#the witcher 3 meta
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Don't know why tumblr made me miss your post about the ableism in fandom and the Witcher, but I've finally read it, and thank you so much for taking the time to write it! I have a question relating to that one: if one chooses to not make the Cat Witchers have mental illnesses or personality disorders or any sort of "madness", but instead try to explain their behaviour through the system in which they grew up in, could the Witchers still be called "mad" by others in-universe? I think I worded it weird, so an explanation of what I mean:
With the way I see the Cat School, they combine typical Witcher brutality with elven supremacy. While I know that "elven supremacy" in the context of the Witcher is problematic as fuck considering the oppression of the elves, I mean it to explain some of the values that the Cat School holds as a system. Humans are scum-of-the-earth, brutal savages, horrible people from the day they are born because it is human nature to destroy, to discriminate against others, and to hurt each other. It is very much modern anti-humanist nihilism. Elves, on the other hand, are seen as inherently more kind, more wise, more cooperative, gentle, so on and so forth, despite their own history or the fact that some of the worst elves are just as bad as some of the worst humans. It boils down to "elf and proximity to elfness good, human and proximity to humanity bad".
This ideological framework leads to "inhumanity" being a good thing. Human Witchers, while not outright told to, internalize the idea that they must stand in opposition to humanity. Therefore, enacting violence against humans is okay - you're making up for your humanity, you're making the world better by making the scum go away (a very Lambert perspective on things).
In the case of Gaetan, it would mean that reacting in a disproportionate manner after being cheated out of his coin and attacked with the intent to kill, and killing not just the guilty parties but also the unaffiliated bystanders and children, is fine. After all, they are human, and they associate with the worst humans by living in the same village. They might become just like the alderman and the ones that attacked him if given the chance. He only stopped that reaction when he saw his sister in Millie, which activated a mental block. "My sister isn't like other humans" basically being the reason he spared Millie. And while he does say he fucked up big time when talking to Geralt, he doesn't seem to mean it much. "Sure, shouldn't have killed everyone, but it's not that big of a deal" is the vibe I'm getting.
While I don't think this type of slaughter is encouraged, I don't think that the Cats care enough to have any policies against it. And I think that humans would only be able to comprehend this through the Cat Witchers being "mad". Would that...work? Cause I'm really not sure. I feel like the stigma of mental illness is weaponized against anyone and everyone, even when all parties involved are neurotypical.
[You can answer this publicly or privately, don't really mind either way.]
[I want to again note that the "elf supremacy" thing was just to categorize the ideological framework of the Cats, which I built based on Gezras' voice-lines, and am aware it has problematic implications. However, since there are irl groups within minorities that are just terrible on their own (Zionists) or because they internalized the oppressor's ideologies but switched them around a bit, I feel it's not too unrealistic for the Cats to function this way.]
You're very welcome for writing that post, thank you so much for engaging with it! And this is all super interesting! I agree that this reading of the Cat witchers being neurotypical but still getting referred to as "mad" by outsiders to rationalize their disregard for human life stemming from their views on humanity is a plausible one!
Ableism can be aimed against neurotypical people who ableists deem as not fitting the mold for sure, and in a world such as the Continent where mental illness is greatly stigmatized and misunderstood, I imagine it's even more common there than it is in our world to associate mental illness with morally abhorrent behavior like murder. Irl I often see this as a way for people, usually neurotypical or non-psychotic people, to distance themselves from people and behaviors they categorize as bad (e.g. "They killed that person bc there's something inherently wrong with them. I, on the other hand, being someone who is of right mind, would NEVER stoop to murder! I'm different!" and so on and so forth. If you're intrinsically different from someone, you can't make their mistakes, never mind the fact that you're both human and capable of great good and evil).
So yes, in summary, I completely agree that even if you choose to write your Cat witchers as neurotypical but deeply shaped by elf-centric views on the nature of humanity, they could absolutely still be viewed by the general populace and other witchers as "mad"!
#len answers#len's meta#school of the cat#the school of the cat#cat school#cat school meta#tw3#the witcher 3#love hearing your feedback on my posts as per usual and please add on if you have any other questions or comments!#:^)#tw3 meta#the witcher 3 meta
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I don’t think Jaskier is fully aware of the fact that Geralt is It for him.
I know we aren’t getting Geraskier, (they’re still canon to me) so at this point I just want my blorbo to be able to move on and be happy instead of fucking miserable but the more I think about it, the more I realize that even if he does get chance to be with Radovid… I don't think he would ever be truly happy.
Yes, he could love him, and be happy that he's being treated well, and worshiped and valued, and everything a good relationship should be. Yes, he'd learn to move on as much as he can… but that’s only as much as he can. Geralt will always be with him. Geralt will be a filter for which he perceives affection and how it's given out and received. Everything will relate back to him.
Geralt is love for Jaskier.
It would be doomed. As much as he could learn to love somebody new, it would take far too long to be fair, and even if Radovid fully understood and stuck around because he knew Jask was trying and didn’t mind, even if Jaskier does love him—It’s doomed.
He couldn’t do it. Because everything they do reminds him of Geralt even though they weren’t even together… but he can’t escape it. It could even be years down the road with zero contact with Geralt (because that’s the only way he could truly even begin to move on) and he would be miserable.
So he’d leave Radovid. Because it’s not fair. And he’d decide he’s better off having one night stands and casual affairs that last no longer than a month for the rest of his life.
And maybe he’d go back to Geralt. Because he sure as hell can’t live without him if the past however long it’s been has taught him anything.
Geralt would be so mad at him for leaving but it’s not like they haven’t gone a long time without seeing each other/not contacting each other before. It’s just been a while since then… And Geralt needs him too, how could he say no? He missed him horribly.
And I think at that point, Jaskier would tell him why he left. Geralt deserves to know. Because at this point, if Geralt will take him back, what’s unrequited love? It doesn’t matter. He should have known it wouldn’t matter. And really, he should have done this a lot sooner, maybe he could have gotten some fucking peace—
“You should have.”
“I should have what?”
“You should have done this sooner.”
“Yeah, that’s literally what I just said. Why are you— Geralt? What are you— Gods, that’s unfair, don’t look at me like you’re about to—”
Kiss me.
He should have done this much, much sooner.
#geraskier#meta#the witcher#the witcher meta#geraskier meta#geralt x jaskier#geralt of rivia#jaskier#dandelion#the witcher season 3#radovid#prince radovid#radovid x jaskier
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I've been thinking about how Lambert, Eskel, and Geralt all deal with the trials and how it shapes them into the people they would grow to become.
Lambert remembers his past. He is angry, upset, bitter, and vindictive. He's got this fire in him that is only stoked by the pain and suffering forced upon him. He remembers the boys who did not make it: the hell they all had to go through, and he has a complicated relationship with Vesemir that surrounds it. Lambert does questionable things that Geralt is bothered by in his grief and anger. Geralt calls him out for killing in cold blood, needlessly and mercilessly.
Lambert avoids Vesemir at Kaer Morhen and mocks him when he is not around. He may come off as childish and like an asshole, but Lambert knows what he feels. Lambert doesn't lash out because he can't control his emotions or because he doesn't understand the path of least resistance. He knows. He chooses to avoid conflict with Vesemir at Kaer Morhen by keeping out of his way. He knows he can't control his emotions effectively if he is face-to-face with him for too long. He knows, and he isn't stupid.
Lambert talks to Geralt about the trials and the injustice of it all. He probably looks up to Geralt, hoping his brother feels just as angry about it as he does. He went through the Trial of the Grasses twice for Christ's sake! Why is he not more angry? Why is he so apathetic?
And Geralt brushes him off time and time again. Such is life, is his attitude. We all went through it, he says. Geralt can't be upset because there is nothing he can feasibly do about it. He didn't choose to be a Witcher. He wouldn't have chosen this life. He would have some other job somewhere else, just like he told Regis. He can't change the past. He can't go back and fix something he never had control over in the first place. Besides, they can’t inflict the trials upon a new generation of kids, not anymore. It’s in the past now, so why dwell on it? What’s done is done and thank god no other kids have to suffer the way they did. It’s over. It’s time to move on.
Geralt doesn't enjoy fame. He tells Eskel this in To Bait a Forktail. Geralt is the famous twice-grassed White Wolf. He is The Witcher. The famed Geralt of Rivia. He has expectations piled upon him the size of mountains. He's got to be the perfect Witcher, he's got to be a loyal brother, a lover, and a best friend… Geralt had expectations put upon him that set him aside from the rest since he was a kid. He hates it. Underneath the banter and the wit, Geralt accepts that this is his life, but that doesn't mean he likes it. He tolerates it because it is his reality and nothing more. If he thinks about it for too long… maybe it will consume him.
"You remember her?" he asks Eskel about his mother.
