Thank you for making a great video! You pretty much nailed everything. A couple things I can add. 1. This was likely cut between late 2014 and early 2015. Very late cut. Even though it's not very polished compared to final release materials, it's still pretty close to finished by game dev standards. 2. The transition to the conjunction pretty much just happens as Geralt and Yen run along that beach after they finish talking. If you pay attention in the final game Yen portals Geralt right to that beach and then the conjunction starts. The portal was the best thing they could probably think of to connect the Eredin fight to the conjunction. It was too late for any major rewrites. 3. You're right about the scene placements. They are all missing from the level data and I had to make my best guess. I am 99% sure the wake up scene took place in that building. All the beds there were placed by CDPR and do appear in the final game. They are just unused. It's also labeled as a field hospital in the level data. As for the exact bed the scene happened I'm not sure. I tried all the beds and picked the one the scene looked the least bad in. The Yen meetup took place somewhere just outside of the hospital but I couldn't perfectly pinpoint it. All three encounters with the soldiers were my best guess. The first group should been near the water with a pile of bodies but the pile of bodies had been removed from the level. The second group should have been near a campfire there were only a few to choose from. I have no idea where the last group with the prisoners was supposed to be so I just picked a place where the scene fit. The Crach funeral was the hardest to place by far since there is nowhere in the camp that it can physically fit without major clipping. The only indication that I had that it took place just outside the camp were coordinates in the file that controls Yennefer's spawn locations. I'm 100% sure the arrest scene took place in that tent since it's marked as lodge_tent in the level data. However the furniture had likely been rearranged to some degree after the content was cut leading to the clipping. 4. The animation data for the actual arrest part is missing however I did find the dialogue so I showed that. It's a pretty action heavily scene with special effects so it was actually mocapped unlike the rest of the scene which was manually assembled from library animations. Based on indication in the files it is likely that this mocap was completed and implemented into the game. I just can't find the actual data for it.
A cut of this size would be a late cut, that's when they can get a better feel for the flow of the game and the flow is better as it is though a tad jarring to go from a battle amongst ships and ice to why are they there charging into the island doesn't really fit scene. Better I think would have incorporated the betrayal but cut the rest, Yen teleports Geralt to the camp, the ships and battle still happening off the coast, meet Triss on the beach for the gift transfer, follow Yen straight to the lodge tent, betrayal scene, then exit the tent and teleport to the snow covered trail leading to the ruined tower just as the conjunction begins where the exit the tent comments can commence. That would have removed the what's going on and horse ride part that kinda doesn't fit in my opinion, and give the player a small break from all the action. And there should have been a break from all the action there as player excitement and adrenaline is wearing off. Constant fast paced is just as bad as constant slow pace, breaks between action makes the action more enjoyable.
Thanks for revealing and organizing this content. Was there any appearance of Keira Metz? I realize it's quite possible depending on your choices that she's dead at this point. I was just curious if there was a version of the scene where Yennefer betrays the lodge with Keira since she could be alive if you pick the right option on Fyke Isle.
This has yet again reminded me of how nice it would be to have one of the main writers talk about all the scrapped plots and ideas, both those like these, which were evidently quite developed and elaborate, and those that were abandoned before any real work took place
@@birbidboxer I'm sure there's at least one of them that would love to talk about it. but sadly I'm also pretty sure there's some kind of NDA stopping that.
@@Synthia17 Seeing how buffed Geralt is in Witcher 3 with all his crazy extra mutations and feats, he could probably kill all those soldiers even if they tried
This video took me quite a while to put out since I went back and forth between making it more of a walkthrough or more of a commentary but I hope it turned out well in the end :) Curious to hear your thoughts of it, and once again big thanks to mr. glassfish
Great video, it's a shame that unfortunately this support update for mods in the game didn't reach the consoles either, I thought that cd projekt was going to follow the same thing that Bethesda did with Skyrim and Fallout 4 before it supports mods on consoles.
@mikshin9825 the skyrim modding community is way bigger than the witcher so yea it is pretty amazing this man still keeps it interesting that to finds things that are in the game so many years later too
People still playing this game also buying ex my self i purchased this game 20 days ago and finished today then got addicted to all the witcher videos so ya some game still alive today after more then 10+ years
I think part of the reason, why the scene where Yennifer betrays the Lodge was removed is because of the scene where Geralt and her free Margarita (and mercy kill Sheala). I don't think it would be out of character for her to betray the Lodge because Yen can be very pragmatic and ruthless, but subjecting them to imprisonment and torture after having a scene where she shows sympathy and pity for the captured mages, makes her look like a massive hypocrite and liar (because she did lie to both the lodge AND Geralt about the amnesty). I don't think it's good to have such a scene at the end of the game where romances and so on are locked in.
OTOH it's extremely on-brand for the Witcher. Yen shows multiple times she will be ruthless and cruel in her pursuit of Ciri (and in the books she is also a massive hypocrite and frequent liar), so if you romance her you should know that's what you are getting. The main issue with the cut scenes is the flow, as it makes Eradin kind of a side-show to the real finale, though TBH he is, I personally didn't find the Eradin fight at all interesting - the one vs his sorcerer was more enjoyable. I would have preferred the cut scenes be included.
Letalis trolling with those horrible Witcher TV series pictures. Just want so say, I am so glad you are still around. Your videos and voice is a comfort. I hope you and your family are happy, and in great health. I recall someone was sick at some point. Much love, Letalis.
23:43 OMFG, that's soo cold. I am in the middle of reading the books again, and the way Geralt talks to Yennefer here compared to the books, damn. If you chose triss in witcher 3 and get this dialogue you know it's over. Brutal.
In the books, Yennefer was detained by the Lodge as certain members thought she was part of Vilgefortz’ plot at Thanedd. Interestingly, it was Fringilla who helped her escape from Phillppa’s castle. And of course, the Lodge also tried to force Ciri into becoming the concubine of the Koviri crown prince. The whole reason Ciri, Triss, Geralt, and Yennefer were going to meet in Rivia (where the latter two were attacked and basically died) was a final meet up before Ciri was to be taken to Kovir. Based on the history, it’s not outside the realm of possibility Yennefer would betray them based on the book canon.
