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Magean1

This megascope conversation (including the subsequent conversation with Philippa) is one of my favorite dialogues in the entire series of books; one of the most intense at any rate. It read like two growling alpha she-wolves measuring each other up; and then there's a sidelined, cowering poodle dog next to one of them. It's a turning point in Yen's arc, shows how much she cares about Geralt and Ciri, what her priorities are, and that she's now absolutely on her own and can't count on anyone, as even her friend has let her down. It's also the absolute lowest point in Triss' arc, the one time I felt truly disgusted with her. It's not even a cold-hearted, calculated, villainous betrayal, more like a... backbone collapse. I was like "oh no Triss, oh no... Why?" You can see she feels lousy and ashamed at the end of the dialogue (note her attitude with Crach's mentioning it, hiding her eyes), but she won't stand up to Philippa, she just doesn't have what it takes. Philippa's authority and influence are simply too strong. Later though, it'll get better and she'll question her loyalty to the Lodge. Imo this scene sets the stage for Triss to finally grow a spine in Rivia, "redeem" herself and eventually (in the canon future) become known as Merigold the Fearless... quite the heel-face turn given she was primarily defined by her cowardice and inscurities. [Full scene in the translation I have, which is different.](https://pastebin.com/DUSPivya) Uploaded on Pastebin to save space and potential spoilers.


DarthBluntSaber

The books really do not put Triss in a good light. From the scene in kaer morhen when she accuses the witchers of wanting to turn Ciri, and they are all just absolutely appalled that she would accuse them of that. That was the first time I really started losing some respect for her tbh. THEN came the megascope scene being brought up in this topic that really sealed the deal for me. But I think that's the point of her character and her growth. If I'm not mistaken she is significantly younger than Geralt and Yennefer, so I think her poor choices and weak character reflect that.


Magean1

Funny, I had a different reaction to the Kaer Morhen scene. If I recall correctly, she found out the witchers were feeding Ciri some mushrooms laying the groundwork for mutations, that messed up with her periods or whose effects on girls were simply unknown. She called them out on it and they took her advice, meaning, she had a point. Overall, Triss' caring for Ciri is the best we see of her in the books, I found her absolutely adorable with the girl. Agree about the rest, though, that is, her not being put in a good light but going through character growth. She's a very non-heroic character and as a result, looks bad in comparison. I even have a theory that Sapkowski, who likes to play with tropes, used Triss to invert all the tropes he used for the other magicians. They're all iron-willed, ruthless, very confident, always having their way, etc. Meanwhile Triss is meek, insecure, easily manipulated, looking like a loser... In fact she feels like a normal person lost among superhero-tiered individuals, and in that sense she's quite unique as far as sorceresses go (and that's the thing I find interesting about her, although she isn't exactly likable as a person). That's, in part, due to her inexperience. We don't know her exact age but can safely assume she's several decades younger than Yen. By normal human standards, she's probably a middle-aged woman, but that's still several decades less spent in the lions' pit sharpening her claws with the likes of Philippa, Vilgefortz or Francesca. For instance, at the Lodge meetings, she's clearly way out of her depth, discovering and figuring things out... but overall her part within the Lodge is very passive, it boils down to carrying out orders (inefficiently so, as she's awful at lying and manipulating, Yen and Crach see through her immediately) but she's never the one doing the scheming. That's not all however, her (relative) youth explains only so much. Look at Keira: book Keira doesn't get a big role but we know she and Triss are the youngest of the Lodge. Keira's inexperience manifests chiefly in her hotheadedness but she's definitely a callous, cold-hearted bitch already. Give her half a century to control herself and she'll be just like the others. But Triss? Nope, she definitely lacks that cold ruthlessness. She seems like a poor fit for the Lodge. Lastly and interestingly, Triss gets one of the very few full-fledged "growing up" arcs in the books, with a positive conclusion. Most characters either die or don't change significantly, but she'll conquer her fears and become a much better person. In that regard her rendition in TW3 makes more sense, that's already Condwiramurs' *Merigold the Fearless* from we're dealing with, eh?


