Throughout The Witcher Season 2, one of the central dramatic questions is why, exactly, Ciri is of such great importance to so many people. And while we don’t actually get any definitive answers in this regard even by the time the finale rolls around, what we can say pretty much for certain is that it has something to do with the Conjunction of the Spheres, an ancient cataclysmic event that affected the entire Multiverse. But what was the Conjunction of the Spheres, how does it relate to the Monoliths and stellacite, and what does Ciri have to do with it all? Let’s try and piece it all together.
What was the Conjunction of the Spheres?
Occurring about 1500 years prior to the story depicted in the series, different “Spheres”, or realms, collided and conjoined, creating rifts allowing the denizens of many different worlds to run free among the Continent, the world in which The Witcher is set. This is also supposed to be the justification for the existence of Chaos, the show’s version of magic.
At the time, the Continent was occupied by the Elder Races, including the Elves, who were displaced and plunged into a very uncertain time period lasting several generations. The Elves have a theory that humans emerged during the Conjunction, their own world having been destroyed, and learned how to harness Chaos, using the power to subjugate the Elder Races. This is why the Elves have such a passionate dislike of humankind.
What is the relevance of the Monoliths?
In the fifth episode, “Turn Your Back”, Geralt and Istredd theorize that the Monoliths are being used as conduits for the monsters and that after Ciri destroyed the one outside Cintra during her escape in Season 1, this has activated them and started them communicating. Istredd believes that the so-called Conjunction wasn’t actually a conjunction, but just a collision, and that the Spheres bounced away. The Monoliths, then, might give access to other Spheres, which relates to Ciri.
Given the events of the Season 2 finale, it seems like Ciri can pull things through the monoliths, and also transition between Spheres. When she pulls herself, Geralt, and Yennefer through the portal, they emerge in a desolate land, confronted by the Wild Hunt, and it’s possible that this was a completely different sphere. Voleth Meir also believed that Ciri could use this power to return her to her own Sphere, which is why she targeted her.