Im not sure I'd agree, from a book standpoint. I think yen was in conflict with the lodge not because it exists, but because they have plans for ciri that goes against what ciri wants. Yen would be smart enough to understand that any gain made by throwing fellow sorceresses under the bus would be extremely tenuous, with the witch hunts in the north and the tight leash for mages in the south. Whos to say that emhyr wont turn on her once the war's won? She hates certain characters, like phillipa and fringilla, because of their eagerness to use ciri for their own political ends, and for their general schemes to control all the continent. but not so far as to cause their deaths. yen's self-serving, but not evil. this choice would learn a bit to far towards evil, in my opinion.
She would be forgivable to some members like Margita, Keira or Triss but NOT FOR Phillipa. Not a single chance for her! If Lodge were lead by anyone other than Phillipa, Sheala or Sabrina, they might have been more decent
@@joeh5411 I agree. I can see Yen happily handing over Phillipa and Fringilla, but not Keira and certainly not Margarite. Marg is literally the only witch in the lodge that has no interest in politics and schemes and is only there for the sake of her witch's school. She's quite literally one of the more morally righteous characters in comparison to the rest of the lodge. It pissed me off to see her betrayed. Hell, even in the cut content, she's such a nice person she doesn't even call out Yen for the betrayal, while Fringilla and Phillipa has choice words.
I watched this entire video and I must say that I, personally, love the hell out of this cut content and even prefered it instead of the original. Imagine the story where is no bitter endings. Where there is a hella dark revelation which might turn the hate on Yen, but still makes it compassionable because you can see that she's actually getting hurt by what she's doing and yet there wasn't any other way. This might not be perfect, but it's dark and fits the Witcher atmosphere so damn well, making the entire final battle even more rememberable. Thanks for showing this content and I am very keen on future vids about REDkit mods or cut content from you. The best Witcher UA-camr out there, bro.
Agree with this. Most people think Yennefer's character gets ruined by it but it's just not true. It's not like she does it because SHE wants to, it's because she's forced to by Emhyr and still she risks everything by saving Triss either way, who was no threat to Ciri, unlike the rest of the Lodge, which definitely were and even still are - due to their schemes. Also doesn't ruin the pacing in my opinion. The pacing of that last quest was going too fast for me since it plays a huge role for the lore, after all. "One thing at a time", so to speak ...
@@crygreg8484 She's not forced to do this actually. She doesn't need Emhyr anymore, certainly not for locating Ciri or fighting Avallach. So why serve the lodge on a silver platter?
@@mrlucky9157 well, because of two things: first, is that they probably had this plan since the beginning of the story. So it was an offer she couldn’t refuse alongside finding Ciri. Or you really think that it’s wise to go against the most powerful empire in the world? Second, because the lodge is actually dangerous for her and for Ciri. She understands that there aren’t any heartwarming friends like Triss. I mean, Phillippa literally says that she wants to get rid of Yen. I don’t know her relationship with Fringilia or Margarita, but I believe they were at least the “collateral damage” to get rid of Phillippa. Yennifer might be harsh, demanding and cruel sometimes, but she’s not evil and she doesn’t enjoy doing terrible things.
@@mrlucky9157 What @cloke3076 says. She DOES need Emhyr still and the Lodge too. She hasn't found Ciri yet and when Emhyr enters she's shocked because she realizes, now she has to do what she's been told since ... you know ... she's in a camp full of enemies that would mean her death (and Geralt's). And she was very much forced to do the Emperor's bidding until Ciri was safe and sound. Also, the only who REALLY didn't deserve it was Margarita. And Triss but she escaped due to Yennefer, something she even says brought a great risk with it.
I always assumed that they didn't talk about the lodge because the final book explains that the lodge was destroyed and Phillipa was tortured to death so they didn't want to mess with the canon
I like to see a mod where you can play gwent against characters like Emhyr or the Unseen Elder. Imagine gambling Olgierds life by playing gwent against Gaunter.
Knowing CDPR they probably would've included a "good" ending for the lodge if you choose the right options during your PT. Like getting rid of Radovid and making sure Ciri is empress.
Wonder if that would have made more people like the empress ending. As far as I have seen mostly everyone* prefers the witcher ending because it fits with what Ciri and Geralt wants, but the empress ending is arguably much better for the world at large. If it meant they could save some characters I'm sure some people would have gone for it.
@@EmhyrvarSpice "but the empress ending is arguably much better for the world at large." I don't know how true that is. People seem to forget that Dandelion is the narrator, so of course Ciri is painted in a positive light in the ending, but we don't really know how she would fare as a ruler or how much better it would be from having Morvran as the ruler (which is book canon).
@@Bronzescorpion I guess Dandelion could be fudging the truth a bit. Besides if the witcher 4 is about Ciri then they would probably skip that possibility or have her run away/abandon her position anyway.
@@Bronzescorpion Morvran implies he would be wed to Ciri, and given Ciri's disinterest in politics it would probably end up as just Morvran doing the ruling.
No tears for the lodge. After the Wild Hunt they were the biggest threat to Ciri/Yen/Geralt. I really wish this part was included, but it is undeniable that it would ruin the pacing of the ending.
Absolutely I truly have no Idea why they cut this ending and after playing the Witcher 2 they really do deserve this ending as they are the ones who conspired to kill Foltest and they just caused unnecessary chaos The Witcher 3 overall seems like it was toned down for the "General Audience" compared to The Witcher 2 which was brutal
@@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي Also in the books in the ending, it's clear that the Lodge have no intention of letting Ciri go and removing Geralt and Yen from the picture if need be. The massacre of Rivia took care of all that though.
*Wow This whole section looks almost finished, must have been scrapped last minute to keep the tension rolling and the action preserved. This explains the absence of the other sorceresses throughout the whole endgame section. Really Interesting Stuff. Hope we will Find some important Cut Content Related to Radovid Assassination Mission. Great Work!!! XLetalis and Mr. Glassfish.*
At 5:12 I feel like "An ordinary day at war" might be a nod at the German "All quiet at the western front" Or more accurately from the German title "Nothing new at the western front" very similar themes at least
I think it makes sense. Yennifer selling out the Lodge just makes her irredeemable imo. I've read all the books and played the games; I know Yen is no angel. But even for her, this feels like a step too far. She's never seen eye-to-eye with the Lodge, but selling out the sorceresses just feels out of character for her. Yen is selfish, but not to the point of backstabbing friends to a death sentence.
