#demavend iii

[veralevina15]

Radovid's chess monologue: devotion, betrayal and *lub-dub, lub-dub*

Today I’m going to explain to you the criminally overlooked Radovid’s chess monologue. That is not a comical crazy nonsense. That’s absolutely gorgeous speech about devotion, betrayal and *lub-dub lub-dub*.

Chekmate. They say that's the game of kings. That chess teaches one to think strategically. What a load of rubbish! Both sides have identical pieces, the rules stay invariably the same. How does this mirror real life?

Radovid, despite his young age, is a rather experienced ruler. He had to solve this most difficult puzzle called “politics” more than once. Politics is not chess, and here no one plays by the rules. Therefore, Radovid had very quickly accustomed himself to cold calculation, flexibility of mind and a certain amount of cynicism.

Witcher, do you know why I play chess?

Whatever the answer, Radovid ends the introductory part of the monologue and proceeds to the main one.

I play chess to reveal the game's secret. Blood thumps inside this chessmen. You need only listen - and you will hear. Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub...A heart pumping with life. I take a pawn - and hear flesh being rent. I win a piece - and hear screams from the depths of its bowels. I want to break the chessmen open, squeeze the truth from them. Do you see what I mean?

This whole piece is one continuous metaphor. Let's look at it in more detail.

Blood thumps inside this chessmen. You need only listen - and you will hear. Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub...

This is the most memorable moment, although Radovid only poetically compares the figures with people, and “lub-dub” is nothing more than an imitation of a heartbeat; a symbol of how noisy life is in a chess piece, if instead of it we imagine a living person, but on the political "board" of kings.

A heart pumping with life. I take a pawn - and hear flesh being rent. I win a piece - and hear screams from the depths of its bowels.

Through chess images, Radovid paints a picture of real political life with numerous deaths and sacrifices in the name of a certain goal. Dead flesh, death screams - this is what remains of the "pawns" that kings sweep away from their political board with a wave of their hands.

I play chess to reveal the game's secret.

Do you see what I mean?

What secret is he talking about? What is the "truth" that Radovid set out to squeeze out of chess? Perhaps these are the most difficult questions of the chess monologue. In order to fully understand them, you need to answer the king “No, I don't” and listen to Radovid’s further explanation.

You do not beacause you are not a king. Pawns see only the comrades at their sides and the foes across the field. The king has the differen view of the chessboard. His greatest foes surrounds him. His own chessmen might trap him. And that is check...and death. You see, witcher : сhess is a art of sacrificing your own pieces. Now do you see?

This is the key point of the monologue. Here is a real possibility in chess, when the king gets a checkmate only because he is blocked by his own pieces, and an analogy with royal power, when lieges betray their monarch. This is a clear allusion to a conspiracy against the king of Redania, arranged by the Temerians and Dijkstra (which is typical, none of the king's inner circle or from other Redanians, with the exception of a traitor soldier, is involved in the conspiracy. This makes one seriously doubt the veracity of Dijkstra's speeches and the journal entry that, they say, everyone would be happy about the death of the White Eagle).

The king is afraid of betrayal, because recently several rulers of the North have fallen victims of evil intentions: Demavend III, Foltest, and even earlier - his own father, Vizimir II, who was killed by Philippa Eilhart. Radovid is very afraid of repeating his fate. The situation is doubly aggravated by the war with Nilfgaard and the beginning of the Witch Hunt. The king is always on the alert, because he knows for sure: a lot of spiteful critics have divorced around, who in the most decisive way decided to throw him off the throne.

Thus, the “truth” that Radovid wants to squeeze out is the desire to obtain convincing evidence of the loyalty of his pawns, close associates and subjects (Geralt, Roche, etc.). Not without reason follows the explanation of the message about the king, locked in a trap by his own pawns.

His greatest foes surrounds him. His own chessmen might trap him. And that is check...and death.

He is absolutely right. Vernon Roche and Geralt are exactly those "pawns" that can lure the king into a deadly trap.

Another aspect of this monologue is reasonable sacrifices for the common good. In chess, one must be able to sacrifice one's pieces, as well as on the field of big politics - one's subjects (for example, Whoreson Junior). In the context of the infidelity of the lieges to their king, Radovid probably also takes into account the need to sacrifice unreliable pawns in time so that they do not harm the monarch. No wonder he orders to kill Geralt on the bridge of St. Gregory, because he suspects him of treason and barrier of all kinds. This is a fair assumption, given that on behalf of the witcher, the player can interfere with the plans of the king more than once.

You see, witcher: сhess is a art of sacrificing your own pieces.

It turns out that, on the one hand, chess doesn't mirror the real life (after all, no one plays by the rules in politics!), and on the other hand, how many figurative references can be found in chess to the real life of kings (and not only kings! ). Here is such a duality and depth. Perhaps, this is precisely the “secret” of chess for Radovid. Speaking more globally, chess in an incomprehensible way combines many different motives: ethics, metaphysics, music, mathematics, philosophy, and even love. The game is full of a bottomless amount of hidden meanings, and Radovid, as a talented chess player, understands and feels this very well.

And if we go back a little and answer the king's question "Yes, I do"?

Radovid: …I want to break the chessmen open, squeeze the truth from them. Do you see what I mean? Geralt: Yes, Sire, believe I do.

Radovid will react quite sharply to this.

You know shit. You're merely humoring me! I was not speaking literally.

These words of Radovid destroy any ridiculous assumption that the king, they say, in a fit of madness treats chess as if it were alive. And the king clearly does not tolerate any sycophancy. Perhaps it is for this reason that His Majesty will not give such a detailed explanation and will limit himself to only one phrase:

First hidden truth: a monarch is always surrounded by fools. Understand?

Around the monarch there are always a lot of sycophants who naively think that they are smarter and more cunning than their ruler and can easily deceive him. Radovid was surrounded by the ambitious sorceress Philippa Eilhart, who wanted to rule over Redania through obedient “pocket king”, and arrogant, blooming nobles, who did not respect the young heir.

At the end of the scene, Roche gives an extremely strange assessment of the king's speech:

Radovid's sinking ever deeper into madness, as I see it.

