted that Urcheon had a claim under the Law of Surprise, but refused to marry her daughter to a stranger. During the fall of Cintra, she chose a path of defiance over capture. Mortally wounded during the fall of Cintra, she committed suicide, throwing herself from the castle walls. Her granddaughter Ciri fled from the burning capital city.
Reader's Guide
Calanthe originated from the royal bloodline of Cintra, serving as its sovereign during the era of escalating conflict with Nilfgaard. Her primary narrative role is that of a protective matriarch and tragic figure whose demise precipitates the main storyline involving Ciri. Relationships define her legacy; she was the mother of Pavetta and grandmother to Cirilla, carrying the Elder Blood lineage through them. She at first refused Duny's claim to Pavetta's hand, but agreed to their marriage, and agreed to marry Eist Tuirseach, the King of Skellige, who had saved her from Pavetta's magical outburst. She appears in Andrzej Sapkowski's short story "A Question of Price" in The Last Wish, and in Sword of Destiny. In the Netflix series she is portrayed by Jodhi May, and sends Ciri away to escape and find Geralt.
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