Not surprising at all really, Yen doesn't play around when it comes to protecting Ciri. Also this makes a LOT more sense for Emhyr's character, knowing he'd get his prisoner back and more if he cut the deal with Yen.
@@Diego-rt2ot yennefer spends a good chunk of the books in a chair being tortured to protect ciri, I would not put it past her to have the lodge (who doesn't gaf about her and is responsible for a lot of whats going on in the world considering TW2) arrested and judged by Nilfgaard.
@@ItsMeStrider But it was she herself that I suffered for her. She didn't sell anyone out, Margarita is her good friend from school, even Frinnglia helped her in some way and she was very close to Geralt even if she used him. I just don't see Yennefer handing over sorceresses to torture and death to Emyhr, that's a step too much for me
Margherita getting lumped in and triss too along with the lodge feels like a sorta half ass betrayal, it would be rather a lodge civil war in a sense, one side that cares about ciri led by Yennefer and the other that cares about their political influence on the global scale led by Philipha, it seemed to be going down this road in the books when the votes in the lodge meeting happened, but then Geralt and Yen did the ultimate oof and died
Yen fought Fringilla at Sodden, probably getting blinded by her. They hate each other. She is also not exactly a friend of Eilhart, but she would not betray Margarita. No way
Damn, so much fully voiced, animated, written content just removed from the game. Makes it cool to find these things even so many years after this beautiful game's launch.
I think it was removed because it messed up the pacing, as you said. Its a very long segment in the middle of two action driven scenes. But it fits with the canon parts and why there are not ending slides for the lodge members(remember there is one for Keira, but not the others). It is also possible they didnt have time to finish it, or change opinion at the last minute. But i wonder why the Emperor would want to interrogate them? what the hell for? what they could possibly tell him.
The pacing is already messed up because you go from defeating Eredin to Conjunction and End of the world in seconds. This would've improved the pacing, allowing time to breath
Interrogation is probably related to the events of the Witcher 2 game. Philippa could at this moment still have control of Saskia, and the rest of the lodge still know a lot about the other rulers of the North and any possible surviving heirs that might some day challenge Emyr's rule.
Man thank you for the update but this is huge we will have a massive content surge of restored Witcher 3 cut content and maybe just maybe the modders could restore the cut content regarding the state of reason mission
I kinda like this ending ngl, but only because it offers some more context on what COULD actually happen regarding the whole Lodge plot. However, it's a bit too much of a stretch imo, Yennefer's willingness to just throw them all in the trash bin. I see lots of people here debate whether Yen hates her "sisters" or whether she would never cross a line like that, how she will do anything to protect Ciri, etc. etc., BUT... It seems like everyone forgets that Yen is also somewhat of a politician and an important part of the now dwindling magical society? She was brought up by Aretuza, she is not just some random rogue hedge mage. She sees what is happening to the world, she is not blind. And she must have at least some idea of what all these developments could lead to... With all the other Lodge sorceresses gone, what would stop Emhyr to just get rid of her too? Would he not be aware of the possibility of a massive conflict of interest over Ciri in the future? Or does Yen just have plot armor? Does she really want to go full in that glorious "peaceful" future Emhyr is building? Where all mages are also unquestionably under his heel. Has she suddenly become a rabid imperialist? I am just not buying it. "Morally grey" is cool, but she cannot just suddenly stop being a mage. This is ultimately what she is and will always be. Besides, it's not like Philippa is trying to sacrifice Ciri to old gods or smth. Yes, she wants the girl, but so does everyone. And her vision of the future for Ciri might very well be more lenient than that harbored by Emhyr... Idk. Better the devil you know. Or worked with at least. With Emhyr having the final say in EVERYTHING and holding the leash, I doubt very much that Yen would just serve her possible allies on a silver platter to him so easily. Last but not least... This part where you enter the tent, and the sorceresses are talking about teaching more adepts. Idk, it kinda touched me? It's not like they are plotting the end of the world. I am sure that their sentiment is one Yen would gladly get behind. They are cut from the same cloth after all. 🤕
I love that Yen saves Triss + their small conversation, when she gave her the gift. I mean they were close friends at some point and I would have loved to see more moments like that between them
Showing Yen being ruthless when it comes to protecting her closed ones is amazing, and since in the base game we don't have much of it, the idea of her betraying the Lodge for Ciri sounds cool. Not sure i like the way it's supposed to be implemented (if what shown in the video would've ended up being the implementation ofc) with all these corrupted spell and response to Emhyr by Geralt stuff, but i'd probably be down for that anyway - the run through Skellige would feel less rushed (cause in the base game it kinda is) and it'd bring more depth to characters, which is always nice.
Ciri isn't the only one she's close to though. SOme of the members of the lodge are he best friends for decades, she went to school with some of them. She'd betray Philippa to the Emperor in a heart beat, but not Keira and Margarita.
@@LeutnantJoker Yen is not a good person, so this doesn't surprise me in the slightest. She certainly wasn't good in the books either, just think of all the horrible stuff she did in The Last Wish alone. Honestly I think some fans think of Yennefer as better than how she's actually portrayed. Specially in the books.
@@Masloy940 Yen doing a couple of good things near the end doesn't erase the multitude of horrible things she did along the way. The Witcher 3 Yen is very accurate.
@@Shonendo By the end of the books, Yennefer does much more than just a couple of good things, and she develops as a character. In the game, it's like her initial version.
Ohh now the line Emhyr says to Geralt at the end about not pursuing Triss make sense. Anyway I like that they cut this out because it make Yen look so bad.