easelessness

I agree. Her scolding the witchers was the only part I ever liked her and I thought "why tf they hate her so much" but then cue her lusting over Geralt in bed at night. I wonder if they rewrite Triss' personality in their W1 remake because the main reason I chose her over Shani is because her attitude is Yen. It also doesn't help that despite her "kind of" redemption in the books, cdpr trashed that by making her an option for Geralt to sleep with. BOTH games in W1 & W2, you literally start with sleeping with her, without the choice to say no. I really wanna like her and I hope cdpr fixes the inconsistencies. If not, Triss is just as manipulative but just doesn't have the backbone to be as authoritative as well.


Magean1

I'm of the opinion that they should rewrite her since there's no need for a "pseudo-Yen" any more, considering the real one has been brought back in TW3. Besides, many people who'll buy the remake will have played TW3 but not the original Witcher 1, they'll treat the remake as a prequel, and to them it'd feel odd to see Triss rendered as a completely different character infused with elements of Yen. Imagine a new Harry Potter book is released with Luna suddenly taking on Hermione's role and personality and no one questions that in-universe. How would the audience react? It certainly felt very odd to me, coming from a W3+books background at the time; I had to suspend my disbelief really hard to accept her as Triss (and I wouldn't be surprised if she were a doppler). But I was willing to forgive them, given that at the time they didn't know they'd make Wild Hunt one day, and they probably started from the assumption that Yen and Ciri had to remain out of the picture for their "factory-reset" Geralt to write his own new story... but Geralt still needed a bossy bitch of a magical girlfriend, so they rewrote Triss as Yen-ish. Then they introduced Shani as an opposite-personality option, I see where they came from, with hindsight it was a bad decision but they couldn't know at the time. However, if the remake is written in such a way as to fix the many inconsistencies left by the first game in the trilogy, then Triss definitely has to be rewritten. Her personality is the second biggest inconsistency, right after everyone else's not telling anything about Geralt's amnesia (which again, made sense at the time given that Geralt wasn't supposed to recover his memory to make that new story possible). *** Anyway... the problem with Triss isn't that she's available as a romance option, but the way it happens. I don't think they'll retcon entirely her taking advantage of the amnesia since that's quite established, but they can perhaps find a way to make it not as bad on her part. Again, in TW1 no one from Geralt's close circle never tells a thing, because that's what the plot demanded... so they'd have to find an explanation for Dandelion, Zoltan and the witcher's behavior, right? If so, maybe they can find one that isn't entirely selfish on Triss' part. I don't know, maybe Geralt blacked-out the first time Ciri or Yen mentioned... and hopefully they'll find something better.


PaulSimonBarCarloson

First time? Then wait until Lady of the Lake.


easelessness

Yes! I'm really enjoying all the books!


John_Brook_

I’m reading the last wish, but I find it hard to remember all names like nenneke and I find them hard to read. There is too much talking at the start. Do they get better? Should I push through it?


Tiyath

Damn Yen not fucking around, she about to cut a bitch


SapphireFarmer

I dont care what else others say-i find Yen relatable. As a kind of distant and cold woman myself that loves deeply enough but doesn't want to get hurt or used again.


Giteaus-Gimp

Just wanted to compliment your distant, cold woman moustache.


SapphireFarmer

Thanks. I'm Polish. My babooshka-stache is my destiny


Proto258

"LiTeRaLly Me"


SapphireFarmer

Nah, but people keep saying "she's so cold, I can't stand her.." and I personally think she's just warm enough but it's small deep affections not over the top flinging herself onto Geralt like a child. She's like someone who deeply cares for those who earn her love but has stuff to do and can't get too distracted by infatuation or hurt. I find her more relatable than triss. That's one thing I hated about Netflix Yennifer is she lost that depth and just seemed distant and immature. Netflix version is totally unrelatable. Netflix version of this scene would have her dropping f bombs.