Also, an equally strange entry appears in the journal on behalf of Dandelion, where, among other things, it is indicated that

Geralt's meeting with Radovid confirmed the rumors circling around the king's mental state. The Redanian king was a dangerous madman trapped in his own world of disturbing visions

It is completely incomprehensible, on the basis of what Radovid's phrases we should have the impression that His Majesty is insane. If you listen to the king carefully, it is quite obvious that he says the right and logical things, in fact, describing his royal life, and the Eagle uses very beautiful images for this.

The words about the "mad king" looks like a deliberate denigration of Radovid. "Madness" is an inappropriate word to describe the state of mind of His Majesty, his pain and his anguish. But, of course, by the events of The Witcher 3, the king is on the verge of breaking, and a real abyss has opened up inside him. However, this is not about chess at all.

[dukeofdogs]

Season of the Viper

Chest 1: The School of the Viper no longer exists, yet what exactly led to its demise is not precisely known. Most likely, it was closed by Emhyr var Emreis when he no longer found value in it. Knowing the emperor and his favored methods, one could reasonably suspect that the school's closure spelled a death sentence for every one of its members.

Chest 2: Today, weapons and armor from the Viper School are collectors' items for Vedyminaica enthusiasts – those who occupy themselves with the literature and history of the witcher profession. The owner of the largest collection of such relics was the Countess Mignole of Oxenfurt. Yet what compelled a highborn lady to take such a keen interest in monster hunters? She alone holds the answer.

Chest 3: Although witchers are hired to protect people from monsters, they are often repaid with distrust – even outright hostility. Kolgrim, a witcher from the Viper School, experienced such suspicion firsthand. While working on a contract in White Orchard, a local boy went missing. The villagers unanimously accused the witcher of abducting the child, and – ignoring his pleas of innocence – brought the witcher's life to a gruesome end. The townsfolk learned later that the boy had been killed by a drowner. Alas, it was too late for their judgment to be undone...

Scroll 1: It is oft said that witchers took on the characteristics of their schools' namesake creatures. Without a doubt, this was true of the Viper School. They were agile, quick, and frequently made use of deadly poisons.

Scroll 2: As with the other witcher schools – the Wolves' Kaer Morhen as sole exception – none were aware of the Viper School's location. Only one detail ever became widely known... That it stood somewhere south of the Yaruga. In Nilfgaard.

Scroll 3: Perhaps it's no wonder then that Vipers were less inclined to neutrality than other witchers. The Empire would never recognize such a stance. There is only obedient servant... Or mortal enemy.

Scroll 4: For this reason, few in the North were surprised to learn that the assassin of King Demavend III of Aedirn and King Foltest of Temeria wore a viper-shaped medallion – and that soon thereafter Nilfgaard readied itself for war.

[emiel-rxgis]

The unnamed Continent is where the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire lie. They are located somewhere on its western coast. Other places on the Continent include the Korath desert, Zerrikania and Haakland. Hannu, Zangwebar, Barsa, and Ofir may or may not be on the same continent as well, though both are described as being "beyond the seas".

[stromuprisahat]

' ... Sorcerers in Nilfgaard are treated about the same as, let's say, stablemen. And they have no more power than stablemen either. Would any of our headstrong mages choose to fight for an emperor who would treat them as a stable boy? Philippa Eilhart, who dictates addresses and edicts to Vizimir of Redania? Sabrina Glevissig, who interrupts the speeches of Henselt of Kaedwen, banging her fist on the table and ordering the king to be silent and listen? Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, who recently told Demavend of Aedirn that, for the moment, he has no time for him?'

Codringher; Time of Contempt (Andrzej Sapkowski)

[mahariela]

GWENT Leaders

NORTHERN REALMS

[thirstyforred]

✦ (66/∞) King Demavend III

“ The key is not to lose one's head. “

[bloededhoine]

world building cause twn doesn't pt. 1: the northern realms

okay i'm making this because 1 witcher netflix is the most convoluted and confusing thing i've ever seen and does literally no world building and 2 special interest make autism brain go brr.

basic info

this is gonna be a multi part series about the witcher universe but this is all about the northern realms!

ciri's timeline in twn encompasses the entirety of the first northern war, beginning with the attack on cintra and ending with the battle at sodden

this is just covering the human portions of the north. i'll talk about vergen, brokilon, and dol blathanna later

colour code cause i fucking love colour codes - already happened/introduced, probably s2, important background info, stuff that might be in the prequel, extras

general

so the entire witcher takes place on the continent

it's divided into multiple kingdoms, vassal states, and territories

now borders change a lot but this is the general idea before the first northern war (started 1263 with the invasion of cintra but we'll get more into that later)

also important to note that the show ends in 1264 with geralt meeting ciri in sodden

i'm sorry, i don't have quite enough spoons for an image discription for that map, but if someone wants to take over i'll link it here!

maps not mine, reddit link here

the continent is mainly divided between south and north, with nilfgaard and its dependencies and vassal states (including toussaint, mettina, vicovaro, nazair) in the south and the northern realms (redania, temeria, kaedwen, aedirn, lyria and rivia, cidaris, kovir and poviss, and creyden) in the north

aedirn

this is where yennefer is from! more specifically, it's capital vengerberg. as of twn, its king is virfuril. he's briefly name dropped in blood of elves and assassins of kings, you might remember him dancing with yennefer in the ball.

