[haydox]

Awesome, I'll give that mod a go sometime, just finished Mass Effect so until Section 8 comes out I need something to do! Oh, Petra, I didn't actually kill the Queen with Igni (that even possible?!), i just nuked the annoying hordes of workers out my way, made it so easy to just run to the supports and take them down! Delightful put it very well as "Igni machine", with moderate Aard and almost fully upgraded Igni just annihilate any group or single opponent!

[Petra_Silie]

Ah, I see.... seems that Igni can be pretty powerful when you use gold talents in it. I used Igni on the offspring there as well... didn't have the desired effect but I had only a few silver talents in Igni.

[Ilovetrannys]

Warning Big spoilers

Here is my crazy theory about alvin, i dont fully belive it, but it would be cool...when you first see alvin he looks at though he is possesd by something and it makes him spout that prophecy, the same one i think the grand master had nightmares of. Alvin was also very naturaly powerful when it came to magic, as the grandmaster is..When alvin Vanished he was very scared, of presumably the battle around him, but what if the nightmares of the prohpecy had already started and he was in constant fear of the end of the world, as he was young and didnt fully understand what he was seeing, so he used his magical abilities to take him as far away as possible, through time itself! Now alvin is 50 or so years in the past, and has time to grow up, he realises he is in a rare position to maybe make changes, or atleast prepare for the worst so that some of humanity may survive, im pretty sure that was the grand masters motivation for his actions. Now thats probably 99% speculation, but hey i smoke alot of weed.

[PersephoneChiara]

I too am (sadly) convinced that Alvin and the grandmaster are the same person or at least VERY closely linked. Maybe the sequel will shed more light on this tragedy. It hurts to think that the child Triss and my version of Geralt were protecting like their own should end at the hand of the man whom he loved like a father. That is something I still cannot figure out... Toruviel told Geralt that Alvin loves him like a Dad. And there were those Dad moments "Are you in love with anyone? You love Triss!" .... Did Alvin/GM forget about that love or was it still there? (The amulet, him delaying the final confrontation again and again...) Also, I got kinda teary eyed when Geralt asked Kalkstein (Old Vizima) if he had come across a cure for infertility (Awwwwwwwwwww moment).... Knowing Geralt's pride, one can only imagine what that question cost him.... I still wonder at Geralt's rather icy reaction at the possibility of Alvin having become the GM.... I would have imagined him AND Triss to be sick with worry but it kinda fizzles out in the end.... I also wonder whether the choice of either Triss or Shani (And Alvin) will be implemented in the sequel or if Yennefer will appear at last. But back to Alvin... My heart went out to him in the end. Granted, the GM was a bastard and a warped one at that... Makes me wonder just WHAT happened in those missing years.....

[Corylea]

Quote

Granted, the GM was a bastard and a warped one at that... Makes me wonder just WHAT happened in those missing years.....

The missing years?  I'm sure they're important, but think about what's happened already!

1.  His original family died, and they died when he was young enough that he tells Geralt, "I barely knew them."
2.  He has to run for his life from barghests.
3.  His foster-mother, Caroline, is torn apart by barghests.
4.  He has a vision/is possessed by something and levitates in the air and spouts a lot of scary stuff, which has gotta be a pretty traumatic experience.
5.  He's taken in by a witch who feeds him drugs to keep his visions at bay long enough for him to sleep.
6.  He's forced to get in touch with the essence of the Beast and to speak for it.
7.  He's stolen from Abigail by the Reverend, who beats him and who tries to warp his mind.
8.  He's given to the Salamanders by the Reverend, where he's to be taken to Vizima and experimented on.
9.  He's alone in the world for a time and eventually ends up in Vizima, where something happens that causes him to need a hospital.
10. He's kidnapped from the hospital by Salamanders.
11. He watches Geralt chop a bunch of Salamanders into small, bloody pieces.
12. He goes to Triss or Shani for a short time.  If he goes to Shani, she doesn't know what to do about his magic but is tender towards him.  If he goes to Triss, she gives him some magic instruction but emphasizes discipline over affection.  In either case, he's missing a big chunk of what he needs.
13. His home is raided by Salmanders, and he sees his latest foster mother fighting for her life.
14. He runs away from the Salamanders but is captured.
15. He teleports away, and while it's to a nice place, it's another new, unknown place. 
16. Alina takes him in, but Julian recognizes that Alvin needs things that he and Alina can't give him, so this home -- like all the others -- will be temporary.
17. Geralt "keeps an eye on him," and he watches Geralt engage in several battles.
18. He's taken hostage by Toruvriel's band.
19. The Order attacks the village, and he witnesses the beginning of a bloody battle.
20.  He teleports to an unknown place (and possibly time) again.
21. Throughout this time, he continues to have visions and to hear the ugly and violent thoughts of the people around him.

