Character Update: New Faces, New Lore

Apr 4, 2011

Some new faces have joined the scene since our last character update, and it looks like Geralt will be making some unusual friends and possibly some enemies in The Witcher 2. Join us as we take a closer look at the newest character reveals, and what they could mean in Assassins of Kings.

The sorcerer Dethmold was released on January 28th:

The life of sorcerer Dethmold of Ban Ard underwent a drastic change during the Thanedd Coup. During the rebellion his brother died from a Scoia’tael arrow, and to say that Dethmold was furious would be saying too little. However the sorcerer would not fall to despair. He was in mourning only as long as it took him to make a list of those guilty. Dethmold left the service of Esterad of Kovir and found a patron better suited for his aims. He decided that Henselt, king of Kaedwen, should ensure the success of his plans.

What does Dethmold desire? He wants the Squirrels to be exterminated, as he considers them to be bandits and murderers. He craves for the deaths of the treasonous sorcerers who sided with Nilfgaard, and of all others whom he considers, rightly or not, to have brought about his brother’s death. The list is long and continuously appended.

Serving Henselt, a mighty and aggressive Northern monarch, is to Dethmold’s liking. The king is also pleased and trusts his new advisor like nobody else. From the time of Thanedd, the sorcerer is seeing conspiracies everywhere and is good at rooting them out, a very useful skill. Henselt mitigates Dethmold’s ambitions, but keeps him at his side continuously. And that is well, for soon he’ll come face to face with the famous White Wolf. Will the witcher and the sorcerer find common ground, or will they become mortal enemies? The first move is Geralt’s.

Gaining Dethmold’s trust will likely be an uphill battle for any player who sided with the Scoia’tael during the uprising in Vizima. Not only are the Squirrels responsible for the death of Dethmold’s brother, at the battle of Thanedd Island they acted as agents for the Nilfgaardians in an attempt to assassinate the head mages of the Northern Kingdoms. It is even possible that Dethmold may view Geralt as a Nilfgaardian sympathizer if the player followed the Scoia’tael path. On the other hand, a player who sided with the Order may find a quick friend in Dethmold, and a ready party member.

Dethmold’s origins seem to have prepared him to be a powerful magic user, as well as a capable political agent. His birth city of Ban Ard is known for its prestigious magic academy. His first political apprenticeship was to Esterad Thyssen of Kovir, and may have presented a unique opportunity for observation and intrigue. Unlike the other Northern Kingdoms, Kovir is historically neutral in the conflict with Nilfgaard. But its neutrality has not spared Kovir from bloodshed. Esterad was raised in exile, a fugitive noble fleeing the wrath of the usurper Idi, who killed Esterad’s father, King Baldwin in an unprecedented coup. Esterad regained his father’s throne through the brutal “night of knives and torches,” when his forces exterminated Idi and all other threats to the Thyssen bloodline. While we don’t yet know what role Dethmold had to play in Esterad’s rise to power, it is possible the sorcerer had some influence on retaking the Kovirian throne.

But it is probable that Esterad’s insistence on neutrality finally convinced Dethmold to seek a new mentor. King Henselt of Kaedwen is notorious for his hatred of non-humans, and after Thanedd Isle Dethmold would have found a ready ally to further his plans of revenge against the Scoia’tael.

As for Dethmold’s character, from the official game description he sounds pragmatic, determined and capable – both of bringing pain to his enemies and of nursing a grudge. It looks like revenge is the key factor driving Dethmold’s ambitions, and any witcher capable of helping the sorcerer cross off a few of the enemies on his list will likely be welcomed. Dethmold is well-versed in current affairs and has forged his power in the cutthroat world of Northern Kingdoms politics. If Geralt’s amnesia persists into the opening acts of Assassins of Kings, it is likely when we first meet him that Dethmold will know more about the witcher’s life than Geralt does.

But the Scoia’tael will have another enemy to contend with in The Witcher 2. In the character reveal announced last September, it looks like Vernon Roche also has a score to settle with the Squirrels, and potentially with any witcher who aided their rebellion:

Vernon Roche is an example of a man who achieved everything on his own. He personally tracked scoia’tael commando units during the war against Nilfgaard. He himself hung their leaders on roadside trees. He pulled elven arrows out of his body with his own hands. Soon after that Foltest realised that such talent should not be limited only to exterminating guerrillas. After all Temeria has numerous enemies, not only Squirrels. Vernon Roche was promoted and became a special agent. A hitman, as some might say.

Since he became the king’s right-hand man, he’s been thwarting plots, burning manors of unruly barons, infiltrating spy rings of hostile empires. Over the years he’s gathered a small unit – consisting of dauntless swashbucklers, interrogation specialists, noiseless scouts – which would go through fire and water for him. Roche is a sophisticated tactician and he manages his subordinates skilfully. His unit has suffered only one failure – they haven’t managed to capture the infamous bandit Iorweth.

There are many sayings about Vernon. Some say that if each of his enemies gave him an oren, he could buy Temeria together with nearby lands, and if each of his friends came to bury him, Roche would have to do it himself. Apparently, it’s enough to put a knife into his coffin and he’ll succeed.

Assassinating Squirrels isn’t Roche’s only skill. As Foltest’s hit man, he may well bump shoulders with Geralt early on in the race to uncover the identity behind the king’s assassin. And if Roche isn’t gifted with friends, he at least possesses the skill of command. With the Order depleted after Geralt’s fight with Jacques de Aldersberg, it is probable that Roche’s men will make up the first line of defense against Temeria’s new threat.

As the game unfolds, Geralt may be forced to make a choice between befriending Iorweth, or aiding Roche. Iorweth’s character description paints him as the ultimate bandit of the Pontar valley, and an erstwhile collaborator with the Nilfgaardian forces during the war with the Northern Kingdoms. For these and other crimes, he is Vernon Roche’s “enemy number one.” As King Foltest strives to maintain peace in the wake of the Vizima uprising, it is likely that agents like Roche will be summoned into action to deal with the Squirrel threat. Geralt may once again find himself forced to choose between saving the Scoia’tael and aiding the King.

These newest additions to the character roster look to provide some interesting challenges and opportunities during The Witcher 2. And whether Roche and Dethmold become the witcher’s friends or enemies, they are likely to have a significant impact on Geralt’s quest.