[Diabolius]

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5. (and the clincher for me) some dialogue in the ice realm at the end where JdA says something like "you always said my abilities were a gift to be used for the good of others"...well this was a dialogue choice for Geralt when talking to Alvin in Act IV.

Yes, depending on what you tell Alvin, he will bring it up in the final dialogue.
I told him that everyone masters his own fate. Thus Jaques says: "You always believed that everyone masters his own fate"

[Rhian]

I think, too, that Alvin and the Grandmaster are the same person - yet it makes me wonder why Azar wanted Alvin while he was a boy... why did the Grandmaster want his younger-self?

Geralt's attempts to influence Alvin in a way that he would become decent guy one day were for some reason pointless... *sigh*

Sooo much mystery... aaaargh my brain...

[Gregster6]

Another piece of evidence, albeit not sufficient alone to prove anything, is that it is Alvin who first introduces Itlines prophecy [beginning of Act I when he levitates and talks funny].  This is the same prophecy that has come to pass in the Ice scene at the end.

Another thing which I am amazed that no one has spotted is that Jacques de Aldisburgh is actually Alvin spelled backwards...OK, maybe that one needs some work.

So anyway the case is pretty much made, at least to my satisfaction.  We have means, motive and opportunity plus a bunch of hints and other evidence.

Next question is why was this not better brought out in the game?

At the moment this is a clever little twist which has got a few people interested.  A properly timed and coreographed in-game reveal of Jacques true identity would have been pretty amazing.  In fact the only reason that I can think of not doing it is to avoid accusations of replicating KOTOR I or Jade Empire style endings.  But hang on!...how could that be a bad thing?...the endings to those games were effin' awesome.  I can remember being ROCKED by these endings...esp KOTOR. 

I think the decision to leave this out is a very interesting one.  For me the team have missed an opportunity to give the Witcher a deservedly great ending.

[mothra]

i can't see how you could argue about the grandmaster NOT being thewitcher.
was perfectly clear for me all the time.
he even REPEATS what you say to him in Ch4.
play the game another round and choose different answers to Alvin.
then see what happens in the finale ------- right, it's him.

[tristanisdead]

ok, first off, these are just theories, and obviously i want them proven wrong.. lets go.

1. at no point during the story does Alvin time travel, he merely teleports to a safe place

2. (in my story) the locket tis given to Alving by Geralt from Shani, a means to control his nightmares. If it was given y Triss, all kinds of consequences could ensue.

3. (in my story, henceforth refferred to as IMS), Alvin is treated like a son, one who should not become a withcer and love all races.

4. This whole time travel thing is ridiculous. I've hearrd everything from Alvin cloned Geralt (even though Alving was born beofre Geralt initially died), to the huntsman (death) actually using geralt to pursue Alvin (if he was GM), which of course makes no sense, cause death would be fed much more if indeed Alving was the GM.

5. Once Alvin is given the necklace he no longer does his edorcist stuff. This necklase IMS is given by SHani, who has no sorercess posers and could therfore not make the amulet enable Alvin to exapnd his abilities, but supress and control them.

7. At no point in the story is Jaques de Alsberg mentioned in relation to Alvin. Why would Alving have chosen the name Jake? We meet no one on our travels even resembling this figure. As in rea life, most people take on nomencaltures based upon their herores, in which cause, if Alvin was the GM, his name would have been something like Geralto fo Alsberg.

8. This story isnt about about time travel, or alvin's ability to do so. yes he is one of the chosen, but when we leave him at the village, he is still unable to control his thoughs, which means if we was able to, his thoughts would have made the attack on murky waters happen, his disapperance despite his love for geralt and tru family with shani, etc. so it begs the question, why does he allows himself to be captured by salamandra?

8. IMO, Alvin is safe. but he is not the GM. the GM just happenns to be an "other." alvin, of course being the antithesis of this to balance the equation.

kd?

but now im playin evil geralt, so maybe other things will lighten up.

/sigh for stupid loading screens.

kk?

[DarthMael]

Yes, the Grandmaster is Alvin, and Alvin is the Grandmaster. I don't see any point of arguing about it so much - there were more than enough hints given to uncover the truth.

[kfijatass]

My only thing about Alvin not beeing a GM is that GM isn't a blue-eyed blonde, like Alvin.

[DarthMael]

It often happens that a blonde kid grows into a dark haired person. My own hair was much lighter when I was a kid. As for GM's eyes - they are blueish gray, which doesn't go against the GM=Alvin theory.