The segment between fight with Eredin and the bit with Avallach would be a perfect time to see the consequences of some of Geralt's choices and plots he had no way of knowing or influencing. It should hammer home that for all of Geralt's work, he's just one witcher, one man. He set off to find his adoptive daughter, ended up affecting the world somewhat, but in the end there are bigger fishes in the pond (it's a similar feeling to meeting the Unseen Elder or Gaunter in expansions). TW2 had a similar interactive segment after the last boss. I hope modders can completely restore what's left and patch in what's been omitted, I'm always a fan of restoring official content that enriches game's plot.
This was really interesting to see. The big problem I see with this, though, is the idea that Geralt was out for an extended period (given Yenn's quip about 3 days without sleep, I would assume he's been unconscious for at least one) and Yennefer and Emhyr were both 100% fine with everyone just sitting on their thumbs waiting for him to come to while Ciri was gods know where. It's not like Geralt actually contributed anything to the spell to locate her and even if he did know where she went, two people as impatient for results as Yenn and Emhyr would certainly exhaust the alternatives while Geralt was out. As much as it would have been horrendous from a player's perspective, it would've made as a timeline if Geralt woke up to the news "Triss disappeared, the other sorceresses are being tortured - no time to explain. We know Ciri is somewhere on this island. Are you ready to join the search?"
Adding to that, it makes sense for Avallac'h to make good use of the commotion and act quickly. Why on earth would he wait and give anyone time to thwart his plan?
@@Bronzescorpion A very good point. Although, since this is essentially a completely different iteration of the story from the one we received in the end, something like that could be explained away with something like there's a great deal of setup that needs to be done before he could truly initiate things. It would've felt a bit awkward but not too glaringly illogical.
i honestly dont know what to think of this, i always knew that the ending was "rushed" but if this was the official ending it would be bit too much to swallow atleast for me
it wouldn't be so easy to capture the most powerful sorceresses like that with couple of soldiers , I think it was cut for good reason capturing them would be complicated they could burn the whole camp down
This reaffirms the CDPR devs care about the Witcher books -- every dialogue option, every NPC interaction, every character continues the lore with such believable detail that can only come from devs that truly paid attention to the source material. I love your videos
This is awesome, anyone else wishing this had been in the game?!? What an end to the story, and it really fits with Yennifer as a character, she's utterly ruthless when it's something she wants or someone she cares about
29:24 OMG IT'S THE HEBREW COVER, you're my man (also for everyone interested: it's the cover for The Last Wish, aka the only Witcher book translated to Hebrew so far)
Watching this video made me even more sure that picking Yen is the right choice. The world of the Witcher is unforgiving and you can face it with either Chernabog or Minnie Mouse at your side (Yennefer or Triss.). xLetalis is the absolute king of Witcher content.
I'm with you. Think it would have been a great addition to the game. And I'm still amazed you're able to bring new content for this, the greatest of all games.
I honestly think they should've kept it in the game maybe had different outcomes for this ending but this ending is really like the Witcher 2 the Witcher 2 had this kind of surprising and debatable endings but it seems like the Witcher 3 got very toned down which is in my opinion really made the game feel lacking
@mrlucky9157 true enough, the Empire magic users really helped dig a lot of things from her mind, and she wasn't in such a good position to resist most of it.
Honestly think if they just played the journey to the tower as normal and everything with Ciri then the Lodge plot happening after the big choice of Ciri’s fate? I think that would work especially when visiting Emyhr
I personally prefer the normal ending, but it's always really interesting to see the lengths Yennefer will go to for Ciri - and how much she still loves Triss, in spite of everything ❤ we love a girlie with layers
Honestly, all these cut scenes and other scenes that were removed, should be restored by the developers in a future update. The scenes seen in this video feel like they were missing key points in the game, especially the ending portion on Unvik.
I could understand Yenn betraying the lodge. They're as much a danger to Ciri as Eridin or at least the lodge would try to use her for their own gains. Winning the battle against Eridin was really only half the battle if Yenn wanted Ciri to be free to live her life as she saw fit. Ciri wouldn't be pursued by the wild hunt or scheming sorceresses.
Love seeing this content of what was meant to be included, as others have said would also love to know what else was originally planned but later scrapped. Especially with Iorveth, so gutted he wasn't in The Wild Hunt.
Damn, I wish this was included. But it's cool to watch new content after so many years. I kind of understand why they cut it though. Like you said, it takes away a lot of the tension at that moment.
3:44 If I remember well this scene where the medics want to remove the leg of an injured soldier can be seen in the nilfgardian camp in white orchard. So I guess it was put there after they deleted this part of the ending.
I'm happy they removed it, as it's yet another thread that doesn't need including in the game at that point. Once you're in the final phase, the focus should be on finding Ciri and resolving that quest.
I think it kinda makes sense they scrapped it since the finale now moves way faster and smoother imo, but that being said, there should've been some reaction to Crach's death from his children
THATS SO COOL. I always love when i discover something new from this game and especially if its about story. AND THIS IS LIKE ANOTHER SMALL (really really small) DLC TO ME. I absolutly love it and wish there was more cutted story content discovered
I kinda like that ending, but it's really heavy and dark, maybe that's why the devs deleted it, they wanted a quick and painless resolution for us so we don't bother about some political issues. At least Filippa finally got what she deserved and was deafeated with her own weapon wich is satysfying, I don't have any doubt that she would kill the empress Ciri if she'd need to. Also as you said the tension is really dead, the hunt for Avallac'h in the middle of the battle is really epic in the official ending.
One more thing to note is that in the letter that Yennefer sends to Emyhr (and that you deliver when picking up Fringilla), there is one rather important sentence: "I promise that I will uphold the conditions of our arrangement, despite the fact that they will demand sacrifices of me and will leave me in an unfortunate situation." I always wondered what did Yen promise to Emyhr in order to make him agree with the whole plan but getting the whole lodge arrested after the fact seems appropriate.
