#BOTH HE AND SYANNA DESERVED BETTER

[finleycannotdraw]

Dettlaff van der Eretein

(AKA the Beast of Beauclair AKA My Darling Babygirl)

my favorite sad villainized misunderstood vampire boyfriend <3 he did some things wrong but I don’t think he deserves to be killed and I WILL talk for hours about my issue with the endings of blood and wine if given the opportunity

anyway he is very cute and i had a lot of fun making this one!! I don’t usually mix styles (paint texture brush + pencil texture brush) so this was both an experiment and a way to get rid of my art block. I actually really like how it turned out!

[northernolddragon]

oh i read your opinion about the ending in Bow. I think that Dettlaff is a character treated very unfairly by the creators. the game almost forces us to kill him. both main paths lead to killing a vampire. sparing him by not taking some ribbon is hard to achieve. because who knew how this ribbon works. Dettlaff's death is the only scene in the game that I avoid. it's super sad like in the bad ending of the wild hunt where Geralt sits with a medallion in a hut in the swamp and waits for monsters to tear him apart. The 'good' ending is an unfunny joke. we kill Dettlaff, regis is anathema and the psycho bitch will not answer for her crimes. this is the worst ending. Using Dettlaff was one of Syanna's many crimes. syanna is based on renfri and should end like renfri. She deserved only death. Dettlaff slaughtered many people but he is a higher vampire, for him people are like cows or pigs for slaughter to us. vampires in tesham mutna treated people like chickens human life have a very small value to vampires.regis mentions many times that dett doesn't reason like a human and can't be measured by human standards.regis killed many people in his youth (especially babies because their blood tasted best) but after the peasants massacred him he changed for the better. I think if Dettlaff survives, he has a chance to change for the better with help of regis. 2 humanistic higher vampires will be worth a lot more to the world than a syanna ever would be. sorry for such a long ask I'm glad you also prefer the ending where Dettlaff survives <33

Hello. And whoever you are, dear anonymous, it's always nice to hear an opinion, that goes along with mine. A very emotional.

On the first playthrough, alas, not knowing about the nuance with the ribbon, Dettlaff died from his own brother, because it seemed to me that the ribbon was important to Syanna and it would be right to give it to her. The decision to replay the ending was immediate once I got past that stage. And even considering, that I do not feel hatred or negative feelings for Syanna, I didn't understand either her or the duchess. Anna Henrietta chose to ignore the reasonableness of Regis and Geralt, and in this stubbornness didn't escape the consequences for her sister. On such a large scale. A slightly spoiled position of an imperious woman, although there is a downside - a weakness for a relative, a close person. She feared for her sister and decided, that paying with innocent lives would be the best outcome. Otherwise, she would have tried to prevent the genocidal position of the Dettlaff's flock. Enough contradictions. And in each you can find different nuances. But we are talking about the unfair treatment of a representative of the strongest race on the Continent, as well as his friend, because after the death of Dettlaff, you can see the fruits of a 'good ending'. How can one wish Regis, who has not yet been fully restored in regeneration, a similar fate? It's cruel. The injustice extends to him. And I understand your emotions and torment on all counts.

Let me touch on the topic, where Regis, with all the actions of his brother, behaves extremely prudently and reasonably (in fact, as in all situations), let's just say, he thinks the way a vampire should, who has years of addiction behind him and the consequences of this addiction in connection with his first 'death'. I think, one of the reasons, why he treats Dettlaff with his usual understanding and actually doesn't express condemnation. Despite the flaming Beauclair. The second is blood relationship and knowledge of Eretein from adolescence. He knew, what Dettlaff was capable of, knew he wouldn't do harm if he wasn't forced to do it. He is the voice of reason for the witcher. It is thanks to him that Geralt considers the possibility of a choice, for many decisions also depend on the intervention of Emiel. The third is a severed hand with a Humanist's ring, such a symbolically important moment, showing the renunciation of this worldview, since he destroyed the one with whom he managed to make friends. And Regis in all cases finds statements to make it clear how much he believes in his brother. He would definitely help him deal with the loss of Syanna by finding Dettlaff one way or another. To overcome the dark period of guilt for the deed, which he himself experienced. I liked your idea on this. There are some parallels in the lives of the two vampires. And I want a good outcome for both of them.

Let's say, Dettlaff brought nazair's roses roots to Regis to plant in them herb garden at his home in Dillingen. He would draw local landscapes, and sometimes, the way Regis works, laughing, on the occasions when he is characteristically well-mannered swearing under his breath at the wrong concentrate of herbs, that one of the local doctors gave to a patient, who came to him with acute pains; and made toys for poor children from orphanages or ordinary beggars. Perhaps, later he would sell them for a small price. And this peaceful life would calm those dark events, as well as his morale.

Thank you. Thinking about the peaceful life of both, I felt warm in my soul.

[afroplatypus]

I think Dettlaff deserved better.. but creators treated him like connon fodder completely disregarding his character. Just look at the endings titles. 'good' is when both royal sisters survive 'bad' is when only of them one dies and 'tragic' is with both sisters dead. What about Dettlaff. Creators completely ignored him. Syanna is the real villain of the story. She played with fire but she got the city burned. You cant blame gunpowder for exploding if you are the one playing with matches. If not syanna bone od that would ever happen. Syanna knew exactly how dangerous and powerful Dettlaff is and what he is capable of doing but she decided to use him anyway. That makes her even more idiot. Bad childhood doesnt excuse her actions. I dont like that to convice her not to kill her sister we have to pat her on head and justify. Many murderers and rapists had bad childhood. Should we feel sorry for them? Some od them for sure. Should we justify them? Absolutely not. Her vile behavior is enough to sentence bitch syanna to death. I let her die and felt no mercy and I dont understand why according to Cdpr she should survive in this story.