[kfijatass]

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It often happens that a blonde kid grows into a dark haired person. My own hair was much lighter when I was a kid. As for GM's eyes - they are blueish gray, which doesn't go against the GM=Alvin theory.

Maybe. Or maybe one of us is a daltonist . 0_O

[DarthMael]

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Maybe. Or maybe one of us is a daltonist . 0_O

It's certainly not me, or I wouldn't have gotten a driver's license.  ;D

[mothra]

i won't elaborate on it because there are so many other threads and the game practically RUBS IT IN YOUR FACE
if you pay attention. play it again with triss and give different "life"-tips to Alvin in Ch.4 and then see what happens.......
ze Grandmaster suddenly changes all his speeches, he even tells you that you are EVEN after he rescues you in the swamp (together with Shani, no matter how you chose before),
making connections to Chapter1 where you and Shani kill the dogs following Alvin and the peasant woman.
those are just 2 things, search the forum, you can come up with dozens more while your reasoning is just not correct.

the locket given to alvin by triss has no effect as well (he no longer does magic but still teleports away, it's more an limiter than 100%shield)
triss mentions the time/space jumping (maybe shani not)
alvin describes how the "jumping" feels and that he's disoriented and daytime is not right
i tried to teach Avlin good things as well, the perverted form of them was presented to me by the GM in the last chapter (only Alvin could have known that)

of course the writers could pull a 180 at each point and come up with some:
1) Alvin jumps back, meets other "gifted" guy (jaques) and gets to be HIS protege, tells him of the future
2) Alvin is who-knows-where. Jaques is a product of the sorceresses, a failed experiment like Alvin, they tried to control him like now Alvin with a stupid amulet
that did not work but was of so high sentimental value to Jaques that he still wears it years after....

no, A=GM, I never had ANY doubt. not even after the confusing end-sequence it was clear for me who I just killed and why.
and that was the AWESOME part of the game. that what made the ending so cool.

I had the GM suspected the whole last 2 chapters long but in the endfight when he just repeated what I told him in Ch4 I was certain.
I waited the whole time for a dialogue option to unmask or maybe better: persuade him to stop it.

[phalzyr]

@mothra As I mentioned in one of those threads all these life story things told to alvin could easily of been overheard magically by the GM and his presentation altered to coax Geralt into following his path. In game it even shows Triss looking at Geralt and cussing when she sees him about to kiss Adda. Why can't a more powerful sorcerer do the same thing? BTW, I do believe it is Alvin, but who knows but the writers. we'll find out in a sequel maybe.

the biggest support for GM=Alvin is all that stuff being spit back at Geralt that he told Alvin BUT as you can see by my above that could be explained in another way, possibly even others... We won't know it until wer're told it...

[tristanisdead]

i won't elaborate on it because there are so many other threads and the game practically RUBS IT IN YOUR FACE
if you pay attention. play it again with triss and give different "life"-tips to Alvin in Ch.4 and then see what happens.......
ze Grandmaster suddenly changes all his speeches, he even tells you that you are EVEN after he rescues you in the swamp (together with Shani, no matter how you chose before),
making connections to Chapter1 where you and Shani kill the dogs following Alvin and the peasant woman.
those are just 2 things, search the forum, you can come up with dozens more while your reasoning is just not correct.

the locket given to alvin by triss has no effect as well (he no longer does magic but still teleports away, it's more an limiter than 100%shield)
triss mentions the time/space jumping (maybe shani not)
alvin describes how the "jumping" feels and that he's disoriented and daytime is not right
i tried to teach Avlin good things as well, the perverted form of them was presented to me by the GM in the last chapter (only Alvin could have known that)

of course the writers could pull a 180 at each point and come up with some:
1) Alvin jumps back, meets other "gifted" guy (jaques) and gets to be HIS protege, tells him of the future
2) Alvin is who-knows-where. Jaques is a product of the sorceresses, a failed experiment like Alvin, they tried to control him like now Alvin with a stupid amulet
that did not work but was of so high sentimental value to Jaques that he still wears it years after....

no, A=GM, I never had ANY doubt. not even after the confusing end-sequence it was clear for me who I just killed and why.
and that was the AWESOME part of the game. that what made the ending so cool.