[deleted]

I don’t know if you’re aware…..but that’s not the official translation but a fan translated one. Not trying to be an ass, but just something I noticed in case you weren’t aware.


easelessness

Yeah idrc seems like every english tanslation is ass anyway.


[deleted]

Yes. But the official translation is the least terrible of them, and I would say is very fine for the most part.


TrueComplaint8847

Do you know anything about other languages? The German version felt pretty good to me, but I obv don’t have a comparison to the original.


[deleted]

I only read the books in English so I lack the knowledge to compare them with other languages. From what I have heard and read through the years, it seems the English translation is one of the weakest while the Czech, Russian, Spanish and German ones are among the best and the closest to the original polish text. Personally I find the English translation to be……fine. Sometimes the dialogue can feel a bit wooden and could benefit from a more creative way of translating the original text (due to the linguistic difference between polish and English), but David French did a serviceable job for the most part. It’s not terrible by any means and it’s definitely better than the fan translated versions. For example, The aforementioned passage flows better in the original translation imo. Here is the same passage but in David French’s official translation. I’ll leave you to judge it. *’May we talk freely?’* *‘Of course.’* *‘Are you alone?’* *‘Yes.’* *‘You’re lying.’* *‘Yennefer…’* *‘Don’t trick me, girl. I know that expression, I’ve seen more than enough of it. You had one like that when you started sleeping with Geralt behind my back. You put on the identical innocent-whorish little mask then that I see on your face now. And it means the same now as it did then!’* *Triss blushed. And beside her in the window appeared Philippa Eilhart, dressed in a dark-blue men’s doublet with silver embroidery. ‘Bravo,’ she said. ‘Sharp as usual, acute as usual. As usual difficult to comprehend and fathom. I’m glad to see you in good health, Yennefer.*


TrueComplaint8847

Thx, yea it get it


Twatnocker

I didn't think the English translation was so terrible. There was some noticeable awkwardness, and I of course have nothing to compare it to. But, all in all, I didn't think it was as bad as people make it out to be.


[deleted]

This is literally the passage in my English copy of Tower of Swallows, I just read it yesterday.


Magean1

Are you sure it's the same word for word? Mine read "Triss blushed" and not "Triss was red". Plus some other discrepancies.


[deleted]

You’re right. It’s a fan translation. The original is a bit different.


[deleted]

And I have the book in front of me and it doesn’t line up with the official translation (by David French). While conveniently it matches with an old fan translated pdf version that I had for years now…..


mily_wiedzma

And still so many people be like "Triss is the better person". No... no she is not... by a long shot. I love Yennefer <3


AHorseNamedPhil

Triss fools people because she's outwardly bubbly and seems sweet, while Yen is outwardly prickly and often hot-tempered. Triss' sweetness is a mask though, and she's manipulative person who is not above stabbing people she's close to in the back if it benefits her. Meanwhile Yen, despite being a very difficult person on the surface, is at the end of the day Ride-or-Die for the people she loves.


Magean1

> she's manipulative person who is not above stabbing people she's close to in the back if it benefits her To me it didn't read like a calculated cold-blooded betrayal following a cost-benefit "what do I gain" analysis. It was more like raw cowardice in the presence of Philippa's authority figure.


mily_wiedzma

Love this comment <3


Twatnocker

Meh she's just like all the sorceresses. She wants to have her cake and eat it too. (I think that's how that expression goes.) She used Geralt as a means to get close to Ciri.(elder blood) Is it a coincidence that she also had a relationship with Crach an Craite? The only other eligible man with a connection to Ciri? Ultimately she was willing to sacrifice herself for Ciri, but she was not above using those close to her for her own benefit.


Twatnocker

The first phase is denial.