[I.D: picture of white man with a light brown beard and moustache. he is wearing a gold shirt and a gold crown. he is smiling slightly and has blue eyes. end I.D.]

that's him right there. for some extra trivia he's the 15th king of aedirn, his son is demavend III and his grandson is stennis

aedirn is mainly manufacturing. in the north (upper aedirn), dwarves control the continent's best mines. the south produces more finished goods like textiles, weapons, and dyes

for some notable aedirnians we have yennefer, saskia/saesenthessis (borch three jackdaws/villentretenmirth's daughter), letho, aplegatt, and seltkirk

aedirnian cities include vengerberg, gulet, and hagge

next up - redania!

as of the first northern war, redania's king was vizimir II. i don't think we saw him in twn, but i could be wrong. redania is known for having the best intelligence network on the continent, along with control of the best farmland

redania is a super important kingdom, and we've already met quite a few important redanians and will probably meet a lot more.

dandelion/jaskier, chireadan, shani, philippa eilhart, sigi dijkstra are all redanian

redanian cities - novigrad, oxenfurt (home of oxenfurt academy, dandelion's alma mater), tretogor (the capital), blaviken, and rinde

for temeria!

we briefly visited temeria in the episode with the striga (adda the white). as of the first northern war, the king is foltest. he lives in the capital vizima (controlled by nilfgaard in wild hunt). that's him right there

[I.D: photo of an older, overweight white man. he is wearing gold armour and a gold crown. he has a grey beard and is scowling. end I.D]

temeria (especially foltest) is notoriously xenophobic and racist. but, it is one of the best places for sorceresses as its home to thanedd isle and aretuza.

temeria controls the mahakaman mountains, and therefore some of the most prosperous mines in the continent. these mines, along with highly developed agricultural and trade systems, make temeria mad rich

a lot of my favourites are temerian we have keira metz, vernon roche, thaler, *barf* triss merigold, codringher and fenn, jan natalis, and ves

temeria has a lot of important cities like gors velen, vizima (also spelled wyzim or wyzima), and maribor. there's also some territories/provinces like brugge, ellander, maribor, sodden, and velen

kaedwen

kaedwen is in the far north west, and is where the witcher fortress of kaer morhen is located. kaedwen is always feuding with aedirn over control of the pontar valley, a profitable area on the kaedweni-aedirnian border. as of the first northern war, kaedwen is ruled by king henselt, who might have been name dropped once or twice in twn i dont really remember.

kaedwen is very cold, a large portion of it is the blue, kestrel, and fiery mountains. it's also home to ban aard, which is basically the aretuza for boys and where stregobor taught istredd

the only really notable kaedwenis are sabrina glevissig (that's her in twn) and cregennan of lod

[I.D: photo of a young white woman with blonde hair tied back. she is wearing a low cut blue dress and has a blank expression. end I.D]

some kaedweni cities are ban aard, ard carraigh, lod, and ban gleán

kaedwen, temeria, aedirn, and redania make up the four kingdoms, a group of human-majority states that nilfgaard really likes attacking. the northern wars are pretty much all nilfgaard vs the northern kingdoms, since most smaller realms are usually absorbed into either the north or south, but that doesn't mean they're not important!

cintra

twn gave us a solid introduction to cintra, which as you know was ruled by queen calanthe. her suicide after the nilfgaardian invasion was basically the first major casualty of the first northern war. cintra then became a nilfgaardian dependency, ruled by emperor emhyr var emreis

notable cintrians - princesses cirilla fiona elen rhiannon and pavetta fiona elen, angoulême, and the house of attre

cintra isn't very big, but does have the provence attre and cities like erlenwald and cintra (the capital)

cidaris

ruled by king ethain, one of the many people calanthe betrothed to ciri and then was like lol nevermind. also includes the province bremervoord, which is ruled by duke agloval and supported by the harvesting and trade of pearls

notable cidarians - dorregary, valdo marx, and vilgefortz (thats him there)

[ID: photo of a young south-asian man with black slicked back hair and a moustache. he is wearing medieval armour and i can't quite tell what his expression is. end ID]

cidarian cities include vole, roggeveen, and cidaris (the capital)

hengfors league

a group of 4 city states (caingorn, malleore, barefield, and cinfrid) that are ruled by king niedamir from the capital hengfors

notable residents include queen hedwig, boholt and the reavers, and deidre ademeyn

from what i've found all the city states have a capital of the same name

lyria and rivia

these are a little complicated, but basically lyria and rivia are the two main kingdoms of the confederation of realms in the dol angra valley. as of twn, queen meve of lyria and king reginald of rivia are married, therefore uniting the two realms

in the summer, the capital is lyria and in the winter it's rivia. lyria is also primarily agricultural while rivia is more industrial

queen meve is really the only important one here

kovir and poviss

kingdom in the far north that is responsible for the most exporting of minerals on the continent. as of the first northern war it is ruled by esterad thyssen

notable residents include stregobor, renfri, sheala de tancarville, coën, and istredd

important cities - creyden, tancarville, lan exeter, aedd gynvael, and thwyth

skellige

skellige is different from the other northern kingdoms in a few ways. one, it's not really a kingdom but a collection of 7 clans each led by a specific jarl. a clan is based on kinship, and the jarl rules them. what's confusing here is that there's also a jarl of skellige, who is in charge of the entire archipelago's armed forces. the king or queen of skellige is chosen by all of the jarls to help unify the clans against nilfgaard

skellige is also the only island kingdom. its an archipelago to the west of cintra, but is almost always allied to the north

the clans are brokvar, an craite, dimun, drummond, heymaey, tordarroch, and tuirseach, and they generally each occupy a specific island

the main islands are ard skellig (an craite and drummond), an skellig (tuirseach), faroe (dimun), hindarsfjall (heymaey), spikeroog (brokvar), and undvik (tordarroch)

some skelligers - crach an craite, eist tuirseach (that's him there), mousesack/ermion, draig bon-dhu, cerys and hjalmar an craite, and birna bran

[ID: photo of a middle-aged white man with dark brown hair and light stubble. he is wearing a gold doublet and has some sweat on his forehead. he appears slightly drunk. end ID]

tldr: as of the first northern war, the main northern kingdoms are virfuril's aedirn, vizimir's redania, foltest's temeria, and henselt's kaedwen

thank you so much for reading this! i'm definitely gonna make more parts and will link them here when i do!

[on-a-lucky-tide]

The year is 1267. It’s the first phase of the Second Nilfgaardian War. Geralt is still recovering from grievous wounds sustained during the Thanedd Coup when he hears a familiar voice from across the tavern… 

Geralt sat in a small village just north of Craag Ros. It was occupied by a mixture of Aedirnian and Rivian soldiers under the command of Queen Meve and King Demavend III. Nilfgaardian forces lingered on the horizon, having already consumed Sodden, Lyria and Rivia. It was only a matter of time before their appetite for conquest required sating again. 

