I think the Tamrielic Empire has more problems then conquering the North,with the whole Skyrim Civil War and the Dominion to the South ruled by elves that wanna see men in chains agains or worse.
I’ve played the Witcher 3 to 100% completion twice and still, every time I come across Witcher lore videos, I get a strong urge to start a brand new playthrough and do it all again. The Witcher 3 is easily in the top 3 greatest games ever made as far as I’m concerned. I really hope we get a new Witcher game sooner rather than later.
Witcher 4 was announced 3 months after you posted this! Now for some hopium, imagine an MMO witcher game, imagine running around a giant map killing monsters with your witcher friends
@@strings1586why does everyone have to ruin perfect single player games with this dumb idea that making them multiplayer will somehow improve them, it won’t it will water it down and take the soul out of the games.
I find the ending where the emperor of Nilfguard is overthrown very interesting. If you pay attention to the story in Wild Hunt, the empire is tired or war and want the emperor to stop. If he fails to take the north (Dykstra/Radovid lives), he falls from power. This nicely illustrates how economic power results in the fall of monarchies. People want trade, prosperity and security. War doesn’t produce that. So, while a monarch might ensure security, trade and prosperity is the product of the people. Enduring monarchies ensure the people enjoy trade and prosperity. The emperor’s constant campaigns had reached the limit of what the people and nobles were willing to endure, and no monarch can hold power if the masses rise up.
As with most empires it has its good and bad points. As many npc’s point out the north is already economically dependent on nuilfguaard. The subjects who obey the rules seem to have more rights then those in the north but punishments seem to be a lot harsher in the empire. 100 lashes or delivery of bad goods. They have a strong state but willingly devolve powers to regions deemed loyal so from my perspective as a person or especially as a elf, dwarf or Witcher I’d prefer to live in the empire.
@@scutumfidelis1436 What Enlightenment? Last I saw of Nilfgaurd, Emir was on the way South hanging everyone that ever looked at him funny from the street posts.
Nilfgaard is an interesting amalgamation of the Holy Roman Empire and the Russian Empire, so Emhyr's expansionist policies make sense in that regard. Both empires perused aggressively expansionist policies. Much like Nilfgaard, Russia experienced dynastic crises which were filled with false Tsars, (see the False Dimitrii I through IV and how that parallels the false Ciri), and numerous murders and usurpations. Nilfgaard's armour finds an exact counterpart in the 16th century HRE.
I don't know if it's specifically the Russian empire it's based on, every monarchy has those same issues. The methods of expansion and conquest are more Roman than anything else, and the method of ruling over satraps and vassals with a relatively hands-free approach (as with Toussaint) is very Persian
I doubt it has anything in common with the Holy Roman Empire. It's governance and warring is more in the style of Ancient Rome. The way client states are placed are akin to the Persian and Mongol Empire. The discipline of the soldiers and the role of division commanders in politics is also Roman/Prussian/3rd Reich in likelihood. Having said that, I don't doubt that Nilfgaard might be based on Prussian/3rd Reich Germany considering the author has admitted to making some of the themes similar to Polish/European history.
I do generally like the Nilfgaardian Empire because they're more efficient and people have better lives under their rules. But then they also limit freedom, especially for mages, which I'm not a fan of. Overall I do think I'd prefer their rule over the Northern Kingdoms (except maybe Temeria, and definitely excepting Povis and Kovir).
Voxdalian Well better have limitations than being hunted and executed like in Redania now. Also Nilfgaard is aware of how dangerous mages can be and to be honest most of them are power-hungry people regardless of them having good intentions or not.
Voxdalian arguably mages (who I always help) have more freedom under the empire then MOST northern realms. With the obvious exception of Povis and Kovir but they are both neutral to the war and will likely be willingly visualised (as a formality) and left to government themselves anyway. The empire puts restrictions on mages but so do everywhere else. Mages as much as we hate to admit it are capable of becoming walking weapons. And to any state that is unacceptable. I’m sure there not being burned in kovir but I’m sure there being watched as well.
It would be a better strategy to leash the northern kingdoms through Nilfgaard's economic might rather than spend resources on conquest and the subsequent occupation. I think Emyr's insistence on conquest stemmed from his beliefs regarding Ithlinne's prophecy. A continent-wide empire, with his and Ciri's child as ruler, might have a greater chance of surviving the White Frost.
Grallon Sphere no because eventually the north will develop and maybe not match the empire but be strong enough to sever ties with it. There is peace in the empire because it’s subjects can trade freely and see themselves as being citizens of the empire and its states. Not a separate entity entirely.
@@justinhammer3196 He had the chance to do so. He had everyone under his control at the end of the books but once he sees her, he could not do it. Nobody knew he was Duny aswell, only gerallt knew once he meet the Emperor in person.
Nilfgaard is pretty much ruled similar to Cobra, except they didn't try replacing Emhyr with someone so much worse than Emhyr. Because that would have a lot of Nilfgaardian Citizens question the Nilfgaard government and the sanity of those in it, though in my view I think Emhyr is a strict and in his own weird way, fair emperor of Nilfgaard. Though some of the things Emhyr are questionable at best, such as the third war with the north or the fact he or someone would think Radovid would surrender Redania to Nilfgaard. Also another questionable thing I am aware of about Emhyr is his parenting skills, like he wants to find Ciri, but not to make up for past mistakes, but for the sake of having her take over. The least he could do is try make up for his mistakes with Cirilla, but nope, Emhyr is bit of an idiot in the parents department, that's just my view though. I'm sure in his own weird way he does care for Ciri.....sort of.
Is it just me or does WitcherGeorge kinda sound like Morvran? On a side note Nilfgaard is easily my favorite faction in the Witcher universe. Best ending in TW3 for me was a Nilfgaardian victory with Ciri on the throne.