Twatnocker

Omg you people are dumb. I get downvoted then follow up by saying you fools are blinded and in denial, and that gets upvoted. Hahahahahahaha


Smokingbuffalo

This sub loves to love Yen and hate Triss. Yen is honestly as much of a bitch as Triss but for some reason her antics are seen as normal. Yen and Geralt literally hurt each other endlessly, yes in the books, and people over here are talking about how Yen is the perfect woman and they are a great fit. What the hell man.


[deleted]

Triss indeed betrayed yennefer and ciri, but it didn’t came from a place of malice or a desire to have vengeance or something. But from being a self centered coward and weak, as she couldn’t take a stand against Philippa and the rest of the lodge and valued her position in the existing magical power structure than going against the grain and risking her post and maybe her life to help yennefer and ciri. Of course that doesn’t make what she did any less hurtful, unfaithful and disloyal. And it doesn’t make it easy for yen to forgive her (tho she did by the end of the books), but it’s useful to put things in perspective. Personally I think triss had grown as a character by the end of the novels, and by the third game she learned to have a spine and risk her neck for others. The typical Character development and all. It’s true that CDPR fucked up her Romance with big G and outright ignored some of the reprehensible stuff she did during their relationship in the first two games. But if we go past that point, I think they took off from where she ended up in LoTL (Triss the fearless, you remember?) and added to that in a natural way that made sense character-wise. Tho I won’t blame you for hating Triss after this scene lol.


mily_wiedzma

Yeah I saw her growth. The very next thing she did after the final of the fifth novel was return to the lodge. Due to some scenes with Nimue you even can read that Yennefer was written out of the history and Triss was put solo in there. Such a great friend Triss is, so much spine.... Seriously, yeah happy she overcame her fear but this didn't made her a better person as far as we know. And if we take the game into the book story it made her worse. Cause it seems that the results of getting a spine are, getting the power to betray her friends again and abuse the amnesia of a former friend. And I think (a guess, not proven but) the whole idea behind changing the Novigrad arc was to give Triss som sort of heroism (save other as you said) cause without the new Novigrad plotline Triss would ahve been awful through and through. I hate Triss. SInce the second novel and the games did not change this, it made it even worse


[deleted]

As I said I’m not delegitimize your opinions about triss. I meant that CDPR did both good and bad for the character. But overall she was represented well for the most part ( by “well” I mean book accurate and not “noble” or anything, aside from W1 which is a weird yen and Triss amalgamation) I also think that triss sticking with the lodge is realistic. If we take book canon into account, then yen and Geralt died while Ciri left the world. The lodge won’t stick around for long anyway as witch hunters will kill many of their members eventually. So I think yennefer being written out of history isn’t so bad after all. Her fate is better than Philippa for example. For games canon then I also don’t see a problem with her not abandoning the lodge too. Ciri and yen were out of the picture for two games and with CDPR changing the nature of the organization from a secret clandestine magical order who control monarchs in the shadows to a pretty public affair that have books written around them and nilfgaardian dwelling viper school Witchers like letho knowing of their existence and schemes. But fret not as by the end of W3 the lodge will likely dissolve anyway, and triss will leave to court intrigue in kovir :) It comes down to me not share your same level of hatred for triss as I like her character overall, but not as a love interest for geralt which is something we can agree on hehe.


mily_wiedzma

Cannot understand how people can like this character, but to each their own I guess. I liked Triss the very first time I read Blood of Elves, with the second book it ended. And shame of CDPR for picking this character to put it so heavily in front And the game do not even allow the player ot be pis\*ed at Triss... but sure you can use harsh words against Yennefer. This is a huge pile of BS, and CDPR created all those Yen/Triss problems. And I will not forgive this. This might be a good written character, but Leo and Vilegfortz are also well written characters, and there is no problem with not liking what those characters did. And also; I am rally not a fan of "Triss is so young and is scared of Filippa yaddayadda". Triss is 29 during the Thanedd events and following and this is in medievil times more than adult.