I do agree that Dettlaff living shouldn't be a 'bad' ending, and that Syanna getting away with what she did was very poorly written. Dettlaff setting vampires on the city is poorly written imo, but that's the canon we have so that's what I'll talk about.

Firstly, I think the metaphor of playing with gunpowder takes away from Dettlaff's agency- he's not mindless or unable to control himself (quite the opposite- he calmed himself after threatening Syanna, and waited a whole week to come to him after initially only giving her 3 days). He made the conscious decision to attack the men, women and children of Toussaint, and while he may have not intended to harm the orphanage, he's seen observing the city so he knows that innocents are dying there. Both he and Syanna knew they were harming people who'd done nothing wrong to them.

I don't like Syanna because she hurt Dettlaff, but I don't think of her as worse than Dettlaff in terms of their actions. I like Dettlaff because he's a very cool character, and while I think they were both written questionably in parts, hating Syanna would require me to see Dettlaff as completely helpless and innocent, which he's not- and that moral nuance is what makes him fun to explore :)

[rhenawed]

05. the hierophant, 06. the lovers, 17. the star

major arcana of the tarot

05.  the hierophant  :  what are your muse’s morals / ethics ? do they follow their moral code strictly ?

I’d say Syanna’s moral alignment is a Chaotic Neutral. She won’t harm or kill innocents, but she doesn’t mind it happening to those who deserve it (especially the five knights who abused her.) After all, she was willing to talk to Dettlaff just to avoid harm coming to anyone else, but also because she knew she OWED him the explanation. And despite her sister being the next target she wanted to take out, if Anareitta just showed her compassion and apologized, then they both hugged and she forgave her instead of it ending tragically for the sisters. Speaking of Dettlaff too, I feel Syanna knew that it was wrong to use him, and she does feel sorrow for it, but she also thought he would understand once the truth came to light (if it ever did.) However, it didn’t exactly go that way. 

I’d say she follows it strictly. Her whole entire thing was about doing what she wanted and felt was right. She was abused and wanted the ones who did it to pay. She is a free spirit and believe it or not, she follows it all based on her emotions. 

06.  the lovers  :  how important are relationships to your muse ? do they value having a significant other ?

Important to note, Syanna doesn’t feel she deserves a happy relationship and is self-destructive, sabotaging it because of the way she was treated growing up.

I know everyone may think Syanna didn’t care about anyone else except herself, but that isn’t entirely the truth. Relationships are very important to her. After all, she was abused by her parents for being born under a black sun and treated by them (and the rest of the ducal) as an evil monster. She always longed for the affection her sister got in return. And her sister was the only one she had a real relationship with until Syanna met Dettlaff years later. 

Which brings me to the fact that I think Syanna actually really cared for Dettlaff in her own complicated way. You can see it in the way she reacts when he is around, it’s all in her facial expressions when her back is turned away from anyone else because she isn’t one to show her feelings freely unless she trusts the person. However, in the game, she knows she has done wrong, hence hiding it again, especially from Dettlaff. Just like she was the first human to accept him for what he was, he was the first person to ever genuinely treat her like she was a normal human being that wasn’t “cursed”. He was her first real relationship where someone loved her and gave her affection, and despite how Syanna may say brush it all off saying he was just “a tool”, it’s a lie. He affected her and left a mark on her heart and that’s the only thing about Dettlaff that scared her. Not the fangs, or claws, or his “intense” emotions, but it was actually the fact that she found herself falling in love with him and almost wanting to forget about her revenge and stay with him as Rhena. 

It was why she left him. It was why she must remind herself that she is a monster, everyone is a tool, and no one can be trusted. It’s something she will teach Dettlaff too. 

17.  the star  :  what does your muse take inner comfort in knowing ? what guides your muse ?

That her pain and anger and misery will finally be over once she gets her revenge on those who hurt her. That she can finally move on with her life and be happy after it. That they will never hurt anyone else again.

But will it really make her feel better? Will it make things better? The fact is she believes it will. Revenge was the only thing keeping her fighting. It was what has kept her alive. 

[queenxxxsupreme]

Okieeee... I had a thought.... Dettlaff holding you and cuddling while listening to the rain on the roof, and he hears you humming a song and you’re just holding him and it’s sweet and aaaaaaa!!!!!🥺

A/N: Okay I added these two together! I hope you guys like this<3

***

You moved through the house, pushing doors open and searching rooms for your dear husband. He’d been missing for the better half of the morning. You weren’t too sure where he’d gone off too, but you knew he couldn’t have gotten far. He didn’t like traveling in the rain, and it was pouring down outside. 

You arrived at the library. It was once a guest room, but both you and Dettlaff agreed it’d be of better use if it was a library to hold all the books you enjoyed and ones you had yet to read. 

He stood near the large windows that overlooked the front lawn. His hands were clasped behind his back and his shoulders were squared. His posture was impeccable, and it always seemed to amaze you. Muscles rippled beneath ivory skin with every breath he took. His biceps flexed from how he held his arms. 

Icy blue eyes seemed focused on the cloudy sky. 

“You’re thinking.” You stated, moving into the room. 

Dettlaff turned his head to look at you. 

“Hello, darling.”