Unlike Lambert, Geralt hardly knows what it means to live another life. He doesn't have that following him like it does with his brother. What little he remembers is not enough to erase the apathy drilled into him at such a young age. Maybe he has a more strict moral code than say, Lambert, (or if you want to bring in the other Witcher schools, most of the Cats and the caravan) but that doesn't make him the most ethical person on the Continent. How could you be? After all that he has endured, the things he was taught? Where do you draw the line? He kills monsters, but like in Velen, it's hard to see where the line's drawn in the sand.
Humans are monstrous too.
Eskel, however? Maybe he's jealous. He did everything right, why shouldn’t he be? He is superiorly skilled in magic, one hell of a good Witcher. He has a reputation for it. Maybe he's not as kind as your average person, but he gets the job done. He's got a more relaxed demeanour than his brothers which reveals itself in his reputation. He's reliable. He is damn good at what he does. So why does Geralt get all the attention? The fame? He clearly doesn't want it.
While Lambert got turned into a vindictive prick and Geralt became a quick-witted nihilist, Eskel? He's exactly who he should be. Why shouldn't he be praised for it like his brother? Why should he be forced to bend over backwards to accommodate people and keep up with his reputation? For what? His skills? Ha! He lives in the shadows of Geralt who's notably a good Witcher, but he's not quite as good as Eskel.
Eskel was beaten shaped into the man he is today because of the trials, his training, and everything else. Should he not get credited for that too? Why does someone who doesn't even want his fame get all the recognition? Genetic predisposition? Shouldn't his hard work be given more consideration and praise? Thank god Geralt survived the hell of being subjected to two rounds of mutagens rather than one, but why should that overshadow the efforts, the time, and the sacrifices that everyone else around him has made? Eskel is exactly the man that they intended him to be by the end of it all. He is an efficient hunter, he is outstanding with signs, and he works diligently for his reputation. He did everything right. He does everything right. Why is that not enough?
TL;DR: Lambert, Geralt and Eskel handle their traumas in different ways. Lambert gets vengeful, Geralt gets apathetic, and Eskel gets borderline jealous. (And it breaks my heart)
#this probably doesn't make as much sense as it does in my head but I tried to write it in the most coherent way that I could#this has been gnawing at me since last night I needed to get it out of my head because its eating me alive#the witcher#the witcher 3#geralt of rivia#eskel#lambert#eskel witcher#lambert witcher#eskel tw3#lambert tw3#meta post#witcher meta#sol rambles#sol scribbles
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Radskier dialogue nuances in different languages
So I have been rewatching The Witcher in French recently and some of the changed lines stuck out to me, in the interactions between Radovid and Jaskier in particular. So i figured I'd compile my favourites from the translated versions I've seen so far here and compare their meaning to the original. I've also included some of the German lines since I'm German and I got curious!
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy who speaks a bunch of languages, don't expect overly technical linguistic wizardry here. Also this is not about the voice actors' skill or how well the lines are matched up to lip movements, strictly about the little changes in meaning when you take the translations literally! All meant to be in good fun.
Since this is about the season 3 dialogue, there are spoilers ahead.
This is going to be a long post so buckle up!
Season 3 in general: The way Jaskier and Radovid address one another
English (original): both use "you" which makes sense of course
French: Jaskier uses "vous" (the formal "you") for Radovid and Radovid uses "tu" (the casual "you") for Jaskier until they have sex in episode 4. When they talk the morning after in episode 6, they're both using "tu".
German: both use "Ihr" and the other formal derivatives for one another throughout (Even Geralt and Jaskier address each other formally the whole time. I'm not a fan)
Episode 1: Jaskier and Radovid meet
The dialogue here is generally very close, just two little things between the original and the German version I want to point out.
English (Jaskier): Fuck, I don’t really know what I’m supposed to… Bow? Or curtsy, or… I’ve been holding your hand a long time, so sorry about that.
German (Jaskier): Shit, I don't know if I'm supposed to bow or be polite... I've been holding your hand for too long, forgive me ("bow or be polite"?? HUH?)
English (Radovid): If your time at court’s been staid, you’ve been doing it wrong
German (Radovid): If your time at court has been too calm/quiet, something went wrong ([gay silence])
Episode 2: specifically Extraordinary Things
I've put the different lyrics as rather direct translations in the pictures below. They're also written out in the alt text. The French ones are a little more pointed compared to the original imo, I like that version a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about the German version but the first line did make me giggle.
Episode 3: Jaskier talks to Vespula about Radovid
I love this scene for many reasons. I have two things to point out about this.
The first thing is that while in the English and French version, Jaskier says that he and Radovid have only met twice, in the German version he says that he and Radovid don't even know each other.
The second thing is that in the English and German version, Jaskier calls Radovid a spoon and he does in the French version as well. However, he specifies Radovid is a "little spoon" here. Need I say more?
Episode 4: the scene in the shed
Ah, the scene of all time. Before the other scene of all time in episode 6. A few things about this one. The first thing is a very small change in the French version:
English (Jaskier, after Radovid admits he's scared): Just saying that makes you braver than you know.
French (Jaskier, after Radovid admits he's scared): The fact you're admitting that proves you are brave
The second thing bothered me more because it isn't really a subtle change. Both in English and French, Jaskier says Radovid has "learned [his] song", but in German he says Radovid "knows [his] song". The German line here isn't saying that Radovid "knows" the song as in he knows how to play it (from hearing and watching Jaskier play it for him once, mind you), the way it's said makes it sound like Radovid has just heard the song before.
The third thing is what they're saying right after the kiss. Unfortunately with the slightly changed lines for Jaskier we don't get the clever connection between Jaskier talking about taking Radovid into the cabin and Radovid asking Jaskier to take him (sexually).
English (Jaskier): I can't take you inside, I'm sorry.
English (Radovid): Then take me here.
French (Jaskier): The cabin is occupied, I'm sorry.
French (Radovid): Then take me here.
German (Jaskier): We can't go inside, I'm sorry.
German (Radovid): Then take me here.
Episode 6: the morning after
The German version is the same as the original here.
English (Jaskier to Radovid): I thought I’d seen through your mask. Turns out there was nothing behind it.
French (Jaskier to Radovid): I thought I had lifted the veil from your soul. But I found nothing but darkness beneath that façade
The subtle differences in the French version on the other hand not only make the pain a little different, it also includes an allusion of sorts to that version of Extraordinary Things with Jaskier talking about Radovid's soul. At least that's how I saw it. Ouch!
Episode 7: the moment where Jaskier finds Radovid at Thanedd
All three versions here make me want to cry. That's all.
English (Radovid): Just let me be there with you. Prove that I’m more than a mask.
English (Jaskier): Maybe.
French (Radovid): Just let me stay with you and show you what is beneath this façade.
French (Jaskier): Why not.
German (Radovid): Just let me be with you and show my true self.
German (Jaskier): Maybe.
#radskier#jaskovid#radovid#jaskier#the witcher#the witcher netflix#the witcher meta#twn s3#the witcher season 3#i made myself sad
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Thoughts on the Radovid romance
A couple people have asked about the Radovid/Jaskier relationship, and I thought it was... fine? As fine as anything in this show gets?
I wasn't expecting it to dethrone Geralt/Jaskier, because 20+ years of Jaskier building his life and legacy around Geralt is a lot more compelling than Some Twink He Met Yesterday, but I did go into it with a genuinely open mind. Everyone on tumblr was gushing over their chemistry, and I was like, Yea I'd believe it, given that this is Joey Batey we're talking about. So I was expecting to enjoy it the way I'd enjoyed the Yennskier content in S2, the rare treat of two characters having a real emotional connection.
And then I watched it, and it wasn't bad, but the relationship was a lot more disjointed (and their "chemistry" a lot less compelling) than tumblr had led me to believe. (Lol, mea culpa, I should have known better than to take tumblr's word for it.) Also it’s unclear whether it’s supposed to be a cute romance, or whether it’s two people using each other for their own ends?
But it did brush up against some interesting thoughts I'd had before about Jaskier and his patrons, and got me to thinking about consent and power dynamics again, because I am THEE MOST predictable little beastie in fandom. 🤣
First off, I'm not sure what we're supposed to make of Radovid. Obviously he's ~hiding his true self~ in some way, but I can't tell if we're meant to take at face value the side of himself he shows Jaskier -- that he's more intelligent than he's been letting on, and is actually deeply lonely in the empty-headed partyboy role he's been playing, desperate for genuine connection and for someone to truly see him for who he is -- or whether that is yet more deception, and this is all part of some big ambitious scheme that he'll whip out in a mustache-twirling villain reveal. There are elements that make me think it's the latter, but Hugh Skinner's acting is also just weird (and why are his eyes so wet o_o), and I can't tell whether that's supposed to be deliberate foreshadowing, or if, once again, the people making the show are just clueless about how their creative choices are coming off.
(I assume this will get answered at some point, possibly already has in part 2, but I haven't watched that yet.)