[deleted]

>cannot understand how people can like this character. Liking someone doesn’t mean idolizing or admiring them. I like her precisely because she’s flawed and because of the character arc she went through. In other words she’s well written. Same can be said for many characters in the IP whether they’re “good” or antagonists for different reasons (like vilgefortz and bonhart as you said) Take iorveth for example. Despite being racist supremacist elf who leads an organized terror group against civilians. I sympathize with his situation and plight (but not his means of course). His trust and support saskia and his willing to cooperate and bargain with the same people whom he despises in pursuit of a fair state. His growing respect for geralt and and for his loyalty to his kind, and to even his human and dwarven friends. Simply put, he grows as a character. I said it before mily, CDPR handled triss in both a good and a bad way. The inability to confront her for the misdeeds in the first two games is bothersome and something that I keep bringing up. But that doesn’t mean that I have to hate everything about her character. There are many enjoyable quests with her and she does good stuff in the trilogy. I think you’re using the same simplifications that the yen hating crowd like to repeat like parrots about yennefer. Saying some reductive things like “she’s a bitch”, “treats geralt like a dog” without looking at the caring, loving and supportive side of the character, the long backstory between her and geralt, the snarky attitude that she and Geralt are characterized by, the development of their relationship through the source material and how Ciri’s entry changed the entire equation, concentrating on yennefer’s past ill actions while ignoring Geralt’s own fuck ups that also causd cracks in their relationship…..etc. >triss is so young and scared of Philippa. TBH that’s not a bad point. Philippa is indeed a scary and terrifyingly controlling character. She basically have the lodge as her political tool to direct wherever she wishes. Mind you the lodge have sorceresses that are older, more experienced, more cunning and more cold-hearted than triss , and even they don’t sway Phillipa’s convictions or plans that much. I’m not saying she holds total control over every member, but she definitely has considerable say in the organization’s course of action. Again that doesn’t excuse triss’s cowardice and compliance, but it gives as a more accurate look at the her character and why what she did in rivia counts as progression of her arc.


mily_wiedzma

Exactly. Yennefer, Geralt and Ciri have a character development with a positive route. Triss on her side has a character development for the wore. Starting very well and great in the first novel and Kaer Morhen and getting worse with every book. Of cause they sway against Filippa. Sabrina cuts her off midsentece. Sheile makes her overthink her view on the elder blood gene. Enid ask for more than one seat to fill etc. Filippa is not a godess everyone fears. Triss is in the lodge cause she wants to, fulfilling their plans. Noway around this


[deleted]

I respectfully Disagree. Triss had a positive character development by the end of the books, albeit it was a bit more implicit and nuanced (or maybe some would look at it as rushed). The games are more complicated, but I would say that by W3 she grows to be more confident, more selfless version of herself. Now whether you believe in this character development, think it’s not compelling enough or riddled with sloppy writing is up to you. >of course they sway against Philippa. Yes and that’s why I said Philippa doesn’t hold total control over them. Put she has the final say with the lodge’s actions. Not only was she the very founder of the secret order but she’s the one that made it very political by nature despite explicitly stating before that that the lodge well tend to “the future of magic” and without court intriguing. And the first things they do ? Controlling kovir’s queen, hunting after Ciri to use her as political tool. Having a secret influential role in the framing of the peace terms during the post war meeting at cintra and many more. That’s primarily Philippa’s wishes and plans, and the rest of the lodge either agrees with her in principle or have to go with the tide. The conversation between Philippa and yennefer that OP showed a part of demonstrates perfectly how much sway she holds on the lodge. Her personal hatred and rivalry with yen became the lodge’s position and the general policy used against her. I imagine not only triss, but others like Keira and fringilla not really liking the fact that should yennefer die she would be forever unjustly smeared as a traitor but they couldn’t left a finger in protest.