Usually, Geralt tried to stay as far from conflict as he could, but the residual stiffness in his leg and arm meant that he had to seek regular opportunities for rest. Autumn meant colder temperatures and storms, which kindled a deep-seated ache in his bones that he couldn’t ignore. The local residents had fled their village, seeking safety in Vengerburg and Eisenlaan, but it was unlikely their new haven would stay as such for long. 

The mood amongst the soldiers was sombre. They knew they didn’t stand a chance. The Rivians fought on because they had nothing left, and the Aedirnians rallied because they had seen the carnage reaped upon their neighbours. The local inn was filled to the brim; men seeking out familiar comforts even though the cellars were dry and the barkeep long since fled. Geralt nursed a bottle of dwarven ale he’d bought from passing dwarven traders and was just planning his next move when a familiar voice caught his ear.

“These speak of defeat, Ruden.”

Geralt looked up suddenly. Jaskier stood next to an Aedirnian captain with battered armour and tired eyes. Every scuff and dent spoke of battles fought and lost. The bard looked more weathered too. A thick beard hid his angular jaw, his usually neatly styled hair obscuring his eyes.

“Yes, Julian,” Ruden murmured. “We’re to slow down their march so that the cities of Aldersberg and Vengerberg can be evacuated. Nothing more.” Upon closer inspection, the captain looked painfully young. His beard did little to disguise the lack of wrinkles in his face; he could be no older than his mid-twenties, but the war had planted ghosts behind his eyes. “There’s another thing. A personal favour.”

“Anything,” Jaskier’s voice cracked—no, Julian—Geralt’s brow furrowed.

“This letter is for Eni,” Ruden pulled a folded parchment sealed with wax from inside his gambeson. “Her last communication said she was—,” his voice stuttered, the tears unbidden, “—pregnant. The letter contains two names. Nemia for a daughter, Elcien for a son, after my father. Will you see that she receives it? She’s staying with her aunt in Leyda.”

Jaskier took the letter from the young man’s hands and stared at it for a time. Geralt could feel the weight of the future settle upon his old friend’s shoulders and felt the compulsion to move towards him. Yet even he knew he’d be an unwelcome guest in the moment shared between comrades. “Of course, Ruden, even if I have to fight by Emhyr himself.”

Ruden chuckled, with a resigned mirth edged in sadness. “I don’t doubt it for a second, bard. You’re a feral fuck.” A shake of the head. “We ride out in an hour. They want us in position at first light. Our scouts have reported back that Nilfgaard are on the move.”

“Hm, feral, you say,” Jaskier cast his eyes around the tavern for the first time and spotted Geralt almost immediately. The Witcher held his breath and waited. They hadn’t spoken since Geralt’s bitter dismissal in King Niedamir’s mountains. No letters, no chance meetings in cold taverns. The war, training Ciri, survival; it’d all consumed Geralt to the point he had no time to track his beloved bard across the Continent. Because time had permitted reflection, and reflection had yielded truths. Some of them harder than others.

Don’t keep a man with bread in his pants waiting. Geralt wanted those words more than anything—the very first sentence of their story together—or something equally as foolish, to spill from Jaskier’s mouth now. But it wasn’t a young, erstwhile bard that stood before him this time. It was an older, wisened, battle weary man with the weight of responsibility sitting heavy on his back. It shouldn’t have surprised Geralt when an unreadable expression flickered over Jaskier’s face, and then he looked away.

It shouldn’t have hurt either, but Geralt felt something sharp and miserable twist in his chest, and it wasn’t related to the knitbone or conynhaela that had fused his bones together some months before.

Jaskier kicked a chair before him and used it to ascend onto a nearby table. His voice bellowed across the heads of the soldiers gathered beneath the tavern roof. “Gentlemen, I wish to say farewell. I’ve been dispatched to another front, but it has been an honour to ride at your side these past few weeks. And thank you for not throwing too many rotten vegetables, it has been most refreshing,” there was a general murmur of laughter. Geralt could tell that these men, as beaten and resigned as they felt, were quite fond their troubadour. “I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.” 

Another murmur, a few banged tankards of agreement. “At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. Rivia and Aedirn, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of the Continent and many old and famous kingdoms have fallen or may fall to the odious apparatus of Nilfgaardian rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in Aedirn,” the growls and rumbles of agreement were becoming louder, meeting the rising crescendo of Jaskier’s voice, “we shall fight on the rivers and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the mountains, we shall defend our lands, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

The noise between Jaskier’s words were a roar now. Handfuls of men were on their feet, blades were drawn and held aloft as if ready to rush the pikes and cavalry of Nilfgaard in that moment. They quieted as Jaskier’s hands lifted. “And even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this land or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our allies beyond the mountains, armed and guarded by the Redanian army and the Temerian rebels, would carry on the struggle.” A murmur. 

“Just remember you fight for your families, your sons and daughters, some still yet to see their first sunrise. Do not give your lives cheaply, my friends. Let every Aedirnian or Rivian soul come at the cost of ten Nilfgaardians.”  A rumble of ascent, and then he reached down for a tankard passed up to him by Ruden. “I leave you with the words of a poet far more verbose and eloquent than I,” there was a round of laughter and one brave soul called out ‘does such a man exist?’ to another round of chuckles, “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light! For the glory!”

Jaskier hopped down from his perch to the sound of raucous applause and cheers. It wasn’t the first such speech he’d given, and it wouldn’t be the last. Words to rouse courage and bravery; to lessen the impact of sacrifice. Jaskier had always been good with words. His words had transformed Geralt’s life; his reputation, his armour, his equipment. Everything had just been better. Why had he never recognised it back then? Why had it taken four years of thinking and reflecting?

The bard left the tavern, and Geralt found himself following. The limp in his wounded leg slowed him, and he ended up calling out as they approached the stables. “Jaskier.”

Jaskier paused with his hand on the wall. “Geralt,” he turned, and even Geralt could recognise the false cheer in his smile. “What a wonderful surprise. Is that a limp, dear friend?”

“Yes, it’s—,” Geralt grabbed his thigh irritably, and stopped several feet away. “Just a poorly healed injury. It’ll be fine come the morning. That was quite a talk.”

“Mm, the power of words can never be underestimated. Why, it was an ill-placed word that started this whole mess over again,” Jaskier looked away. “Is there something I can help you with? I’m afraid my time is short.”

