[General] So, why did actually the Salamandra...

[gorthuar]

...have so keen interest in Alvin? From Act III onward they seem to be hell-bent on capturing the boy, with no real explanation of their motives given. The Professor's letter says little more then "we have high hopes for the boy, and need to get him to Azar's laboratory". But what do they hope to achieve with a Source of his power? Is de Aldersberg aware of his minions' actions? Did he order it? Does he want to become something like a Greater Brother himself? Thoughts?

I thank you for your time


Gorthuar of Mirthe
Master of Arcane Magick

[LDiCesare]

Maybe Jacques, being Alvin, forces the salamandra to get him through the experiences he lived in his youth (however paradoxal that may be).

[Handel]

...have so keen interest in Alvin? From Act III onward they seem to be hell-bent on capturing the boy, with no real explanation of their motives given. The Professor's letter says little more then "we have high hopes for the boy, and need to get him to Azar's laboratory". But what do they hope to achieve with a Source of his power? Is de Aldersberg aware of his minions' actions? Did he order it? Does he want to become something like a Greater Brother himself? Thoughts?

I thank you for your time


Gorthuar of Mirthe
Master of Arcane Magick

There are several loose ends in the story:
1. If Alvin is the Grand Master of the Order then what you tell him should have some influence but there is no such things.
2. Triss and the other sorceress have their own agendas.
3. What is the interest of Leenavarden here?

[Petra Silie]

Leuvaarden is not that kind of poeple who has criminal intentions. He is a successful merchant with connections to the society and a few political poeple too. He is not interested in that kind of mutants Azar (and the Salamandra) and de Aldersberg want to create. He is a member of a secret society... I guess we never learn what this society is. He finances unknown projects. I don't want to say he is law-abiding but it's not his style to have any business with the Grandmaster and Javed. Leuvaarden has no interest in Alvin at all.

Triss and the other Sorceresses (namely the Lodge of Sorceresses) are more hungry for power. Most of them are advisor of kings and of couse they want to influence them to their advantage. But it's beneath them to be involved in the experiments of the Grandmaster and Javed. I would say, it's too dirty for them.
Alvin is a source, he has (probably mighty) magical abilities and doesn't know how to use it. Sorceresses use to take care of these children, bring them to special schools (see link) so that the source-children learn how to use and guide their abilities.
Though you never know if a sorceress want's to take advantage of these children.

[LazyMonk]

de Aldersberg must play though the events he remembers and chase Alvin around or the boy wouldn't have any reason to make the time jump.

whenever you're dealing with time travel you're bound to get those paradoxes.

[Handel]

I hope in the second part they give answers to those questions. And I hope to understand wher was Geralt for those 5 years after the end of the Big War (and also how the plague lasted for whole 5 years).
As for the Lodge of the sorceress they simply want to use the power of Alvin for their own purposes. As they wanted to use the power of Cirilla. Actually even Yennefer betrayed Geralt using Cirilla for her own purposes - she was supposed to protect her and to teach her how to master and use her power. Instead she decided to use her power in for her own purposes and this resulting in the Big War, many years of suffering for Cirilla and the plague who killed big part of Vizima.

[Petra Silie]

Really? I haven't finished the Saga yet because two volumes have to be released. But this kind of selfishness suits Yennefer's charakter when I think of how she met Geralt in Rinde and how she abused him.

[56236]

Really? I haven't finished the Saga yet because two volumes have to be released. But this kind of selfishness suits Yennefer's charakter when I think of how she met Geralt in Rinde and how she abused him.

You see? That's why we use Spoilers... aw, well...

If de Aldersberg was Alvin, he'd do all in his power to avoid contact and influence... so I think Salamandra (being just a tool) had their own plans. Simple as that.
Also, I like the paradoxal idea... if such a word - let alone event - exists.