You gave him a little smile, but his eyes didn’t stay on you long enough for him to see it. 

You stayed silent as you approached him, your hand coming to rest between his shoulder blades. His skin was cold to the touch. 

“Are you cold?”

“I’m comfortable.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Many things.”

“What sort of things?” You kissed his shoulder. 

He looked down at you, his gaze softening. 

“I don’t wish to trouble you with the dark thoughts that cloud my mind.” He pressed his lips to your forehead in a tender kiss. But you frowned. 

“Is there anything I can do?” You tilted your head to the side a little. 

He was silent for a few moments, staring out at the gray sky. 

“I’d like to lay down for a bit. If you’ll join me, that is.”

“Of course.” You nodded, smiling. 

***

The two of you walked alongside each other to the master room. Just before you got into bed with him, you pushed the windows open to allow the sound of the rain to come in easier. A steady stream of water came down off of the roof but luckily it didn’t enter the house. 

“I hate the rain.” Dettlaff mumbled under his breath.

“You hate being wet. You enjoy the sound of the rain.” You climbed into bed. You settled with facing him so you could trace his collarbones. “Please tell me what it is that clouds your thoughts.” You begged softly, unable to meet his gaze. 

He didn’t answer you, so you thought maybe he didn’t want to talk about it. It was difficult to get Dettlaff to talk about his emotions sometimes, especially the darker ones. 

“Syanna.” He murmured her name with a sadness that broke your heart. 

Unintentionally, you drew your hand away from him. Your eyes flickered up to meet his, eyebrows crinkling together. 

You couldn't help but feel a little upset that he was thinking about her. And you had every right to be. He was your husband and he was thinking about a past lover, one that used him.

“Why?”

“She’s the reason so many know me as a beast.”

“You were used. She used you for her own purpose. You shouldn’t be giving her any thought. What you did-,”

“My actions caused the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. They had nothing to do with what was going on with Syanna and myself.”

You pressed your lips together in a firm line. You didn’t know what to say. He was right. Many innocent people had died at the hands of the very vampires he led into the city. 

“I don’t deserve you.” He breathed out, eyes closing. 

“You deserve more than Syanna. More than a woman who used you, used your feelings towards her. She manipulated you, Dettlaff.”

“But what I did for her, Y/N, I would do again for you.”

Your eyes widened a little as you met his gaze. His hand came up to stroke the side of your face. 

“I would slaughter all of Toussaint if it meant keeping you safe.”

“Don’t say that.” You shook your head, pulling his hand away from your face so that you could hold it. “I’d- Dettlaff, I wouldn’t want you to do that.”

“But I would.” He whispered, his voice weak. 

“And I wouldn’t let you.” You reached up to cup his face, your thumb brushing along his jaw. “You aren’t a monster, Dettlaff. You have a heart and you are kind and compassionate.”

He shook his head, eyes closing. He moved towards you, tucking his nose into your chest.  

“You were manipulated, Dettlaff.” You reminded him, cradling his head to your chest. 

Thunder rumbled quietly outside. The sound of the rain dripping from the roof was comforting and relaxing. 

“Sing to me, please.” He quietly spoke, his voice muffled by his mouth being pushed into your chest. 

You began to hum softly, combing your fingers through his hair. After a while, you were sure he’d fallen asleep. His breathing had slowed down and he didn’t seem so tense. But you didn’t stop humming. You watched the rain fall outside. 

“I love you.” You murmured into his ear. “And you deserve good things.”

Soon, you were feeling sleepy yourself. You buried your nose in his hair and closed your eyes.

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[dziolcha]

i was tagged by @advena87 to answer some questions about the witcher 😊

Skellige isles or the continent? Continent. I’m not a big fan of this whole “viking” vibe.

Velen or Toussaint? Tough choice, but I’d say Velen. It feels more real.

Novigrad or Beauclair? Novigrad for the same reason as Velen. 

Sleeping at Corvo Bianco or meditating under a tree? Meditating under a tree. Corvo Bianco is beautiful, but honestly I’m too lazy to go there everytime i need to refill my potions.

Inns or Brothels? I don’t really like paying 100 crowns for some random sex scene lol so i choose inns.

Caves or Ruins? I think they’re both kinda boring, but at least ruins are pretty.

High or low difficulty? Even tho i always play on low difficulty, somehow i still manage to get my ass kicked every time.

Going back to old save: yay or nay?  Nah, I don’t really see the point in doing that.

Mods: yay or nay?  The only game in which i use mods is the sims lol.

Mini-map or no mini-map? Sometimes i get lost even when i use mini-map, so playing without it would be terrible tbh.

Roach or Fast travel? Fast travel. As I’ve said before, I’m lazy. 🤷‍♀️

Roads or Boats? Roads, I hate boats with burning passion.

Specters or Relics?  Relics are more interesting, but Specters have cooler design so I’d say both.

Beasts or Hybrids?  Hybrids.

Necrophages or Vampires?  Vampires are way more interesting.

Orgroids or Elementa?  Orgroids.

Dracanoids or Cursed Ones?  Cursed Ones because they’re usually related to some cool quests.

The Caretaker or the Crones?  Neither really scared me, but the Crones were way more disgusting. (i wanna puke everytime i see Weavess’ eye/eyes/whatever tf it is)

Botchlings or spotted Wights?  Both!!!

Godlings or Trolls?  Trolls. Unpopular opinion, but Godlings are kinda annoying.

Sirens or Harpies? Sirens.

Killing or sparing? Sparing.