“I—,” Geralt started, and then cut off. “I’ve… missed our talks.”

“Hm,” Jaskier pursed his lips and adjusted the strap of his bag. “As I recall, my words were always somewhat of an irritant. They certainly didn’t serve me well when seeking to ease your burdens.”

“I was wrong,” Geralt bit out, his teeth clenching. “Destiny was demanding I step up, and sometimes it required a mouthpiece I’d listen to. It… it needed you. I needed to hear those words.”

“I had the Continent eating out of our hands,” Jaskier murmured. “I believed it was my destiny to walk at your side.” He sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt mop of hair. “But I was wrong; wrong to push you, wrong to pursue you, to prod you, harangue you. I’m not part of your story, I never was. If anything, I’m just a side character. Comic relief, if you will. Nothing but a burden and a hindrance. I’m just sorry it took me twenty years to realise.” 

“Jaskier—,” Geralt started, but the bard threw up a hand and disappeared into the stable. His horse was already saddled, and he led it out seconds later. Geralt tried again. “Jaskier, I—.”

“No,” Jaskier spat through gritted teeth, his eyes burned into Geralt as they ignited with anger. “Don’t. Go see to your destiny, Geralt. Ignoring it has only caused you anguish and heartache. I’m not the only one you did wrong on that mountainside; I can only hope you’ve made amends there.” He threw himself up into the saddle and steered the horse’s nose north. His legs poised to nudge the animal’s flanks, but he… stopped.

Geralt watched his head drop and his shoulders slouch. The silence weighed heavily, until he spoke finally. “I can’t stay angry,” Jaskier whispered. “Not at you.” The sigh that puffed out of his chest was resigned, and blue eyes turned towards the heavens. “But I can’t stay either. If you’re… perhaps, we could—,” he bit his lower lip. “In three weeks, meet me in Daevon. Do you know it?” 

“I do,” Geralt nodded.

“Good,” Jaskier ran his fingers absently over the body of the lute strapped to the back of his saddle. “We can… talk more.” Another pause as he considered the horizon. “Besides, I have a rather large gap in my memoirs of you. About four years, surprisingly. You need to fill me in.”

With that, Jaskier clicked his tongue and spurred his gelding into a trot, then a canter, down the path. Geralt watched him leave with a heavy heart but resolved to meet him again in Daevon. Jaskier was wrong about his part in the story. Without him, the narrative wouldn’t exist. There would be no Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf; no Lion Cub of Cintra, no Yen at Geralt’s side. Geralt would be just another nameless Witcher on the Path whose story would never be told. 

Geralt turned back to the tavern to collect his bags. He glanced around the emptying tables as the soldiers prepared to ride into battle and their captain, Ruden. A father who would never see his children; never take part in the story of their lives, not even a face to his name; no knowledge of his deeds or his sacrifices. And then Geralt remembered the bard riding north with that letter safely tucked in his doublet. No, not forgotten, not lost. Recorded, retold, sung about. There would be a song for Ruden. Perhaps many songs. His children would hear them, and their children. Ruden’s story wasn’t lost. Not while there was someone to continue and record it.

Despite the sombre occasion, Geralt huffed a laugh as he glanced down the trail in the bard’s wake. Jaskier was right in a way, perhaps; he wasn’t a character in the narrative—not just, anyway—he was the fucking author.

-------

Quite a few inspirations for this piece:

Feral Jaskier headcanons.

“For the Glory” by All Good Things.

We Shall Fight Them On the Beaches by Winston Churchill.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas.

Yes, it’s been a “Rawr’s brain is all over the place” day.

[blooodymoon]

School of the Viper

Viper Witchers (General) [Cards] [Voicelines] Viper Witchers (Named) [Cards] [Voicelines] • Ivar Evil-Eye • Kolgrim Viper Witchers (Kingslayers) [Cards] [Voicelines] • Letho of Gulet

Masterpost

Gwent Borders from trendygwentleman My Edit

The Witcher School of the Viper made their home in the stronghold of Gorthur Gvaed. Guarded by a remarkable tower adorned by a frighteningly ominous spiral coiled around its contours. Yet it held not a candle to the terrifying moat that surrounded it—deep by several hundred feet and truly… breathtaking. No one could tell if what was filling it should still be called water. The smells above the moat were, to put it mildly, hard to forget. Viper witchers, who survived the fall of the stronghold, later joked that it was the stench that led the Usurper’s army to find Gorthur Gvaed. Countless soldiers died in this gutter. According to legends, so many perished that one could have made their way to the other side of the moat on a bridge composed entirely of their corpses. And the odour grew even worse.

It is oft said that witchers took on the characteristics of their schools' namesake creatures. Without a doubt, this was true of the Viper School. They were agile, quick, and frequently made use of deadly poisons.

As with the other witcher schools – the Wolves' Kaer Morhen as sole exception – none were aware of the Viper School's location. Only one detail ever became widely known... That it stood somewhere south of the Yaruga. In Nilfgaard.

Perhaps it's no wonder then that Vipers were less inclined to neutrality than other witchers. The Empire would never recognize such a stance. There is only obedient servant... Or mortal enemy.

For this reason, few in the North were surprised to learn that the assassin of King Demavend III of Aedirn and King Foltest of Temeria wore a viper-shaped medallion – and that soon thereafter Nilfgaard readied itself for war.

The School of the Viper no longer exists, yet what exactly led to its demise is not precisely known. Most likely, it was closed by Emhyr var Emreis when he no longer found value in it. Knowing the emperor and his favored methods, one could reasonably suspect that the school's closure spelled a death sentence for every one of its members.

Today, weapons and armor from the Viper School are collectors' items for Vedyminaica enthusiasts – those who occupy themselves with the literature and history of the witcher profession. The owner of the largest collection of such relics was the Countess Mignole of Oxenfurt. Yet what compelled a highborn lady to take such a keen interest in monster hunters? She alone holds the answer.

Although witchers are hired to protect people from monsters, they are often repaid with distrust – even outright hostility. Kolgrim, a witcher from the Viper School, experienced such suspicion firsthand. While working on a contract in White Orchard, a local boy went missing. The villagers unanimously accused the witcher of abducting the child, and – ignoring his pleas of innocence – brought the witcher's life to a gruesome end. The townsfolk learned later that the boy had been killed by a drowner. Alas, it was too late for their judgment to be undone...