I'm glad this Ending didn't make it to be honest, there's just too much things that either don't really fit, or would've "ruined" a lot of things. Also we don't know if these specific scenes aren't tied to other scrapped Content that would've taken place earlier in the Game, leading partly to the present situation shown. I love Yennefer, and she'll always be the best Girl over Triss in my books. But this Ending would've done her a great disservice. I hold no special love for the Lodge, except maybe for Philippa because of her sass although all Lodge members are known to have participated in questionable Events and done questionable things. But seeing Yennefer betray everyone, even if it's in Ciri's best interests, just... no. Especially fellow Sorceresses like Margarita, who is one of her own best friends and remains oddly mute in this scene. I would just not be able to look at Yennefer the same way if this Scene would've played through during my Game. Because something has to be done doesn't make it right. On the other hand i'm also a bit bummed we once again were robbed of seeing that Nilfgaard is not always just bad and evil and cruel, but that they will honour valiant foes and pay them respect. To the point of following Skelliger customs, which tells it's not a half-arsed decision. I find that pretty significant. I always found it frustrating that despite being the overarching antagonists for the entire saga, they almost never get any development, we don't know much about their customs, beliefs, etc... And such little things are interesting. Also, it's a detail, but i always found it odd that you meet Emhyr in the Quest "Veni, Vidi, Vigo", and then he's nowhere to be seen until the Ending of the Game, despite a battle raging or having raged around. That, and if you pay attention, you walk past his stranded Ship on the way to the Naglfar, there are frozen Nilfgaardian soldiers around, but that's it. Even prior to the battle you can walk around the Nilfgaardian encampment and strategize about everything, but he is nowhere to be seen. You'd think of all people Emhyr would have a thing or two to say about what to do during the Battle with Eredin.
Thank you! I feel the exact same, Yen could be ruthless and she definitely holds grudges towards some of the lodge sorceresses but this is way too much. I think Fringilla is more of a "friend" to her than Triss. Triss literally betrayed her and Ciri and heard to her face that Yen will never forgive her and yet they somehow remain "bffs". I feel like Triss is portrayed waaaay too much like an angel while Yen got the opposite treatment. I also agree with the Nilfgaardian lore, I love the fact that they do things that are actually pretty damn good for the world even though they're extremely ruthless if something goes against them. It's a very interesting dynamic and seeing Crach's funeral should be in the game, it was pretty great scene and I'd love to keep that one. Plus Geralt telling Emhyr to "kiss his ass" in front of his soldiers would not end up good for him, even more, that should be a game over screen like when you ask the Unseen Elder too many questions in Blood & Wine.
@@Synthia17 I *could* see Yen doing this, it's not totally out of character BUT i think even Yennefer would show more remorse about betraying the Lodge and condemning her "Sisters" to torture and most likely death. In that situation it's fair for Geralt to be disgusted by her actions, and quite frankly i could see it compromise their relationship, and even that she has with Ciri, who would probably not agree to have condemned several people to a dreadful fate on her behalf. And i 200% agree that the Games portray Triss as the cute, sweet, caring angel who never does anything wrong, when all things considered, she abused Geralt while he had amnesia, knowing he was with Yen, knowing she might still be alive, and her trying hard to be Ciri's "big sister" is so cringe because it's really just to get closer to Geralt. Yennefer is the one who -despite her flaws- will get to hell and back for Geralt and Ciri and is ready to sacrifice everything for them. I also like how Crach's funerals is another proof that Hjalmar would be a moronic and brutish King. Yes his Father just died he's upset, but he's close to causing a diplomatic incident while the Nilfgaardians went out of their way to restitue the body, following Skelligers customs, so that Crach might go to Skelliger Valhalla and get a burial fit for a King. I hate it when people mindlessly antagonise Emhyr. Yes, he's one of the main antagonists of the Franchise, yes he's done despicable things and yes he's utterly ruthless, but he's more nuanced and complex that just "big bad evil man". And as you say, from the very beginning of the Game when you meet Emhyr in Vizima, Geralt is subtly warned not to try his patience by being impertinent because he knows he's needed, so most interactions are extremely passive-aggressive (and quite frankly during Veni, Vidi Vigo i even found them hilarious) but to openly flip-off the Emperor of Nilfgaard, yes, that wouldn't fly. I *could* see Emhyr letting it slip if they were alone, but as you pointed out, there are soldiers around who would've witnessed Geralt getting away with such disrespect, it's just weird. It should totally get a Game over screen.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Being a console player, I never use mods. I'm torn on whether I prefer this or the original, but I think you explained both good points and bad points very well at the end and I tend to agree. Keep up the great work!
I guess they didn't want Yennefer to look bad with this whole betrayal of the Lodge. But I'm ngl, I kinda wish they had kept this in, even if it's a variation of it. Just the whole dialogue between Yen & Triss, Emhyr, Geralt & other characters it just felt engaging.
no i totally agree its to not make yen look bad. i dont think that its because its so totally out of character, but because it needs more time to integrate this action back into her character, its right at the very very end of the game and could easily give people the wrong impression.
@@moonknightish Nope, I read the books, and I still think Yen betraying all the lodge members is not something she would do. Phillipa and Fringilla? Sure. She has beef with them and I can see her happily getting rid of them to save Ciri from their future schemes. But Keira? And esp Margarite? Keira is a pompous prick but she poses no danger to Ciri, and Marg has no interest in politics and is only part of the lodge to support her school. There is no justice in betraying her, at ALL.
@@DemBigOlEyes I was going to say the same exact thing, I find it very out of character for her to betray whatever is left of the lodge just like that. Especially Rita. The lodge can't really force her to do things for them anyway, as it was said when Ciri met with them, she's grown up and can understand when people want to take advantage of her and when not. And Yen seems to have come in terms with the past, in the end all sorceresses where taken advantage or mistreated or tortured or killed. So I'd say there's a mutual understanding of their hardships. Emhyr on the other hand had much more vile ideas about Ciri imo, he even killer her mother and after that he was plotting on how to find and take advantage of her power. Yen is not stupid, she's smart enough to understand that Emhyr is a bigger threat than the lodge and I feel she'd rather take him out of the way first
I found it interesting that Yen saves Triss no matter what, because you could argue she have no reason to do so. Triss slept with Geralt when he had lost his memory despite the fact he was her supposed best friend Yen’s lover. If you romance Triss you could make the argument that Yen saves her more for Geralt’s sake then for Triss herself but I don’t know. My reasoning is that it’s maybe in return for Triss helping at the Battle of Kaer Morhen. Triss shows up there no matter what, even if you refuse to help her save the Mages in Novigrad.