I will say, that before the rise of king Radovid, nilfguard should have let the northern kingdoms be, but Redania needed a me king. Radovid may have been a tactical genius, but he would have driven the northern kingdoms into ruin
i just wish to see a war between the northerl kingdoms and the empire in netflix's the witcher. like a full blown war, in which we get to see every detail, introducing new charachters and expanding them, like jhon natalis radovid etc while redemeeing foltest for that fiasko on season 1 and actually showing how charesmatic he is as a ruler
Your understanding of merchants power is greatly underestimated(both in real life and in game) "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws" - Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild
Dictators and authoritarian rulers aren't always bad (see Augustus or Henry VII), especially in a ruthless world like the Witcher is set in - a world not entirely different from our own besides the werewolves, vampires, demons, dragons, etc.
In the short run the Empire may seem evil and harsh but in reality it’s citizens have more rights then in the northern kingdoms, it’s authorities are held to account if they’re deemed corrupt, and upward mobility in society is actually possible meaning a peasant through hard work or going into the military can raise his social status. Though slavery and bondage still exist, it’s own citizens aren’t subjected to it. Mages are found throughout the Empire at local and imperial level courts however when they first go to academy they are told that they are subject to the emperors will and dictates, not the other way around, they will not put up with the politicking that northern mages are so used to, they would immediately be killed or imprisoned such as Vilgefortz of Geralt hadn’t done it first. And with Ciri as Empress you could truly trust the Empire becoming a more benevolent continent spanning entity, perhaps outlawing slavery and giving semi autonomous rule to places like Mahakam, Temeria, and Kovir or other northern kingdoms. All in all it may seem more tyrannical but in the long run it actually establishes stability that allows civilizations to grow. Although I personally like the varied and differing character of the northern kingdoms (go Foltest! Go Henselt!).
I see you really like Voorhis' amazing body, and we all do of course, but I think you should have zoomed into him more just so we can see how truly amazing he is
Can you do a video on the Metro series? Also if you can. Can you do a video on A Song Of Ice & Fire Lore & Watchmen Lore? P.s. can you talk about the differences between Game Of Thrones books & show.
Calling Emhyr a "dictator" is... weird. He is just a monarch, same as Radovid or Foltest. Head of state, in theory by birth, but ruler always need army and nobles to keep everything running. Niflgardian religion, the "Great Sun" - where did you found that? And this is serious question, I do not remember a single information about Nilfgardian state religion, from books or games, maybe outside of some soldiers saying stuff like "May the great sun guide you" in W3. Do I miss somethink or is it all just a fans theory? Mages in Nilfgard are tools, like soldiers. Diferent set of skill, much rarer, but same situation. Obey and be usefull or die.
That, and various other misunderstandings of medieval society (succession etc.), I can't help but think that this video shows some pretty good understanding of the Witcher universe as a whole, but very little understanding of medieval societies, be they feudal, primogeniture vs electoral.
@@konstable2890 Have the same feeling. He try to explain everything in context of modern democratic state, not medieval kingdom. And for someone who understeand medieval reality, it sound hilarious.
Can you make a video series on the Nilfgaardian army? like the different army groups, divisions and parts like the secret service of Nilfgaard and members.
Honestly the best faction for the world, they are like Rome, nilfgaard is civilisation, nilfgaard is order. They are the most advanced nation in this world, the empire is in the new age (16s century), the north is an old medieval land. I think nilfgaard is the best choice, they will give rights to everyone, they aren't racists, they have there own morals, besides the noble families. If Ciri becomes empress, nilfgaard will prosper even more, its said also in blood and wine, emhyr is so happy again and he's really caring about her daughter and his empire. Ciri is the best choice there, she understands the basic ppl and his father can teach her how to rule, with moorvran their empire, family wont have any opposition and can advance and prosper. I dont know if it's just propaganda but if the nilfgaardians have truly elf ancestors they are even cooler.
They aren't racist but like Ancient Rome, they are highly prejudicial against citizenship. If you aren't from Nilfgaard, you're considered significantly inferior than someone who is from Nilfgaard. And within the Empire, people from the central province are the "real" citizens of the Empire, while everyone else is a second-class citizen. They really aren't cool or the best unless you are lucky enough to be born Nilfgaardian.
Nilfgaard has a serious trust issue towards mages for sure and wanted to minimize religious activity. Those two problems spread like a wildfire in the North now.
Emperor vs mages in Nilfgaard: no hocus pocus, dimeritium shacklus activatus Emperor vs mages in the Northen Kingdom consipiring against kings: not my problem lmao
Well, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers was corrupt and pushing forward its own agendas by influencing Monarchs throughout the North, then the Lodge of Sorceresses basically started doing the same thing. Both pretended to be acting in the best interest of the people and their Kingdoms but only really had their own interests in mind, and didn't hesitate to liquidate Kings that would be deemed bothersome. So Emhyr is essentially learning from the mistakes of his foes, and his very own background didn't really predisposed him to like or even trust Mages either, since he was gratuitously tortured by one as a child and turned into a hedgehog by the same Mage for shits and giggles, just because his name sounds like the Nilfgaardian word for hedgehog. I would have trust issues as well.
Witcher 2 Nilfgaard is preety bad and i really dont like that snake Shillard Fitz-Oestrlen, but if you cant win head on, or in this case there was an easier way, you choose the easier way. But in Witcher 3 i preety much immidietly sided with Nilfgaard, because they brought order into the chaos that was the North. Then again, this may explain why i prefer Templars over the Assassins and why AC Rogue is one of my favourite AC games
Badass Dragon the battle between Templars and assassins isn’t so much order vs chaos, power and control vs freedom would be more accurate, in the Witcher however I side with nilfgaard as they’re simply more moral than the northern kingdoms and would bring such morality and order to the lands as well as more rights and prosperity
Badass Dragon yeah but in Nitifard the people who live there are actually pretty free in the comparison to the north. And the Templar’s want to enslave everyone through the pieces of Eden
Robert O Leary Don’t recall that being the case in 3 , rouge or unity ? Infect rouge pretty much broke the idea of the brotherhood looking out for the weak and downtrodden. The Templar’s where right when they said “the assassins one had an honourable goal that of peace” not freedom.
Unoriginal Username the assassins believe that people should be able to accept peace not for it to be in foxes through the pieces of Eden. The Templar’s in 3 wanted Lee to take America after the revolution with the army to establish a dictatorship and in unity the Templar’s were using the revolution to purge their eniemis
Nilfgard is as strong or weak as its Emperor is, because in present time Nilfgard is very powerful, but in the past when the Emperors father ruled it, it sounded weak and fragile, and one ending of the Witcher 3 is the white flame dying and Nilfgard looks that it crumbles a little. In the end I hope the north wins because i like the diverse cultures and people up there within this world.
