When we first meet Yennefer, she is far from the powerful witch that fans of The Witcher know that she is destined to become. In Vengerberg, young Yennefer is mistreated by all who come across her, family included; as the love child of a human and an elf, she has been cursed with a twisted spine and a locked jaw. Her father sells her into the service of a witch, and she is is taken to a faraway castle in Aretuza. There, Yennefer is able to tap into her powers and become a full-fledged sorceress. But before she becomes official, Yennefer voluntarily undergoes a painful magical procedure to alter her physical appearance, and the shy, insecure girl of yesterday is soon replaced with an idealized version of herself, driven with political ambition.