Dijkstra or Roche?  Dijkstra. Roche is a good friend to Geralt, but he’s plan sucks + I don’t really like him to be honest. ( i wish i could save Thaler and Ves tho)

Vesemir or Crach an Craite?  Crach an Craite.

Eskel or Lambert?  I like Eskel, but Lambert is one of my favorite characters from The Witcher.

Keira or Philippa?  Philippa was great in books but Keira stole my heart in TW3.

Cerys or Hjalmar?  I like them both, but Cerys is a way better ruler than Hjalmar.

Syanna or Anarietta?  Syanna is more complex than Anarietta. (but i always choose the ending where she dies and Dettlaff lives anyway)

Yen or Triss?  I’d say Yen, but i like Triss as well.

Ciri or Geralt?  Geralt.

Regis or Dettlaff?  Regis.

Olgierd von Everec or Gaunter O’Dimm?  Gaunter, Olgierd got what he deserved.

Olgierd von Everec or Iris von Everec?  Iris.

Shani or Dandelion?  Dandelion, i like Shani but she was pretty annoying in TW1.

Johnny or Sarah? Neither.

Sorceresses or Witchers?  Sorceresses. Especially the lodge.

Druids or the local holy man? Druids.

Food or Swallow?  Swallow.

Decoctions or Potions?  Potions, decoctions are kinda useless on low difficulty.

Hunting for diagrams or finding them per chance?  Usually per chance.

Saving coin or spending coin? Spending. You don’t have to save coin if you steal trash from villagers. :P

Looting or buying?  Looting.

Upsetting the guards or following the rules? Following the rules. Some bread and empty bottles aren’t worth it.

Igni or Axii? Igni.

Yrden or Aard? Yrden.

Signs or blade oils? Signs.

Crossbow or fists? Crossbow is useful only underwater, so fists.

Settling down or staying on the path? Settling down, let the old man rest.

Gwent Cards or Swords? Gwent Cards.

Beard or no beard? No beard.

“Puss Peepers” or “Mutant”? “Puss Peepers” is funny, “Mutant” is just rude lol.

I’m not tagging anyone, but feel free to steal it. 💕

[crownedpetitebellette]

“I heard of your late Duke Raymond. Of how he treated you. Why is it that you humans remain in relationships that are clearly of no benefit to you, when all they do is harm? I cannot understand it. No one deserves that.”

“I did not know you were the one to indulge in fishwives’ gossips, master Dettlaff,” The Duchess’s nose appears dangerously pointier. She is too refined a creature to snarl straight away, but Dettlaff spend enough time among his lesser cousins - if not enough time among Beauclair courtiers - to recognise a warning mannerism.  Still, she called him “master Dettlaff”. The familiarity is a good sign. And, verily, Anna Henrietta turns away for a moment and fidgets with her rings.  “We are not a mere human. As a ruler we can not put our heart before our duty. We...I did it only once.” she lies quietly, but without anger. The wound is too large and too terrible to approach it with reason. Better not to think about it at all.  And both of us know that the price was a nightmare. But I could not act otherwise, I could not send my sister into the claws of the monster. A monster who dared to dictate its term to Us...  Anna Henrietta looks straight at the figure that basks in shadows as naturally as she basks in the sun, imagining another one, standing close to him. Could their tale ever have a happy ending? Two sisters reunited, lovers’ found...she wants to share with Syanna, get off the burden of all that desolate years. “Raymond was Our duty. Our...relationship was meant to enrich the Duchy and provide the stability to the land. Until our husband began spending gold in a fearsome proportions to indulge his whims. Then it was advised, strongly advised, he would move to Cintra. It was the furtherest - and cheapest - outpost, where we could maintain a polite lie that The Duke was away on a very important, political business. Then...” The indifferent explanation, truthful tot the point of being unpleasantly sharp, halts. “Then I let my heart believe I was just a woman, not the Duchess. You have heard the rest, no doubt. And you know where it lead me. Nor crown nor a simple bliss on roses brought my heart a happy ending. At the darkest moments, when I thought I was too shuttered to proceed, I thought of my dear sister, and it always brought me strength. To know that she did not suffer the indignities in my place. 

“Tell me, that my dreams were not hopeless. Tell me that she knew lo... happiness, not only hardships,” Anarietta’s voice does not betray a hint of weakness, but her eyes fit her words as impeccably as a crown fits her head. They plead. 

[gerlat-apreciation]

22, 26, 27, 28 for the witcher asks ;)

Oh so many! Thank you for sending asks!

22. Killing or Spareing

26. Keira or Phillipa

28. Syanna or Annarietta

I always spare who I think deserves it. Monsters who killed to eat or self defense I leave alone, but ones that kill for fun I quickly end em. Humans are the same way. I like to think witchers walk the line between human and monster, keeping each side safe from the other

Ooooo I never really thought much about these two, I like them both equally as women and mages but if I’m gonna be completely honest, I like Keira more, for me I saw her a bit more and her sassy charm that still shows she cares is so great! She’s also really into fairy tails and that’s great. so. cute.