My personal opinion on Nilfgaard is that on one hand they are definitelty invading without cause ect. However they were labelled as tiny and insignificant. They have risen from tht to threaten the northern most kingdoms. They are effectively ruling the south and recently conquered aedirn ect. They also dont persecute mages so yeah.
Isn't the reason the Northern Kingdoms started to persecute mages cause at least half of them were traitors and secret agents for Nilfgaard and most of the other good loyal Northern mages were killed. It was Einhert after all who assassinated Vizimir.
Does anyone know where nilfgaardian sorceresses like Fringilla or Assire trained? Just always been curious about that aspect of nilfgaard and how they perceive magic.
i think theres a a good deal of nuance about the war in the game. like yes radovid is a monster and the culture of prejudice against nonhumans in the north is absolutely evil whereas nilfgaard seems to be pretty accepting m, but does that mean that everyday people should be slaughtered indiscriminately by the nilfgaardian imperial army? i dont think so. i think it all reinforces the theme that its ugly and violent and unjust no matter what side you choose
I was looking at the map of witcher continent to get a perspective of where things are, when I looked South I was like holy shit they have more land than every one else combined, no wonder they are out to crush them
Ive noticed in every witcher game that after war the dead bodies and blood bring out more monsters so i gues nilfgards wars are good and who knew war can be good for business
nilfgardians are the holy roman empire in the south toussaint as touscany in the north baltic countries.the black army are the teutonoc order.novgorod is novigrad with its counsil and famous by traid.the guild of merchants are the cities of hansa more or less.skeliege is scandinavia
I thought you were going you talk about the King. I’ve only watched the show and i was interested in the theory that the hedgehog guy is emperor of Cintra. Is It true?
Yeah, Emyhr’s father was usurped or something and he got cursed. In the books Geralt helps Emhyr restore himself to normal and he invokes the right of surprise which is how Ciri ends up supposed to go with but he won’t take her. The show is different but yeah that’s Emhyr under his false identity of Dunny. It’s not really a theory unless they change the story from the books drastically.
Yes and no. Emhyr flat out says that he wants Ciri for "reasons of State", but simultaneously people forget that he's an Emperor and a very pragmatic man who doesn't let his feelings get in the way of his better judgment, nor displays them publicly for anyone to see. The discussion Geralt has with Emhyr where you tell him Ciri died (allegedly) to cover up the fact that she's become a Witcher (in the Witcheress Ending obviously) convinced me that to some extent, Emhyr genuinely cares for Ciri. You can hear that his voice starts to break somewhat, but he's maintaining appearances in front of Geralt. And the way he dismisses Geralt and says he never wants to see him ever again is... well, there's sadness and grief in his voice. Behind the mask of Imperator, he is a Father that is being told his only Daughter is dead. Exceptionally subtle voice acting, courtesy of the legendary Charles Dance. And last but not least, in Blood & Wine if somehow you romanced neither Triss nor Yennefer, (Empress) Ciri comes to visit you and you can ask her about Emhyr, whom she calls "Papa" and says that he has mellowed down quite a bit, which indicates that their relationship is definitely improving. Emhyr Var Emreis is a much more nuanced character than a lot of people give him credit for, and just because he's presented as a villain, people just like to antagonise him excessively.
Werew0lf A I love skillega but they make a point of constantly attacking imperial ships and trading vessels. I could only see a peaceful outcome with ceris on the thrown. Peace through prosperity
267622 no they just did it A Lot more. Skillega has always relied of stealing the hard work of other to survive which changed the way I saw then but I still like then but prefer the empire
@@jamesh2514 oh, I agree, but the Cdprojekt ending for Radovid winning makes Redania into a Northern Empire that drives out Nilfgaard and destroys the autonomy of every other Northern Kingdom. I'm proudly on the side of Nilfgaard, but given the in world example it's there.
Not a fan of nilfgaard but i did help them in the game by killing Radovid simply because he was mad and wanted to kill Geralt and all his friends like Triss and Yenefer and all the others.
kevin k honestly I’m fine with people doing anything with their property as long as it is explainable, logical, or from just financial reasons, that or just skill of certain actors, really as long as the plot and action is good I’m fine with anything, but if they screw that up or the lore I’m starting a riot
@@Vtgaming-v6c that is what is happening, let me explain, in one of the books Fringilla tries to seduce geralt so she can get info out of him about the Vilgefort Tower for the Lodge, He 'fell' for it, because, Fringi looks like Yen, black hair plae skin, even when thet are having woohoo geralt yells Yen XD, how they are going to do it in the series? well, they have to create something else or delete the scen completely, besides she is relative to Anna Henrietta, so yeah they fuck up the lore, but lets see what is going ot happen
@@Vtgaming-v6c true but triss was the best looking girl from the witcher (aside from ciri) and i can't believe that she doesn't even have red hair... quite a shame
I always thought Nilfgaard is interesting. Since there is no "good" or "bad" countries, since all of them have their issues, pros and cons... it was rather interesting. Sadly, it is not shown in the Netflix show at all. Who cares about good storytelling, grey is just stupid, let's go with black and white...
@@dragonstormx Well, thats true. Who knows. Maybe it gets better. But the way they depicted Nilfgaard so far is simply wrong as far as I can remember. I doubt they will manage to get back on track. I mean, they are basically depicted as the enemy, the bad guys so far...
@@Rakshiir From what I have heard they were depicted as straight up villains in the early short stories and books, and it later where they got fleshed out. By the same token, the leadership of the Northern Kingdoms fighting against them were shown to be just as bad.
Nilfgaard is the light! But you have never been to the capital you have not seen what Nilfgaard has become. I am dying Cirilla…. When a man comes to his end he wants to know how he will be remembered. The warrior, the scholar, the tyrant…..Or will I be the emperor who gave Nilfgaard back to her people. There was once a dream that was Nilfgaard you could only whisper it, anything more and it would vanish.