How was Triss supposed to know that Yennefer was alive? Yes, she slept with him, she loved him. Yennefer also slept with the witchers of the snake school Letho says about it
I think the decision was made because the writers chose that their version of Yennefer wouldn't do something like this. I think the writers kept pretty faithful to the book Yen but I do think that maybe you could argue book Yen would do something like this especially after finding out that the Lodge were planning to use and manipulate Ciri for their political aspirations, but I think through this decision of the developers we can assume that eventually even if they had the idea for a long time and pretty much had it in the finished game, they ultimately chose that their Yen wouldn't go this far. But I will add a point that I don't think this would be a unique thing for Yen, people who aren't parents will never understand the lengths their parents would go to if they had to to protect them until they become parents themselves, I can see the majority of parents doing something like this and worse if it meant saving their child. They wouldn't be proud or happy about it maybe even be ashamed but the length a parent would go to protect their child are enormous, even adopted child the instinct is the same. Point and case Joel from Last of Us (even though I like The Last of Us characters less than Witcher 3) Also you showed The Witcher book in my native Hebrew which is awesome so thanks for that lol even though the translation is legit awful uninspired and lazy. They just used the word for "Wizard" or "sorcerer" in Hebrew to describe Witchers not even trying to come up with a unique term.
OMG! Thank you for this. This was exactly what I missed in the game. Now everything finally feels complete for me and much more credible. Ths fits all so perfect with the Witcher lore and Yennefer's character and is just the way she would deal with the threat the Lodge poses to Ciri and how she'd act out her revenge on the other sorceresses that have crossed her in the past. This video has kind of recharged my love for the character of Yennefer. This Yennefer rocks!
Not everything needs to be "complete". Ending of the books is the best example. Also, Yennefer is a b**ch. Good that Geralt can finally see that at 24:10. He will probably run away with Ciri and leave her. Magical community will probably turn on her too.
@@mrlucky9157 Yes, I agree with everything you wrote. Only that "b**ch" does not even start to describe Yennefer's arrogance and total lack of scruples. But she is one hell of a b**ch! And the restored episode from the game shows just that. It is so much in line with Yennefer's character in the lore and it shows that there is nothing (good or evil) that she would not do in Ciri's interest. I agree with the charms of "incompleteness" but this content does fill an achingly empty spot of the game's story. It should have been in the game and for me now it is and of now it will always be how I will remember the story of the Witcher 3. And Yennefer will remain the "b**ch" of my heart.
Ok I actually love the concept of Yen betraying lodge BUT making sure Triss escapes and that moment Triss teleports out of the tent if it were animated would be so cool, sadge it didnt make its way to the final game
Personally I prefer not having Yennefer ending on such a dark and traitorous note. If CDPR had a non treason ending I'd pick that but otherwise I prefer the original. There is a difference between Yen the ruthless and Yen the traitorous.
So interesting to see what might have been and I loved how thorough you were with the choices. I'm kind of glad that it wasn't put in as I don't want to think of the torture and killing...having Phillipa's eyes put out in game 2 was enough for me.
This extended playthrough and the redkit have given a new world to us. More Witcher 3...I dare hope that there will be someone who restores the lost arcs entirely, thus fulfilling the entire ambitious project. It's all very exciting. The beauty of the mod community brings joy.
Great work, you and glassfish! Love the cut content. It tied up 2 important loose ends (Crachs body and the fate of the Lodge), I wish it was given a third thought and included this in the game itself for just one reason: nobody comes out the winner here. Both Skellige and Nilfgaard suffered heavy losses. The surviving Lodge members may have escaped Radovid but fell into another ruler who shared Radovid's distrust with the Lodge (though Emhyr is slightly better with possibly showing a bit of leniency and we all know Philippa did not die at the hands of the empire if we read what happened to her in the books). As for the third reason why I prefer this to be included- purely my selfish reason: MORE EMHYR CONTENT! Cant get enough of Charles Dance XD, and more opportunity to take screenshots of Emhyr in settings other than his office in Vizima (shame my dino PC cant handle it 😢 and most everyone I know has moved on to other games for me to ask for pics). Anyways, thank you for this wonderful video that is now included in my Favorites Playlist!
I think this actually confirms that Philippa's book fate is canon. We know she's been tortured to death by Willemer, a Temerian priest. This works in all three endings - in Nilfgaard victory one, it's possible Emhyr would hand Philippa over to Temerians as the figure behind the assassination of Foltest, Dijkstra would probably barter her from the Nilfs at peace talks to do the same (as for him, she's too dangerous to live), and Radovid is, well, Radovid. It just changes the context from "a random victim of witch hunts" to "Emhyr's prisoner who's facing the consequences of her political machinations."
I found two remnants of this ending that were NOT cut from the final game: 1. Nilfgardian soldiers who you pass by as geralt and yen ran next to frost giant ship have banter/dialog that is sth like "take cover!" "whf is hanpening" "dunno, but the one who finds girl gets heaps of money, so just keep looking" 2. loading screen with dandelion talking about state of the plot that appears if you load a safe from after killing eredin but before reaching the tower mentions sth like " finding ciri location with the help of sorceresses " - nothing like that happens in final version ofc.
Thank you for making a great video! You pretty much nailed everything. A couple things I can add.
1. This was likely cut between late 2014 and early 2015. Very late cut. Even though it's not very polished compared to final release materials, it's still pretty close to finished by game dev standards.
2. The transition to the conjunction pretty much just happens as Geralt and Yen run along that beach after they finish talking. If you pay attention in the final game Yen portals Geralt right to that beach and then the conjunction starts. The portal was the best thing they could probably think of to connect the Eredin fight to the conjunction. It was too late for any major rewrites.
3. You're right about the scene placements. They are all missing from the level data and I had to make my best guess. I am 99% sure the wake up scene took place in that building. All the beds there were placed by CDPR and do appear in the final game. They are just unused. It's also labeled as a field hospital in the level data. As for the exact bed the scene happened I'm not sure. I tried all the beds and picked the one the scene looked the least bad in.