Honestly, the part that caught my interest the most was when Jaskier showed up at Radovid's salon wanting to talk about new intel he had on Rience, and Radovid was blithely uninterested, just wanted Jaskier to sing for them -- and then proceeded to casually, completely disregard Jaskier's No.
gremble: Oho? 👀
That's a red flag! 😊 Jaskier tried to set a boundary, and Radovid brushed right past it. And in any competently-executed piece of media, I would expect that to be deliberately signaling something. It doesn't necessarily mean that Radovid is evil -- could just mean he's a crown prince who doesn't have much experience with people telling him No -- but seeing him blithely override Jaskier's wishes in a low-stakes situation sets a bad precedent, and foreshadows how he might behave later, when the stakes might well be higher.
...Except that this production team is so HILARIOUSLY bad at writing healthy relationships -- for three seasons they've been feeding us the most toxic slop imaginable and telling us that's what love looks like -- that I have no idea whether that was on purpose or not. 😂😂😂
--
The Radovid storyline does touch on some concepts that I've long found fascinating, about Jaskier's system of patronage and how he trades on his sexuality. How his work is canonically sex work, or at least sex-work adjacent (that's made explicit when he talks about the Countess de Stael, that they were involved sexually while she was supporting him financially), and the balancing act of keeping his patrons happy when they are always, always going to be second in his affections to Geralt -- and how they probably wouldn't be too happy to learn that.
Because for all that S3 tells us Jaskier is developing a crush on Radovid, Joey Batey's acting says something very different. He did not come off as a man in love, to me -- he came off as someone who's acutely aware that when the crown prince of Redania rolls up and tells you he's your biggest fan, you fucking smile for him.
(Why yes, Moulin Rouge is my all-time favorite movie, why do you ask? 🤣)
Jaskier's interactions with Radovid feel very... 'calculated' isn't quite the word for it, but Jaskier is conscious of the power differentials there, and always carefully choosing what he does and says in light of what he knows Radovid wants from him. He's conscious of having to keep Radovid happy, yes but he's also conscious of what he stands to gain from having a crown prince clamoring to win his affections, and what he could leverage out of that. (Like, say, having the entire Redanian army to protect his little found family.)
And the power imbalance isn't entirely one-directional either. Radovid wants Jaskier's affections, something that can't be bought or coerced, and wants his specifically, which means Jaskier has all the power to give or withhold it... while also being aware that toying with a prince's affections is a dangerous game.
........Or maybe I entirely misread that, and Jaskier's feelings for Radovid are meant to be genuine, and the whole thing was supposed to be a cute little romance. The way that Joey & the production team have talked about that relationship makes it sound like that's what they were going for, but what's onscreen is very ambiguous.
It will surprise no one to learn that I think the more interesting option would be the one that complicates Jaskier’s motives. That even if he likes Radovid well enough, he's still deliberately leveraging Radovid's crush on him to get help for Geralt -- and that if he oversteps, he's risking the wrath of a very powerful man. (And that as the perceived rival, Geralt could wind up as the target of Radovid’s retribution.)
Anyway, it's a fascinating situation, and almost identical to a fic premise I've been tossing around for years. It's never quite coalesced enough to get written, but it does compel me.
(Alternately, if you wanted Radovid to be noble and tragic, @coffee-mage-sans-caffeine suggested a situation in which Radovid and Geralt are in peril together, one of them is not going to make it out of this, and Radovid sacrifices himself so Geralt lives -- because he knows which of them Jaskier loves more.)
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meta analysis of Extraordinary Things because I have no life
Keep your words on ice
Your gaze lights the fire.
Pretty straight forward, Geralt’s cold attitude and words combined with his gold, “fiery” eyes.
They say keep on playing nice
But I have no desire
This I feel like is a reference to his bisexuality, being told to conform to the typical standards of relationships, or perhaps to accept his nobility as it reflects on his romantic affairs. Play nice and keep in line. But that’s not who he is as a person and he has no desire to pretend like he’ll ever fit that mold.
Why waste our words
When lips were made
For extraordinary things
Fairly straightforward as well, he’s tired of the fancy wordplay and the double entendres of noble life. He doesn’t want to dance around the way he feels or conceal his emotions. Why waste time with talking around how you feel when you can simply accept it. Which is very fitting as he is very open with his romantic life.
It’s not a want, it’s a need
It is paying no heed
To what others say to sing
Another reference to his orientation, however I also feel like this might be a small reference to the line in Her Sweet Kiss “I’m weak my love, and I am wanting” which could be an indicator of his feelings for Geralt adapting and evolving over time. They’ve deepened into a need to simply be around Geralt, even if his role in Geralt’s life isn’t quite was he desires. Geralt matters just that much to him.
The greatest songs are made up
Of unspoken words of love
Okay this line I feel like is the most damning, but possibly not for the reasons people might think. There’s a lot of focus on the “unspoken words of love” section of this line, but I was more focused onto this reference of his music. He’s saying that of the songs he has written, he has embedded his love for Geralt in every line. In particular, the his romantic ballads. He keeps his love songs inconspicuous, switching around pronouns and never revealing a name. Those are expressions of his “unspoken works of love”.
Of them I’ve had enough
With you I have enough
With you I am enough
I am enough
This is where we get angsty. His tone gets defeated and exhausted singing this line. He’s tired of being so desperately in love with someone who will never be able to share that love in the same capacity. He’s had enough of feeling like he’ll never be enough. Radovid has made him feel like he can be enough for someone, but that’s not quite what he needs either (with unintentional foreshadowing to Radovid’s manipulation). He wants to be enough for himself, in his own right, without relying on other people’s perception of him.
Drop the sweet disguise
Your heart’s beating too loud
The fairytale’s and little lies
Can’t drown out all the sound
So I’ve seen this be translated as foreshadowing for him and Radovid’s relationship, but considering that he would have only known Radovid for a couple of days at best, I feel like this interpretation is a little too loose and abstract. We know he writes his ballads about events he’s experienced in his own life, and he doesn’t tend to write about abstract concepts or future events. I feel it’s more likely that this is a reflection of the fact that Jaskier very much knows that Geralt is aware of his feelings. We know that Geralt can canonly hear heartbeats. Jaskier knows that no matter how many pretty ballads he sings and excuses he gives, he can’t hide his feelings, and Geralt will never address them, whether to protect Jaskier’s emotions or their friendship. It’s a feeling of defeat and almost a bit of self-flagellation. Like he’s shaming himself for daring to have these feelings, using a slightly mocking tone while singing these lines.
So take this heart
And break this heart
For extraordinary things
In this, Jaskier is tossing aside these feelings. He’s willing to let his heart be broken and his hopes be dashed to be by Geralt’s side because he sees that Geralt has a destiny and a purpose. He’s willing to go through the pain of never having Geralt in the way he needs because he knows that Geralt has a greater purpose, and he’s devoting himself to seeing this purpose play out.
It’s not a want, it’s a need
It is paying no heed to what
Others say to sing
The greatest songs are made up
Of unspoken words of love
Of them I’ve had enough
With you I have enough
With you I am enough
I am
I am enough…
In short, I feel like this song is very clearly an expression of Jaskier’s feelings of hopelessness towards his relationship with Geralt. He’s desperately in love with a man who he knows in his heart that he will never be enough for, whether due to orientation or feeling like Geralt has a far greater purpose than Jaskier could ever hope to understand or fulfill. He wants desperately to be enough for someone, and to feel like anybody could be enough to fill the hole that Geralt has left inside him. Enter Radovid, who sees this weakness and immediately exploits it to his advantage. But my rant on the cinematography of the scene indicating Radovid’s calculated manipulation and Jaskier’s emotional vulnerability will come another day.
Thank you Joey Batey for another total masterpiece of a performance and a song that will haunt me till I die. 🥹💕
#geralt of rivia#the witcher#gerskier#text#meta analysis#analysis#geralt x jaskier#jaskier#dandelion#dandelion Witcher#witcher season 3#extraordinary things#extraordinary things Witcher#geraskier#joey batey
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The Witcher Netflix - 3x08 Episode Reaction
In season 3 of The Witcher Netflix we got our first look inside the Nilfgaardian Empire. I was taken by surprise because sometimes I think the show isn't subtle with certain things. Sometimes showing without telling. Or telling without showing in a way doesn't offer viewers enough information to understand the impact of a creative choice.
The glimpses we got of Nilfgaard are, in my opinion, a subtle bit of worldbuilding that doesn't lose its impact without showing too much or telling too little.
In the books Nilfgaard's culture and history, its military strategy--it's all pastiche from different historical empires. That is a hallmark of Sapko's style. I'm sure other people have spoken more definitively about that on tumblr and elsewhere. CDPR absorbed a lot of Roman Empire influences from the books for its own take for Nilfgaard.
And now we can see TWN's production is also picking up on that as well and going with Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) flavor.
So let me share a few screenshots from episode 3x08 that caught my eye. This is a mini-commentary with some thoughts, not a deep analysis.
We had this establishing shot of a Nilfgaardian city (which I'm presuming to be the capital). This looks like Constantinople to me.
A modern day photo of Constantinople ruins for comparison:
Next we have Emhyr with several men dressed in what comes off as very Eastern Orthodox-inspired vestments, right down to the monastic headwear (mitre, I think?). I'll leave more the in depth TWN and costume critical takedown to perseruna. But those hats definitely kept screaming Eastern Orthodoxy at me and making me circle back to Eastern Roman Empire.