If we consider the events of the games, namely Witcher 3, as cannon, then I’d say I’m pro Nilfgaard (assuming they manage to conquer the North as they do in the games of Radovid dies and Dikstra doesn’t take over).
I got the impression that at this point the Great Sun is "worshipped" more out of custom and as the state's sigil rather than some actual religious devotion and belief- just as, let's say an atheist may still exclaim "oh my God!". Religious zealotry is explicitly mentioned to be a criminal offence in Nilfgaard and one of the causes of Nilfgaardian contempt for Nordlings. Sure, they put the Sun everywhere, claim the Empire is "eternal by [its] grace", etc. but I'd compare it to Crusaders' state where society became secular and the Cross became merely a patriotic simbol whose religious simbolism is reserved for ceremonial use referring to the old days.
I hate Var Emreis, but don’t find Nilfgard as a whole all that objectionable. There actions regarding the treatment of innocent townsfolk is upsetting, but not unexpected for the time. I typically prefer the Redanians, and although he is mad, I enjoy Radovid as a character. Of the two rulers, he is easily the one I prefer, and I don’t even blame him for his hatred of mages, since it was the lodge responsible for the regicides.
Man I hate Nilfgaard. Why did they attack Cintra unprovoked and hired Witchers to kill Foltest and Demavend just to expand the empire. Who does that?? This is just my opinion, because I’m Temetian patriot!!! Btw nice video
The issue is Game Lore and having Radovid being a genocidal maniac. Not to mention a religious fanatic to a degree with his use of The Order. It’s easier to sympathize with any invading force who isn’t going to come in and kill or persecute people of other races. This include Nilfguard. If we’re only going by book canon then no, I am not a supporter of Nilfguard. I think the Northern Kingdoms do fine on their own.
Whilst they are nominally religious in a traditional sense, they’ve always struck much more as a Leninist or Stalinist cult of personality than an actual culture interested in orthodox deities.
What the rebels like to forget, the Empire's what's keeping the Dominion out of Skyrim.... hmm, wrong game, but..
I think the Tamrielic Empire has more problems then conquering the North,with the whole Skyrim Civil War and the Dominion to the South ruled by elves that wanna see men in chains agains or worse.
@@bryanmanuel4945 The Tamrielic Empire is a corrupted shithole. Long Live Vivec and Dunmers.
@@bryanmanuel4945 .
Vivec has been gone for centuries and of the Tamrielic empire is a “shithole” then what does that make the slave owning Dunmer people ?
Who among you stand with me behind a return to the rightful state of a dragonborn ruled empire?!
I’ve played the Witcher 3 to 100% completion twice and still, every time I come across Witcher lore videos, I get a strong urge to start a brand new playthrough and do it all again. The Witcher 3 is easily in the top 3 greatest games ever made as far as I’m concerned. I really hope we get a new Witcher game sooner rather than later.
Witcher 4 was announced 3 months after you posted this! Now for some hopium, imagine an MMO witcher game, imagine running around a giant map killing monsters with your witcher friends
@@strings1586why does everyone have to ruin perfect single player games with this dumb idea that making them multiplayer will somehow improve them, it won’t it will water it down and take the soul out of the games.
Same here
I find the ending where the emperor of Nilfguard is overthrown very interesting. If you pay attention to the story in Wild Hunt, the empire is tired or war and want the emperor to stop. If he fails to take the north (Dykstra/Radovid lives), he falls from power.
This nicely illustrates how economic power results in the fall of monarchies. People want trade, prosperity and security. War doesn’t produce that. So, while a monarch might ensure security, trade and prosperity is the product of the people. Enduring monarchies ensure the people enjoy trade and prosperity. The emperor’s constant campaigns had reached the limit of what the people and nobles were willing to endure, and no monarch can hold power if the masses rise up.
Yes, which is why my rein will be peaceful.
The font had me confused there a little bit, I read:
"How Milfgaard is ruled"
Needless to say boys, my interest peaked.
Hahaha
Milfgaard..... Sounds like the place i end up in my dreams
😂😂😂😂
As with most empires it has its good and bad points. As many npc’s point out the north is already economically dependent on nuilfguaard. The subjects who obey the rules seem to have more rights then those in the north but punishments seem to be a lot harsher in the empire. 100 lashes or delivery of bad goods. They have a strong state but willingly devolve powers to regions deemed loyal so from my perspective as a person or especially as a elf, dwarf or Witcher I’d prefer to live in the empire.
Unoriginal Username 15 lashes
I'd prefer to live in the Empire simply because, as far as we can tell, people who don't rock the boat are allowed to do pretty much as they please.
Definitely seems like a much more stable and law abiding place, at least it is much more lawful than the rampantly corrupt north.
@@kaimagnus5760 That's kinda how it used to be before the enlightenment. But then some liberal minded people got autistic about freedoms and rights.
@@scutumfidelis1436 What Enlightenment? Last I saw of Nilfgaurd, Emir was on the way South hanging everyone that ever looked at him funny from the street posts.
Nilfgaard is an interesting amalgamation of the Holy Roman Empire and the Russian Empire, so Emhyr's expansionist policies make sense in that regard. Both empires perused aggressively expansionist policies. Much like Nilfgaard, Russia experienced dynastic crises which were filled with false Tsars, (see the False Dimitrii I through IV and how that parallels the false Ciri), and numerous murders and usurpations. Nilfgaard's armour finds an exact counterpart in the 16th century HRE.
I don't know if it's specifically the Russian empire it's based on, every monarchy has those same issues. The methods of expansion and conquest are more Roman than anything else, and the method of ruling over satraps and vassals with a relatively hands-free approach (as with Toussaint) is very Persian
I thought in the war, Nilfgaard represented Germany during WW2 and that the Northam kingdoms were the alliance
I doubt it has anything in common with the Holy Roman Empire. It's governance and warring is more in the style of Ancient Rome. The way client states are placed are akin to the Persian and Mongol Empire. The discipline of the soldiers and the role of division commanders in politics is also Roman/Prussian/3rd Reich in likelihood. Having said that, I don't doubt that Nilfgaard might be based on Prussian/3rd Reich Germany considering the author has admitted to making some of the themes similar to Polish/European history.
