Much of the first season of Netflix's The Witcher seems to have passed in a blur. The show's twisting timelines certainly played a part, but in general, a lot of information was covered in only a handful of episodes. There were certain details that were missed and some, for book readers, that were never addressed.
When just examining Yennefer's storyline, her time in training at Aretuza was obviously important, but the basics that surround the mage school may have been missed. For example, Yennefer was basically bought from her family to attend, but that's not how every student ended up learning under Tissaia. Here are some other hidden things viewers may have missed.
It's Only For Girls
All of Yennefer's scenes with Istredd may have left some viewers with questions, but Aretuza is in fact a school that was set up to train girls and women specifically.
That's right, only young ladies are accepted at Aretuza, which is why when Yennefer is in class, Istredd is always missing and she is forced to compete with the likes of Fringilla instead. It seems obvious when thinking about it, but the show may not have made it completely clear that Aretuza was only for women.
The Eels Serve The School
One of the more disturbing scenes in the first season of The Witcher saw Tissaia turn a number of unsuccessful students into eels. Yennefer was lucky to escape this fate. The eels play a very important role at Aretuza. They work as conduits from which power can be drawn, helping those at the school use and control their power out of chaos.
It's unclear whether this would mean anything to the girls who were transformed, but odds are they wouldn't appreciate the good use they were bring put to.
Located On An Island
In The Witcher series of books, Aretuza is located on the island Thanedd, a location that helps to sequester the students as they study. In the Netflix show, however, Aretuza is located on the mainland.
Why this change was made has yet to be made clear, but with only one season under its belt, Netflix certainly has time to explain the number of changes they made translating the story to the screen.
You Can Pay To Attend
Yennefer may have been bought and sold to receive an education, but it is possible to pay tuition to attend Aretuza. Yennefer, had she actually wished to attend the academy, would never have been able to afford it on her father's salary.
For 1,200 crowns, well-to-do ladies in the land can also come to Aretuza to be educated. It's a popular choice for the more well-off families on the continent.
Tissaia Doesn't Choose Everyone
Just as Yennefer is not expected to pay, Tissaia does not go out into the world to handpick all the students with the most potential. If you can afford the price of 1,200 crowns, a young lady, with the approval of her parents, can choose to attend the elite academy run by Tissaia and the other Mages.
It certainly would make the magic classes harder to pass, but Aretuza offers education in other subjects, as well.
Students Cannot Leave
Once a girl is enrolled at Aretuza, she is not permitted to leave. Students cannot go out and wander towns or visit relatives. There are no seasonal breaks for them to return to their families.
While a girl is training that training is everything. They must focus and study for as long as it takes and thus they are forced to remain at Aretuza for the entirety of their education. Yennefer may not have liked her family, but some of the other students may have.
The Lightning Trial Is In The Tower of The Gull
When Yennefer and her classmates are told to harness lightning and control its chaos, a trial that Yennefer, once again, struggles with, they are brought to the Tower of the Gull, rather than to a regular classroom.
Usually, this tower is off-limits to everyone except those mages who are members of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. But, Tissaia has been training students for years and likely had permission to have them harness lightning in the sacred location.
The Tower Of The Gull Is Where Yennefer Meets Istredd
Even though the Tower of the Gull is usually off-limits, the lightning lesson is not the first time that Yennefer visits the tower. When Yennefer accidentally creates a portal, before she is ever found by Tissaia or brought to study at Aretuza, it drops her in the Tower of the Gull.
This is where she first meets Istredd before he creates another portal to send her back home. Obviously, there's something about this important tower that Yennefer is drawn to.
The Tower Of The Gull Is The Oldest Part Of The School
The Tower of the Gull is off-limits for many reasons, but it is also the oldest part of all of Aretuza.
The school was expanded over the years, but this dark tower where Yennefer appeared and where Istredd was on guard is the oldest part of the academy. In fact, the Tower of the Gull was at Aretuza long before any mages were.
Aretuza Was Built By Elves
Aretuza was not built by the sorcerers who train there, rather it was built by elves long before sorcerers existed. It was elven mages who actually taught humans how to turn chaos into power and magic.
It was then that those same humans took over Aretuza and murdered a great many of the elves who had assisted them in the first place.