The bitter end of Beauclair and the ribbon joke

[mazeebra]

It's my 3rd time finishing this game btw.

So, it just seems like the game really wants to lead you to fight Dethlaff in the end. First time I played the game I did this intentionally, and I think also on the 2nd play-through (ng+). But I thought, what the heck, I want to to it differently this time, and actually the criminal is Syanna, not Dethlaff. Having played the game before I knew this.

But I want to object! I don't like it one bit actually. I tried my best to take Dethlaffs side and help him, and it was clear that Syanna was to blame and I wanted to sacrifice her, let Dethalff do as he saw fit. Ofcourse, Dethlaff was also to blame for the attack on the city of Beauclair, and proved beyond doubt he was not stable, but this could perhaps be fixed in the end? Syanna was ultimately responsible for the attack on the city and the deaths, she was the criminal, she was the one who made these events unfold.

So, anyways, I played the game wanting her to be punished and trying to help Dethlaff, but then came the ribbon and to my surprise having to fight him again despite all my best efforts not to. I actually was slightly aware of the ribbon (from reading after my 1st/2nd playthough). But I generally just play, don't read what to do/not do.

So, despite all my best efforts to help Dethlaff and punish Syanna, the game still leads me to fight Dethlaff and let Syanna in a way go free of her crime. I know, the end, the very end, it can be different. But the most just outcome would be for Dethlaff to kill her, really. But there is no poetic justice in the other endings, and those are what the game force on you. So if you didn't try to help Dethalff, you will fight him, and if you did try to help him, you will also need to kill/punish him (and Regis) instead of the one with the real guilt of these events. And why? A whimsical and trivial decision previously. Despite that, I wouldn't want cdpr to do things any other way. I like the way they designed the game, but I personally object to what happened! Just due to a damn ribbon.

What a joke, on me.. yup.. I liked many of the other jokes in the game, but not this one.

So, I guess I got the "wrong" ending again, and this is what we are suppose to get! Unless you know about the ribbon, and how to avoid it (I already forgot it after 2-3 hours now.). Tragic ending really..

Anyways, GG..

 

[Draconifors]

The first time I played the expansion I avoided getting the ribbon easily. I hated Syanna and wanted to side with Dettlaff, so I simply refused to waste time just to get the stupid ribbon.

I didn't know it was such a key item as I was playing blind, but I was more than happy when I later discovered I'd managed to get the "worst" (best in my book) ending with that refusal.

 

[mazeebra]

The first time I played the expansion I avoided getting the ribbon easily. I hated Syanna and wanted to side with Dettlaff, so I simply refused to waste time just to get the stupid ribbon.

I didn't know it was such a key item as I was playing blind, but I was more than happy when I later discovered I'd managed to get the "worst" (best in my book) ending with that refusal.

I never say no to Gwent!



I checked that ending out now anyways. It seems a bit bad, but it's really the right ending. The Duchess is quite dumb and irrational regarding Syanna, so the whole right ending just reflects her poor leadership and lack of rationality in the situation. That's why the "good" ending seems to bad. But the real criminal is killed by the man she abused and stained with her own crimes. Sure Dethlaff is not without guilt (for the attack on the city), but it was not his crime and I think he learned from it too and wount do anything like that again.

The victim/criminal got a second chance, the insane criminal was killed by the victim, the fool was made to look like a fool and Geralt managed. Poetic justice.

 

[slothman32]

I'm still not sure what the ribbon has anything to do with anything.
I only got it because I talked to everyone and the"flint" waif, I just wanted to use that word, allowed me to play for it so I assumed I should get it.

 

[mazeebra]

I'm still not sure what the ribbon has anything to do with anything.
I only got it because I talked to everyone and the"flint" waif, I just wanted to use that word, allowed me to play for it so I assumed I should get it.

That's it actually. It seems you are suppose to get it, the game even encourages you to get it. In the situation, you want Syanna to help you as well, so you try to reconcile things a bit. And even if you did not, it's highly likely you will still get the ribbon.

Unless ofcourse like Draconifors you hate Syanna so much that out of spite you don't get it.

 

[Zpectre87]

I don't think Syanna is worth the trouble TBH. The "best" ending would be to have Dettlaff kill Syanna, then kill Dettlaff afterwards.

Reason? Well, Syanna did manipulate Dettlaff into killing the knights, but Dettlaff himself proved to be unreasonable, and a threat. He massacred an entire village just because he was heartbroken. Furthermore, he proved he wasn't interested in working things out with Syanna, he just wanted to kill her. I didn't find him any better than her, because he tricks us into doing his bidding.

Furthermore, if you do the "Blood Simple" quest before meeting Dettlaff, it feels completely out of character for Geralt to let him go, considering Geralt was very angry at the Garkain for ravaging the orphanage on Dettlaff's command.

Still, Syanna's death is a "proper" thing, for two reasons. First, she meets punishment at the hands of the one she tricked. Second, Anarietta herself is punished for being such a harsh person to others and not standing up for her sister when it mattered the most. Anarietta is prone to mood swings and uses her position as duchess to treat others like shit, especially Geralt, whose help she went out of her way to request.

The ending where both survive is probably the "canon" ending, because it's the hardest to get, but it's an ending where both sisters avoid responsibility for their actions, so it's probably not the most desirable one.

It's not like the HoS best ending, where Olgierd survives but is left with nothing (no Iris, no Vlodimir, no money, no reputation). One could even say Olgierd still loses his soul, albeit metaphorically, because he can't ever go back to being the same man who once loved Iris. Besides, you have to stop O'Dimm anyway, due to not knowing whether he would honor his word if you let him take Olgierd's soul, and also knowing what he did to the professor.