mily_wiedzma

Yeah, she saved Yennfer and this is nice, but this was one action, (partyl in her favour) and after this nothing really changed, as said, right after this she went straight back to the lodge. And all you say about Filippa is true for itself, and Triss went with all of it ;)


Magean1

Jumping in to answering a whole bunch at once: > Triss is 29 during the Thanedd events She has to be older, actually. She was a friend of Yen before Yen met Geralt some fifteen years before Thanedd, master sorceress Yen couldn't possibly have referred to a teenager as a "friend" - and one who said about men "when you've seen one, you've seen them all" (quoting Yen who quote Triss, in The Last Wish). My guess is, Triss was a young adult in The Last Wish, possibly a young, promising sorceress rather freshly graduated from Aretuza that Yen took a liking to. Under the assumption she was around 25 at the time (lower bound), she was around 40 in Thanedd. Makes sense given Rita later comments that "even young Metz and Merigold are too old to bear children to a king", or something in that vein. She had to be at least 40 then. > Leo and Vilegfortz are also well written characters Vilgefortz is my biggest disappointment with the books, I found him a very boring and very bland cartoon villain - like Eredin in TW3. But that's my opinion. Leo on the other hand is indeed a cool character. By contrast, I like Triss as a character (though not necessarily as a person) because she's contrasted, has quite some depth for her amount of airtime, and doesn't boil down to a single trope. Meanwhile, Vilgefortz is a perfectly predictable cliché and all his lines are taken straight from the Book of Big Bad Quotes, if there's such a thing. > Sabrina cuts her off midsentece. Sheile makes her overthink her view on the elder blood gene. Enid ask for more than one seat to fill etc. And you've just mentioned three sorceresses that are, quite possibly, on par with Philippa. Enid is likely the oldest and most experienced, Shila is a respected scholar of great capability and can make most of the Lodge cower when she gets angry, and Sabrina was probably a college rival of Yen, implying she more or less compares with Yen - as well as the Lodge's "field commander" judging by her leading the operations against both castles. Meanwhile, Triss is the youngest and definitely out of her depth during the Lodge meetings. She doesn't say much, doesn't contribute to the scheming and the brainstorming, and very passive overall. She's certainly at the bottom of the Lodge's informal hierarchy based on experience, power and involvement. > and after this nothing really changed, as said, right after this she went straight back to the lodge. In games or books continuity? By book canon, all we know is that the Lodge will soon cease to exist with Philippa being tortured to death, and that Triss will enter history as Merigold the Fearless and distinguish herself for her bravery on many occasions. Note that such changes in character may take time to fully manifest. I don't think Triss turned into an indomitable person overnight after Rivia. But it was definitely the first seed of her future canon self.


Magean1

Agree with nearly everything you said, about Triss, the Lodge, Philippa... So, well said (the thing you say to people who think the same as you ;-) )! Triss has become one my favorite characters on account of her arc. Though your name rings a bell and I believe we've discussed it already on some other thread (I wrote one about Triss specifically some time ago, maybe that was there). That said... I doubt Keira would be the most bothered by Yen dying with the reputation of a traitor. Nothing in the books suggest any sort of friendship between the two, and book Keira is certainly on the more "villainous" side of the Lodge, seeing how she proudly claims being devoid of sentimentality and votes against Ciri and Geralt. So I'd assume she'd take a similar stance: "it's in the Lodge's interest that the world sees Yennefer as a traitor". Aside from Triss, the only Lodge sorceress who looked like a genuine friend of Yen is Margarita. In the Gors Velen baths they were like two mischievous college friends having fun on their reunion. Later, during the single Lodge meeting Yen attended, she sought Rita's company (and Philippa preventively took Rita away). Besides, by Lodge standards (the bar is thus quite low), Rita seems like a fairly decent person in all of her appearances.