Easily done. Syanna. I understand why she blackmailed the beast even if it was a litttle stupid, I’ve always loved the curse of the black sun because again, shrouded in mystery. Is it actually a curse or is it because their parents treated them like shit? Anna for me is just, rude and just plain idiotic.

ma’am you are telling a 100 year old Witcher who has fought and learned about things like this since he was 3- that your dogs would do better finding something you know absolutely nothing about.

understandable I’m sorry that you’re that dumb. Give me my money

[riviae]

Regis and/or Dettlaff for the character headcanon meme (ya know, if a hundred others haven't already asked lol)

character meme (accepting!): under a read more due to length 

Regis: 

favorite thing about them:

besides his obvious kind heart & unflinching loyalty, i love how passionate he is about things!! dude’s been alive for 400+ yrs & he still wants to travel, to make friends, to learn, to teach, to heal, to share his interests & knowledge. he loves life–loves humanity (cdpr can miss me w/ his referencing humans as mosquitoes metaphor nonsense)–& is my favorite example of a good redemption story/character. 

least favorite thing about them: 

he can be… rather pretentious at times. but to his credit, he never really belittles or alienates anyone in the hansa–it’s more like he has a lot of ‘high-brow’ interests for the time/setting (not counting distilling, of course) & in sharing/explaining them, he goes a bit over the top. i don’t think it’s on purpose, but case in point… not everything has to be a lecture, ya know? 

favorite line: 

kinda cheating on this, but my favorite scene of anything ever is this one from lady of the lake: 

“Well,” sighed Regis. “Have it your way. I’ll have to avoid mirrors and dogs, and will have to beware of sorcerers and telepaths… And if I’m still exposed, I’m counting on you.”“You can count on me,” Geralt said seriously. “I’m not in the habit of leaving a friend in need.”The vampire smiled and because they were alone, he did not hide his fangs. “Friend?”

now specifically from b&w, i like this line from Regis’ journal: People justify bad deeds by good intentions. I’m not sure if there is greater idiocy

brOTP: 

geralt/regis (which you’ll also see in the otp section), regis/yen (goth-nerd solidarity & also they both love geralt so jot that down), & regis/angouleme (he’s a wonderful uncle figure to angouleme)

also if regis ever got to meet vesemir i’m 100% sure they’d have gotten along swimminglg

OTP: 

geralt/regis–it’s my lifeblood babey

nOTP: 

romance-wise, any regis/hansa member that isn’t geralt is just not my cup of tea as well as regis/dett****

random headcanon

after his second regeneration, he became wearier around unknown sorcerers/sorceresses/magic users (w/ the exception of yen). at one point, geralt had decided to light a candle near regis using igni w/o really thinking abt it & noticed that regis had visibly flinched. geralt apologized immediately & now lets regis know when he’s abt to light something using magic (’normal’ fires, those not started by magic, don’t bother him. so it’s less of an aversion to fire & more of an aversion to fire made thru magic).

unpopular opinion: 

i don’t really like his sideburns or hairline–not bc i think the design is bad per se (i think it solidified his intro in b&w as a more scholarly character), but bc i think it ages him much more than necessary. when the other 2 higher vampires (dettlaff, orianna, hell–even the unseen elder), look much younger, then it just seems unusual imo. a middle-aged tax collector w/ a crooked nose is how sapkowski describes him & idk, i think cdpr just wanted to give regis a more stereotypical scholarly look instead of using descriptions from the books. 

song i associate with them:

when i’m in an angst™ mood, this song is what makes me think of regis (& higher vampires in the witcher series in general). it’s called far from home (the raven) by sam tinnesz 

favorite picture of them (i’m too lazy to do this but assume every picture of regis is my fave)

Dettlaff: 

favorite thing about them

his hobbies! woodworking & building toys for kids is nice™; cdpr should’ve at least given us a tiny scene of him tinkering on stuff. presumably he has a caring nature given that he nursed regis back to health but once again, cdpr couldn’t be bothered to flesh out the interesting aspects of his character & instead gave us an albeit cool but ultimately unnecessary boss battle :/ 

least favorite thing about them

oof, his lack of patience & propensity towards violence. well, perhaps propensity is the wrong word; i mean that in a character who is powerful/deadly (in which even a brief lapse in judgement could mean death for another), a hair trigger temper is... not going to endear me to them. for instance, i don’t think that dettlaff went to tesham mutna with the intent of killing syanna--i don’t think he knew himself what he would do upon seeing her. BUT, he still did it--& i’m sorry but killing an unarmed/defenseless (presumably unarmed, but even if she were armed it wouldn’t change the fact that she was defenseless against him & dettlaff knew that) woman in a fit of rage (who yes, wronged dettlaff greatly) speaks of a deeper problem relating to his inability to process his emotions. 

i originally thought that cdpr was going to do some cool parallels between dettlaff and geralt bc both have issues w/ emotion but in different ways (i.e., dettlaff has difficulty controlling his while geralt has trouble expressing them), but they shared maybe a handful of sentences w/ each other before the conclusion of the dlc so yeah D: 

favorite line: 

“If you acknowledge any gods... start praying, now.” 

brOTP: 

regis/dettlaff is pretty much it/the only relationship i find interesting in b&w for dett anyway 

OTP: 

dettlaff/character development 

nOTP: 

mentioned in regis’ list above, but i also am not a fan of geralt/dett

random headcanon: 

his “pack” up until syanna consisted almost entirely of orphaned lower vampires. whether due to their family dying or abandoning them, dett’s reserved & calming demeanor makes it easier for LVs to trust him. he’s nursed plenty of injured LVs back to health & when he passed thru the remnants of stygga castle, he did so bc he originally thought that he was following the trail of an injured LV (having caught regis’ scent). it was only when he got closer that he recognized the ‘shapeless smear’ was regis--someone he hadn’t seen in centuries--& chose to help him heal despite how taxing it would be. 

