can anyone explain duny to me? [book spoilers]

[Merism]

it is a writing flaw, really. i should be able to tell him very cruel and indecent things. lol

I also hope that, the vampire regis, being old and seemingly enhanced, managed to survive and is in tw3. hes my favourite character of the series. They kill all the good ones.

I'm pretty sure Vilgefortz turned Regis into a puddle of molten slag.

Addendum: @Kad_Venku makes some amazing points in his longer post with the spoiler tag. I 100% agree that the original story with Geralt freeing Duny from the curse was likely not tied to the whole Emhyr/Ciri/prophecy bit. It fits in with the whole "grain of truth" set of fairy tales in The Last Wish perfectly, but is not even remotely congruent with the rest of the story. I don't think poor translation is the cause either, I simply doubt Sapkowski meant to tie the original story into the larger one. In The Last Wish, Duny seems to definitely hold Geralt in the highest regard while showing arguably legitimate feelings for Pavetta despite the law of surprise compelling him; keep in mind Pavetta agrees when Geralt calls the qualifying portion of Duny's claim into finalizing the oath, stating she must agree to fulfill the law of surprise or Duny's claim would be nullified.

I haven't read Lady of the Lake, I didn't think the English translation was released yet, but that far in the series I would find it highly likely that Sapkowski simply applied triage to the script and made Emhyr's character expose his role as Duny to be an altruistic farce. Much easier for a character to deny something about themselves that happened in their past when it comes to chronology in writing, or a cheat code as I call it (No offense to Sapkowski, but he even admits he didn't come up with the material that resulted in The Witcher, I forgot the writer he took it/was inspired from, easily searched for though; perhaps someone here knows).

Anyhow just throwing my own observations up in contrast to some interesting theories and a great perspective offered by @Kad_Venku.

 

[Laurantaleas]

What did Duny grow up with? He must have amounted enormous hatred because of his curse and I guess he felt very helpless, like a play thing of an undeserved ill fate. Suddenly his curse is lifted against all odds. At some point he was introduced to Vilgefortz, and my best guess is, that V. told him about the elder blood. Duny/Emhyr must have realized at that point what his daughter could be for him: the path for revenge for all the wrongs he endured. I'm pretty sure, that the invasion of Cintra was staged almost exclusively to retrieve Ciri from the clutch of an opposing Calanthe. Calanthe knew who Duny really was and that she stood in his way. That, I believe, was the true reason why she was willing to let Geralt go with Ciri. She already knew Emhyr would come for her. Didn't she say to Geralt, that they wouldn't see each other again? She knew she would die soon. Inevitably so. She obviously believed in fate, so Geralt was the only way for her not to cheat fate and keep Ciri safe.

 

[SigilFey]

(The paladin ranks close in, a line of silver drawing the border between the foul tide of undead and the lands of the living. Shoulder to shoulder, heart beside heart, the gleaming warriors of light watch the decaying mass of corpses shamble towards them. Three years beneath the soil was not enough to still them...but they would know final rest today.

(He raises his staff. The comforting, ethereal glow of golden-white radiance washing over them.) Paladins, stand! Hold your courage and your ground! They will break upon our forces like foam on the cliffs!

(The shining ranks voice a unified cry and hold fast. Their eyes watch the ambling mass of undeath fill the valley below them. They continue watching. They stand. It starts getting a little drawn out.)

Alright. Looks like they just stopped in the valley, or whatever. Ready -- set -- get'em!