I know kids are resilient, but that's a hell of a lot -- far, far too much for anybody to grow up to be normal and/or sane!  Even if he teleports to a nice family and is raised lovingly thereafter, the kid has been traumatized over and over again, all in a very short space of time.  And the continuing trauma of hearing other people's evil thoughts -- even if he'd been raised in a stable, loving household for his entire life, I'd think that would be enough to send a person 'round the bend.

[PersephoneChiara]

Quote

Quote

Granted, the GM was a bastard and a warped one at that... Makes me wonder just WHAT happened in those missing years.....

The missing years?  I'm sure they're important, but think about what's happened already!

1.  His original family died, and they died when he was young enough that he tells Geralt, "I barely knew them."
2.  He has to run for his life from barghests.
3.  His foster-mother, Caroline, is torn apart by barghests.
4.  He has a vision/is possessed by something and levitates in the air and spouts a lot of scary stuff, which has gotta be a pretty traumatic experience.
5.  He's taken in by a witch who feeds him drugs to keep his visions at bay long enough for him to sleep.
6.  He's forced to get in touch with the essence of the Beast and to speak for it.
7.  He's stolen from Abigail by the Reverend, who beats him and who tries to warp his mind.
8.  He's given to the Salamanders by the Reverend, where he's to be taken to Vizima and experimented on.
9.  He's alone in the world for a time and eventually ends up in Vizima, where something happens that causes him to need a hospital.
10. He's kidnapped from the hospital by Salamanders.
11. He watches Geralt chop a bunch of Salamanders into small, bloody pieces.
12. He goes to Triss or Shani for a short time.  If he goes to Shani, she doesn't know what to do about his magic but is tender towards him.  If he goes to Triss, she gives him some magic instruction but emphasizes discipline over affection.  In either case, he's missing a big chunk of what he needs.
13. His home is raided by Salmanders, and he sees his latest foster mother fighting for her life.
14. He runs away from the Salamanders but is captured.
15. He teleports away, and while it's to a nice place, it's another new, unknown place. 
16. Alina takes him in, but Julian recognizes that Alvin needs things that he and Alina can't give him, so this home -- like all the others -- will be temporary.
17. Geralt "keeps an eye on him," and he watches Geralt engage in several battles.
18. He's taken hostage by Toruvriel's band.
19. The Order attacks the village, and he witnesses the beginning of a bloody battle.
20.  He teleports to an unknown place (and possibly time) again.
21. Throughout this time, he continues to have visions and to hear the ugly and violent thoughts of the people around him.

I know kids are resilient, but that's a hell of a lot -- far, far too much for anybody to grow up to be normal and/or sane!  Even if he teleports to a nice family and is raised lovingly thereafter, the kid has been traumatized over and over again, all in a very short space of time.  And the continuing trauma of hearing other people's evil thoughts -- even if he'd been raised in a stable, loving household for his entire life, I'd think that would be enough to send a person 'round the bend.

Excellent points indeed. I've been thinking of writing some TW fan fiction. One of the ideas I am pondering atm is the whole story from Alvin's point of view. The points you listed are like a perfect check list for it!  :D

[Corylea]

Quote

Excellent points indeed. I've been thinking of writing some TW fan fiction. One of the ideas I am pondering atm is the whole story from Alvin's point of view. The points you listed are like a perfect check list for it!  :D

That would be extremely interesting.  You must be a very good and very confident writer, because that sounds like a very difficult task to me.  Getting inside the head of a boy who's had such a life and who regularly sees visions and hears the thoughts of others sounds like a major challenge -- the inside of his head would have to be a very strange place, yet it must be accessible to the reader.  Orson Scott Card, who wrote Ender's Game, might be able to pull it off ... if you can, too, you'd deserve a publishing contract!