And finally we have this scene of Francesca and Fringilla in the church. In all of my groupchats everyone was losing their mind about their conversation and heartbreak. But I was losing my mind over the fact that they were a) in a Nilfgaardian church or temple and b) this shot was framed in such a way to show us the statue of an ambiguous church figure in the background. Standing in between Fringilla and Francesca, no less.
I can't help but think this might be a statue of the Nilfgaardian Emperor who, in the books, is implied to be a prophet or important figure in the religious sphere.
"...Recently the main topic of preaching has been of a Saviour who will come from the south. From the south! From beyond the Yaruga!”
“The White Flame,” muttered Demavend. “White Chill will come to be, and after it the White Light. And then the world will be reborn through the White Flame and the White Queen… I’ve heard it, too. It’s a travesty of the prophecy of Ithlinne aep Aevenien, the elven seeress. I gave orders to catch one cleric who was going on about it in the Vengerberg market place and the torturer asked him politely and at length how much gold the prophet had received from Emhyr for doing it… But the preacher only prattled on about the White Flame and the White Queen… the same thing, to the very end.”
-Blood of Elves
(thank you to @akilah12902 for sourcing this quote for me when I was looking for help!)
This just reaffirms my thoughts that Fringilla and Francesca are arguing before a statue of Emhyr. A surprising amount of symbolism for this scene and show.
Anyway. This was my main takeaway from 3x08. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised by this.
#twn#twn season 3#witcher meta and thoughts#kuwdora's witcher screaming#not really screaming but i tagged all my other episode reactions under that so here i am i guess#blogdora#textpost
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So as the new season of The Witcher is all aired It's time to start posting again. I think this season is better than 2nd one but... It just hurts more and more how it is so clear how they don't understand the characters and world from the books. I'll write a longer posts about how they missed so much about Jaskier, Triss, sorceresses (Tissaia my love, what they done to you), politics and war. But let's start with something else.
Brokilon
So Brokilon was an ancient forest where Dryads lived and humas never crossed it. What did Netflix did? A small village of humas. It looked like Brokilon were easier to visit than Kaer Morhen in season 2. And that's a no-no. Why?
The first one is from Sword of Destiny. Because Geralt was in Brokilon before. They knew him there. And it was dangerous for him even before. The second one is from Time of Contempt. After a war started it was even less accesible for humans. And of course they'll missed the whole point of why Jaskier was allowed to enter but I'll leave it for next post. But the time when Jaskier started to speak in common to dryads...
I mean, I wouldn't try it. Yes, Geralt did it but... He already was there, he knew Eithné, he was on diplomatic mission. Because it's what you can also hire witcher for.
The dryads were... kinda okay. Like I see form mushroom inspirations from The Last of Us but it could be worst... Anyway that's how they were described in books.
And that's what happend after Triss brought him there:
There were no Yennefer. At this point of books she couldn't do anything. And even if she did she would be never allowed to just cross the forest border. And this whole "waters of Brokilon don't woks on mutants" shit... Waters of Brokilon doesn't work on Geralt my ass. It didn't work on Ciri. That what happend to Geralt after he drank it:
It worked on him perfectly. But in this season they for some reason decided that Yennefer were some nonsens combination on Mary Sue and Jesus or something...
And last thing... The forest they shown was like a forest near city where you can go for a family walk on sunday evening. The Brokilon was wild, anciet forest. Untouched by humans. Protected by dryads. That's how it looks like:
Mystic, where green is just unnaturally green. Where you know you're not the one in charge there. Where you feel the respect of the nature. And these photos are from Puszcza Białowieska in Poland. Premival forest that is propably around 10 thousends years old.
#the witcher#witcher#geralt of rivia#wiedźmin#witcher meta#geralt#ciri#cirilla fiona elen riannon#netflix the witcher#the witcher netflix#the witcher season 3#jaskier#brokilon#dryads
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I've recently completed the "Ghosts Of The Past" quest yet again, and Letho's reaction when he finds out Geralt has saved his ass never fails to make my day. The "that amusing to you?" dialogue option when Letho regained consciousness was so funny too, him smirking and being like "not so rough, Geralt, I just came back from the dead". Top tier banter.
Also, that low, gravelly chuckle... 😳 (courtesy of Mirosław Zbrojewicz, my beloved Letho's Polish VA).
#sorry not sorry to all eng dub enjoyers but polish dub is just better#i don't make the rules#letho of gulet#the witcher#the witcher 3 wild hunt#meta#mine
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Thinking about those etching you can find to show you were Witcher diagrams are hidden . Finding the head of the Bear and knowing there is something here . But also thinking about everything else that could be used for .
Since the etchings either have to be carefully studied for by a non-Witcher, they can litter cities ( like the Cats do ) and no one would be none the wiser . Entering a city centre, not knowing what tavern would throw you out if you enter or what neighbourhoods are safe to ask for work in . So you pace, keep your eyes on the walls, waiting for something . You find an etching of the Griffin , as you walk the alleys, on the back wall of a tavern. The barkeep doesn’t turn their nose up at your entrance . The prices do not increase due to who you are . If you’ re lucky, they’ ll be people like you already inside . A place of safety for all , all like you . You may never meet the Griffin that left the etching , but you thank them all the same .
Or having to track a Witcher who’ s fleeing from the crown . Wrongfully accused and convicted, running from execution . They hide their trail well, well enough it’ s impossible to track via scent or sight. The only proof you’ re going the right direction is the etchings . The militia has intel you could never access, but you have proof they past through a cave system, etchings guiding you in and leading you out, you know they’ re in the area, you know places they would hide out to rest . Too dangerous to leave letters, but safe to mark travel .
Or it being used to mark gravesites . Usually a smaller etching, a rock used as a makeshift grave marker. Bundled with dried flowers and final offerings, hidden in tree burrows or thickets of grasses . Not for others eyes, only for Witchers to pay respects too, littering the Path. You know when you found another Witcher who has buried another . They carry two medallions . They etched the name of the fallen onto the back .
Younger Witchers use the etching to mark meeting places for them and their pack, not quite fully accompanied to the land yet . It’ s not yet memorized , so they make their own landmarks . Older Witchers littering etchings on the walls of nobility , marking who not to work for . No matter the pay . Etching from the older generations are respected , when they’ re found they’ re restored to keep them . Proof of their past existence. Witchers that pair off together from the same or different schools finding a tree somewhere secluded and leaving duo etchings together . Their own form of marking love .
Witchers may not know why an etching is there at first . But they always learn why . And it’ s always something to remember .
#the witcher#witcher meta#idk what else to tag this as uh#the witcher 3#tw3#I love the etchings I love them so much I love finding them randomly#me making Witcher culture in my head to froth over :
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On Lambert and Power Structures
Disclaimer that parts of this are speculative and up to interpretation. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions etc. etc., it's just I read a fic a while back that was SO out of character in my eyes that I needed to sit down, figure out, and type up what my views on Lambert and power structures actually are.
Lambert is above all things pragmatic, and because of that I do not view him as trusting very easily considering the shitty world he lives in. It just doesn't make sense to trust very many people when you've been burned before, and boy oh BOY has Lambert ever been burned! Because of that, it's only logical for him to not be overly trusting of others, and it makes even less sense for Lambert to trust institutions, which can lack the sense of morality or the code of ethics that a person might have considering they aren't people, but structures.
Institutions (whether the underworld, the gov't, the Church, or the witcher schools) consolidate power in a way that is virtually impossible for a single individual to replicate. This consolidated power is in the hands of flawed people, and oftentimes in the world of TW3, the flaws run deep. Whether those in charge crave influence, order, or wealth, it often leads to an abuse of power or some form of immorality in order to achieve their goals (e.g. almost everything the crime bosses do, both Radovid and the Church scapegoating mages and nonhumans, and all the ways the witcher schools hurt their trainees).
Another reason I think Lambert would be hesitant to trust power structures is that these institutions that exist can also take on a life of their own, meaning he couldn't just cut the head off the snake if the institution is corrupt and expect everything to fall apart immediately like he could with a single individual or even a small group (Karadin's band, for example). Yes, there are influential representatives for each individual power structure that are important to ensure they retain power (the crime bosses, the monarchs, the Hierarch, or the mages and instructors for the witchers), but when said individuals are killed or deposed, the power structure itself often endures in one form or another, even if it's diminished. That is, unless the entire power structure is taken in one fell swoop, as happened in the Sacking of Kaer Morhen. Not all of the wolves died, but enough important cogs in the machine were killed that the metaphorical wheels could no longer turn and the process of creating new wolf witchers was ended.