unpopular opinion

i don’t understand his popularity as a character or how his actions can be defended. his character design is great (i still wanna to buy his moth brooch tbh), he was voice acted very well, & there are hints of an interesting backstory esp in relation to why he chose to help regis regenerate, but that’s not the focus of the dlc. 

if i have to rely on regis to explain why dettlaff is a good person/deserves redemption/etc., then that’s lazy writing. i love regis to death, but he, like anna henrietta, was blind to/didn’t want to see his loved one’s faults/misdeeds. u can’t make an unbiased character judgement on someone you’re close to and indebted to imo. 

granted, regis himself is an example of dett’s charity since he is alive & well (& also is stressed af bc of dettlaff), but does one good deed wash away all the death he later commits in the attack on beauclair? motivation or not, murder is murder, plain & simple. i can forgive but not condone regis’ actions in his youth bc, arguably, regis was already punished severely for it & chose to change/become a better person. cdpr didn’t give us an option to allow dett to be punished for his crimes (in something other than death--which i don’t think he nor syanna deserve) or let us know if he eventually grows to be a better person w/ the help of regis & so i can only care for him in the respect that i mourn the character he (& syanna) could’ve been. 

in summary: everything i dislike abt dettlaff is entirely due to a lack of care when it came to fleshing out his character. we only see him committing acts of violence/murder, never healing or helping. we see the fallout of his anger, see that he feels grief & even remorse (like in de la croix’s death), but it doesn’t excuse the act itself. ppl are more than welcome to like or love morally dark/dubious characters, but i have an issue when a morally dubious character is painted as good or good but misunderstood. 

song i associate with them

the song inferno by sir sly gives me real dettlaff vibes: I think you clipped my wings to save me from the sunForgot my hands and knees, I had to learn a lessonOh fearless teacher how'd I ever lose my sightWhy'd I ever try to fight against your path?Somewhere at half my life, I wandered in the woodsCan't find a single right, I swear nothing is goodI'm blinded now and darkness shrouds my every sightWhy'd I ever try to fight for my own path?

favorite picture of them: 

once again, too lazy to find one, but his final form in the boss battle was cool even if it kinda went against sapkowski’s lore.

[witcherislovewitcherislife]

1, 3, 11, 18, 20, 22, 23, 28, 44, 48 and 50 from the "Make me choose: The Witcher 3"? (sorry for asking so late)

Thanks for the ask! No worries, I accept asks anytime, no matter if it is late or not. :)

Questions from this post here.

1. Skellige Isles or The Continent?: The Continent

The continent has much more to offer I think. Skellige is amazing but it doesn’t have as many varying regions. The Continent has everything from cities, mountains, forests, plains, etc. Whereas Skellige is more limited to villages and small towns with mountains and forests. Skellige is great as a nation but The Continent has many nations so I prefer it. 

3. Novigrad or Beauclair?: Beauclair

Beauclair is a much nicer city in my opinion. I love big cities so Novigrad is awesome but I think the people in Novigrad are much worse. Many are on edge over the war and there are groups of racists. I think with the Witch Hunters gone and the Church of the Eternal Fire out of power then the city would become much better. But that being said, Beauclair is still preferable. It is much cleaner and more colorful. Both have many cultures and activities which is nice.

11. Roach or Fast Travel?: Roach

Roach is Geralt’s closest ally. She is a trusty steed that is always there to assist. Granted she is not the best at her job but she is loyal and that is what counts. Plus the scenery is so beautiful that I love to just explore on horseback. Although I do have to often get off Roach and go running for herbs. 

18. The Caretaker or The Crones?: The Caretaker

I prefer The Caretaker. I think his backstory is deeper than The Crones and overall I kind of feel bad for him. He was condemned to serving at the Von Everec estate. We don’t know much else besides that which makes him quite mysterious as well. And it sucks that we had to kill him when he was really just doing his job. As for The Crones, I think they are more inherently evil. We do not know much about their backstory either but we do know that they love to prey on the weak and are fine with many suffering if it benefits them. They were one of the enemies that I took great joy in killing.

20. Godlings or Trolls?: Godlings

This is a tough one as I love both of them. They are both sentient creatures and both tend to be kind-hearted. But the godlings are like children and just want to play and have fun whereas some trolls become hostile so I give the edge to the godlings.

22. Killing or Sparing?: Sparing

If I have the option, I will almost always spare people. I think when you are in a position like the one that Geralt is in, you need to be responsible and realize that people make mistakes and many of these mistakes should not result in their death. I will also spare sentient monsters almost always when given the chance. Even if that results in some villager angry with me or me losing out on coin. There are exceptions however, like Whoreson Junior. I had the option to spare him but he was much too far gone for redemption and deserved to die.

23. Dijkstra or Roche?: Roche

Roche definitely. I do like Dijkstra but overall I do not think he would hesitate in killing Geralt or really anyone if need be. Roche is a true friend to Geralt and Dijkstra is more of a friend only if there is benefit for him. I think that Dijkstra is the better character as he has tons of layers and he is probably one of my favorite charcters. But in terms of Geralt, Roche is loyal and a good friend.

28. Syanna or Annarietta?: Annarietta

Annarietta is a great ruler and overall I good woman. She will do what is best for her people. Granted she has a bit of a short temperament which I know angers some people but I quite like that. Syanna is a good character but I do not think she is the best person. She got too thirsty for revenge (and for Geralt) which resulted in the deaths of many and possibly the death of Dettlaff, who is a kind vampire in my opinion.

