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To drink a jug of wine and laugh about it? |  | |
| - Auckes to Letho, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | |||
Auckes (Polish: Egan) was a witcher of the School of the Viper and a member of the Kingslayers, a group sent to the Northern Kingdoms by Imperator Emhyr var Emreis to wreak havoc.
Biography
Early life
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Well, the woman turned out to be quite a character. Throwing temper tantrums, trying to seduce Auckes, trying to drive a wedge between us. | | |
| - Letho discussing Yennefer, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | |||
After Geralt saved Letho's life in Angren, the witcher helped him track down the Wild Hunt, which had kidnapped Yennefer. Auckes, alongside Serrit and a fourth Viper witcher, joined Letho and Geralt to form a party that hunted the Wild Hunt.
During the winter solstice of 1270, Auckes participated in the battle at the Hanged Man's Tree in Nilfgaard, where the witchers confronted the riders of the Hunt. Despite fighting bravely, the witchers were vastly outnumbered and unable to kill them all. A stalemate was reached, leading to an exchange where Geralt offered himself in place of Yennefer. Afterward, the Wild Hunt withdrew, and out of respect for their departed comrade, the Viper witchers took Yennefer with them to care for her.
However, after her release from the Wild Hunt, Yennefer was feverish, delirious, and suffering from amnesia. She became a handful, trying to seduce Auckes and create discord among the witchers, causing the group significant trouble. They wandered through the provinces of the Nilfgaardian Empire, constantly pulling Yennefer out of trouble until they were eventually caught and detained by the imperial secret police.
The witchers were questioned separately, but no violence was used. After the interrogations, Letho received an offer from Emperor Emhyr var Emreis himself: kill as many northern kings as possible, and in return, the emperor would rebuild the School of the Viper. Letho agreed and recruited some of his fellow Vipers, including Auckes, to form the group that would become known as the Kingslayers.[1]
Hiding in Aedirn
Sometime after Letho managed to slay Demavend III, he met with Auckes in a nearby forest and handed him the former king of Aedirn's head. Auckes initially complained about the head's smell, weight, and size, but Letho instructed him to deliver it to Síle de Tansarville for payment and further orders. Due to a deal Letho made with Iorveth, the Kingslayers received temporary protection from the Scoia'tael, and Auckes, along with Serrit, was stationed with the elven outlaws in Upper Aedirn.
Later, when Iorveth learned of Letho's betrayal, Letho used Triss Merigold to teleport to Aedirn and regroup with Auckes and Serrit. The three witchers ambushed and massacred the local Scoia'tael before word of Letho's betrayal could reach them, leaving only one survivor. From their hideout, they began plotting the assassination of Henselt, the king of Kaedwen.[1]
Preparing Henselt's assassination
Auckes and Serrit in Geralt's vision
If Iorveth's Path was chosen: The Kingslayers' hideout was eventually discovered by Síle de Tansarville, leading Dethmold to send Kaedweni soldiers to flush them out. Auckes and Serrit covered Letho's escape but were overwhelmed. One was killed, and the other was captured. Under torture, the captured witcher revealed that Letho had gone to Loc Muinne, shortly before succumbing to his injuries.[1]
If Roche's Path was chosen: On the day of the assassination attempt, Auckes and Serrit cleared some harpies outside the cave before meeting with Letho. After a brief discussion about Geralt's presence in the Kaedweni camp and their next steps, Letho departed for Loc Muinne while Auckes and Serrit set out on their mission. As they made their way to the camp, they discussed the events that were expected to unfold at Loc Muinne.
After infiltrating the camp, Auckes secured the ground floor by eliminating the guards and then rendezvoused with Serrit. Together, they defeated the knights who opposed them. Just as they were about to assassinate Henselt, Geralt intervened to defend the king. A fierce battle ensued, with Auckes ultimately being slain by Geralt.[1]
Legacy
Iorveth's Path: Vernon Roche informed Geralt of the deaths of the two Kingslayers, and, based on information extracted under torture, where Letho had relocated.
Roche's Path: After Auckes' death, the sorcerer Dethmold used Hanmarvyn's Blue Dream on Geralt—a necromantic ritual that allows one to experience the final moments of the dead through someone else's eyes. Through this ritual, Geralt learned the location of the Kingslayers' hideout and Síle de Tansarville's involvement in the assassination of the northern monarchs.[1]
Appearance and personality
Auckes in a heat of battle, using two swords
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Always the optimist, Auckes. | | |
| - Serrit, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | |||
Auckes seemed to be the less serious of the brothers, being sarcastic at times while being very confident of his skills. Serrit noted that Auckes was something of an optimist, although he was not reckless; more so than Serrit, Auckes realized the potential difficulty of his task and was uncomfortable with the idea of facing Geralt. Along with his brother, Auckes was fond of using bear traps.
Auckes appeared to regard Geralt as a friend, which is reflected when he asked if Geralt wasn't hanged for Foltest murder and Letho asked him if he wanted to see him hanged, he lowered his head and just answered "no". According to a Scoia'tael prisoner in the Kaedweni camp, Auckes was very proficient in Elder Speech, to a much greater extent than Geralt.
Journal entry
- When he first heard Auckes' name, the witcher had no idea who this was. Hah - he did not have the slightest inkling of the role this individual would play in our story.
- If Geralt chooses Iorveth's path during the end of chapter I:
- Auckes was probably one of the witchers Roche had mentioned. He and Serrit were trying to cover Letho's escape when Síle located their hideout. Though both died in the end, they completed their task, buying the last kingslayer time to flee.
- If Geralt chooses Roche's path during the end of chapter I:
- The assassin's identity was revealed only after his death. The accomplice of Letho and Serrit fell at Geralt's hand, but his memories provided very important information. The kingslayers responsible for the deaths of Foltest and Demavend, as well as the attempt on Henselt, had played a game of their own, in which both Síle and Iorveth had been pawns. Furthermore, it seemed that they and Geralt shared a common past.
Trivia
- Auckes' original name is "Egan", and remains like that in Polish, German, Czech and Russian editions at least. The cause of this change in a few language versions is unknown.
Notes
- Auckes does not use Signs while fighting, even when the player can briefly control him during the quest The Assassins of Kings.
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