Lambert is likely familiar with how corrupt the underworld, the governments, and the Church are, though we get no information on his views on these structures. The easiest way to extrapolate his thoughts on institutions as a whole is to look at how he views his school. Lambert is painfully aware of the bloody history of the Wolf School, of how it as a power structure perpetuated a cycle of abuse by subjecting trainees to violence and death, and encouraged them to bring back more boys while out on the Path to traumatize in turn for the greater good of the Continent. Witchers serve an important role, a fact Lambert is undoubtedly aware of. That doesn't justify the abuse, experimentation, and senseless deaths that countless children were subjected to. Those two facts can, and should, co-exist.
Lambert is not the kind of man who would want to reinstate the power structure of the witcher schools. The way I read Lambert, he would NEVER sacrifice the well-being of children in order to ensure some country bumpkin doesn't die by drowner. He just wouldn't. He hates the legacy of his school, as evidenced by the many, many times he tells us in game. For example, at the beginning of The Final Trial, he comments to Geralt that he wishes the Salamandra assassins had torn down the rest of Kaer Morhen, the closest thing he has left to a home. If he's willing to give up the safety that Kaer Morhen provides him and his brothers during the harsh winter months just so the school can symbolically end, he must truly despise the place. Another example from the same quest is when he reminds Geralt that not everyone made it through the Trials, that many died, and that they were also taken against their will. Finally, when he learns that Yen is going to perform the Trial of the Grasses on Uma, he reacts with enraged disbelief, and a few lines later he clearly states that the secrets of their school have been forgotten, and that's how he thinks they should stay.
All of these bits of dialogue from Lambert add up to the indisputable fact of his view on his school as a whole: that the systemic violence and cruelty that young children were exposed to far, far outweighs any good the school may have caused by existing. The Wolf School ending is the lesser evil in Lambert's mind. Taking his opinion on his own school and the systemic violence it enacted into account, I'd be willing to bet he doesn't like the underworld, the governments, or the Church, either, considering they also often use their power to enact violence and oppression onto people.
I think Lambert can be a tough nut to crack characterization wise, but to ignore both his canon views on his school and his possible opinions on power structures as a whole that are discernible from said canon views does a great disservice to him as a multifaceted character and undermines the way his worldview was immutably shaped by his trauma. Thank you for coming to my TED talk <3
#len's meta#lambert#witcher lambert#tw3#lambert tw3#the witcher#the witcher meta#the witcher 3#witcher meta#tw3 meta#lambert meta#long post#the witcher 3 meta#anyways back to de posting for a bit until the lambert bug bites me again!#this is a bit disjointed but i'm too lazy to polish it to a shine so i'm just gonna dump this in the tags and run
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Okay so I'm replaying my Witcher 3 death march save and I do want to point out something very important about Radovid even though I've not actually been introduced to Radovid. We do have in the games acknowledgement of Radovid's age.
See here.
It has a lot of other things including but not limited to Dijkstra was basically Radovid's father figure. But it acknowledges his birth year. It has an inconsistency in that it says he was 13 when his father died which isn't possible because Vizimir dies during the Thanedd Coup in 1267 so the oldest Radovid could've been is 12 but the birth year is definitely more accurate than the thirteen, given the way that monarchy tracks their births since we have to acknowledge this is written in the perspective of an in game scholar.
So I will keep saying it because it's very important!!! Radovid is seventeen in the Witcher 3!!! That's a teenager!!! A highly traumatised abused teenager!!!
#witcher 3#meda rambles#witcher meta#radovid#sigismund dijkstra#speaking of sigi btw i will die on the hill that its out of character for him to have even entertained reasons of state#first of all he'd rather die than work with THE WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HIM#And second of all thats basically his son there's NO reason Dijkstra came back to Redania other than he's there to keep tabs on radovid#Isengrim is just following his Dh'oine boyfriend along bc he has a weak spot for kids and that's his boyfriends son
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I Hate the Way the Witcher Treated Suicide
Spoilers for The Witcher season 3/The Time of Contempt under the cut:
"Sometimes the best thing a flower can do for us is die." originally sounded cool to me. It referred to transforming its life into magic, and it wasn't a metaphor for animals or people, it was just about plants.
But when Tissaia quoted this line in the finale, it made me so sad and mad! Because no, absolutely not! You don't always have to contribute something, and if you're someone with as much knowledge as Tissaia has, there's obviously a lot you can do. Even if she didn't have any sorceress knowledge, she still meant a lot to a lot of people, and I hate that she wasn't at least killed off with the reason being guilt, but with a completely wrong interpretation of this saying.
Sometimes the best thing a flower can do for us is die. From the perspective of a sorceress, the best thing a flower could do is provide life that can be transformed into magic.
But from the perspective of a human without magic, from the perspective of us watchers, a flower is something you keep close even though it does practically nothing for you. Of course we can't equate humans with plants that are only supposed the look pretty, but the point still stands: a flower is something with little to no use that we still keep around and care for.
#*sad sigh*#tw suicide#tissaia de vries#the witcher season 3#the witcher#the witcher suicide#sometimes the best thing a flower can do for us is die#tissaia de vries death#anti suicide#the witcher meta#the witcher analysis
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Who is Eredin Bréacc Glas & what’s his Role in the Witcher?
Eredin Bréacc Glas is an Aen Elle warlord in charge of Dearg Ruadhri – the Red Riders – who retain the ability to break through the barrier between certain worlds post-Conjunction. During nights of magic, when the veil between the worlds is thinner, a spectral elven cavalcade goes around the Spiral; earning itself notoriety among the inhabitants of the Continent as the Wild Hunt. Aen Seidhe know about (and may conceal) the Hunt’s true nature in lieu of a tale about the Winter Queen (an Elf Queen), while the majority of the population regards the Dearg Ruadhri as demons; phantoms from hell.
Out of this beautification and mythicisation of Truth emerges the crux on which Eredin Bréacc Glas’s character turns: the power one holds over others by means of truth pales in comparison to the power one holds by holding captive their imagination.
Canvas for a Fantasy
The reader witnesses Eredin first, and solely, through the eyes of a 16-year old girl. Every time Eredin inhabits a role – steps in as a canvas for a fantasy. Be the role that of a mythical skeleton-wraith – a war hound sent by an Otherworld King to retrieve the elves long-lost, prized possession. Be it that of a border patrolling, rude and impatient horse lord doubling as a not-so-nice jailor and partner-in-crime to another “nice elf.” Be it a scheming pretender to the throne with a will to power.
Roles.
On his own Eredin is a black box. Comparatively under-written, he is given no backstory; no hidden motivations. Sapkowski does not tie him more closely to the drama surrounding Ciri’s elven lineage other than making Eredin – like Cahir – a Knight to the Ruler who seeks Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon on the agitation of a Wizard. The twisted mirroring effect between the Continent and the elven Otherworld exists. Aside that, however, Eredin remains essentially a stranger. Both to Ciri and to the narrative at large. A stranger, who does not explain himself.
(I have HCs, naturally, but they deserve an independent piece. For now, I am making an effort to stick solely with the books in making sense of the elf, since I have realised how heavily my own perception of him has so far been influenced by the Witcher games and games-fanon.)
In fact, nothing at Tir na Lia explains itself; the author goes as far as to make Ciri insist on not wanting explanations on anything. This is convenient if the author abhors world-building. It also makes it so everything the reader witnesses at Tir na Lia filters through the incomplete frames of a trauma-fleeing teenager, who is being purposefully kept in the dark besides. Ciri is not a reliable narrator, but she does not stop trying to make sense of things. In other words, Truth pales as but a tiny bit of fly shit in contrast to the imagination. This matters. For appearances deceive – such is the narrative arc with the elves. Therefore, by making the reader’s central point of view unreliable in a context that intentionally seeks to confound and lead the reader astray, commentary is passed on the power of illusions. A theme that repeats in Lady of the Lake. A plot beat that is emphasised in the way A. Sapkowski writes (and does not write) Eredin Bréacc Glas.
I mentioned the lack of hidden motivations: is the throne of the Alder King not Eredin’s motivation? No, it is not. Eredin is driven by a dream of power achieved through regaining control of Ard Gaeth. Nowhere but in Ciri’s imagination does the text indicate Eredin Bréacc Glas has designs on the tor’ch. The matter of Auberon’s death is left open to interpretation – all the more power to the reader – but in the strictest reading the best the prosecution can lay on the warlord is accidental manslaughter; which lacks the intentionality of “an ambitious pretender” required for moulding a relatively under-written character’s entire characterisation around itself – as has happened in CDPR’s interpretation and in fanon canon. The illusion of truth is central to Ciri’s arc at Tir na Lia; the interpretations she makes are valuable. Just not necessarily true as maps.
Like a mirror that shows you only what you show it, Eredin serves like a canvas upon which shines the confusion and fantasy of a 16-year old girl (and the reader) who puts it there. Until no longer.
Narrative Purpose
Imagination, then.
