Avalac'h's Face-Heel Fake Out

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Avalac'h's Face-Heel Fake Out

Alright…my first post. Please be gentle. :)

It has been a couple of weeks since I beat the Witcher 3. I’ve taken the time to go over the experience in my head and there is one particular part that keeps nagging at me. (WARNING: Major spoiler below!)

A good portion of the story’s third act is spent casting a suspicious light over Avalac’h. The enigmatic elven sage’s words and actions all serve nicely to build up tension; they give the impression that this guy is definitely hiding something and is waiting for the right moment to unveil his hidden agenda. Come the game’s climax and….lo and behold, the guy’s apparently made off with Ciri and he’s using her to bring forth the apocalypse. So off you go for an epic face-off, braving storms and monsters raining down from the heavens. You storm the tower, face the traitor, tell him to draw his weapon and fight like a man, and…he doesn’t. Turns out this was all a misunderstanding and that he really did just want to help Ciri. Huh….

Frankly I felt from the beginning that Avalac’h had the potential to be the true villain of this game. If there was one major gripe about this game’s story that everyone seems to agree on, it was the villains. Not that they were bad per se. The designs and atmosphere surrounding the riders of the Wild Hunt allow them to be very intimidating and command a strong presence. That being said, these guys were in dire need of some characterization. Avalac’h, on the other hand, had all the build-up and depth that he needed. This carries over from the books where similar hints were given that Avalac’h was manipulating Geralt and Ciri to further his own goals. This all culminated in a passage where Avalac’h gets into an argument with Ciri. He loses his temper before throttling the girl with super-human strength and is ready to squash her like a bug. During this time he reveals the he has nothing but hatred for humans, blaming them for stealing Lara Doren from him and that he views Ciri as nothing but a cheap copy of her. At one point Ciri is threatened, by Avalac’h’s former partner-in-crime turned enemy Eredin no less, with the prospect of being handed over to be “tested” in Avalac’h’s laboratory. On top of that, the unicorns who help Ciri reveal that it was Avalac’h, along with Eredin, who purged the Aen Aelle’s world of humans and was scheming along with his colleague’s to do the same to her world.

Avalac’h had the potential to be a great villain, one that favors schemes and manipulation over Eredin’s preference of fear and brute strength. On top of that, his conflict with Ciri would have been so much more personal. Not just because he wants to use her powers, but because he sees her as an unworthy descendant of the woman he loved and something that should always have belonged to him. There was enough rage and pain inside this guy that, when unleashed, I felt could have done more damage to our heroes than any horde of other-worldly invaders.

I am really torn. I have nothing but respect for the team at CD Project Red as game developers and writers, and part of me really admires their desire to defy expectations and keep us surprised. Yet at the same time I can’t help but feel a bit cheated. I saw so much potential for a villain riding on this guy and, as much as I’d like to think otherwise, feel like I was treated to an anti-climax. Despite this I still love what we got and simply cannot let it ruin the experience.

And that’s my two-cents. I’m really curious to see what others think. Thoughts?

Note: For those of you who don't know, the title refers to a fiction trope originating from the site www.tvtropes.com. The trope is known as "Face-Heel Turn" which refers to a character that is good (or at least is working with those that are good) who has a change of heart and becomes a villain.
 
I'm glad they didn't make him a villain because that would have been mind-numbingly stupid as a last minute reveal.

He's probably evil but, THANKFULLY, they knew that didn't mean it required him to be against our heroes.

Avallach may be evil but he's not STUPID.

Like Philippa.

Avallach may be evil but he knows that being on Ciri's good side is the smarter path and IT WORKS. It saves his planet from the White Frost.

He'll probably be King as a result.
 
The main problem is that we didn't get to really understand Eredin's motives and empathize with him, it was all just I'm gonna kill you and take Ciri.

I actually liked that Avalac'h wasn't a villain in the end after helping us all this time, it would have fealt really sudden and out of nowhere. Plus I can't think of a reason why he would kidnap Ciri unless he was going to force her to do what she did anyway but Ciri would have volunteered and wouldn't need to be forced.

Also I would be very surprised if he could even capture Ciri considering how powerful she is.
 
I love the scene after I trashed his office.

"So, we trashed your office and met your mistress."

"Mmm-hmm." *unconcerned*

"She said some interesting stuff about you."

"Yeah, you think I'm going to reveal any secret hidden agenda I have to you?"

"Err....no?"

"Good."

It's like Avallach learned from EVERY OTHER VILLAIN IN THE FRANCHISE.

Amazing!
 
