Triss Merigold (all spoilers)

+
Status
Not open for further replies.
Ahh yes, i was hoping Roche and Ves would say something to Triss like "Hey once this is over let's grab a drink along with Geralt for old times sake", but nothing came, Roche and Ves react to Letho being there.

One more thing for "what i want to see Triss content in the future": Triss stop and have a chat with Roche and Ves before Kaer Mohen's battle ;)
 


Hehe found this pic.....

---------- Updated at 09:37 AM ----------



Well if you need three words to describe Triss then i think "Independent", "Powerful" and "Beautiful" are pretty good words :)
 
One more thing for "what i want to see Triss content in the future": Triss stop and have a chat with Roche and Ves before Kaer Mohen's battle ;)

Yes! but also Roche, Ves, Triss, Geralt (and maybe Dandelion and Zoltan) need to sit around a table with drinks and reminisce about old times......what i wouldn't give to see that happen lol :) (it most likely won't happen though).
 
Yennefer, Triss, and Geralt's relationship from a book reader who considers the games on equal canon grounds



One of the things which is true of video games which is not true of books is the fact that, like movies, there's a lot more open to interpretation. It's interesting to note, for example, my perspective of Triss Merrigold and Yennefer of Vengerberg in the games is very different from the perspective of those who post in other threads. Very much so, my interpretation is my own and what I got from the games rather than an objective statement of fact unlike in the books where it's less ambiguous.

For instance, my vision of Triss Merrigold is that of the Atoner. She is a woman who did some terrible, horrible things she regrets like betraying Geralt and Ciri in the books and proceeded to one-up herself by doing something even worse by betraying Geralt into seducing himself--knowing he wanted nothing further to do with her after the business of the Lodge.

Yet, because of Geralt's influence and the HORRIBLE consequences of both Jacques de Alderberg's madness as well as the Lodge's callous disregard for human life, Triss decided to reverse her prior decision. She chose Geralt over the Lodge and revealed their plans to the world. In short, Triss earned the right to be loved by Geralt, ironically by choosing to be more like Yennefer.

She also abandoned her past with Geralt because it was wrong to keep him from Yennefer and that she vowed to help him find her again. Triss made an effort, furthermore, to atone for her actions by working to save the persecuted and murdered in Novigrad from Radovid's madness.

You will not find this Triss Merrigold in many other threads

A character I have no interest in is the Triss Merrigold who did no wrong. Triss Merigold who was always the saintly Leliana of the games and someone who is defined by being the Good Grrl to Yennefer's Bad Grrl. A Triss Merrigold who is still loyal to the Lodge of Sorceresses and doesn't regret betraying Geralt not once, but twice. A Triss who would betray Ciri for a second time and for whom Geralt would, in his characteristic way, have nothing but "contempt and contemptibility" for.
Yet, there is evidence in the game for both Triss Merrigold's.

I was brought to the books by the games and thus tend to hold them in a high reverance than many book-readers. In my opinion, there are two different and equally valid continuties but they have their own deep importance. There's the Witcher novel-canon where the Witcher books are a complete story. Geralt dies at the hands of the pogrom as does Yennefer but Ciri manages to move them bodily to a dimension in-between life and death to live their Happy Ending (which is a cop-out but I don't mind giving a physical Heaven to our heroes). However, the video games have their own canon where the books are 100% canon but the story continues. I actually maintain a third canon where "Something Ends, Something Begins." Because why not?

In the game canon, Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer have both been affected strongly by the past eight years. My preference for the Yennefer and Geralt relationship is that Geralt still very much loves Yennefer but he's also possessed of many new and complicated feelings from the past seven years. He's become more more politically involved, against his will perhaps, but not smaller.

New Geralt

The New Geralt is affected by his amnesia to the point that he has enacted real-change in the world and is no longer "just" a Witcher. He's a savior to the whole of Temeria as well as a living legend. He's in a different sort of world now, one where Witchers are not anachronisms, but vitally important parts of society again. He's also world-famous because of Dandelion's ballads and determines the fate of nations.

In short, he's found himself in the uncomfortable role of hero.