Eredin’s narrative purpose starts showing in the deceptive, mythicized nature of the Hunt, which compels in reality and in the Saga for similar reasons. Humanity is tempted to believe in the existence of justice in the universe, and the Wild Hunt looms large in its imagination in lieu of acting out a scenario people on some level suspect they deserve. Justice. But in case of the Hunt what does that translate into? Hell and punishment. In the worst nature of man, he either seeks licence to pursue his actions (in which case Hunt is the harbinger of war) or fears its consequences (in which case Hunt abducts the wicked). An inexplicable, collective madness – as Geralt puts. Indeed, it is madness to pursue large-scale destruction of one’s fellow man, so man relinquishes his will and becomes a demon in the war horde on its mad path. And, as demons take people to hell, this spectral horde takes souls into the nether-realm. Turns out, the superstitions of dh’oine – about wraiths carrying mortals off to hell where servitude awaits – are not far from the truth.
(Despite their many wonders, Otherworlds were never safe places for mortals to begin with – an Abrahamic religion, which equated them with Hell, simply capitalised on this common indigenous belief, as did Sapkowski and many other fantasy authors.)
Divested of mythical drapes and theatrics Eredin and the Dearg Ruadhri act as raiders while off-world – capturing slaves; likely bringing in treasure, precious resources, and species from across the Spiral. Bringing knowledge! Indeed, they might even act as traders. And in the world of the Alders, the Red Riders patrol the plains, guarding the realm of elves against unicorns and threats implied to exist in the wilds beyond the elves’ barriers. Their function, as opposed to display, is prosaic. Upon meeting Ciri on her way to Tir na Lia, Eredin, inversely to a demon dragging humans into hell, presents as a protector helping a maiden get into paradise. As it happens though, he and the Dearg Ruadhri also ensure nobody leaves paradise.
Thus, the question of what is an illusion and what is reality starts here.
Ciri (and the reader) becomes aware of Eredin’s existence as a result of being “saved” from charging unicorn herds. An elven knight appears as if by coincidence, offering his help in a moment of need. In truth, the help is not altruistic. In truth, an extraterrestrial hunter has come to scrutinize the “catch” that eluded him on the Continent; whom he shielded against vultures at Tarn Mira so she could be chased into the hands of a fellow predator. In truth, Ciri and the reader have already met Eredin Bréacc Glas several times – as a Wild Hunt wraith – but Ciri and the reader do not know any of this just yet.
‘I told you that you were mine!’ roared Bonhart, spurring on his bay. ‘That I’ll do what I want with you! That no one will stop me from doing it! Not people, not gods, not devils, nor demons! Or enchanted towers! You’re mine, witcher girl!’
An armed man with a crown on his helmet and a necklace bumping against the rusty cuirass on his chest, galloped at the head of the demonic cavalcade.
Begone, rumbled a voice in Bonhart’s head. Begone, mortal. She is not yours. She is ours. Begone!
An imposing black-haired elf in a mail shirt, riding a dark bay stallion as huge as a dragon. The horse wears a demonic horned bucranium and its master’s facial features bring to mind a bird of prey – black, dark, evil. Even his toothy smile looks ghastly somehow. Such are Ciri’s initial impressions. They contrast starkly with her first impressions of Avallac’h and the world of elves: after exiting the Tower of the Swllow, Ciri is convincing herself she is not at all astonished by the beauty, or by the very possibility of it, in the world of the Alders where everything – in Ciri’s mind – must be different. Except Eredin is familiar. (He is. They’ve met. Cue the author giggling.) As if an echo of a more brutal, ugly world of violence Ciri knows so far. Ciri’s impressions are therefore almost like the first narrative lead toward an impending mask-break.
The narrative makes Eredin flirt with breaking the fourth wall of his “role” at Tir na Lia pretty much constantly. He is the flashy buoy indicating “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Does Ciri not notice? She notices. She views Tir na Lia as a prison after all. The question is: does she believe? Would she rather believe that by entering the Tower of the Swallow she is getting what she deserves by way of a fairy tale, or a nightmare?
(Ciri experiences mask-breaks with both Avallac’h and Auberon. Not similarly with Eredin. Avallac’h – the helpful, caring one – comes close to strangling her and Auberon – the unhurried, mature one – throws a violent fit and a litany of insults her way. But Eredin – the rude, preying one – stays as he is. He does not fulfil Ciri’s fantasies, but he does not shatter his image either – he is as he is. He is the cliff against which Ciri breaks her hopes, realising her error: beautiful looks and profound intentions do not eliminate prosaic realities. Eredin is the prosaic reality. At the same time, what Eredin is really about in private and in his own right remains unknown to Ciri. For narrative purposes, it matters more to show Ciri cannot pin her hopes on anything she does not really understand; and that by seeking to understand (to be more elf-like, to try with Auberon, empathise with Avallac’h, and use Eredin’s nephrite flacon) she enmeshes herself in a game the rules of which she does not determine, losing herself.)
Paralleling Geralt’s losing himself in Toussaint’s fairy tale land, the Saga focuses on illusions of truth at Tir na Lia as well, and has Eredin Bréacc Glas play the part of a “disabuser” who shatters Ciri’s illusions. The narrative turning point occurs after the Bower Scene. Until then, everything goes. Until then, Ciri spirals steadily toward apathetic submission. The first beat echoes at the discovery that all servants in paradise – mute and meek – are human, like her. The second rings out as Eredin intervenes in the deadlock concerning the Alder King’s bedchamber. Third and final nail in the coffin comes as Auberon loses his temper, threatens Ciri with Avallac’h’s laboratory, and shows the girl the present moment in Ciri’s home-world (about which Eredin warned her) in which Yennefer has drowned in the bottom of the lake and Geralt has frozen to death.
That Eredin hides (he is blatantly “out there”, that’s the joke) his and the elves’ twisted nature in thanks to Ciri’s own self-delusion does not occur until only later because the warlord is one of Ciri’s fantasies. Personally. Appearing as someone Ciri on some level suspects she deserves even in a fairy tale world where everything is supposed to be different. Holding up a mirror to the ugliness in her, yet – also – suiting a template for a commanding knight in shining armour in the girl’s mind. (Someone to put her on the throne? As turns out regarding Ciri’s fantasy by the bower scene.) A fairy tale. The kind someone whose sense of self-value has suffered might have.
By way of an example of how Eredin’s purpose shapes up – as the canvas on which Sapkowski sketches out Ciri’s disillusionment – recall their first meeting. The Red Rider’s presence in the field is anything but accidental, and Ciri’s impressions basically call Eredin “sus” from the very start. Ciri though is not in a position to believe the eerier first impressions. I’d go so far as to say she does not really wish to believe. At core, she remains a child of hope.
‘How did you know,’ Avallac’h asked, ‘that we were in danger?’
‘I had no idea.’ The elf scrutinised Ciri. ‘We patrol the plain, for news has got out that the one-horns have become anxious and aggressive. No one knows why. I mean, now I know why. It’s because of her, naturally.’
Her appearance in the Land of the Alders is not news to Eredin. This is not their first meeting. Ciri does not know it, but Eredin does. He helped her enter the Tower of the Swallow. He knows about Ciri’s appearance well enough too, since he has led Dearg Ruadhri in search of her on the Continent; straight onto the trail of false-Ciri over Brugge, even. Eredin and Avallac’h – predators presenting as helpers – know the score. Only Ciri is not in on it; and they are not letting her in, nor indicate in any way that they know more than they show.
It is easy enough, since, as part of the pageant, the heroine’s thoughts already try to stick with the plot. Ciri is too preoccupied with measuring up this warrior on a dragon and presenting herself as graceful, proud, and to be taken seriously. Someone who should have more “elf” in her than she knows. Someone because of whom an entire troop has to ride up – a little different from “a golden carriage and six” and “a retinue of courtiers” Ciri fashioned for herself – the princess of Cintra – but still. Not anything she does not deserve, certainly. Except the warrior is not terribly impressed, and lets the girl know just how unimpressed he is. And here goes a teenage girl’s attention span.
Holding captive one’s imagination entails perpetuating the combat between what we hope we deserve and what we fear we do.
By the time first impressions conclude, Ciri is entertaining the thought the entire meeting might have been the case of a groom riding up to meet his prospective maiden. She has been put before a fact of having to mother a child with one of the elves. Thus, she is considering all kinds of options. This is fresh on her mind when she hears Eredin proclaim her resemblance to Lara Dorren and Avallac’h’s “entitlements.” Not to say that the “gold nugget in a pile of compost” is so dreadfully effective precisely because it picks at Ciri’s insecurity – her hope that she is more than the baseness and evil the world she was born in has been reducing her to. Hope. That her worth can be acknowledged by someone who is equally unlike an “elf-ideal” just as Ciri herself. The girl’s fascination reaches its peak when the warlord hands her a myrtle flower: in Ciri’s imagination, Eredin looms large because he addresses Ciri’s nature in a way Ciri believes is truthful based on her self-image and in contrast to the surrounding paradise she fears she is simply unable to live up to.
It just so happens the paradise is concurrently hell, and Eredin anything but human-like.
Characterisation
For a character whose narrative purpose concerns self-delusion, Eredin’s personality is relatively straightforward. He is not subtle. Neither in words, nor actions. Which is not saying he cannot discern subtleties: he binds insult and compliment elegantly enough toward Avallac’h in regard to Ciri’s resemblance to Lara Dorren. He simply bets on shock and awe, not on the long game. Equally, he pays attention to the immediate weak-seeming links in the net, rather than to whether the prey is best caught with such a net in the first place.