[zarilia]

I was playing some bonded cards syndicate deck and had the opportunity to look at my two premium beggar cards played on board for a round. And then I saw this shadow which could only belong to Gascon!

All right! Let’s see who else is passing the beggar (as in gif rows):

Gascon, Queen Meve, Reynard Isbel, Rivian pikeman, Demavend III Ardal aep Dahy, Caldwell, Ivo of Belhaven

There is one more I couldn’t recognize. Who might that be?

[warsofasoiaf]

I've got a video game suggestion-you've mentioned that your favorite quest in Witcher 3 is Reason of State, and I would like to hear your analysis of that quest.

This is truly a god-tier quest, a very good example of well-done quest design, that culminates a world’s worth of quest-building and features some exceptional character work. Since we’re going to be up to our necks in spoilers, there’s a cut here.

Reason of State might be the grand climax and resolution of the quest arc, but context in this is critical and that goes. The northern wars between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms is all over the games. Nilfgaard’s plan to assassinate Northern kings using Letho of Gulet is the entire plot of Witcher 2, and the war between Radovid and Emhyr forms the backdrop for Witcher 3. The Northern Kingdoms are almost all broken by the time of the Witcher 3. Temeria is occupied, Foltest was murdered in the Witcher 2. Natalis missing from the Witcher 3, and Vernon Roche forced to fight a guerilla war in caves. Velen is a broken land thanks to this war and under the absentee rule of the Bloody Baron. Aedirn is a non-entity, Stennis is absent no matter what happened in Witcher 2. Kaedwyn is gone, Henselt either being killed by Roche or Radovid and forcibly integrated into Redania. Only Redania remains, forcibly integrating Kaedwyn, but it is run by Radovid V. By the third game, Radovid is a cruel, psychotic king, but has a solid understanding of tactics enough to fight the Nilfgaardians to a stalemate (and he will win, without player intervention). Nilfgaard is responsible for a lot of Northern disorder, their campaign to use Letho to kill Northern kings successfully rid themselves of Demavend III and Foltest, the first of whom was able to successfully predict Emhyr’s movements while the latter is the leader of the most powerful kingdom and successfully defeats Nilfgaard’s invasion. But it’s not all Nilfgaard, Philipa Eilhart murdered King Vizimir II, Radovid’s father and one of the chief architects of the First Northern War victory, largely out of a bid for personal power. This paragraph shows that things are bad all around. Emhyr is a blatant expansionist responsible for a great deal of suffering, and the only man capable of resisting him is an open sadist relentlessly persecuting mages, which might be the only hope for the North to remain independent (it won’t be, but you have no way of knowing that at present)

When the player begins to be introduced to the characters, they’re framed as desperate men on the fringe. Roche is waging a crusade with his Blue Stripes, but the Nilfgaardian advance has been stymied largely by Redania and the two sides attempting to compete for the fleets and treasures of Novigrad. He’s forced to working with Radovid, who he openly doesn’t like, out of a practical need to do something. Ves is even throwing herself into suicide missions against Mulbrydale, out of a desire to do something worthwhile, a far cry from the man who was such a major mover of the plot in Witcher 2. King Radovid does not present well, acting psychotic in his introductory scene with the chessmen, and acting poorly toward Geralt, the player character and thus the vector for exploring the game world even if he is an established character (it’s worth noting that one of the best ways to get a player to dislike a character is to have them be rude to the PC, no matter how justified it may be in-universe). His mage hunts are also not likely to endear themselves to the player; the two primary love interests to Geralt and friends to Ciri are mages, and the witch hunters attempt to bilk Geralt of his reward by demanding the megascope crystal in Redania’s Most Wanted. Djikstra is helpful enough to Geralt during his hunt for Dandelion, but the two end on a bad note which isn’t entirely Djikstra’s fault since Geralt did lie to him; he’s notably nicer if you secure him his vault key, but that requires botching a quest and ends up causing Triss to commit torture to progress the storyline. The player character inclined to be friendly to Roche, if only because he tends to be straight and polite with you. Sure enough, Roche and Ves help out during the climatic fight in Kaer Morhen. Radovid isn’t even an option (and will kill Kiera Metz, further engendering hatred from the player since she’s another character Geralt can shack up with and Kiera’s absence means fellow Wolf School witcher Lambert dies). Djikstra doesn’t help you at all if you don’t get his key back, and if you do he gives you gold, which isn’t likely to be very significant since you’re likely swimming in coin by that point in the game. 

One of the things I like in this questline is that this is a big and monumental quest, but you will lose it if you don’t take the time to get in good with the plotters, you’ll simply miss this quest. If you don’t get in good with the plotters, they won’t trust you. And if you beat down Djikstra instead of giving him information, he despises you and won’t bring you in on the plot, Geralt’s effectiveness as a Witcher and as a protagonist be damned. That’s something that more games need to be doing, rewarding players for investing themselves in the game with content. A lot of Triple-A games these days are so scared of players missing or cutting themselves out of content that they refuse to do this, which makes a lot of RPG’s feel far more shallow. I’m sympathetic to a point to game developers, content is expensive. Graphics and voice acting are expensive and losing content means spending money on content that’s not going to hit 100% of the audience. Thing is though, the same argument can be made for sidequests, or even for alternative conversation paths, so I don’t consider it a good enough excuse on its own. Avoiding this is as brainless as it is lazy.

When the game circles back after the Isle of the Mists, things are clearly reaching a breaking point. Djikstra has recruited like-minded conspirators to his cause to kill Radovid, each of whom have their own reasons. Djikstra, who worked with Radovid’s father, finds him a poor king unlikely to continue Vizimir’s great reign. Gregor the Redanian guard sees the devastation wrought by Radovid’s lynchings and persecutions and despises it, his loyalty to his country is too high to desert but he feels he needs to do something. Thaler and Roche are devoted to the idea of a free Temeria that they’re willing to back Djikstra’s play to bring an end to the Third Northern War. The player is likely to support the conspirators, Radovid’s support of the witch hunters has led to the deaths of non-humans since you need to complete Now or Never and save the mages; pogroms aren’t a great way to endear a player character to Radovid, especially since Zoltan the dwarf has been nothing but a straight-up pal to Geralt. This is a good tactic in RPG quest design, by making the least appealing result the default, it encourages the player to do the quests. As any GM can tell you, you have to make your players want to do the quests, otherwise they’ll do something else. Games are not able to just make up a new quest off the cuff like an improvisational tabletop GM can (this was one of my strengths as a GM, if you trust my players’ judgment), so they must heavily rely on getting the player to do quests. Some are mechanical, do this quest for XP and loot that makes you better at the game. The Witcher excelled though, at getting people invested in characters.