@@asherrobinson5586 By this analogy, Radovid is Stalin xd
Nilfgaard is rather unsubtly a stand-in for the Roman Empire.
I do generally like the Nilfgaardian Empire because they're more efficient and people have better lives under their rules. But then they also limit freedom, especially for mages, which I'm not a fan of. Overall I do think I'd prefer their rule over the Northern Kingdoms (except maybe Temeria, and definitely excepting Povis and Kovir).
Voxdalian Well better have limitations than being hunted and executed like in Redania now. Also Nilfgaard is aware of how dangerous mages can be and to be honest most of them are power-hungry people regardless of them having good intentions or not.
Voxdalian arguably mages (who I always help) have more freedom under the empire then MOST northern realms. With the obvious exception of Povis and Kovir but they are both neutral to the war and will likely be willingly visualised (as a formality) and left to government themselves anyway. The empire puts restrictions on mages but so do everywhere else. Mages as much as we hate to admit it are capable of becoming walking weapons. And to any state that is unacceptable. I’m sure there not being burned in kovir but I’m sure there being watched as well.
They also have slavery. I'd rather live in Kovir than in that stupid Nilfgaard.
Yeahh
At least mages aren't burnt alive lol
mages were controlling the petty kingdoms of the north they were the real rules.nilfgardien put them at their place
I literally just searched Nilfgaard and this popped up! I’ve been watching your vids for a week now, and I really like them! Got a new subscriber :)
Can we get a "best ending according to WitcherGeorge vid?
Your ending is what is the best one.
Sterling Archer people who got the bad ending 👁👄👁
@@itsblitz4437 wrong my first engine went horribly wrong
It would be a better strategy to leash the northern kingdoms through Nilfgaard's economic might rather than spend resources on conquest and the subsequent occupation. I think Emyr's insistence on conquest stemmed from his beliefs regarding Ithlinne's prophecy. A continent-wide empire, with his and Ciri's child as ruler, might have a greater chance of surviving the White Frost.
Grallon Sphere no because eventually the north will develop and maybe not match the empire but be strong enough to sever ties with it. There is peace in the empire because it’s subjects can trade freely and see themselves as being citizens of the empire and its states. Not a separate entity entirely.
Emyr wanted to bed his daughter? Not enough ew in the world of fantasy.
@@justinhammer3196 He had the chance to do so. He had everyone under his control at the end of the books but once he sees her, he could not do it. Nobody knew he was Duny aswell, only gerallt knew once he meet the Emperor in person.
Nilfgaard is pretty much ruled similar to Cobra, except they didn't try replacing Emhyr with someone so much worse than Emhyr. Because that would have a lot of Nilfgaardian Citizens question the Nilfgaard government and the sanity of those in it, though in my view I think Emhyr is a strict and in his own weird way, fair emperor of Nilfgaard. Though some of the things Emhyr are questionable at best, such as the third war with the north or the fact he or someone would think Radovid would surrender Redania to Nilfgaard. Also another questionable thing I am aware of about Emhyr is his parenting skills, like he wants to find Ciri, but not to make up for past mistakes, but for the sake of having her take over. The least he could do is try make up for his mistakes with Cirilla, but nope, Emhyr is bit of an idiot in the parents department, that's just my view though. I'm sure in his own weird way he does care for Ciri.....sort of.
This is exactly the content of your channel I love the most. Thank you George
man.. the music of this game.. gets me everytime
Those 15 dislikes came from Redania
Is it just me or does WitcherGeorge kinda sound like Morvran?
On a side note Nilfgaard is easily my favorite faction in the Witcher universe. Best ending in TW3 for me was a Nilfgaardian victory with Ciri on the throne.
Could u do a vid where u rank the Witcher books and explain why u ranked them that way I’m really curious what ur thoughts are on each one
I will say, that before the rise of king Radovid, nilfguard should have let the northern kingdoms be, but Redania needed a me king. Radovid may have been a tactical genius, but he would have driven the northern kingdoms into ruin
Nope he wil make the North stronger than ever.
@@jacquesdealdersberg2452 he kill everyone that have conect with magic and magic in this world is OP af
i just wish to see a war between the northerl kingdoms and the empire in netflix's the witcher. like a full blown war, in which we get to see every detail, introducing new charachters and expanding them, like jhon natalis radovid etc while redemeeing foltest for that fiasko on season 1 and actually showing how charesmatic he is as a ruler
Your understanding of merchants power is greatly underestimated(both in real life and in game) "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws" - Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild
Dictators and authoritarian rulers aren't always bad (see Augustus or Henry VII), especially in a ruthless world like the Witcher is set in - a world not entirely different from our own besides the werewolves, vampires, demons, dragons, etc.
Aen Ard Feainn, glòir aen Ceas'raet!
Fuck you
E'er y Glòir!
Can you send the link of your Profile picture please?
Hello fellow Nilfgaardians, your ruler has arrived.
Ha'el Ciri!
In the short run the Empire may seem evil and harsh but in reality it’s citizens have more rights then in the northern kingdoms, it’s authorities are held to account if they’re deemed corrupt, and upward mobility in society is actually possible meaning a peasant through hard work or going into the military can raise his social status. Though slavery and bondage still exist, it’s own citizens aren’t subjected to it. Mages are found throughout the Empire at local and imperial level courts however when they first go to academy they are told that they are subject to the emperors will and dictates, not the other way around, they will not put up with the politicking that northern mages are so used to, they would immediately be killed or imprisoned such as Vilgefortz of Geralt hadn’t done it first. And with Ciri as Empress you could truly trust the Empire becoming a more benevolent continent spanning entity, perhaps outlawing slavery and giving semi autonomous rule to places like Mahakam, Temeria, and Kovir or other northern kingdoms. All in all it may seem more tyrannical but in the long run it actually establishes stability that allows civilizations to grow. Although I personally like the varied and differing character of the northern kingdoms (go Foltest! Go Henselt!).
Channel is about to blow up 💥 👍🏻
can we get a anna henrietta lore vid?❤️
Ah! A fine lass that one!
