Ys (Elder Speech: Downward) is an underwater city inhabited by the fishpeople. It lies off the coast of Bremervoord, in depths of the Great Sea. There are richly-ornament steps at the bottom of the Dragons Fangs hidden by the tides which lead to it.
History
Legend has it that the city used to be on dry land before it was swallowed entirely by the sea along with its inhabitants and plunged deep into a chasm.
In the 1240s, the warriors of Ys began to attack the pearl divers from Bremervoord. Not knowing who's behind the murders, Duke Agloval hired Geralt of Rivia to investigate. He discovered the staircase and was attacked by Ysians, escaping only through the extremely timely intervention of mermaid Sh'eenaz. A war between the two races loomed and was only narrowly averted when Sh'eenaz gave up her tail and married Agloval.[1]
Trivia
- Ys is a mythical city which had been built below the sea level on reclaimed land. However, it was later swallowed back up by the sea due a combination of inept ruling, a frivolous daughter, and a demon that opened the dike gate, flooding the city.
Notes
- In The Witcher, the city is mentioned a few times by the villagers of Murky Waters alongside the Underwater City. There are also stones of Ys to be gathered off of vodyanoi priests and used as an alchemical ingredient.
- In The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, there's a craftable gambeson named the Armor of Ys.