This Geralt has much different about him and much more desire to help the common good. He is revitalized, for lack of a better term, and this affects his relationships. One of the saddest elements is Geralt finds this vitality at the cost of that which he loves most--The Geralt who loved Triss and is a hero....has no daughter nor Yennefer and didn't even realize their absence until it became the most important one in his life.

When he meets Yennefer again, he may find they have little in common....and his daughter is a woman now.

Being a hero is poor compensation for these losses.

New Yennefer

Yennefer, by contrast, is suffering a much worse fate. She is a woman who has spent the past two years imprisoned at the hands of Nilfgaard, suffering indignities, and recovering her memory quickly but remaining in the hands of a monster. She is forced to watch Geralt live a life of privilege and honor with her best friend (who she must hate now--ironic, given Triss finally realizes how badly she's misused her companion). The Yennefer who is finally released is a woman who wants nothing more than to REGAIN her happy ending. The one stolen from her not by Triss but circumstance. This is what motivates her rage and anger. A desperate desire to take back what has been taken, her family, and loved ones--no matter the cost.

WHICH YOU WOULDN'T KNOW the way some people treat her. They either ignore Yennefer's ruthless actions and the fact these are a gross change from the book character, pretending she's still the same woman as before, or they paint her with some broad evil stroke which ignores her humanity. There's evidence for both but, for me, the Yennefer of the Games is a woman hideously wronged and trying to claw her way out.

And then can hear from her true love's lips.

"No, I'm sorry, Yen, I just don't feel the same way anymore."

Gut punch.

Thankfully, there's another option, but for me Yennefer's story is one of meta-textual fun. That her role as the main female protagonist has been usurped--and the story is very much one of realizing it may be impossible to go back--but she can always move forward.
 
Last edited:
Nice post willow, I like your interpretation. I didn't know Yennefer was imprisoned by nilfgaard for 7 years, how long has Geralt been back from the wild hunt and with triss?
 
Back to the topic at hand, I've been thinking more about the pacing this morning and in the absence of common sense taking a back seat to profits, Triss content needs to be added to new areas of the game. First of all, if you don't know what I'm on about, let me quickly recap on how Triss features in the games:

This is how the timeline for the story looks if played in a linear fashion:

Dream Sequence/tutorial >> Prologue >> Act 1: Velen >> Act 1: Novigrad >> Act 1: Skellige >> Act 2: Kaer Morhen >> Act 2: Ilse of Mists >> Act 2: Battle of Kaer Morhen >> Act 3: Bald Mountain >> Act 3: Novigrad >> Act 3: Skellige >> Epilogue

The highlighted blue areas are were there is currently dialogue pertaining to the Yennefer romance. As you can see, it flows throughout the game, never giving you more than a few hours without developing the romantic story line further. The highlighted green areas are were there is currently dialogue pertaining to the Triss romance. As you can see, it's limited to two areas leaving you with almost the entire game between the scenes.

Now this is particularly bad if you're a player who is new to the series, someone who has never read a book nor played a previous game because the character of Triss does not get the chance to be as fleshed out as much as the character of Yen. Because of this and the way that all but one of the game's NPCs assume you're in a relationship with Yennefer, people new to the series don't really understand how important this character is in the context of the three games. So let me give you a quick guide.

The Witcher - Triss is one of two love interests for Geralt within the game. Whilst our hero can plough his way through the game, there are only two romantic story lines you can have. The other is a character called Shani who appears to be making a come back in one of the DLCs. The premise of the game, and how this trilogy starts, is that Geralt is found unconscious and has lost his memory. He's found by fellow Witchers and Triss. There's a bit of frolicking around at the beginning but after he's injured, she nurses him back to health. Without going in to detail, the romance continues (again optional) later in the game.

The Witcher 2 - Triss is now the love interest for Geralt. She Royal advisor to King Foltest, he his bodyguard. That game opens with them sharing a bed and it's really this game that fleshes out the romance between them. There are two key points in the game in regards to the romance. The first is at a place called Flotsam. Here there is a scene were a Rose of Remembrance - a rose that if given to the one you love, forever blooms so long as that love remains true - is (optionally) given to Triss by Geralt. Que a love making scene and then there's dialogue about Yennefer, specifically Geralt's search for her. The player can choose to search for Yen alone, and thus break up with Triss, or travel in search of her in Triss' company. If you choose the latter, Geralt makes it clear that only an 'ingrate' would want to loose her and what they have.