His manner is relatively unadorned; simpler and to the point. Brusque bordering on ungracious, if not downright crass. It does not mean he is unfeeling, nor that he lacks knowledge of manners (different question if he deems you worthy of them). There’s a sense of poetic appreciation to the way he considers the life of a butterfly, and he adjusts his behaviour toward politeness frequently: upon apologising for his harsh words; by taking note (!) of being chided for impatience and convincing Auberon to let Ciri freshen up after her journey; by giving due praise to a rider when praise is due.
In short, Eredin is not dumb. He is reckless. Which makes him come off as direct in comparison to his fellow elves, yet this recklessness should not be mistaken for honesty. (Fandom, for some reason, does.) He is supremely confident in his ability and (under)estimates Ciri, because of which – even while omitting things left and right – he toys with the truth in plain sight, knowing it is unbelievable for Ciri. Because Eredin is, above all, perceptive. Like a Sparrowhawk should be. Lest we forget, Eredin is a warlord and a sentry. That’s his task. He acts, because his duty is to react. He keeps a neurotically close eye on the Swallow when he can, provoking her for reactions upon which to sketch out his own actions. Ciri’s fascination – therefore also her fantasies – are something he takes note of immediately, and works them to his advantage as the person most concerned with not letting her escape. Note, for instance, how he takes the opportunity to test the speed of Ciri’s mare (her prime means of escaping him) while challenging her to a race. Antagonising her gets to her – it’s like catnip. Upon being patronised (as per Avallac’h and Auberon) she flusters or breaks down, but upon being challenged directly, her gears start turning and she starts acting – and Eredin, the hunter, is all about preventing action.
Recklessness, however, makes him unwise. He intimidates and provokes (his modus operandi) to the point of stupidity really, which makes him come across as terrified of failure deep down. This fear seems appropriate and commensurate with the way his eyes light up at the notion of hasting to re-gain control of Eternity (the Gate of Time). Eredin frequently acts before he thinks. And speaks too much – nowhere is it clearer than at the moment when he lets it slip to Ciri she has “a wild talent”, which still won’t be enough to overcome him. He does not come off as a long-term strategist, and he is mistrustful to boot – of his prey, of his compatriots, of Destiny and the very ends for which he is nevertheless resolved to do what it takes as long as it leads to the power he dreams of. Though his eyes shine at the prospect of Eternity, he defers to Avallac’h’s expertise and tries to stick to the plan. Except when the plan seems to grind to a halt, he is quick to look for prompt, efficient means of intervention. Whether or not he knows better. He certainly thinks, he knows better. For Eredin is reckless and fearful the end End will never come.
‘You ought not to draw a weapon on me, Zireael. It’s too late now. I won’t forgive you that. I won’t kill you, oh, no. But a few weeks in bed, in bandages, will certainly do you good.
‘Wait. First, I want to tell you something. Disclose a certain secret.’
‘And what could you tell me?’ he snorted. ‘What can you tell me that I don’t know? What truth can you reveal to me?’
‘That you won’t fit under the bridge.’
He also has a vengeful streak, though pride is a common denominator of all elves.
Motivation – The Witcher Books vs The Witcher Games
Ironically, one of the most significant differences between the books and the games concerns Eredin’s loyalty.
In the Witcher game-series, Eredin is at first a scary framing and exposition device (TW1), then framing device++ (TW2 – the most book-like he gets), and finally a filler for every death-knight fantasy ever, devoid of all personality and a cackling regicide to boot (TW3). It is the service of the last game that Eredin is deemed a megalomaniacal usurper. It is furthermore The Witcher 3’s influence that fanon canon overwhelmingly presumes Eredin desires the tor’ch more than he desires regaining control of Ard Gaeth.
Frankly I think this is just incorrect, and unfortunate.
In the Saga, Eredin is the servant of the Alder Folk and loyal to their cause. He may mistrust the Knowing Ones’ poeticism about pulling the strings of Fate, but he is not shown to be in conflict with neither Avallac’h nor Auberon over the end result – which is so-so much more impactful if achieved than becoming another trapped Alder King on the Spiral, a living corpse with the tor’ch eating into the skin of his neck. Unicorns deem Eredin and Avallac’h their prime antagonists, who dream of power, but they name them alongside the Alder King; for narrative purposes, they act together as a Triad. Eredin himself, when chasing Ciri, places emphasis in a revealing manner:
‘You can’t not know that you’re only delaying the inevitable. You belong to us and we’ll catch you.’
This happens after Auberon’s death, in Ciri’s dream; and on every other occasion the Hunt appears on Ciri’s trail before she reaches the Tower of the Swallow.
Us. We. You belong to us.
Emphasising the collective, Eredin shifts personal responsibility off his own shoulders to those of the Alder Folk and his co-conspirators, but he also draws authority in this way. He acts on behalf of and in unison with a larger body, with a higher end than one’s own individual – indeed insignificant – ambition. There is a collectivist mindset to the way Auberon and Avallac’h describe the way the elves reason.
In the text, two evident forces act upon Eredin: desire for power by means of re-gaining control of Ard Gaeth and fear of failure. Desire for power binds him with Avallac’h and Auberon, and he defers to their plan regarding the means of achieving power. He works with the plan not against it; his incidences of sabotage (e.g. mentioning Ciri’s “wild talent”) arise out of character flaws, for they quite simply do not make sense as intentional acts. From beginning to end, Eredin’s driving motif is to ensure the Swallow never escapes her cage, because the Swallow’s imprisonment is a necessary evil to achieve the Alder Elves’ end: control over Time and Space. Yet Eredin, much more so than Avallac’h, is concerned with the harm Ciri can do rather than with the promise and hope she holds.
‘You must understand, Swallow,’ he rasped, ‘that you’re only delaying the inevitable. I can’t let you leave here.’
‘Why not? Auberon’s dead. And I’m nobody and mean nothing, after all. You told me so yourself.’
‘Well, it’s true.’ He raised his sword. ‘You mean nothing. You’re a tiny clothes moth that can be crushed in the fingers into shining dust, but which, perhaps, if it’s allowed, can cut out a hole in a precious fabric. You’re a grain of pepper, despicably small, but which when inadvertently chewed spoils the most exquisite food, forces one to spit it out, when one wanted to savour it. That is what you are. Nothing. An irritating nothing.’
Insofar, by the way, the Witcher-games got it right. Fear motivates Eredin. Just as he motivates others with fear. In the absence of actual characterisation and writing, however, the games go a little too far with the “mad with fear” motif. Eredin strikes a madly laughing wraith-impression as a matter of course in his profession, naturally, but mind you, as the King of the Hunt, the impression is intentionally performative; the “madness” of it does not match up with the way Eredin carries himself in Lady of the Lake. Eredin is, by and large, level-headed about his goals – which he shares with Auberon and Avallac’h. And as he is shown to be fearful of failure, why would he want to off Auberon if Lara’s father is deemed the best genetic shot for renewing and strengthening the mutated Aen Hen Ichaer by the Knowing One? The only sensible explanation that comes to mind would be that Eredin deems the laboratory a more efficient means of achieving the elves’ aims; for Avallac’h and his laboratory are the canonical alternatives.
Basically, a clear cut regicide – not even necessarily a conniving pretender to the throne – Eredin Bréacc Glas of the Saga is not. These are Ciri’s projections. At best, the narrative gives grounds to believe Eredin is culprit in manslaughter (see reasoning here); for he is astonished once Ciri breaks the news on Auberon’s fate. But by the way I see Eredin’s narrative purpose in relation to Ciri’s point of view of him, there is no “mask” to break, only failed expectations.
Not everything here is beautiful. For the unaccustomed this world means death.’
Upon escaping, Eredin’s words echo in Ciri’s minds as teachings. Not a romantic tale with romantic turns, but that doesn’t stop us from fantasising.
That’s alright. That’s captivating.
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#the witcher#the witcher 3#wiedźmin#the witcher meta#eredin breacc glas#aen elle#the wild hunt#ciri#cirilla fiona elen riannon#andrzej sapkowski#lady of the lake#character analysis#auberon#avallac'h#eredin
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Oh I have read your opinion on Dettlaff and I agree. But I disagree on Syanna. Dettlaff is very unfairly treated by the creators. Game almost force us to kill him. Both main paths lead to killing vampire. Sparing him by not taking some ribbon is hard to achieve. Who knew how this ribbon works.Just look at the titles of endings. 'good' is when both sisters survives 'neutral' is when only one of the them dies, and 'bad' is with both sisters dead. What about Dettlaff. Creators treated him like connon fodder completely disregarding his character. Syanna is the real beast in this story. Only person out of mind would use a higher vampire who is like god compared to people. Syanna knew exactly how dangerous Dettlaff is and what he is capable of doing but she decided to use him anyway. This makes her even more idiot. Not to mention she is the reason Roderik of Dun tynn killed his own brother. she was responsible for bloodshed in Dun tynne.You cant blame gunpowder for exploding if you are the one playing with matches. But no she is poor and hurt because they threw her out from palace, its normal that in this situation you set beast on people. I let her die and felt no mercy. And I could never understand why according to Cdpr she is the one who should survive in this dlc. Moral of this story? You can commit the worst crime but if you have contacts you can get away with it. It's shame that Cdpr promotes such thing
Okay, I totally and completely respect your stance, and I agree with you on most points! Thank you for sharing. I appreciate you.