[dmcaldw]

de Aldersberg must play though the events he remembers and chase Alvin around or the boy wouldn't have any reason to make the time jump.

whenever you're dealing with time travel you're bound to get those paradoxes.

     I think I will go with the paradoxe theory . The argument  that Alvin and de Aldersburg are one in the same would have foundation .

[Handel]

I think the problem is we all are looking for perfect logic in the plot. But when someone wrote several novels many years ago he hardly thought "Well, there will be an RPG made after 10 years, so let me think how to put the basics of it's plot in the books". So the guys who created the plot of the game simply tried to keep the things as close to the game as it is possible but leaving loose ends in inevitable. There always are loose ends in games with a complex plot. To tie the loose ends in the book an autor can always use some miracles. Like when Cirilla saved himself from the desert thanks to no-one-knows-from-where-it-appeared unicorn. Of course she being a virgin etc the unicorns are oblliged to appear but why not early...

[Dezired]

...have so keen interest in Alvin? From Act III onward they seem to be hell-bent on capturing the boy, with no real explanation of their motives given. The Professor's letter says little more then "we have high hopes for the boy, and need to get him to Azar's laboratory". But what do they hope to achieve with a Source of his power? Is de Aldersberg aware of his minions' actions? Did he order it? Does he want to become something like a Greater Brother himself? Thoughts?

I thank you for your time


Gorthuar of Mirthe
Master of Arcane Magick

There are several loose ends in the story:
1. If Alvin is the Grand Master of the Order then what you tell him should have some influence but there is no such things.

No. He spent like two weeks with Geralt - and Geralt was busy slaying monsters and bandits the whole time. They didn't really talk. He spent 40+ years without him.

Why in the world would Geralt's words have any influence on the Grandmaster?

[gorthuar]

Maybe Jacques, being Alvin, forces the salamandra to get him through the experiences he lived in his youth (however paradoxal that may be).

de Aldersberg must play though the events he remembers and chase Alvin around or the boy wouldn't have any reason to make the time jump.

whenever you're dealing with time travel you're bound to get those paradoxes.

That would certainly be logical from his point of view. Thanks.

If de Aldersberg was Alvin, he'd do all in his power to avoid contact and influence... so I think Salamandra (being just a tool) had their own plans. Simple as that.
Also, I like the paradoxal idea... if such a word - let alone event - exists.

If so, it would be great to know what were their plans! I understand all we can do is speculate, but what the hell. Any ideas?

I thank you for your time


Gorthuar of Mirthe
Master of Arcane Magick

[Handel]

There are several loose ends in the story:
1. If Alvin is the Grand Master of the Order then what you tell him should have some influence but there is no such things.

No. He spent like two weeks with Geralt - and Geralt was busy slaying monsters and bandits the whole time. They didn't really talk. He spent 40+ years without him.

Why in the world would Geralt's words have any influence on the Grandmaster?

This sounds reasonable. But at the same time after the Inquisitor (allegedly) saved Geralt in the swamps and told him "you already payed your debt". BTW - what happens at this point if Geralt sides with the squirels or remain neutral? Does this scene remains the same?

[Enidehalas]

Maybe Aldersberg don't want the child to change the present with all his childishness
Maybe he doesn't want him to be found that it is him, and be killed before he grows
Maybe it's Javed that sends them to control Aldersberg and take control of the whole Salamandra for power
Maybe Alvin is not Aldersberg and just *another* source, and Alder wants him to purge him from his power, take it or experience on it
etc..

[56236]

Maybe it's Javed that sends them to control Aldersberg and take control of the whole Salamandra for power
Maybe Alvin is not Aldersberg and just *another* source, and Alder wants him to purge him from his power, take it or experience on it
etc..

These are good points. Javed may or may not have been smart enough to think of the paradoxal side of his Master.
The latter, which does make sense, can only be proven if maybe in TW2 the whereabouts unconditionally prove de Aldersberg is not Alvin.
Man, I love this story where nothing is certain... and so real.