The second key moment is in the final act and you can choose to clear Geralt's name from the false accusation of Kingslayer, or rescue Triss who got herself in to a bit of a pickle.If you choose to rescue her, you leave together in search of Yen.

As you can see, depending upon player choices, she's improtant to Geralts life. Yet in The Witcher 3, in an attempt to target customers new to the franchise, CDPR stupidly reset this romance to a neutral state in a clumsy way of allowing player choice between Triss and Yen (clumsy because there were better ways of allowing for that). The content makes vague references to a past relationship and reconciliation over the break up. What it does not do is convey the importance of Triss to Geralt from what is now a canonised romance (in terms of the games, book readers).

So back to the time line.

Dream Sequence/tutorial>> Prologue >> Act 1: Velen >> Act 1: Novigrad >> Act 1: Skellige >> Act 2: Kaer Morhen >> Act 2: Ilse of Mists >> Act 2: Battle of Kaer Morhen >> Act 3: Bald Mountain >> Act 3: Novigrad >> Act 3: Skellige >> Epilogue

When we remove the Yennefer romance, this is how the timeline appears in regards to Triss romance-related material. Consider that this game is meant to be over two hundred hours long, there is an awful long period of time between re-kindling your romance with Triss and settling on were it will end. There is currently no further development of that romance, presumably because CDPR felt it had been developed over the previous games but that's no use for people who haven't played them and was never going to go down well with those of us who have and have always chosen Triss as the romance option. On both sides of that equation, there simply isn't enough romance development.

To accommodate those new to the series and help flesh out the character and the romance with Geralt, and to accomodate those who are veterans of the series and have anything up to eight years of emotional investment in the character, new content for Triss needs to be added. Not all these are my ideas but here's a list we've come up with so far:

  • At the beginning of Act 2, Triss is at Kaer Morhen. She greets you with a kiss and a bit of dialogue surrounding how she's getting on with Yen should follow,
  • Some form of argument between Triss and Yen over Geralt leading to reconciliation between the two.
  • 'No place like home' sees you having a few bevies with your Witcher mates. If you romance Yen, you're on a promise. Same should apply to Triss.
  • Vesemir's funeral should see Triss and Geralt comforting each other. Uncle Vesemir was very close to both of them and the game should acknowledge this.
  • In Act 3: Skellige, the search for the Sunstone should feature Triss rather than Phillipa. If your'e in a romance with Triss, there should be dialogue pertaining to it.
  • In Act 3: Skellige, before the final battle, there should be some dialogue between Triss and Geralt that recognises the danger the battle poses to Geralt's life.
  • During the Epilogue, if you chose the Ciri-Witcher route, your love interest (Triss or Yen) should be with Ciri at the Inn with dialogue that suggests Ciri will live with them for a while in Kovir/wherever to complete her training.

That makes the timeline, specifically for Triss, look like this:

Dream Sequence/tutorial >> Prologue >> Act 1: Velen >> Act 1: Novigrad >> Act 1: Skellige >> Act 2: Kaer Morhen >> Act 2: Ilse of Mists >> Act 2: Battle of Kaer Morhen >> Act 3: Bald Mountain >> Act 3: Novigrad >> Act 3: Skellige >> Epilogue

The purple sections represent romantic material. As you can see, there would be no large gaps between the development of Triss' romantic storyline and plenty of opportunity for writing to be added that fleshes her character out for new players.

Overall romantic content would look like this:

Dream Sequence/tutorial >> Prologue >> Act 1: Velen >> Act 1: Novigrad >> Act 1: Skellige >> Act 2: Kaer Morhen >> Act 2: Ilse of Mists >> Act 2: Battle of Kaer Morhen >> Act 3: Bald Mountain >> Act 3: Novigrad >> Act 3: Skellige >> Epilogue

As you can see, both characters would have continuous development of their romantic story line with no large gaps in the game allowing for both story lines to be treated with equality. Thread's a bit long, I know and sorry about that but I wanted to put down all the ideas we've had in one easy to visualise thread.
 