I'm glad they didn't make him a villain because that would have been mind-numbingly stupid as a last minute reveal.

He's probably evil but, THANKFULLY, they knew that didn't mean it required him to be against our heroes.

Avallach may be evil but he's not STUPID.

Like Philippa.

Avallach may be evil but he knows that being on Ciri's good side is the smarter path and IT WORKS. It saves his planet from the White Frost.

He'll probably be King as a result.

Did Ciri "defeat the White Frost" only as Witcher's planet/dimension is concerned or all the billions of dimensions/planets?

I mean how does it work? Are they different dimensions or planets in the same universe?
There's a book you can read hinting that they're simply far away planets.
In that case there's only one Galactus, I mean, White Frost, and Ciri's power is basically teleportation across sideral distances.
But the game acts as if they're different dimensions at times, and Ciri is essentially El Eternauta/Sliders.
If that is the case, is the "White Frost" just one single force existing outside of space and time and entering at a specific stage in each and every dimension?
Or are there as many versions of the White Frost as there are dimensions (multiverse)?
If the former, Ciri would have then saved the Universe from Entropy (or whatever it is Sapkowski dreamt up) for good.
If the latter, she only saved Witcherplanet and Avallach's Aen Aelle place would still be screwed.
 
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My impression?

I think Ciri can teleport across dimensions and universes AS WELL AS physical space.

There is, however, only one White Frost.

I also don't believe there's alternate realities but there may be alternate futures.

Like Game-Ciri couldn't teleport over to Book-Ciri's universe and hang out with her and Galahad.

Re: The White Frost

The White Frost of the Game is not the White Frost of the Books. There is no Sapkowski White Frost which is a danger to the Multiverse. The White Frost is an Ice Age (non-magical) which is going to destroy the North and force all of the people living there to migrate South.

The White Frost of the Games is Ice-Cthulhu, a Living Snow Storm which, as you say, is like Galactus and moves from planet-to-planet killing everything.
 
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Well, maybe cdpr decides to do a sequel and in this case I wouldn't be surprised if it dealt with Avalac’h's secret plans.
He could be the next villain, who knows :).
 
I love the scene after I trashed his office.

"So, we trashed your office and met your mistress."

"Mmm-hmm." *unconcerned*

"She said some interesting stuff about you."

"Yeah, you think I'm going to reveal any secret hidden agenda I have to you?"

"Err....no?"

"Good."

It's like Avallach learned from EVERY OTHER VILLAIN IN THE FRANCHISE.

Amazing!

HA! Ha! Ha! Good Point!

Geralt: Well, Avallach I've caught you red-handed. Now it's time to come clean about everything!
Avallach: No.
Geralt: Huh?
Avallach: No.
Geralt: No? What do you mean no?
Avallach: I mean "No", I'm not telling you anything.
Geralt: But...you have to!
Avallach: Why?
Geralt: Why?! Your this shady guy with some kind of hidden plan going on, I'm the more direct guy who's always hounding you, where alone with each other, and like I've confronted you about everything and...you...you have to tell me!
Avallach: No I don't. Again, no means no.
Geralt: Well....fuck me I'm speechless.
Avallach: That's a first

---------- Updated at 11:55 PM ----------

they chose the less cliched route

Maybe so. I guess I'm just a sucker for the whole wolf in sheep's clothing type of villain who leads you down the garden path before yanking the carpet out from beneath you. :)

Well, maybe cdpr decides to do a sequel and in this case I wouldn't be surprised if it dealt with Avalac’h's secret plans.
He could be the next villain, who knows .

That could very well be the case, but considering where they ultimately went with his character I doubt it. Oh well, I just look at this guy's setup and background and thought he could have been the Krelian of the Witcher universe.

Hell, he pretty much IS the Krelian of the Witcher universe. When I think about it, they are both immortal members of a forgotten civilization, they both are schemers who manipulate others and move them about like pieces on a chessboard, they both are (or in Avallach's case was) de factor leaders of an advanced society who control things from behind the scenes, they are both driven by the memory of a deceased woman who they harbored unrequited love for, and they are both obsessed over said woman's present-day reincarnation. I considered this and couldn't help but think, "Either this is just a coincidence or the writers have a nasty surprise in store for us!"

Note: For all of you who are thinking, "Who?" Krelian is a villain from an old JRPG called Xenogears. I'd say he was the main villain of the game, but the truth is I could spend hours going over the various baddies that contest for that role. Mind you that doesn't stop him from being one of coolest and most devious shadowy puppet-masters to grace the pixel screens of the PS1 generation.
 
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