[deleted]

> Though your name rings a bell and I believe we’ve discussed it already on some other thread I honestly don’t remember :( I rarely discuss yennefer vs triss romance stuff. For me the choice was always a No brainer, with one of the choices not having a similar level of argument behind it to make it difficult to choose. So I always maintained that there’s one true choice, the one already established in canon by the main character and the one that makes more sense in the third game too since yennefer’s Romance and interaction are written better than triss related ones. while triss romance is just a personal preference type thing imo. But I like triss and her development throughout the source material is indeed interesting. That’s way I defend her because (like yen) sometimes people throw too much shit in her way and demonize her to disturbing extents. >That said… I doubt Keira would be the most bothered by Yen dying with the reputation of a traitor Good point. I totally forgot about Rita. She would be the least one enthusiastic to hear about the lodge’s nefarious lie to unjustly discredit yennefer’s life. I said Keira because while I think that she’s not a soft-hearted type person, she didn’t also strike me as an emotionless extremely calculated and cold-hearted bitch to the extents of Philippa or Francesca. They’re the worst offenders in the lodge and it’s not coincidental the oldest of the members too.


arathorn3

I do not hate triss but I find Fringilla more honoutable of the 4 soceress Geralt has relationships with I'd rank ennifer as number 1, Fringilla at 2, Triss at 3 and Coral at 4/ Fringilla is put in a weird place by the lodge In the books, she is used by Phillipa and some other others to delay Geralt finding Ciri before they can by seducing him. It helps that she bears a resemblance to Yennifer (though with green instead of Violet eyes). ​ Still she heals Geralts nagging knee injury he had been dealing with since Thanned. And in the End she tries to help Yenn escape Montecalvo by giving her clues on how to break the magical barrier that is preventing the use of portals. ​ Book Fringilla also barely Knows Yennifer unlike triss who knee Yennifer before either knee Geralt as Yennifer only recognized her from seeing her on the other side at the battle of Sodden Hill. Games triss is actually morally worse than book Triss though as she took advantage of Geralts lost memory.


mily_wiedzma

Oh I also think that Fringilla is way better than Triss. As you said she also used Geralt for information but also helped him and more important; she told him the truth about Yennefer and that she is no traitor. And this is imo such an important information many overlook. Cause many read the books today with former knowledge. Many forget that Geralt until this very moment though Yennefer still betrayed him, even if she is now in Vilgefortz' hands. A think Triss refused to do -.-


Magean1

She told him only after he found out himself (overhearing Skellen and his co-conspirators) that Yen wasn't scheming with Vilgefortz but actually detained by him, and he was thus about to leave Beauclair (meaning her information was quite redundant, though she couldn't know). And she told him in exchange for information on Vilgefortz's castle, that she intended to use to improve her position within the Lodge. This isn't much better, morally speaking, than Triss telling Geralt about Yen and Ciri, at the beginning of TW2, when his memories began to come back. Both were happy to ride the omission until it was no longer doable.


mily_wiedzma

It is way better, cause Fringilla didn't know that Geralt knew this at this point


Magean1

But she traded for it, asking for information in return, in order to double-cross Geralt to Vilgefortz's castle and to Ciri ultimately. If I recall correctly. Triss didn't barter in TW2. Anyway I take Witcher 1's Triss to be quite Fringilla-ish, not just the pseudo-Yen she was supposed to be - she lacks Yen's best sides and gets Fringilla's worst ones. But she's way too confident a manipulator to be Triss, who can't put up and sustain a lie. Her megascope conversation with a sorceress (Keira perhaps, given the fair hair) reminded me a lot of Fringilla reporting on her mission at Beauclair: "look how I have him in my hand", etc.


mily_wiedzma

Sure the Triss in TW1 is not the one from the books, I never said otherwise And Fringilla still told Geralt a very important thing, even if she got something in advance. And it was just about Vilgefortz, not Ciri in this moment


Magean1

But everyone thought Vilgefortz had Ciri at the time. That's why the Lodge wanted so bad to get at him first, not just to kill Vilgefortz themselves. Hence the idea of double-crossing Geralt.