Last edited:
My bad, it was two.

I see many player misunderstood about 2 and 7 years, don't know where this come from ???

I dislike whenever people think Triss is a saint. She is a person with many flaw in the past, not a god (that why many newcomer don't understand the whole story ...). Still, MY Geralt love her above all else ;)

  • At the beginning of Act 2, Triss is at Kaer Morhen. She greets you with a kiss and a bit of dialogue surrounding how she's getting on with Yen should follow,
  • 'No place like home' sees you having a few bevies with your Witcher mates. If you romance Yen, you're on a promise. Same should apply to Triss.
  • Vesemir's funeral should see Triss and Geralt comforting each other. Uncle Vesemir was very close to both of them and the game should acknowledge this.
  • In Act 3: Skellige, the search for the Sunstone should feature Triss rather than Phillipa. If your'e in a romance with Triss, there should be dialogue pertaining to it.
  • In Act 3: Skellige, before the final battle, there should be some dialogue between Triss and Geralt that recognises the danger the battle poses to Geralt's life.
  • During the Epilogue, if you chose the Ciri-Witcher route, your love interest (Triss or Yen) should be with Ciri at the Inn with dialogue that suggests Ciri will live with them for a while in Kovir/wherever to complete her training.

That makes the timeline, specifically for Triss, it would look like this:

Dream Sequence/tutorial >> Prologue >> Act 1: Velen >> Act 1: Novigrad >> Act 1: Skellige >> Act 2: Kaer Morhen >> Act 2: Ilse of Mists >> Act 2: Battle of Kaer Morhen >> Act 3: Bald Mountain >> Act 3: Novigrad >> Act 3: Skellige >> Epilogue

The purple sections represent romantic material. As you can see, there would be no large gaps between the development of Triss' romantic storyline and plenty of opportunity for writing to be added that fleshes her character out for new players.

Now you list is more understandable, i agree with all of it ;)

Still, as i can see "In Act 3: Skellige, the search for the Sunstone should feature Triss rather than Phillipa" maybe changing the storyline and this only quest feature Phillipa. I love your suggestion, but for me dialogue options for Triss in the boat is good enough ^_^
 
for me dialogue options for Triss in the boat is good enough

This is the boat that you leave to Skellige with from Novigrad in Act 3 right? If so I definitely agree, I got on the boat and went to speak to Triss and the other characters, but turned out that there were no dialogue options for anyone :/
 
I dislike whenever people think Triss is a saint. She is a person with many flaw in the past, not a god (that why many newcomer don't understand the whole story ...). Still, MY Geralt love her above all else

This.

She has her flaws like you said, yet in my opinion it adds to her development as a character and in her relationship with Geralt as well as her relationships with other people (Yen and Ciri etc), and my Geralt loves her despite any events of the past....but that is just me.

---------- Updated at 10:42 AM ----------

This is the boat that you leave to Skellige with from Novigrad in Act 3 right? If so I definitely agree, I got on the boat and went to speak to Triss and the other characters, but turned out that there were no dialogue options for anyone :/

Yep that big boat where all you get is a well?
 
This is the boat that you leave to Skellige with from Novigrad in Act 3 right? If so I definitely agree, I got on the boat and went to speak to Triss and the other characters, but turned out that there were no dialogue options for anyone :/

Yeah, i would like dialogue options for Triss in the boat first, then anyone can get their share later :devil:
This.

She has her flaws like you said, yet in my opinion it adds to her development as a character and in her relationship with Geralt as well as her relationships with other people (Yen and Ciri etc), and my Geralt loves her despite any events of the past....but that is just me.
And dev handle the rekindle perfectly, that is the most emotional scene in my entire gaming history :cry:

Why that is just you ? I think many here gonna agree with you about this one
Gladly. Will write You later in PM.
Thanks ^_^. I know about making, cutting, editting video but don't know anything about making gif ...
 
