This article contains spoilers for The Witcher: Blood Origin.The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals countless secrets of the franchise's lore. History is cyclical in the world of The Witcher. As Xin'trean Princess Merwyn observes in the first episode of The Witcher: Blood Origin, "What has happened will happen again." That means Netflix's prequel series, set 1,200 years before the adventures of Geralt and Ciri, is more than just an extended flashback; its reveals are important, shadows of events to come. This is presumably why Seanchai, the enigmatic Storyteller who narrates this tale to Jaskier, decided to revive the Song of the Seven in the first place. These are truths that need to be understood, so Geralt and Ciri can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

By the end of The Witcher: Blood Origin, all the basic elements of the franchise's lore have been set in place. This is the story of the Conjunction of the Spheres, the origin of the Elder Blood, and the birth of the Witchers. Not all details match perfectly with those told in the original novels and short stories written by Polish author Andrej Sapkowski; some don't even correspond to the Netflix show, confirming that the history has gotten muddled over the last millennia. Here are all the biggest retcons and lore changes in The Witcher: Blood Origin.

Related: Witcher: Blood Origin Cast & Character Guide

8 The Monoliths Predate The Elves - But Do They Predate The Dwarves Too?

The Witcher Blood Origin Possible Piece Of Monolith 2

The Witcher season 2 introduced mysterious monoliths scattered across the Continent, and it's now confirmed the monoliths are key to the Conjunction of the Spheres. Made of a rare (possibly alien) substance named stellacite, these monoliths predate the arrival of the elves on the Continent. They may even predate the dwarves, too, because The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals the dwarves buried them - believing doing so blessed the Continent's soils. It's interesting to speculate that the dwarves themselves did not originate from the Continent, perhaps arriving through the monoliths and burying them so they could not be pursued by the monsters of other worlds.

7 The Elves Never Had A True "Golden Age" In The Witcher

mirren mack as merwyn in the witcher blood origin

The elves were led to the Continent by Solryth, 1,500 years before the Conjunction of the Spheres - some 2,700 years before Geralt partnered with Ciri. The elves of The Witcher believe Solryth established a golden age for their kind, but The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals elven society was no less stratified and tumultuous than human civilization. Merwyn dreamed of being a second Solryth, establishing the Golden Empire centered around Xin'trea (the city the humans call Cintra). She planned to use the monoliths to conquer other worlds and times, meaning her elven empire was just as rapacious as the humans brought to the Continent by the Conjunction of the Spheres.

6 The Conjunction Of The Spheres Explained At Last

The Witcher Blood Origin Conjunction of the Spheres

The Conjunction of the Spheres has passed into legend by the time of Geralt and Ciri, and the truth is finally revealed in this prequel series. Oddly, The Witcher: Blood Origin changes the timeline; the Conjunction of the Spheres is traditionally portrayed as 1,500 years ago, but Netflix places the event 1,200 years ago. The cosmic event seems to have been triggered by a circuit of Chaos and Order Magic, which shattered the control monolith at Xin'trea. "The fragile veils between worlds had been torn apart," the Storyteller explained as she recounted this tale to Jaskier. "Planes of existence began to cross. Skies warred with skies. Night fed upon day. Multiple worlds crossed through each other, scattering species like seeds as they merged."

This is the origin of monsters in The Witcher, creatures from other worlds and times that were stranded on the Continent after the Conjunction of the Spheres. Interestingly, a prophecy by Ithlinne suggests the Conjunction of the Spheres was the beginning of a new period - one where the barriers between the worlds were unusually thin. She refers to this era as "the time of the Spheres," and this lasting change to the nature of reality may explain why Ciri can travel through monoliths with such ease.

Related: Will There Be A Witcher: Blood Origin Season 2?

5 Chaos Magic Came To The Continent Through The Conjunction Of The Spheres

The Witcher Blood Origin Balor

It seems the Conjunction of the Spheres didn't just introduce monsters (and humans) to the Continent - Chaos Magic also originates from other planes of existence. Balor first learned this costly form of magic when he traveled to another world, and it seems to run through the very blood of some of the monsters. Chaos Magic is a lot more common by the time of Geralt, although Yennefer learned just how dangerous it can really be when her magic was burned out by it.

4 Witchers Have Existed For Longer Than Had Previously Been Thought

The Witcher Blood Origin Trial of the Grasses

The Witcher's timeline changes significantly as a result of Bood Origin. In the books, Witchers weren't created until long after the Conjunction of the Spheres, around 300 years before Geralt's birth. That order is switched in the Netflix world, however, with the first Witcher actually created before the Conjunction of the Spheres has happened. This means Witchers have been part of the Continent for longer than humans, and in fact the first Witchers will have all been elves. It's possible humans simply responded better to the horrific experiments potential Witchers are subjected to.

3 The Witcher's Elder Blood Explained At Last

Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt

Ciri's powers come from the fact she has inherited the mystical Elder Blood, a concept that's been significantly improved from Sapkowski's novels and short stories. The Witcher's Elder Blood is now revealed to be more intimately tied to the line of Witchers than had previously seemed to be the case, because it is the bloodline of Fjal and Éile. Fjal was the first Witcher, created using the blood of a monster slain by luck rather than judgment, and the Chaos Magic he absorbed into his system is passed on to all his descendants.

2 The Witcher: Blood Origin Adds Context To Ithlinne's Prophecies

The Witcher Blood Origin Ithlinne 2

The Witcher: Blood Origin adds context to the prophecies of the elven seer Ithlinne, whose words have had a significant impact on Ciri's life. The show reveals Ithlinne was a contemporary of Fjal and Éile, and her first prophecies were tied to the Conjunction of the Spheres itself. The Storyteller reveals another forgotten prophecy connected to Ciri as well; "The time of the spheres is upon us," Ithlinne declares. "Aen Seidhe lost across the skies. Cast adrift in time. Ever searching for love... Lost. And left behind. The Lark's seed shall carry forth the first note of a song that ends all times, and one of her blood shall sing the last."

Related: Where Was Witcher: Blood Origin Filmed? All Shooting Locations Explained

1 The True Origins Of Avallac'h & Eredin Revealed

The Witcher Blood Origin Avallac'h

Finally, The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals the backstories of two major characters in The Witcher lore. Avallac'h and Eredin are key figures in the books and games, and have already been foreshadowed in the Netflix show - with Eredin as leader of the Wild Hunt, who learned of Ciri's existence in the main show's second season. It seems both were elves who lived before the Conjunction of the Spheres, and they were scattered through time and space at the end of The Witcher: Blood Origin. Neither character has ever been given an origin story before, in any medium, so this particular change to the lore is a smart one.

The Witcher: Blood Origin is streaming now on Netflix.

Next: How Blood Origin's Post-Credits Scene Sets Up Witcher Season 3