Dettlaff deserved better, there’s no two ways about it. He’s villainized for being blackmailed and manipulated, which I hate. Should he have killed people? No. There are a lot of factors that make this complicated, but the answer is no. But does he deserve to be killed? ALSO NO. I adore Dettlaff. The reason I started to like him was because Regis is so adamant that he’s a good person, and after reading the books and playing b&w I don’t trust anyone more than Regis. I feel like a lot of people are wary about Dettlaff because of how reckless/emotional he is, and because his main story dynamic is with Syanna, who is an abuse survivor and a young woman. His feelings were justified but his actions were inexcusable.
On the topic of Syanna now. I understand your reasoning for hating her and wishing her dead, but I just can’t agree that the ideal ending is for her to die. Was there an excuse or even a good reason for what she did? No. She crossed so many lines you could call her hatching practice. But. Does she deserve to be killed? I don’t think so either! In my opinion (this is just my opinion; you are not obligated to agree with me), she deserves consequences for her actions, but she also deserves to learn how her actions affected people, and she deserves closure, and being killed by Dettlaff is not a good or satisfying ending for her character. She wasn’t just thrown out of the palace, she was mistreated for her whole childhood and blamed for all of her family’s problems! That’s a lot of weight on a kid. She is acting out of a trauma response and likely has no grasp on what healthy coping looks like. Some of my friends have more sympathy for her because she’s a woman in a misogynistic, witch-hunting society, which I do understand, but it’s not enough for me to forgive her. Her feelings were justified but her actions were inexcusable.
Do you see the dilemma here?
I don’t think either of them deserve death. Dettlaff deserves to heal and remove himself from the horrible situation, and Syanna deserves the chance to be held accountable for what she’s done. Anna Henrietta is valid in her desire to see her sister heal as well, especially because she was one of the perpetrators of Syanna’s horrible upbringing. We also get to interact with Dettlaff and Syanna more personably than we do with Eredin or even Gaunter O’Dimm and Olgierd von Everec! Dettlaff comes to talk to Geralt and apologizes to him, as directly as he can in the present company, and we spend time with Syanna in the Land of a Thousand Fables. They’re both very flawed, human characters, and we get to see multiple sides of them, which is one of the things I love about their storyline.
But again. They’re coming from entirely different places here. Syanna was abused as a child and decided to get a higher vampire to fall in love with her, then staged her own kidnapping to manipulate him into killing people who’d wronged her in the past, even though they weren’t her original abusers and we know Dettlaff wouldn’t kill anyone if he had a choice in the matter. Dettlaff? Well, he killed five men. And then he apologized for it, and said that he was just doing what he was told in order to ensure his lover’s safety. Dettlaff did way less direct harm than Syanna, and was much quicker to take responsibility for it. As far as I remember, Syanna hasn’t apologized for anything she did. So basically, I don’t think she deserves to die, but you’re totally valid in thinking that she does.
However, I will say without a doubt that the ending I will ALWAYS go for is the one where Syanna dies and you let Dettlaff go. It’s the best one in my opinion, but I still don’t like it. Someone else has said before that the point is that none of the endings were actually “good,” but this felt different to me. I wouldn’t say that CDPR is promoting that message, but I do wish that you as the player had more agency in what happens, and I wish there was an ending that actually felt good to get.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about this! It’s one of the things I’m very passionate about in this game, and the reason I’ve started to write a fix-it fic.
If anyone disagrees with what I’ve said, feel free to say so! Just remember to be respectful. :)
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
#the witcher#the witcher 3#the witcher wild hunt#the witcher games#dettlaff van der eretein#dettlaff#blood and wine#tw3#witcher meta#syanna#also like. one of my friends mentioned that they stopped listening to dettlaff’s side of the story when he pinned syanna against the wall.#I suppose i understand that but also. WOULDNT YOU BE ANGRY IF YOUD BEEN FORCED TO KILL PEOPLE TO SAVE YOUR LOVER AND THEN LEARNED THAT#YOUR LOVER WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE USING YOU THE WHOLE TIME????#because dettlaff is a man and syanna is a woman i feel like people’s opinions on their trauma and their trauma responses are skewed.#as well as just their characters and worldviews in general!#they both did bad things. but i think they both deserve a better ending.#THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TEDTALK#long post#man this got way longer than i expected. I am passionate about these fictional characters everyone
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Why is the Roche/Ciri ship always only crap for you all?
Hey, i once read a draco x apple fanfic. I have no room to judge anyone's ship and I don't think I ever did that (outside of private conversations). What i am judging is someone ruining the fandom experience for other people. If you really are as upset and hurt by people hating on your ship as you say, I'm sure you understand why people don't like you hating on their ship. (btw it's hilarious that you sent me hate for rorveth and cirys. Literally the only character included here that i even know is Ciri. If you sent me geraskier hate there would at least be context since i actually ship it, but i have absolutely no opinion on those ships you mentioned. I don't even know them)
You've been told by others why they are annoyed by your asks and obviously it has no effect on you, so i won't bother repeating what they've already said, but i do occasionally love hearing myself talk so i wil still write a far longer response than i should So this isn't a hate response, it's a love letter to fandom. So here's what made being in a fandom so special to me:
The support.
Fandom to me is, at its core, strangers sharing their excitement, inspiring each other and admiring what other people do. When i started writing i was so self conscious, i couldn't sleep after posting a chapter because I was so anxious. And i received so much support even for works that are really not that great. There's something so wonderful about cheering others on and getting cheered on. That sort of open and heartfelt support is not something you experience in real life and it made some hard times much better for me. It's incredible knowing that people across the globe collaborate, send each other prompts or getting really excited about something someone else did.
2. The possibility to just…not engage in conversations i don't want to be in.
It's so freeing to have the option to block people of just not respond. There's always some sort of controversy or just some takes i don't like. How wonderful that i can just not look at those things
3. Getting to be creative and knowing it makes people happier
Your fic or art isn't brilliant? Who cares. It's so freeing to create something out of love, for people who love the same thing. I started writing for the first time since i was a child because of fandom. I dabbled in creating fanart (and realised the medium isn't for me, which is also great to find out), i wrote poetry (which I never wanted to do) and badly recorded songs (which i felt so self conscious about). Was it all good? Ha, absolutely not. But i got zo try it out and i wouldn't have done that without fandom. There is no external pressure to be good (or if there is pressure from other people to create and be good, there are always a ton of others telling you why this pressure is unfair and should be ignored). There are no grades, no deadlines. Just the love and joy of creating and sharing your creation. Or not sharing them, if that's what you want. Both is fine and that's the point
4. Seeing people of all skill levels share their works
And all of their art is beautiful and meaningful, no matter if they qre a master of their craft or someone who pickef up a pen for the first time to try out this medium
5. Seeing different interpretations
I don't like many of them but it's so interesting to see how others are interpreting something. That can be anything from the question of who's a top to some in depth meta analysis. People enjoy different things and it's so cool to see what they focus on
6. The people in general. I pretty much left the witcher fandom months ago (i tried writing for it again but it was so hard that I gave up) but through it, i met incredible people, some of who have become irreplaceable parts of my life and i am so thankful for fandom for bringing us together like this. When i was in the fandom, i got to know people are so talented, unbelievably creative, kind, funny, supportive and so many other wonderful things (even those i never talked to directly. If you left a comment on something i wrote or made my days brighter with your own creations, you are amazing and i appreciate you a lot)
Basically, fandom for me was an experience that brought me joy and a sense of community. It's on you to seek out the fandom experience you want to have. If you want that experience to be one of bitterness and hate, I'm really sorry for you. But more than anything I'm sorry for the people who you drag into this by harrassing them even after they blocked you. If you want to stew in bitterness over shipping a rarepair, that's your decision. But if other people want to enjoy the fandom in a more joyful way, then that should be their decision too and you don't get to take it away from them and ruin their love. Because ultimately that's what fandom is to me and i treasure the memory of that love more than I value the opinion of someone who apparently takes joy in trying (and hopefully failing) to take that love away
#I have a lot more to say but I'll shut up now#Or else I'd still be rambling in an hour#Also just so you know#Some people aren't just annoyed by you#Getting your spam is pretty funny and feel almost like a strange kind of chievement#Look ma! The random internet person noticed me! I made it as a fandom creator :D#Seriously though you're wasting your and everyone else's time#I'm not sure if anyone is taking you seriously at this point#Go eat some grass or something
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