The Yen meetup took place somewhere just outside of the hospital but I couldn't perfectly pinpoint it. All three encounters with the soldiers were my best guess. The first group should been near the water with a pile of bodies but the pile of bodies had been removed from the level. The second group should have been near a campfire there were only a few to choose from. I have no idea where the last group with the prisoners was supposed to be so I just picked a place where the scene fit.
The Crach funeral was the hardest to place by far since there is nowhere in the camp that it can physically fit without major clipping. The only indication that I had that it took place just outside the camp were coordinates in the file that controls Yennefer's spawn locations. I'm 100% sure the arrest scene took place in that tent since it's marked as lodge_tent in the level data. However the furniture had likely been rearranged to some degree after the content was cut leading to the clipping.
4. The animation data for the actual arrest part is missing however I did find the dialogue so I showed that. It's a pretty action heavily scene with special effects so it was actually mocapped unlike the rest of the scene which was manually assembled from library animations. Based on indication in the files it is likely that this mocap was completed and implemented into the game. I just can't find the actual data for it.
A cut of this size would be a late cut, that's when they can get a better feel for the flow of the game and the flow is better as it is though a tad jarring to go from a battle amongst ships and ice to why are they there charging into the island doesn't really fit scene. Better I think would have incorporated the betrayal but cut the rest, Yen teleports Geralt to the camp, the ships and battle still happening off the coast, meet Triss on the beach for the gift transfer, follow Yen straight to the lodge tent, betrayal scene, then exit the tent and teleport to the snow covered trail leading to the ruined tower just as the conjunction begins where the exit the tent comments can commence.
That would have removed the what's going on and horse ride part that kinda doesn't fit in my opinion, and give the player a small break from all the action. And there should have been a break from all the action there as player excitement and adrenaline is wearing off. Constant fast paced is just as bad as constant slow pace, breaks between action makes the action more enjoyable.
Thanks for recreating of deleted contents bro!!! I hope those scenes will be integrated into the game in near future.🙏
Good job, bro!
Thanks for revealing and organizing this content. Was there any appearance of Keira Metz? I realize it's quite possible depending on your choices that she's dead at this point. I was just curious if there was a version of the scene where Yennefer betrays the lodge with Keira since she could be alive if you pick the right option on Fyke Isle.
the end with the scene at the winery where how did you get that answered with google translated into german please
This has yet again reminded me of how nice it would be to have one of the main writers talk about all the scrapped plots and ideas, both those like these, which were evidently quite developed and elaborate, and those that were abandoned before any real work took place
If someone can pull that off it would be letalis, but idk if the writers can even talk about that stuff
@@birbidboxer I'm sure there's at least one of them that would love to talk about it. but sadly I'm also pretty sure there's some kind of NDA stopping that.
Probably because you can reuse the plots that were scrapped later. If not for Geralt then for some other char.
"Kiss my ass Emhyr" option is wild 💀
Yeah no, Geralt would be flayed for doing this, especially in front of the soldiers in time of war where Emhyr competency is already being questioned.
@@Synthia17 Still wild💀
@@Synthia17 Seeing how buffed Geralt is in Witcher 3 with all his crazy extra mutations and feats, he could probably kill all those soldiers even if they tried
@@SadMoribund Gamewise, of course but lorewise no.
We've been robbed🤣
This video took me quite a while to put out since I went back and forth between making it more of a walkthrough or more of a commentary but I hope it turned out well in the end :) Curious to hear your thoughts of it, and once again big thanks to mr. glassfish
Could we download this?
Is it possible to release it as a mod?
it's not made into a usable mod atm, perhaps eventually
@@xLetalis well fingers crossed because although it has bugs, it still looks good
Great video, it's a shame that unfortunately this support update for mods in the game didn't reach the consoles either, I thought that cd projekt was going to follow the same thing that Bethesda did with Skyrim and Fallout 4 before it supports mods on consoles.
Bruh I'm shocked your still getting witcher 3 content hats off to you man
The Internet: It's been almost 10 years, would you just give up on this ga-
xLetalis: Aight, now that the warm-up is done-
What about Skyrim which is still discussed 13 years later? I don't see why The Witcher should be forgotten.
@mikshin9825 the skyrim modding community is way bigger than the witcher so yea it is pretty amazing this man still keeps it interesting that to finds things that are in the game so many years later too
People still playing this game also buying ex my self i purchased this game 20 days ago and finished today then got addicted to all the witcher videos so ya some game still alive today after more then 10+ years
Great games, books, movies will always be discussed, even though they have been released into the world for a long time.
I think part of the reason, why the scene where Yennifer betrays the Lodge was removed is because of the scene where Geralt and her free Margarita (and mercy kill Sheala). I don't think it would be out of character for her to betray the Lodge because Yen can be very pragmatic and ruthless, but subjecting them to imprisonment and torture after having a scene where she shows sympathy and pity for the captured mages, makes her look like a massive hypocrite and liar (because she did lie to both the lodge AND Geralt about the amnesty). I don't think it's good to have such a scene at the end of the game where romances and so on are locked in.
OTOH it's extremely on-brand for the Witcher. Yen shows multiple times she will be ruthless and cruel in her pursuit of Ciri (and in the books she is also a massive hypocrite and frequent liar), so if you romance her you should know that's what you are getting. The main issue with the cut scenes is the flow, as it makes Eradin kind of a side-show to the real finale, though TBH he is, I personally didn't find the Eradin fight at all interesting - the one vs his sorcerer was more enjoyable. I would have preferred the cut scenes be included.
Lol but Yen is a hypocrite. Always was
Considering what they do to her in the books and want to do with Ciri, they deserve it and it's in character
I think I can understand her motives, Lodge were not nice girls
@@danguy6591Maybe. But the lodge earned the betrayal. They were by far one of the worst groups in the witcher universe.
Yall the feds dont want you to know, but if you hold acceleration on roach, he follows the road
until you hit a bridge :)
ur told this at the start of the game
*she
Yeah i knew that
I found this out recently and was so surprised
Letalis trolling with those horrible Witcher TV series pictures.