Now you list is more understandable, i agree with all of it ;)

Still, as i can see "In Act 3: Skellige, the search for the Sunstone should feature Triss rather than Phillipa" maybe changing the storyline and this only quest feature Phillipa. I love your suggestion, but for me dialogue options for Triss in the boat is good enough ^_^

For you, perhaps but the character of Triss is under developed in this game for any one new to the franchise who has never played one of the previous games. She needs more character development and this mission is a good opportunity for that.

If we briefly look at Phillippa we'll see that she:

  • Mistreated Radovid as a child.
  • Manipulated the Redanian Royal Court.
  • Conspired in Regicide.
  • Subjugated the will of another (potentially, depending on your choices) resulting in her death.

Now why on earth is she going to just blurt out to Geralt that she wants to be Ciri's advisor? Philippa's plans can still be revealed but it makes more sense if they're revealed by Triss, former Lodge member, than by Phillipa who given her antics in the last game, is going to be the last person Geralt wants around Ciri.

The aim of improving Triss should not be solely focused on us fans, it should also be with a view of developing the character better for those who are new. That's a financial incentive for CDPR because it increases the chances of someone buying one or both the previous games and future games made by them. If they gain a reputation of poor character development in RPGs their sales will suffer.
 
Yennefer, Triss, and Geralt's relationship from a book reader who considers the games on equal canon grounds

*snip to save space*

Thankfully, there's another option, but for me Yennefer's story is one of meta-textual fun. That her role as the main female protagonist has been usurped--and the story is very much one of realizing it may be impossible to go back--but she can always move forward.

What's interesting about your opinion on Triss is that this could have been my opinion as well, if the game had not squandered the opportunity to reveal at least some of this. The choice between Yen and Triss is already deliciously difficult. CD Project Red why u no tell me all this?



Nah just kidding I'm not that upset.



But you're going to address the issue. So I applaud you for listening to your fans and trying to make something work. We'll see how that turns out.

 
This is the boat that you leave to Skellige with from Novigrad in Act 3 right? If so I definitely agree, I got on the boat and went to speak to Triss and the other characters, but turned out that there were no dialogue options for anyone :/

Absolutly agree, no matter if you romance one or other or none or both, you cannot interact with Fingilla, Avallac'h's options seems cuttted, Ciri's after lab visit doesn't reacts... a big lack for every character with the greatest lack of all: Eredin.
 
For you, perhaps but the character of Triss is under developed in this game for any one new to the franchise who has never played one of the previous games. She needs more character development and this mission is a good opportunity for that.

If we briefly look at Phillippa we'll see that she:

  • Mistreated Radovid as a child.
  • Manipulated the Redanian Royal Court.
  • Conspired in Regicide.
  • Subjugated the will of another (potentially, depending on your choices) resulting in her death.

Now why on earth is she going to just blurt out to Geralt that she wants to be Ciri's advisor? Philippa's plans can still be revealed but it makes more sense if they're revealed by Triss, former Lodge member, than by Phillipa who given her antics in the last game, is going to be the last person Geralt wants around Ciri.

The aim of improving Triss should not be solely focused on us fans, it should also be with a view of developing the character better for those who are new. That's a financial incentive for CDPR because it increases the chances of someone buying one or both the previous games and future games made by them. If they gain a reputation of poor character development in RPGs their sales will suffer.

But Triss don't want to involve with the Lodge anymore, so i doubt they will tell her anything.

And IMO:
-This is Philippa personal plan and she just only reveal to Geralt (with hope Geralt take Yen away from this position)
-Philippa don't have the needed vote for her to be the head of the Lodge, she abandon the plan to reconvene it

For conclusion, both Triss and Philippa should go with Geralt to retrieve the Sun Stone, don't think this one will change storyline, just make the "fivesome" conversation more interesting :evil:



Absolutly agree, no matter if you romance one or other or none or both, you cannot interact with Fingilla, Avallac'h's options seems cuttted, Ciri's after lab visit doesn't reacts... a big lack for every character with the greatest lack of all: Eredin.

Time to quote meself
Joking aside, Triss content is one of many problem need to be fixed in Act 2 and 3. But we are TEAM Triss, that mean she is our piority

Meaning i want Triss content fix first, just being selfish here ^_^
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom