The fantasy world of The Witcher is inhabited by human, elves, dwarves, gnomes and many other creatures. The game takes place in the Northern Realms, where humans are currently the strongest, but most divided race. In this area, non-humans are repressed and often persecuted. Roads are dangerous, swarming with monsters, bandits, rogues and starving peasants. The Northern Realms are quarrelling and at war, and also being threatened by Nilfgaard, a powerful empire from the south.

While these armies are fearsome indeed, what most of the townspeople view as the greatest danger are the monsters: werewolves, stregas, ghouls, graveirs, manticores which lurk in the forests, caves and swamps; boneheads, wyverns, forktails and flykites in mountain ravines; ghosts, wraiths and sprites in the woods. Add to this legends and prophecies that foretell of the end of the world and we have quite an immersive story. Of course from the standpoint of the player, the most interesting and important aspect of this world is the existence of “Witchers”. There are only a few members of this brotherhood left now, and the time has come for one of them to play an important role in this story that is about to unfold.​