44. Igni or Axii?: Axii

Axii. I think controlling people’s minds is more interesting than burning shit although Igni is very useful for lighting rooms.

48. Settling Down or Staying on the Path?: Settling Down

Settling down I feel is best for Geralt. He has worked endlessly for decades and deserves to settle down with Yen. I think Corvo Bianco is the perfect place for him as he can live there while still excepting contracts around Toussaint without having to leave home for too long.

50. Beard or No Beard?: Beard

I know that canon book Geralt prefers to not have a beard but as far as game Geralt is concerned, beard all day! I like the short trimmed beard the best and Geralt looks amazing with it!

[little---games]

A Song of Blood & Tenderness (Part 1)

Well guys, I’ve recentely talked to @nathamuel and she encouraged me to post one of my own fanfictions here. This takes place after the “A Night to Remember - Trailer”, so post Blood & Wine. It’s not finished yet, because I wanted to ask you guys, if I should continue it or not. Since English is not my mother-tongue, bare with my writing. I hope you enjoy the first part, please leave me feedback :D

Geralt was physically exhausted. He laid on the floor, heavily breathing. His head was spinning, so he closed his eyes to stay conscious. The witcher had many hazardous contracts, but this one had almost reached to his very end. It was a personal contract after all. Occasionally he took a pass on the money and focused on his moral grounds. He slept until morning. Turning his head to the left, he saw, that the dead body beside him was fully carbonised, a disgusting smell drained through the witcher’s nostrils. Geralt propped himself up on his elbow. He carefully put his feet on the floor and with the last bit of his strength managed to stand up. The witcher careened, because the pain in his body was disastrous. He wanted to scream, but oppressed it, instead he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. He had many reliable companions, but Roach never let him down. The chestnut mare arrived in a split of a second and bent down, so the witcher could mount her more easily. It was a long way home.

He finally reached Corvo Bianco. Blood ran down his throat as he collapsed on the stairs, leading to the main door of his house. The last thing he caught a glimpse of, was the silhouette of a delicate man, who bolted towards him. Then everything went black.

He woke up in a tub. His body was numb, he barely felt anything from his head down. Geralt did his very best to keep his eyes open, but the warm water and the smell of herbs made it impossible. As he was finally able to stay conscious, the witcher discovered the person he mostly desired to see. Regis stood next to a table in the spare room. He was holding a book with one hand, the other rested at his chin. He was thinking – as most of the time. Regis didn’t wear his bag, neither his leather apron or his gloves. He already seemed comfortable in his new surroundings, which didn’t appear to be a miracle.

Anything was better than that old mattress, lying on the floor of the crypt at Mére Lachaise-Lounge. The elder man’s senses reacted instantly, as Geralt formed his mouth to something, that might have been a smile. “Considering your condition, I will abstain to preach you a sermon. I’ve warned you about that contract and I worried sick”. The witcher furrowed a bit, as Regis did exactly, what he wanted to avoid. The vampire walked towards the tub and felt Geralt’s forehead. He then leaned forward to the right to get a fresh cloth. The witcher enjoyed that movement and spotted a chance.

He ran his hand over the vampire’s backside, up his back. The elder man turned around in a rapid speed: “You cannot be serious! Following your appetite like an animal. As I’ve already said, I worried sick and managed to keep you alive through my fast reacting and my knowledge and you think about sex?” - “Just wanted to cheer you up a little.” Geralt let his hand slit off the vampire’s back and took it back into the tub. He felt miserable. Watching the mixture of peppermint leaves, valerian and arnica blossoms flowing in the bathtub made the white-haired man dizzy again. He leaned the back of his head against the rim of the tub.

Regis dampened the cloth and placed it on Geralt’s forehead. It felt cold and the rest of the water dripped down his face. The vampire tried to wipe away the drops of water, but the witcher held his hand to his scarred cheek and closed his eyes. He felt a rush of cosiness, which seemed to energise him. Being with his old friend in an exciting new way - a way where they needn’t to hide anymore, a way, where they could enjoy each minute - made the witcher forget the pain for a few moments. The vampire furrowed his brow.

He still felt a tiny bit of anger, but seeing the white-haired man in absolute sorrow broke his heart. He let his mind wander but an intense twitch through Geralt’s body brought him back to reality. The elder man reacted instantly. He put a clove of garlic into the witcher’s mouth and made him swallow it. “Garlic attenuates blood and keeps it clean,” Regis repeated the words as he progressed. He then spurted to the shelf, where he kept his potions and grabbed an ampule with a mixture of burr, elder, nettle, dandelion, hyssop and sarsaparilla. “Human blood can be polluted by various circumstances, such as bad evacuation of toxics through inoperative excretory organs like kidneys, liver or bowel – as well as malnutrition and of course the saliva of a vampire.” The immortal had to open the mouth of the witcher widely to administer the medicine.

The symptoms got worse. The Witcher began to shake hazardously, his heartbeat increased and on his skin grew a vastly number of pustules. Even if this made the vampire burst inside and he regarded the scene with horror, he had to let the witcher in his misery. The potion aggravated the symptoms in the worst possible way, but Regis knew, that this was the only way to help his friend – his lover. His hand slid into the tub – the water had turned cold.

He took the caldron from the stove, waited a second and poured the warm water in the tub. Geralt’s body relaxed slowly. He sat on the chair, which stood next to the tub and starred at his old friend in a moment of silence. The immortal thought about the times, he was dependent on someone’s help.