Keandre Lee you stole my profile pic
@@lynxerz a mad lass that one , really dumb
Witcjer George literally has some of the best witcher videos ever i love this universe and I love learning about it more
I see you really like Voorhis' amazing body, and we all do of course, but I think you should have zoomed into him more just so we can see how truly amazing he is
I find the Nilfgaard's to be perfectly perfect.
most beautiful
Can you do a video on the Metro series?
Also if you can. Can you do a video on A Song Of Ice & Fire Lore & Watchmen Lore?
P.s. can you talk about the differences between Game Of Thrones books & show.
Calling Emhyr a "dictator" is... weird. He is just a monarch, same as Radovid or Foltest. Head of state, in theory by birth, but ruler always need army and nobles to keep everything running.
Niflgardian religion, the "Great Sun" - where did you found that? And this is serious question, I do not remember a single information about Nilfgardian state religion, from books or games, maybe outside of some soldiers saying stuff like "May the great sun guide you" in W3. Do I miss somethink or is it all just a fans theory?
Mages in Nilfgard are tools, like soldiers. Diferent set of skill, much rarer, but same situation. Obey and be usefull or die.
That, and various other misunderstandings of medieval society (succession etc.), I can't help but think that this video shows some pretty good understanding of the Witcher universe as a whole, but very little understanding of medieval societies, be they feudal, primogeniture vs electoral.
@@konstable2890 Have the same feeling. He try to explain everything in context of modern democratic state, not medieval kingdom. And for someone who understeand medieval reality, it sound hilarious.
Could you do a video on Philippa Eilhart?
Can you make a video series on the Nilfgaardian army? like the different army groups, divisions and parts like the secret service of Nilfgaard and members.
That would be interesting.
Pretty good video 👍
Can you do a video on maybe explaining the different kingdoms on the continent and lands?
Honestly the best faction for the world, they are like Rome, nilfgaard is civilisation, nilfgaard is order. They are the most advanced nation in this world, the empire is in the new age (16s century), the north is an old medieval land. I think nilfgaard is the best choice, they will give rights to everyone, they aren't racists, they have there own morals, besides the noble families. If Ciri becomes empress, nilfgaard will prosper even more, its said also in blood and wine, emhyr is so happy again and he's really caring about her daughter and his empire. Ciri is the best choice there, she understands the basic ppl and his father can teach her how to rule, with moorvran their empire, family wont have any opposition and can advance and prosper. I dont know if it's just propaganda but if the nilfgaardians have truly elf ancestors they are even cooler.
It reminds me of Ancient Rome/Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century under the Habsburgs.
They aren't racist but like Ancient Rome, they are highly prejudicial against citizenship. If you aren't from Nilfgaard, you're considered significantly inferior than someone who is from Nilfgaard. And within the Empire, people from the central province are the "real" citizens of the Empire, while everyone else is a second-class citizen. They really aren't cool or the best unless you are lucky enough to be born Nilfgaardian.
This is what I need the political system of the glorious empire of Nilfgaard
What about toussaint? I'd love a history like family line and general
Great vid:)
Nilfgaard has a serious trust issue towards mages for sure and wanted to minimize religious activity. Those two problems spread like a wildfire in the North now.
Emperor vs mages in Nilfgaard: no hocus pocus, dimeritium shacklus activatus
Emperor vs mages in the Northen Kingdom consipiring against kings: not my problem lmao
Well, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers was corrupt and pushing forward its own agendas by influencing Monarchs throughout the North, then the Lodge of Sorceresses basically started doing the same thing. Both pretended to be acting in the best interest of the people and their Kingdoms but only really had their own interests in mind, and didn't hesitate to liquidate Kings that would be deemed bothersome.
So Emhyr is essentially learning from the mistakes of his foes, and his very own background didn't really predisposed him to like or even trust Mages either, since he was gratuitously tortured by one as a child and turned into a hedgehog by the same Mage for shits and giggles, just because his name sounds like the Nilfgaardian word for hedgehog. I would have trust issues as well.
@@Tomcat_Coyote in the books the lodge won and even called phillpa a saint person. Emhyr was a puppet of the Guild of Merchants to his death tho
Tuissant also has only been part of Nilfgaard for like a few years
Witcher 2 Nilfgaard is preety bad and i really dont like that snake Shillard Fitz-Oestrlen, but if you cant win head on, or in this case there was an easier way, you choose the easier way. But in Witcher 3 i preety much immidietly sided with Nilfgaard, because they brought order into the chaos that was the North. Then again, this may explain why i prefer Templars over the Assassins and why AC Rogue is one of my favourite AC games
Badass Dragon you say that and I agree but the Templar’s supported the French Revolution did they not ? More chaos not less ?
Badass Dragon the battle between Templars and assassins isn’t so much order vs chaos, power and control vs freedom would be more accurate, in the Witcher however I side with nilfgaard as they’re simply more moral than the northern kingdoms and would bring such morality and order to the lands as well as more rights and prosperity
Badass Dragon yeah but in Nitifard the people who live there are actually pretty free in the comparison to the north. And the Templar’s want to enslave everyone through the pieces of Eden
Robert O Leary Don’t recall that being the case in 3 , rouge or unity ? Infect rouge pretty much broke the idea of the brotherhood looking out for the weak and downtrodden. The Templar’s where right when they said “the assassins one had an honourable goal that of peace” not freedom.
Unoriginal Username the assassins believe that people should be able to accept peace not for it to be in foxes through the pieces of Eden. The Templar’s in 3 wanted Lee to take America after the revolution with the army to establish a dictatorship and in unity the Templar’s were using the revolution to purge their eniemis
5:55 Thats where you're so horribly wrong... xD
Nilfgard is as strong or weak as its Emperor is, because in present time Nilfgard is very powerful, but in the past when the Emperors father ruled it, it sounded weak and fragile, and one ending of the Witcher 3 is the white flame dying and Nilfgard looks that it crumbles a little.
In the end I hope the north wins because i like the diverse cultures and people up there within this world.
My personal opinion on Nilfgaard is that on one hand they are definitelty invading without cause ect. However they were labelled as tiny and insignificant. They have risen from tht to threaten the northern most kingdoms. They are effectively ruling the south and recently conquered aedirn ect. They also dont persecute mages so yeah.