The conspirators’ play won’t work though, not without help from Phillipa; the hated mage is the bait that they need for the trap to work (and coincidentally, it won’t work without Geralt as well both because Phillipa won’t give her ring to any of the other plotters and by virtue of Geralt as the protagonist in the RPG). The trap is laid for Radovid, and if the player goes through with it, Radovid is executed by Phillipa, who flies off into the night having murdered yet another Redanian king.

Then, after the conspirators escape, the stage is set for Geralt to make a moral choice when Djikstra betrays the conspiracy. It’s a wonderfully set and acted scene, from Djikstra quoting a Macbeth stand-in to the patriots’ giddy excitement at the future. Then, the shoe drops and the conspiracy falls apart. Djikstra plans to become the next Vizimir, taking Radovid’s consolidated northern kingdom of Redania and Kaedwyn and fighting Emhyr to a standstill. Temeria would be subsumed into that, ceasing to exist. Naturally, this enrages the Temerian patriots, who refuse to go along with that scheme. It leaves Geralt with a choice, leave and allow Djikstra to murder Roche, Ves, and Thaler, or stay and defend them, resulting in a fight that will end in Djisktra’s death. This is often the case in partisan movements throughout history, where a power struggle over the shape of the victory to come causes disunity and strife, ending with one faction murdering the other ones, so points for historical and thematic elements being on point for the gritty fantasy. Similarly, by making the choice being the resolution of a conspiracy, it threads the needle between the protagonist doing everything and solely resolving the ending for one faction, which often feels shallow, and giving the player no agency which robs investment in the ending. By allowing the conspirators their machinations and taking advantage of others already in place, it allows the player to feel a meaningful impact that has wide implications. Fallout’s ending slides could be hit or miss, though the small scale of post-apocalyptica does make it more relevant. It hits a nice sweet spot, where it’s probably a bit too much to be realistic in a straight history but works just nicely for the scope of fantasy fiction. By forcing the player to do the quests for these people, not only does it meet the threshold of believability by explaining why they would bring Geralt on the quest save that he’s the protagonist, but it invests the player in the characters. Of course, this can only be done because the game did such wonders with its character work. Even if you don’t play Witcher 2, you see Roche love his country, you see Ves try to defend Mulbrydale, and they both can contribute meaningfully in the Battle at Kaer Morhen. Djikstra does influence the main plot and he can be funny with his sarcastic quips delivered by excellent voice acting. Thaler is less of a presence, but he’s also side-splittingly hilarious when he taught the trolls to swear, the player likes these characters and so likes the quest they’re in, and picking between them does actually cut deep in a way that Telltale Games “pick which character you want” drama can only hope to achieve in its wildest dreams. It’s political game storytelling at it’s best, using character work which is easier for players to identify with as I mentioned in my geopolitics essay.

Backing Djikstra is tough in the short run, because you lose three characters that you probably like. Roche and Ves, after all, did join you in Kaer Morhen and it seems cold for them to help and then betray them, unless of course, you didn’t ask for their help. Djikstra rules and reforms the North on a program of modernization, often contrary to the wishes of his subjects. Plenty might think that to be a path of success for the North, since Djikstra will build a military that will defend them and ensure a general level of prosperity. You just have to turn a blind eye to the Temerian patriots being slaughtered by Djikstra.

The alternative, backing Roche and Thaler isn’t a pure win either. Temeria becomes a province of Nilfgaard, but Emhyr gets Aedirn and Lyria. Emhyr finally wins his war and isn’t likely to stop his expansionist ways unless Ciri becomes Empress. Even then, he’s a senior statesman and can exert influence if he wants, Ciri even says so. We can get Roche’s perspective, and we like Roche. After all, he (probably) helps us out in the grand fight at Kaer Morhen, but he’s not an unbiased observer. He’s a Temerian partisan happy to sell out the other Northern Realms for a dubious pretense at some internal autonomy for Temeria alone. In plenty of ways, the Roche path is a collaborationist success story, selling out the North for Temeria alone.

The choice is yours to take and to make what you will. Plenty of folks might hope for a change in direction if they put Ciri on the Nilfgaardian Throne, but they might instead desire for her to adventure on her own as a de facto Witcher. In that case, Emhyr fails, is killed, and who knows what happens next? Could more provinces break away, might there be further wars in Nilfgaard, or power struggles, or something else. It could go a lot of different ways and it’s up to the player to decide. In a way, that’s amazing in its own right, because it’s actually what the real world is like. The absence of a golden ending is standard fare for grimdark, but that so much is left open shows a level of restraint and trust in the player that I admire in a developer. 

Thanks for the question, Anon. Hope you liked it.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[dukeofdogs]

King Demavend III

Chest 1: Although all now are too young to recall, Demavend was once a strapping young man. Foltest himself would have envied the man's eagle-like profile. Maidens swooned when caught under the gaze of his piercing emerald eyes. But years of plenty have taken their toll. A plump belly and rosy cheeks show clearly that the king was never want for sumptuous food and drink. His saggy neck and hunched shoulders proved further that he preferred to command his armies from a silk-lined throne in place of a saddle...

Chest 2: Demavend's hatred for elves was legendary. While Vizimir and Foltest fought the Squirrels out of necessity, the King of Aedirn hunted the rebels down with astonishing enthusiasm. Despite the fact that the war with Nilfgaard had nearly drained Aedirn's royal treasury, Demavend offered 50 ducats for every Scoia'tael head. Taking advantage of the lucrative bounty, Aedirnians often falsely accused and captured innocent elves and dwarves. Demavend was perfectly aware his subjects were exploiting the offer. And yet, he didn't seem bothered in the least...

