Discover Kovir, one of the richest Northern Kingdoms and the new region we’ll be exploring in The Witcher 4.
Oct 7, 2025
Kovir, once a poor and overlooked region under Redanian rule, became one of the richest Northern Kingdoms thanks to its abundant mines of gold, dimeritium, and other metals. Its major cities, Lan Exeter and Pont Vanis, serve as important trade and port hubs. Kovir maintains independence and has remained neutral in past conflicts suggesting it may play a compelling role in The Witcher 4.
Kovir and Poviss are without a doubt the richest realms in the North. Few today remember that this was not always the case, yet their poverty was once literally on everyone’s lips...
At the beginning, the kingdom of Kovir was known as one of the poorest regions in the world of The Witcher. In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt you can pick up the book “Kovir and Poviss” which describes this:
...one spoke of a particularly impoverished person as being ‘poorer than a mouse from Poviss,’ called bone broth ‘Koviri delight’...
Kovir and Poviss book in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
When we refer to Kovir, we also mean the region of Poviss which is to its West. The kingdom of Kovir and Poviss is simply known as Kovir.
Kovir was originally part of the Kingdom of Redania which was ruled by king Radovid the First, known as Radovid the Great.
Map of Kovir to the north and Rediana to the east — Ortelius Map 2.0 from Ortelius Team
In a power play, Radovid decided to give his brother Troyden the kingdom of Kovir and the latter accepted.
There was one stipulation though, Troyden could never leave his kingdom nor interfere in any matters of state.
By doing so, Radovid desired to accaparate all the power over Redania.
This move would eventually backfire as his brother, Troyden, found enormous quantities of minerals and gold in these lands and used all of it to make the kingdom rich.
Time passed and Radovid the Third, descendant of Radovid the First, took it upon himself to take back the kingdom of Kovir. To that purpose, he joined forces with the kingdom of Kaedwen which was his ally at the time.
Kaedweni cavalry in Gwent: The Witcher Card Game — Art byGrafit Studio
However, Kovir pushed back the invader’s army and secured its own independance for the long term.
It’s fair to assume that Kovir was now so wealthy, that it was able to muster an expert army of mercernaries to face the combined armies of Redania and Kaedwen.
Thus, Radovid the Third signed the First Treaty of Lan Exeter, which allowed him to keep his throne and granted the kingdom of Kovir independance while stating that Kovir would always remain neutral in any conflict to come.
Through the years, the kingdom of Kovir would become a safe heaven for refugees fleeing the war between the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard.
As an example, in The Witcher 3, if you help Triss Merigold in her quest to save the mages of Novigrad, the mages are sent to Kovir.
Kovir’s mountainous terrain means that there are a lot of mines. The different natural ressources that Kovir owns include rock salt and an enormous amount of different metals. It also contains 80% of the world’s gold and three-quarters of the world’s dimeritium, a rare and special metal that represses magical power.
Dimeritium shackles in Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales — Art byNemanja Stankovic
Kovir holds metals such as iron ore, silver, nickel, lead, tin, zinc, copper, chromium, titanium, tungsten and platinum. It also makes up for three-quarters of the world’s ferroaurum and kryobelitium.
Kovir is home to multiple cities. Among them are Lan Exeter, the winter capital of the region, and Pont Vanis, the summer capital.
Lan Exeter is described as the metropolis of Kovir and a very important port city. It is nearly stripped of streets, its pathways replaced by canals, giving it a resemblance to real world Venice.
As for Pont Vanis, it is protected against the sea by breakwaters. It also possesses high walls and towers guarding the entrance to the city.
Kovir is at heart a mountainous region and is one of the Northern kingdoms. In the south, vast plains stretch toward the Gulf of Praxeda, while along the western coast cliffs meet the sea. To its north lie the Dragon Mountains.
Map of Kovir — Ortelius Map 2.0 from Ortelius Team
In The Witcher 3, if you help Triss Merigold in her quest, she and Geralt of Rivia save the mages by sending them to Kovir.
So we could reasonnably assume, that such an important group of mages wouldn’t stay idle in a powerful city like Kovir. They may have a big role to play in The Witcher 4.
Moreover, if you decide to romance Triss Merigold in The Witcher 3, she and Geralt settle in Kovir and Triss becomes the mage advisor to Kovir’s king, earning her a small fortune in coin.
In terms of alchemy, having access to the rare minerals of Kovir could unlock new oils, bombs, or gear upgrades unavailable elsewhere in the Continent.
With all the mages there, we might also get a lot of quests with sorcerers and sorceresses as well. Maybe Ciri could even learn some new spells or magical techniques from them.
From humble beginnings to a kingdom of immense wealth and strategic importance, Kovir has transformed into a powerful and independent state. Its rich resources, well-guarded cities, and role as a refuge for mages highlight its significance in the Northern Kingdoms. Whether through trade, politics, or magical influence, Kovir’s presence is bound to shape future events in The Witcher world.
What role do you think Kovir will play in The Witcher 4?
Wind’s Howling...
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