Isn't the reason the Northern Kingdoms started to persecute mages cause at least half of them were traitors and secret agents for Nilfgaard and most of the other good loyal Northern mages were killed. It was Einhert after all who assassinated Vizimir.
Vigi the loon should be the king of entire world. He will find every sleeping giant and troll in the caves and kick their head.
Hael Ker’zaer!
They would definitely be slytherine
Does anyone know where nilfgaardian sorceresses like Fringilla or Assire trained? Just always been curious about that aspect of nilfgaard and how they perceive magic.
XDspacemanJD think they are all trained by the military/government and have to swear their loyalty to the empire
There is a giant Academy/fortress/prison just outside the nilfgaardian Capital where all nilfgaardian Mages are trained
do a video on if northern women bathe but once in three moons.
NIlfgaards awesome, The North was in ruins and tearing itself apart until Nilfgaard stepped in and returned order
i think theres a a good deal of nuance about the war in the game. like yes radovid is a monster and the culture of prejudice against nonhumans in the north is absolutely evil whereas nilfgaard seems to be pretty accepting m, but does that mean that everyday people should be slaughtered indiscriminately by the nilfgaardian imperial army? i dont think so. i think it all reinforces the theme that its ugly and violent and unjust no matter what side you choose
I wish I was an emperor :(
same fuck the rest
Keep dreaming boys, empress Ciri is here for life.
@@elizabethcomstock265 Dudu, stop shapeshifting. We know it's you
I was looking at the map of witcher continent to get a perspective of where things are, when I looked South I was like holy shit they have more land than every one else combined, no wonder they are out to crush them
Ive noticed in every witcher game that after war the dead bodies and blood bring out more monsters so i gues nilfgards wars are good and who knew war can be good for business
Very informative video maybe we might know more about nilfgard in witcher 4 if we actually get the game that is
nilfgardians are the holy roman empire in the south toussaint as touscany in the north baltic countries.the black army are the teutonoc order.novgorod is novigrad with its counsil and famous by traid.the guild of merchants are the cities of hansa more or less.skeliege is scandinavia
Who was the emperor when emyhr was hedgehogman? Wge. We first see him in the show in a flashback with Ciri mom. When geralt enacted law of surprise
I thought you were going you talk about the King. I’ve only watched the show and i was interested in the theory that the hedgehog guy is emperor of Cintra. Is It true?
Nilfgaard*
Yeah, Emyhr’s father was usurped or something and he got cursed. In the books Geralt helps Emhyr restore himself to normal and he invokes the right of surprise which is how Ciri ends up supposed to go with but he won’t take her. The show is different but yeah that’s Emhyr under his false identity of Dunny. It’s not really a theory unless they change the story from the books drastically.
Given the way the rest of the North is governed, and that right shit Radovid, I sided with Nilfgaard every time.
I wanted to ask you a question ... Is there another continent or other lands that isnt discovered
Yes, some vampires set sail to lands West of the continent
@@AllCatsAreBlack sheeesh sounds cool but whats the source of that
@@omaratef2627 I belive games and a short story (2 vampire tribes traveled far from the continent, one west, the other east)
It has it's good and bad moments but I feel the Emperor just wants Cirri for what she can do for him not because he genuinely loves her.
Yes and no. Emhyr flat out says that he wants Ciri for "reasons of State", but simultaneously people forget that he's an Emperor and a very pragmatic man who doesn't let his feelings get in the way of his better judgment, nor displays them publicly for anyone to see.
The discussion Geralt has with Emhyr where you tell him Ciri died (allegedly) to cover up the fact that she's become a Witcher (in the Witcheress Ending obviously) convinced me that to some extent, Emhyr genuinely cares for Ciri.
You can hear that his voice starts to break somewhat, but he's maintaining appearances in front of Geralt. And the way he dismisses Geralt and says he never wants to see him ever again is... well, there's sadness and grief in his voice. Behind the mask of Imperator, he is a Father that is being told his only Daughter is dead. Exceptionally subtle voice acting, courtesy of the legendary Charles Dance.
And last but not least, in Blood & Wine if somehow you romanced neither Triss nor Yennefer, (Empress) Ciri comes to visit you and you can ask her about Emhyr, whom she calls "Papa" and says that he has mellowed down quite a bit, which indicates that their relationship is definitely improving.
Emhyr Var Emreis is a much more nuanced character than a lot of people give him credit for, and just because he's presented as a villain, people just like to antagonise him excessively.
Nilfgaard is cool until they try invading skillega
Werew0lf A I love skillega but they make a point of constantly attacking imperial ships and trading vessels. I could only see a peaceful outcome with ceris on the thrown. Peace through prosperity
Werew0lf A Nilfgaard actually is pretty awesome. They are like the only non-racist country. (Kind of)
Unoriginal Username Didn’t they only start to do that after the Nilfgaardians killed Eist in the invasion of Cintra?
267622 no they just did it A Lot more. Skillega has always relied of stealing the hard work of other to survive which changed the way I saw then but I still like then but prefer the empire
kevin chen I mean dol blathana is the last eleven kingdom protected by the empire and nuilfguaards propaganda claims they are mixed race
Who is the higher ark
nice
E'er y Glòir! ☀️
Gloir aen Ker'Zaar!
For Temeria!!! For the free North!
@@Ignisan_66 under Nilfgaard there will be a free Temeria. The Lillies will fly again under the Great Sun.
@@yuescloset Can you send the link of your Profile picture please?
What the nilfgaardians are doing is fine, the northern kingdoms would do it to if they had the power
Radovid practically does it if he wins the war.
@@tgfrantz2 Radovid is a fool, he couldn't do it.
@@jamesh2514 oh, I agree, but the Cdprojekt ending for Radovid winning makes Redania into a Northern Empire that drives out Nilfgaard and destroys the autonomy of every other Northern Kingdom. I'm proudly on the side of Nilfgaard, but given the in world example it's there.
@@jamesh2514 Hes not a fool, but a madman and there is a big diffrence
@@jamesh2514 radovid is described as a tactical and strategical genius but it's only his views that are extreme
He who's essence rules the lands
It's just like the empire in dune
Once I thought The Wild Hunt was part of Nilfgaard for some reason XD.
why he attacked calanthe in the first place ?