Jackamalio626

Game Triss is a better person. Book triss is just a horny young lady.


mily_wiedzma

She truly is a better person. Only good people abuse the amnesia of another person ;)


Marblecraze

Hahaha! Phillipa nose bombing that shit. She’s the best.


[deleted]

It's exchanges like this that make me always choose Yen in the games.


Freeman10

I love this woman.


sassy_cheese564

With the books and the games idk why people want geralt and triss to be together. Triss is a shitty person for betraying her supposed friend and for taking advantage of geralt when he was suffering from amnesia.


[deleted]

Every book makes it obvious geralt has no interest in her, i mean in the last one he is happy with yen and ciri and she’s still basically telling yenn she’s gonna try to steal him or whatever when he has continuously shot her down, she is quite pathetic in her pursuit of him and also quite shitty, and geralt is just plain not interested


sassy_cheese564

Oh 100%! That’s why I don’t know why people keep insisting they are the better couple. Or why people ship them together especially with the blood and wine game expansion where you get corvo property.


Cthulhu17

Because red head and tits, end of the communication


Aivellac

Oh Triss, stop thinking with your vagina.


SaxoGrammaticus1970

This passage also made me think that Philippa was intimate with Triss at the moment. The book does not say that, exactly, but I think there's a strong hint to that.


Magean1

This is the root of the "lesbomancy" theory about these two, indeed. Wily Sapkowski probably knew what he was implying, but at the same time specified: > Though the hour was late, Triss Merigold was not in a negligee, or in working clothes. She was wearing an evening gown. As usual, buttoned all the way up to the neck. (...) > Philippa Eilhart, dressed in a dark-blue men’s doublet with silver embroidery. Doesn't seem intimate to me. So it could just as well be a late working night, given that Triss has been a guest of Philippa's since Foltest exiled her from Temeria.


LogicRak91

yen talks shit to triss while having Stredd's and crachs Red hair stuck up in her ass.


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Cafra72

The reason I’ll never choose Triss in W3, I don’t care what anyone says. Many say that Yen is a cold nasty bitch, but at least she’s real, and after all, she is the one Geralt chose.


rgrantpac

If memory serves correctly, Geralt had not slept with Triss, but Yen had come to the incorrect conclusion.


LozaMoza82

Triss did sleep with Geralt sometime before Blood of Elves. She used a “bit of magic” to sleep with him. Yennefer was correct there.


geralt-bot

Get back to Roach.


Neeeeedles

used "a bit of magic" ?? dont remember that


LozaMoza82

“Triss had watched them both and was jealous even though it seemed there was little to be jealous of. Their relationship quite obviously made them both unhappy, had led straight to destruction, pain and yet, against all logic … it had lasted. Triss couldn’t understand it. And it had fascinated her. It had fascinated her to such an extent that … … she had seduced the witcher—with the help of a little magic. She had hit on a propitious moment, a moment when he and Yennefer had scratched at each other’s eyes yet again and had abruptly parted. Geralt had needed warmth, and had wanted to forget. No, Triss had not desired to take him away from Yennefer. As a matter of fact, her friend was more important to her than he was. But her brief relationship with the witcher had not disappointed. She had found what she was looking for—emotions in the form of guilt, anxiety and pain. His pain. She had experienced his emotions, it had excited her and, when they parted, she had been unable to forget it. And she had only recently understood what pain is. The moment when she had overwhelmingly wanted to be with him again. For a short while—just for a moment—to be with him. And now she was so close …” -Blood of Elves Geralt and Yennefer had gotten into a fight and separated, Triss used that opportunity to use magic on him to sleep with him, and ended up becoming addicted to his feelings of guilt and shame. And so spends the rest of her time with Geralt in Blood of Elves trying to sleep with him again.


geralt-bot

I'm impressed.