Dettlaff regenerated him through his own blood, he cared for him with a lot of patience and made him feel special. They both could’ve been happy, if there hasn’t been Syanna. Thinking about her made Regis slightly extending his claws, but he kept his composure – as always. She made Dettlaff lose his mind, after he had killed her. Regis tried to find him everywhere, but if a higher vampire didn’t want to be found, he couldn’t be found. Not dead - but lost. And now his heart has turned towards Geralt, a witcher, a slayer of monsters, whose job was to kill creatures like him. A man, who was mutated against his will to risk his life every day. The vampire knew, that he wouldn’t stay at his side for too long as well. Why should he deserve to be happy? A lot of humans believed in a connection between deeds and consequences. And Regis began to believe in it, too.

“Head kills me – make it stop.” Regis startled. That was then, that might be, but this is now. The vampire looked at Geralt. He wasn’t cramped anymore, but a headache must have been plaquing the younger male and he felt, that a fever had occurred. The vampire didn’t want to take such a radical measure, but there was no way to avoid it. “Phlebotomy - The removal of blood from a vein, usually with a needle and syringe or other container, for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, as in the treatment of hemochromatosis – taken from the thump, it mitigates headaches and the worst kinds of fever.” He grabbed his bag, which leaned against the leg of the table and reached for a syringe.

“I don’t want to do this.” He trembled slightly as he inserted the metallic needle into Geralt’s thump. After all these years, he still couldn’t cope with his addiction. The witcher’s blood wouldn’t taste well, but a small amount would be enough to satisfy the craving. He brought the tip of the needle towards his mouth, stick out his tongue, ready to enjoy the drop of warm blood. Suddenly the syringe was whipped out of his hand. The witcher seemed to brace himself to do so. “You were gutted about me and now this.” There was a peeved undertone in Geralt’s voice.

The vampire looked down at his feet. “Don’t get me wrong Regis, not that I blame you, but I want to care for you, like you care for me.” The white-haired man tried to smile as heartily as he could. “Now help me get out of this tub, I’m waterlogged.” Regis took a large towel from the settee, held it in front of him and turned his head towards the book shelves in the corner. Geralt smirked “Couldn’t avert your eyes from it the last time and now you turn around?” “Geralt, I’m not really hellbent on talking about this highly sensitive issue.” The tip of his pointy ears began to turn red, which was a sign for absolute embarrassment. The witcher took the towel out of his hands, still smirking.

[finleycannotdraw]

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.

[finleycannotdraw]

yes syanna deserves punishment but her stupid sister won't punish her. We know this from the dialogue with Dandelion in the ending where Dandelion visits Geralt. No one denies that syanna suffered a lot and undeservedly but she absolutely does not deserve to be forgiven for the crimes. and this is what happens in the 'good ending' syanna had psychopathic tendencies even before she was diagnosed with the curse. For those who choose Yennefer because of books, Syanna's death should be canonical. syanna is Renfri created for the dlc. What did Geralt with Renfri? Butchered her in the middle of Blaviken. He should do the same with syanna. She is my most hated character from the entire witcher universe. Dettlaff is not completely good character but psycho sisters are not better than him. the perfect ending for me would be with both sisters dead and alive Dettlaff. But I only had with syanna dying. Dett deserve a second chance just like Regis in the books

Okay, so, you’re making the issue black and white when it clearly isn’t. Syanna and Dettlaff were both hurt and made bad decisions, and I think Dettlaff deserves more sympathy than he’s given by the game and the fandom, but you’re arguing that.. Syanna is just the villain, straight up, full stop? Yes, what she did was inexcusable. But one of the main ideas in the witcher is that there is no lesser evil, it’s just people and their choices! That was the whole point of Renfri’s story!

Your comparison to Renfri disregards and disrespects the point of the character and the message of her death. Yes, Geralt kills her, but it was based on a decision at a moment’s notice and he regrets it later. He carries her brooch with him for over two decades! He was prompted to choose the lesser evil, but truly, it was just different evils. He did what he thought was best with the information he had! We all do this, every day! This happens with Syanna as well, because yes, they are parallel characters. One difference is that Syanna had power over Dettlaff, but Renfri never had power over Stregobor. Dettlaff and Stregobor are not parallels the same way Syanna and Renfri were written to be.

You said, “syanna had psychopathic tendencies even before she was diagnosed with the curse”. She wasn’t diagnosed with anything! She was born, and the time of her birth made everyone think that she was a monster. That’s not her fault! What are the “psychopathic tendencies” you’re talking about? Lack of caring about others? First of all, that’s insensitive, and second of all, she’s an insecurely attached rich princess who was thrown out of her home for reasons she had no control over. She doesn’t know how to be a person. That’s why I think she deserves to live and learn.

Also, what’s the point of bringing up Yennefer???

Same with Anna Henrietta! Why do you think she deserves to die? According to story canon, she’s a beloved leader! Toussaint is prosperous under her leadership! Yes, her priorities are skewed, and she should see that Syanna is punished, but she’s blinded by the fact that her sister is alive! Anarietta was not only one of the reasons for Syanna’s banishment, she was also hurt by the way their parents treated her! Her reaction to learning that Syanna is alive is completely reasonable, and wanting to protect her is too. At this rate I think the issue is yours and not the game’s.

You’re allowed to hate her. I’m not saying you shouldn’t. But none of this is broken up neatly into right/wrong, black/white, good/evil the way you seem to believe. Come back when you understand that people (and all stories about and portrayals thereof) are more complicated than that.