Amphisboena

An amphisbaena from Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni PnP RPG. Illustration by Jarosław Musiał.

The amphisboena is a giant water serpent with a head at each end. Geralt killed an amphisboena for King Idi of Kovir, as referred to in the short story The Lesser Evil.

“

'Our last meeting,' said Geralt, 'was in the court of King Idi of Kovir. I'd come to be paid for an amphisboena which had been terrorising the neighbourhood. You and your compatriot Zavist vied with each other to call me a charlatan, a thoughtless murdering machine and a scavenger. Consequesntly not only did Idi not pay me a penny, he gave me twelve hours to leave Kovir and, since his hourglass was broken, I barely made it.

”

— pg(s). 83, "The Lesser Evil", in the collection The Last Wish (UK edition)

Notes

• The name comes from Greek amphis, "both ways" and bainein, "to go"; the creature originated in Greek mythology.

In The Witcher computer game

In Act IV of the game, when Geralt is trying to get information out of the seemingly mute Fisher King, he asks if the lake is safe and whether or not there are amphisbenas in it.