[PersephoneChiara]

Quote

Quote

Excellent points indeed. I've been thinking of writing some TW fan fiction. One of the ideas I am pondering atm is the whole story from Alvin's point of view. The points you listed are like a perfect check list for it!  :D

That would be extremely interesting.  You must be a very good and very confident writer, because that sounds like a very difficult task to me.  Getting inside the head of a boy who's had such a life and who regularly sees visions and hears the thoughts of others sounds like a major challenge -- the inside of his head would have to be a very strange place, yet it must be accessible to the reader.  Orson Scott Card, who wrote Ender's Game, might be able to pull it off ... if you can, too, you'd deserve a publishing contract!

I'm no Shakespeare, I just love to spin tales, weave plots and above all I have some theories I'd like to express. However, the whole thing is still in a very early stage. Also, before I get started on that I'll post three shorter stories that I'm already having beta-ed. :)

[Kevin B. Horrocks]

Paths crossed many times, "loves you as a Father", knew him by another name, anybody else make the connection?

[Dezired]

Huh? Are you trying to say Alvin is the Grandmaster? If so, yes, that's known to everyone.. if you're trying to say something else, please clarify.

[Corylea]

You might want to check out the thread Alvin's Identity, which has a LOT of speculation about whether Alvin and a certain religious megalomaniac are the same person.

[rhufus]

After having read so many topics concerning Alvin\GM probability (likely); I noticed nobody concidered that Alvin was actually Geralt as a Child. That Geralts memory loss was deliberately caused by Triss and her Sorceress cohorts with Geralts knowledge so Geralt could be the amnesiac Witcher He needed to meet as a young Alvin\Geralt to prevent a paradox from occuring.

Chew on that for a while. :o

[secondchildren]

ehm...... a bit intricated but i could a be a chance that i personally do not share ;D

[Unkreativ]

Quote

After having read so many topics concerning Alvin\GM probability (likely); I noticed nobody concidered that Alvin was actually Geralt as a Child. That Geralts memory loss was deliberately caused by Triss and her Sorceress cohorts with Geralts knowledge so Geralt could be the amnesiac Witcher He needed to meet as a young Alvin\Geralt to prevent a paradox from occuring.

Chew on that for a while. :o

Hmm... no, I don´t see that happen. Alvin (and also Ciri->books) is a "source" - actually someone possessing enormous magical powers (just controlling these powers does not work out that greatly sometimes). 

[rhufus]

I dont recall seeing anything that would indicate that Geralt might not be a source.

[secondchildren]

Quote

I dont recall seeing anything that would indicate that Geralt might not be a source.

hm...I think you are a bit out of the way :)
anyway, this is not what Unkreativ meant. A "source" may not be a direct discendant of another source-father/mother or whatever. Some children simply are born with this great powers. And if you read the books in no way it is told that Geralt is a source, and i don't think that CDP wanted to change this ;)

The only known source\witcher is Cirilla of Cintra (Ciri). Ask the Innkeeper of the Country Inn In Act4 for a tale about her.

[Unkreativ]

Well, you might know something from the novels I do not... *shrugs*

[Petra_Silie]

I doubt that Geralt is such a source like Ciri or Alvin. There is no indication of it in the novels. If he is it would have been mentioned in the "Voice of reason" in-between sequences of "The Last Wish". All the "Voice of reason" sequences tell us much about Geralt's past and his character.

If he really is such a source I think the maincharacter (Geralt) of the Witcher-saga is a bit fraught with supernatural abilities which makes him implausible ;)

[Corylea]

Quote

I dont recall seeing anything that would indicate that Geralt might not be a source.

If all you have to go on is the game, this is a perfectly reasonable speculation.  The game is based on a series of books, though, and there's a lot of backstory in those books.  The books are what lead people to believe that your theory isn't tenable, even though it's not a bad idea if all you have to go on is the game.

[lawlist]

I was just thinking that I never understood the references to Alvin's necklace and the necklace of the bad guy at the ending of the Witcher.  Does anyone have any ideas why the necklaces were mentioned?  Thanks.