The Scoia'tael - Where are our favorite terrorists?

[Willowhugger]

The Scoia'tael - Where are our favorite terrorists?

Now that we've settled the Triss and Yennefer argument by properly driving it into the ground, let's talk about another notable absence from the game.

THE SQUIRRELS!

Not Iorveth, per se, but the fact that everyone's favorite terrorists are absent except for one small band.

Why?

You could say they have no role in the game but the game's premise IS THE NORTH VERSUS NILFGAARD! The Squirrels were founded by the Nilfgaard the same way that the Taliban got a lot of support from the United States during the war against the Soviets. The Squirrels, like Letho, were betrayed by the Nilfgaard and handed over for execution to the North.

You'd think this would be relevant when discussing whether Nilfgaard's takeover is a good thing or whether Emhyr can be trusted.

Hell, they might even decide to let bygones be bygones because Radovid is THAT bad.

Or maybe kill BOTH sides.

This is a pretty big omission.

They're not a small group and played a key role in the previous two games.

 

[AlexDeimling]

Isn't it said somewhere that they were hunted down and eliminated?

 

[Eruvadhor]

The rumor they were wiped out, is clearly an attempt to fake their death so they can come back in a DLC...riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...I wish...

 

[lwp]

Not Iorveth, per se, but the fact that everyone's favorite terrorists are absent except for one small band.

I've counted 4 camps in the game, but you're correct they essentially do nothing.
"Who cares about the Scoia'tael anymore?" - Vernon Roche
It's odd because now when the North is in shambles they should be stepping up their operations, not sitting back chilling in the woods.

Isn't it said somewhere that they were hunted down and eliminated?

I can't recall this but I do remember one character that said her unit had been destroyed.

Spoiler

The elf assassin in the Lambert quest in Novigrad

 

[mbaker51591]

I think Ioverth totally lost his gamble w/ Saskia due Saskia have been injured. Seriously Iorveth's gamble is a total lost, they already fought Kaedweni then they will repel the Nilfgardian even Geralt sided on them in W2 and won.

They also need to rebuild there fortification but w/out Saskia there leader. Those peasants are just angry mobs w/ a pitchfork. Yes they got dwarfs but most of them are merchant. They also got Noble but there loyalty is questionable even you spare Prince Stennis his popularity w/ his people already dropped. Also Ioverth cannot take on command w/ them and Scoia'tael are bunch of splinter cells there not even united.

Hopefully Ioverth will make a cameo in some expansion. Seriously Ioverth is an idealist that's why i never choose him.

 

[Simultas]

I think since the game became teeny oriented (see the neighboring thread), CDPR just decided to remove this controversial topic, where a "good guy" Geralt could have helped terrorists, whom they should have been depicting not as evil as mainstream media requires.

 

[davidj8580]

Where the hell is Yaevinn?

 

[Vargeras]

Nilfgaard gave the elves their own kingdom, and aknowledged their sovereignty. In exchange the Scoia'tael had to continue their fight against the north.
Now why would the Squirrels start fighting against nilfgaard? That would be stupid. And since almost anything is controlled by Nilfgaar, there is simply no need for those guerilla fighters.

 

[dzbrown]

Yeah, given the Scoia'tael's role in the previous games (even going so far as to be a substantial part of the ending), I found their absence a little sad. Yeah, there were four camps that were mentioned, but they really felt marginalized. A shame.

 

[Jou05]

The reason is sloppy writing nothing more

The Scoiatel suddenly going vanishing makes zero sense

 

[bilsantu]

Aren't they more active in Temeria which is NOT in the game?

 

[dzbrown]

Aren't they more active in Temeria which is NOT in the game?

Well, given current events and their potential outcomes, you would think the Scoia'tael would adapt to such a situation to try and exploit it to their benefit. One would imagine that it would not be unreasonable to expect them to forge alliances and secure promises given the geography of the north is about to change in a pretty radical way (regardless of the victor). Instead, a war rages and they sit in the forest and steal horses or raid an occasional caravan.

 

[Goodmongo]

Just like in the real world these type of fighters are nowhere near the front lines. Even Roche's group has to hid in some caves. Whew the real army shows up the guerrillas leave the area.

 

[dzbrown]

Just like in the real world these type of fighters are nowhere near the front lines. Even Roche's group has to hid in some caves. Whew the real army shows up the guerrillas leave the area.

Agreed. They would definitely not show up as regular troops; however, I would expect them to have a little more 'substantial involvement' than acting like common brigands. They are basically turned into elven road bandits in this game.

 

[Zeroscape]

Agreed. They would definitely not show up as regular troops; however, I would expect them to have a little more 'substantial involvement' than acting like common brigands. They are basically turned into elven road bandits in this game.

Yeah, though that could make a Scoia'tael themed expansion all the more interesting. Why is the movement so meek? Is something being done about it? What will the future hold?

Iorveth's cut from the vanilla game leads me to think he may be one of the those mentioned in the expansion pass blurb: "...will feature characters both new and dearly missed."

We shall see.

 

[wichat]

They try to survive, even stealing mares....

 

[Sooxzay]

I think they will come back sooner or later.

I was at a squirrel camp after saving one of them from bandits on the east side of oxenfurt. One of them said something like "Did you hear what happend to Iorveth?" I was like "OH WHAT? TELL ME?!" But then no one of them asks "What? What happened to him?" So sad that this "conversation" just ended before it even began.

But I believe somewhere out there are still some of them hiding until the whole war and racism stops. A world without elves and dwarfes like what is this? They will show up.

Maybe in Kovir? :look: *nuff said*

 

[Anwell]

Yeah, though that could make a Scoia'tael themed expansion all the more interesting. Why is the movement so meek? Is something being done about it? What will the future hold?

Iorveth's cut from the vanilla game leads me to think he may be one of the those mentioned in the expansion pass blurb: "...will feature characters both new and dearly missed."

We shall see.

I agree, he was cut from the main game, but he isn't killed of on screen. If they had decided to end his story arc, they could have easily done so. Executed him or something. Its kept deliberately vague, which give me hope CD project has plans for him.

My hope would be to see him and Isengrim. That would have been something. Maybe even Toruviel or Yaevinn

 

[Goodmongo]

Let's use WW2 as an example for partisan units being involved. There are two major things we learn from WW2. The first is that partisan units hardly ever were seen close to front line troops. The vast majority of their activity was behind the front lines and away from the main armies.

The second thing we learned is that terrain is very important in hiding partisans, especially if they couldn't blend into the population. Yugoslavia was a great example. It was much easier to hide in the mountains and rough terrain then it was in the open fields of the Ukraine.

Now apply that to the elves of the Scoia'tael and the land areas involved in the game. It is very hard to blend into the population not to mention that the local elves were being persecuted anyway. That means they would be forced to make their bases out in the countryside. Except for the fact that these areas are limited. There weren't massive mountains or forests available in the land areas covered in the game outside of the islands. So I just don't see the opportunity for the Scoia'tael to be anything more than a very small band of bandits.

 

[mbaker51591]

Nilfgaard gave the elves their own kingdom, and aknowledged their sovereignty. In exchange the Scoia'tael had to continue their fight against the north.
Now why would the Squirrels start fighting against nilfgaard? That would be stupid. And since almost anything is controlled by Nilfgaar, there is simply no need for those guerilla fighters.

Due to the fact Nilfgardians betrayed them like what they did to Letho. During the war involving w/ the Squirrels the 2nd war, the north requested peace w/ the Nilfgardian. The peace talk is successfully sadly the price of peace is the disbandment of the Squirrels and the head of all leaders of the Squirrels. Some survive like Ioverth and Yaevinn.