I had the GM suspected the whole last 2 chapters long but in the endfight when he just repeated what I told him in Ch4 I was certain.
I waited the whole time for a dialogue option to unmask or maybe better: persuade him to stop it.




END QUOTE

okay

i can see where you want Alvin tobe Gm. i did too. but the dialogue just doesnt play out that way, nor does the reasoning.

first off the chain that is given to alvin, taken from the GM at the end is "much older" and"he must of worn it ounder his armour for a number of years." this implies a few things. alvin (if he was GM) was NOT alvin throughout the story of Geralt. secondly, the amulet was meant to ward off (young alvins) nightmares, not enhance his visions of the future, or be able to create it for that matter.

nowhere else in the story does alvin time travel. he simply thinks of a "Happy place" and goes there. remember when he was kidnapped by salamandra? why would his happy plave be a field hospital for broken scotaiel with shani? why would it be the future ridden with icy waste lands? why would alvin's future not have geralt in it as his father?

even at the end, where you meet alvin before the final battle but have no conversation except to tell shani its just an illusion, is this confirmed. it the GM was alvin, tat moment would have been the perfect time to f&*&*& with geralt (especially if you chose the father path), but nothing is said, which if you DO believe alvin is GM, you have to consider he WANTED the confrontation with Geralt and his ultimate death.. besides, alvins ayes are blue, not green like the GM's, and if you tell me that he can change his eye color you're proven my point. anyways im replaying to see if there are any changes.

just trying to think outside the box here people.

[przodownikpracy]

I would rather say that Alvin is some kind of part of lost in time and space GM's Personallity. In the world created by Sapkowski travel through space and time is possible but only for Aen Seidhe and the special legates of Lara Dorren's Gen. Space travelling is unable even for powerful wizards. GM must be a descendant of Lara Dorren to have that ability

[Diabolius]

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Another thing which I am amazed that no one has spotted is that Jacques de Aldisburgh is actually Alvin spelled backwards...OK, maybe that one needs some work.

Wwwhat? Jacques de Aldisburgh spelled backwards is: Hgrubsidla ed Seuqcaj.

[ceridwen_1]

I'd still say that Alvin is the GM... although the other theory is tempting , because I dislike the idea of teaching Alvin to be a nice person and treating him like a son just for killing him later with my silver sword.

But! There are just too many clues that Alvin is the GM.

-Listen to the little things Alvin says throughout the game: "I want to be a witcher, too." I'll wear a pony tail when I grow up." "I am the Gm and always win.... almost."

-Alvin also has visions about Ithilien's prophecy of the white frost... the GM mentions something like that in a dialogue.

-When Geralt is saved by the GM he doesn't feel comfortable and doesn't wanna be in the GM's dept. The GM replies: "You owe me nothing. ..." Going on about that he has to thank Geralt in a way.

-The GM quotes everything that Geralt ever said to Alvin.

-The GM is pretefied when Geralt takes out his silver sword for he knows it is only for monsters.

-The King of the Wild Hunt mentions that Geralt knows the GM under a diffrent name and that he had once known.

My conclusions lead me to Alvin being the GM.

[nereng]

I, too, thought that Jacques must obviously be Alvin, but I just realized something:

In Murky Waters Alvin teleports - supposedly back to the past - because he finds himself in the middle of a battle between Scoia'tel and Temple Knights of the Flaming Rose. Growing up in the past, he eventually becomes the Grandmaster and turns it into the racist Flaming Rose organization. He also provokes the non-humans into rebelling. This leads to some elves fleeing to Murky Waters and to the temple kights pursuing them there, leading to the battle in which Alvin is caught in the middle... Do you notice the circularity? What we have here is a paradox! Alvin's act of teleporting into the past is what eventually causes him to do so in the first place!

I'm not sure whether this is something the devs overlooked or if it means that Jacques is not Alvin.

Cheers! :)

[mothra]

he's older when he returns to the time of murky waters, he's a grown man with the knowledge that he will be there.
so he avoids meeting hisself.

[Gregster6]

I missed the bit in the plot where it explains how Alvin's accent turns from American to Yorkshire.

[DarthMael]

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Another thing which I am amazed that no one has spotted is that Jacques de Aldisburgh is actually Alvin spelled backwards...OK, maybe that one needs some work.

Wwwhat? Jacques de Aldisburgh spelled backwards is: Hgrubsidla ed Seuqcaj.

I think Gregster6 was just being sarcastic about people who tend to making every little thing into a hint to GM=Alvin.