Chest 3: Under his crown, Demavend always wore a white cap embroidered with gold thread – undeterred even by the sweltering summer months. Why? It seems the vain king was ashamed of his retreating hairline. Many alchemists and barbers passed through his court, offering promises to restore the Aedirnian ruler's lustrous mane. Each of them, to the last, spent their remaining days in the Aldersberg dungeons for their failure – deprived of freedom... and their own scalps.

Scroll 1: Demavend possessed many traits that predisposed the king for greatness. Well-educated, shrewd, cunning, a master of political intrigue. Unfortunately, he was also very, very impatient.

Scroll 2: King Demavend was never satisfied with the present. He always looked to tomorrow, to the great feats of his future, shrugging off the mundane tasks of the court. Whilst his advisers bored him with the nuances of prudent fiscal policy, he quietly planned his next conquest...

Scroll 3: Aedirn's neighbors learned quickly that Demavend could never be appeased with compromise. His kingdom expanded like dough baked in too small a bread pan, pushing and stretching in all directions. Not unlike the Nilfgaardian Empire...

Scroll 4: When Nilfgaardian forces eventually crossed the Yaruga, a panicked fear struck deeply in all the rulers of the North. All except for King Demavend, that is. He rejoiced, for at last he would face an enemy worthy of Aedirn's might! Of course... His jubilation would not last long.

[witcherfic]

LozaMoza September 15, 2020 at 06:36PM

by LozaMoza

6 dead bodies All children All mutilated beyond imagination

Yennefer is hired by King Demavend to find out why children of Vengerberg are showing up dead in the most gruesome of ways, and much to her chagrin, she is struggling to discover an answer. Hounded by his citizens, Demavend seeks outside professional help, and it's someone Yennefer certainly had no intention of seeing, ever again. Not since her left her in the light of an ugly dawn 3 years prior

A murder mystery set after the Voice of Reason in The Last Wish book of the Witcher Saga.

Words: 1269, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Demawend III | Demavend III, Hen Gedymdeith, More to come - Character

Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg

Additional Tags: Angst, Mystery, Murder Mystery, Past Relationship(s), Mutual Pining, Canon Compliant

[knightofaedirn-archived]

(Thread starter with @scout-yillia​)

Demavend III, King of Aedirn? Dead. Prince Stennis? Struggling for power with his nobles. Torben, Knight of Aedirn? Having saddled his horse and left Vengerberg with the haste of a man possessed. Yet it was no specter nor illness of the mind that had taken hold of the Knight. But that of a man who’d been given warning of a coming storm. A storm that no single person could hope to outlast through sheer stubbornness or force of will. For Torben knew, or at the very least assumed, what would come in the aftermath of the untimely death of the king and a prince without the support of the nobility. A power struggle that would pit Aedirnian against Aedirnian.

He knew it would not be long before nobles, vying for power, would cast their nets far and wide for supporters. Supporters wearing steel and carrying the colors of Aedirn. Letters honeyed with such phrases as ‘for the good of the kingdom’. Before any letter of summons could be given to him from any noble. A summons, by honor alone, he was bound to answer.

 Yet...if such a letter, or word passed from a courier were never to reach him by happy coincidence...After all, it was rather difficult to disobey a summons if one never received it. Such a prospect was enough to rouse the notoriously dawn adverse Knight with the first light of the morning, saddling his horse and sending him on the road north from the capital. Exactly where he would go in his beloved country...well...that part the Knight hadn’t riddled out yet.

There were plenty out of the way inns along the road. Where the business of patrons was rarely questioned. Especially when, by another happy mistake, an extra ducat or two was given to the innkeeper. How easy it would be for that innkeeper to forget that mathematically challenged patron.

Such cloak and dagger games left a sour taste in the mouth of the Knight. But it was the lesser of two evils after all. He’d rather ride out the storm beneath the roof of an overpaid innkeep than meet a fellow Aedirnian with drawn sword all in the name of a noble’s play for power.

That was why Torben found himself in an inn tonight. He’d found staying cooped up in that overpaid room intolerable after the first hour. Which left him to soak up the sights and sounds of the common room from a table in a corner beneath the stairs. The common room, which was, unsurprisingly, filled with those who traveled for their livelihood. Some he judged to be merchants, based off their wardrobe and speech. Others mercenaries. There were even more he could make vague guesses at. 

It was this doubt that decided his own attire for that night. Mail concealed beneath boiled leather. Even while attempting to be discreet, he couldn’t feel at ease without some sort of protection about him. Yet, it left him able to blend in enough to not attract unwanted attention. His overall goal being to avoid any courier after all.

However, it was the soldier in him that broke though this attempt at subterfuge. The sight of another Aedirnian, bearing the insignia and garb of the light cavalry, caused him to beckon them over with a call.

“Cavalryman! Join me, yeah? One soldier to another. You ought to be weary from the road.”

He kicked out a chair from the table he sat at and gave it a slap for good measure. Company of any sort would be good at this rate.

[knightofaedirn-archived]

Continued from here with @feasgaran​

How dare the incubus make the claim that the fault belonged to Torben for losing that previous game of Gwent. His strategy had been perfect! Replace every named card in his deck with ‘Poor Fucking Infantry’ and overwhelm the beasts through the powers of companionship and teamwork! So what if such a concept never worked on the actual field of battle! 

Alas, the plan had not gone according to...well..plan. Was this because Torben had also added two pairs of torrential rain as opposed to anything remotely helpful? Of course not! If the infantry failed, he was going to rain down the pain! Or at the very least rain on the parade of the incubus’s beasts. This, too, hadn’t worked out.

“Regain my dignity? Hah! I’m not the one that brought beasts to what should have been an honorable duel between warriors wielding steel in their hands and their hearts!” Now that was about as corny as the fields of southern Aedirn. But, in the midst of this, a kernel of an idea took root in the Knight’s mind.

“If we are upping the wager, we must raise the quality of the game itself!” Unhindered by the mad grin of the incubus, Torben blundered on with this plan.

“Stone, shears, parchment!” The king’s game. If the rumors of this being the means that disputes in the court of Demavend the III were settled, of course.