You can stay in a castle, fight monsters and train to be a witcher in this real-life school in Poland. Hogwarts, eat your heart out.
The Witcher is popular here in the U.S. — the video games by CD Projekt Red have a big following, the Netflix show with Henry Cavill is a hit, and more and more people are picking up the books by Andrzej Sapkowski. But the series is really popular in country of origin: Poland, where there’s been a “Witcher school” in operation for the past six years.
What exactly is a Witcher school? It’s an opportunity to LARP (live-action role play) as a Witcher, and it now has the official backing of CD Projekt Red! Check out a trailer for what would-be witchers are in for below:
And here’s a description from the school’s official website:
"Learn fencing, archery, blacksmithing, alchemy and many other abilities, hunt down monsters alongside your companions, learn the secrets of grim castles, unravel the intrigues of kings and sorceresses, make difficult moral choices… and live with the consequences.Sleep, eat and train in a real castle, turned into a true witcher’s lair. You’ll not only meet your companions and teachers, but also the characters well known from the game and books – flirting with Filippa Eilhart, a friendly spar with Vesemir, a tete-a-tete with Iorveth or a demonic pact with Gaunter O’Dim—all is possible!"
The school also has a robust health and safety protocol, so I assume that most attendees graduate with their lives; in the books, the survival rate for new witchers is pretty low.
Tickets for the three-day witcher school experience run from $600 to around $1,300, and includes costumes and a custom-made Witcher character to play. It’s a bit pricey and it’s all the way over in Poland, but if you’re interested, feel free to check out the school’s website for more details.
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h/t Nerdist