Long story short he was after Ciri, but also of course expanding the empire is a consistent Nilfgaardian goal!
As they are based off the Roman Empire I would say they probably have a very similar government
It reminds me of Ancient Rome/Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century under the Habsburgs....Same black armours too.
@@cidiose i dont know why but the black armor reminds me the hungrian black army of mathias corvus
They are germany , the north is Poland
Wish I could give more on patreon but I'm tight for cash at the moment
Not a fan of nilfgaard but i did help them in the game by killing Radovid simply because he was mad and wanted to kill Geralt and all his friends like Triss and Yenefer and all the others.
*LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!!*
Long live me!
I wish we can see ciris coronation scene
They really ruined nilfgard on Netflix didn’t they
Edit:my likes are 69 so no one like this
@GM Steelhaven bruh I'm black but they shouldn't have black washed triss... ffs
@@kevk9306 nor Fringi, nor Yen, but what can we do T-T
kevin k honestly I’m fine with people doing anything with their property as long as it is explainable, logical, or from just financial reasons, that or just skill of certain actors, really as long as the plot and action is good I’m fine with anything, but if they screw that up or the lore I’m starting a riot
@@Vtgaming-v6c that is what is happening, let me explain, in one of the books Fringilla tries to seduce geralt so she can get info out of him about the Vilgefort Tower for the Lodge, He 'fell' for it, because, Fringi looks like Yen, black hair plae skin, even when thet are having woohoo geralt yells Yen XD, how they are going to do it in the series? well, they have to create something else or delete the scen completely, besides she is relative to Anna Henrietta, so yeah they fuck up the lore, but lets see what is going ot happen
@@Vtgaming-v6c true but triss was the best looking girl from the witcher (aside from ciri) and i can't believe that she doesn't even have red hair... quite a shame
Don't like Nilfgaard that much, but better them than Radovid.
I always thought Nilfgaard is interesting.
Since there is no "good" or "bad" countries, since all of them have their issues, pros and cons... it was rather interesting.
Sadly, it is not shown in the Netflix show at all. Who cares about good storytelling, grey is just stupid, let's go with black and white...
Well the Netflix series only just started, give it more time. The books did not do all their world building out of the gate.
@@dragonstormx Well, thats true. Who knows. Maybe it gets better.
But the way they depicted Nilfgaard so far is simply wrong as far as I can remember. I doubt they will manage to get back on track. I mean, they are basically depicted as the enemy, the bad guys so far...
@@Rakshiir From what I have heard they were depicted as straight up villains in the early short stories and books, and it later where they got fleshed out. By the same token, the leadership of the Northern Kingdoms fighting against them were shown to be just as bad.
I'd try season 2. Season 2 Nilfgaard gets fleshed out
Nilfgaard is the light!
But you have never been to the capital you have not seen what Nilfgaard has become. I am dying Cirilla…. When a man comes to his end he wants to know how he will be remembered. The warrior, the scholar, the tyrant…..Or will I be the emperor who gave Nilfgaard back to her people. There was once a dream that was Nilfgaard you could only whisper it, anything more and it would vanish.
Maybe in some other universe it's just like the Witcher.
Djikstra all the way !!!!
If we consider the events of the games, namely Witcher 3, as cannon, then I’d say I’m pro Nilfgaard (assuming they manage to conquer the North as they do in the games of Radovid dies and Dikstra doesn’t take over).
I uselly let Nilfgard take the north.
I got the impression that at this point the Great Sun is "worshipped" more out of custom and as the state's sigil rather than some actual religious devotion and belief- just as, let's say an atheist may still exclaim "oh my God!". Religious zealotry is explicitly mentioned to be a criminal offence in Nilfgaard and one of the causes of Nilfgaardian contempt for Nordlings. Sure, they put the Sun everywhere, claim the Empire is "eternal by [its] grace", etc. but I'd compare it to Crusaders' state where society became secular and the Cross became merely a patriotic simbol whose religious simbolism is reserved for ceremonial use referring to the old days.
I just searched for The Witcher and this video came up haha
You still around, George?
An Emperor is a "he" not a "they" (its only one person). If the ruler is female, then the pronoun is "she" and the title is "Empress".
All hail me, those dislikes came from those radovid fan boys.
I hate Var Emreis, but don’t find Nilfgard as a whole all that objectionable. There actions regarding the treatment of innocent townsfolk is upsetting, but not unexpected for the time. I typically prefer the Redanians, and although he is mad, I enjoy Radovid as a character. Of the two rulers, he is easily the one I prefer, and I don’t even blame him for his hatred of mages, since it was the lodge responsible for the regicides.
Man I hate Nilfgaard. Why did they attack Cintra unprovoked and hired Witchers to kill Foltest and Demavend just to expand the empire. Who does that?? This is just my opinion, because I’m Temetian patriot!!! Btw nice video
The issue is Game Lore and having Radovid being a genocidal maniac. Not to mention a religious fanatic to a degree with his use of The Order. It’s easier to sympathize with any invading force who isn’t going to come in and kill or persecute people of other races. This include Nilfguard. If we’re only going by book canon then no, I am not a supporter of Nilfguard. I think the Northern Kingdoms do fine on their own.
How is it Ruled??? Nilfgaard is ruled like a BAAAWWWSSS
Im simple. I no like Emhyr. I no like Nilfgaard.
? and if it is another emperor?
lol i wanna side with skellige not radovid or emhyr
Very short on info. Not a good vid
*MILFGAARD*
my thoughts on nilfgaard: extremely based empire where the true nilfgaardians rule lesser peoples
Many of the Witcher stuff is based on real kingdoms and stuff, is Nilfgaard based on the Germans ?
HRE and the Roman Empire
Probably the roman empire.
Whilst they are nominally religious in a traditional sense, they’ve always struck much more as a Leninist or Stalinist cult of personality than an actual culture interested in orthodox deities.
Explain, cause it’s monarchy and Lenin was kinda famous for doing cool things to monarchs
Long live Radovid.
I kept mishearing it as Milfgard. Lol