Just want so say, I am so glad you are still around. Your videos and voice is a comfort. I hope you and your family are happy, and in great health. I recall someone was sick at some point.
Much love, Letalis.
Hey, thank you very much
I love Yen's dialogs, they feel like she knows she's not perfect and can be annoyingly arrogant, but when it comes to Ciri, she's trying her best
23:43 OMFG, that's soo cold. I am in the middle of reading the books again, and the way Geralt talks to Yennefer here compared to the books, damn. If you chose triss in witcher 3 and get this dialogue you know it's over. Brutal.
I like that gruff tone he makes.
I think this is what Geralt needed to do and put her in her place from time to time...notice how docile she gets when he is stern with her
In the books, Yennefer was detained by the Lodge as certain members thought she was part of Vilgefortz’ plot at Thanedd. Interestingly, it was Fringilla who helped her escape from Phillppa’s castle. And of course, the Lodge also tried to force Ciri into becoming the concubine of the Koviri crown prince. The whole reason Ciri, Triss, Geralt, and Yennefer were going to meet in Rivia (where the latter two were attacked and basically died) was a final meet up before Ciri was to be taken to Kovir. Based on the history, it’s not outside the realm of possibility Yennefer would betray them based on the book canon.
Im not sure I'd agree, from a book standpoint. I think yen was in conflict with the lodge not because it exists, but because they have plans for ciri that goes against what ciri wants. Yen would be smart enough to understand that any gain made by throwing fellow sorceresses under the bus would be extremely tenuous, with the witch hunts in the north and the tight leash for mages in the south. Whos to say that emhyr wont turn on her once the war's won? She hates certain characters, like phillipa and fringilla, because of their eagerness to use ciri for their own political ends, and for their general schemes to control all the continent. but not so far as to cause their deaths. yen's self-serving, but not evil. this choice would learn a bit to far towards evil, in my opinion.
She would be forgivable to some members like Margita, Keira or Triss but NOT FOR Phillipa. Not a single chance for her! If Lodge were lead by anyone other than Phillipa, Sheala or Sabrina, they might have been more decent
@@joeh5411 I agree. I can see Yen happily handing over Phillipa and Fringilla, but not Keira and certainly not Margarite. Marg is literally the only witch in the lodge that has no interest in politics and schemes and is only there for the sake of her witch's school. She's quite literally one of the more morally righteous characters in comparison to the rest of the lodge. It pissed me off to see her betrayed. Hell, even in the cut content, she's such a nice person she doesn't even call out Yen for the betrayal, while Fringilla and Phillipa has choice words.
@@joeh5411 I dunno about that, Yennefer twice tries to give Ciri away. Triss was the one who wanted to let her do what she wants.
@@sourcheddarisback Where exactly?
The fact Geralt answers "She's a Witcher" about Ciri confirms to me what the best ending is :)
heh :) I suppose
Once a wise man said: no witcher die in his own bed.
I watched this entire video and I must say that I, personally, love the hell out of this cut content and even prefered it instead of the original. Imagine the story where is no bitter endings. Where there is a hella dark revelation which might turn the hate on Yen, but still makes it compassionable because you can see that she's actually getting hurt by what she's doing and yet there wasn't any other way. This might not be perfect, but it's dark and fits the Witcher atmosphere so damn well, making the entire final battle even more rememberable. Thanks for showing this content and I am very keen on future vids about REDkit mods or cut content from you. The best Witcher UA-camr out there, bro.
well said :) ty
Agree with this. Most people think Yennefer's character gets ruined by it but it's just not true. It's not like she does it because SHE wants to, it's because she's forced to by Emhyr and still she risks everything by saving Triss either way, who was no threat to Ciri, unlike the rest of the Lodge, which definitely were and even still are - due to their schemes.
Also doesn't ruin the pacing in my opinion. The pacing of that last quest was going too fast for me since it plays a huge role for the lore, after all. "One thing at a time", so to speak ...
@@crygreg8484 She's not forced to do this actually. She doesn't need Emhyr anymore, certainly not for locating Ciri or fighting Avallach. So why serve the lodge on a silver platter?
@@mrlucky9157 well, because of two things: first, is that they probably had this plan since the beginning of the story. So it was an offer she couldn’t refuse alongside finding Ciri. Or you really think that it’s wise to go against the most powerful empire in the world?
Second, because the lodge is actually dangerous for her and for Ciri. She understands that there aren’t any heartwarming friends like Triss. I mean, Phillippa literally says that she wants to get rid of Yen. I don’t know her relationship with Fringilia or Margarita, but I believe they were at least the “collateral damage” to get rid of Phillippa.
Yennifer might be harsh, demanding and cruel sometimes, but she’s not evil and she doesn’t enjoy doing terrible things.
@@mrlucky9157 What @cloke3076 says.
She DOES need Emhyr still and the Lodge too. She hasn't found Ciri yet and when Emhyr enters she's shocked because she realizes, now she has to do what she's been told since ... you know ... she's in a camp full of enemies that would mean her death (and Geralt's).
And she was very much forced to do the Emperor's bidding until Ciri was safe and sound. Also, the only who REALLY didn't deserve it was Margarita. And Triss but she escaped due to Yennefer, something she even says brought a great risk with it.
Please stop showing Netflix's sorceresses my eyes are burning 😢
We know from watching you Letalis that Geralt wouldn't pay ransom for these Skelligers he would sell them over and over again like he does to Ciri.
@@xLetalis 😂😂😂
I always assumed that they didn't talk about the lodge because the final book explains that the lodge was destroyed and Phillipa was tortured to death so they didn't want to mess with the canon
That's actually a pretty good point.
I feel like there's so much potential for future videos and content to cover with the release of the Redkit I can't wait!
I like to see a mod where you can play gwent against characters like Emhyr or the Unseen Elder.
Imagine gambling Olgierds life by playing gwent against Gaunter.
I think the Devs talked about a mod where you play Gwent as a way of combat in one of their talks about Redkit, you might like that
Gaunter wouldn't stand a chance.
There already is a mod to play Gwent for olgierd's life.
YEEESSS PLZ i want to play a game of Gwent against Emyr to see who keeps Ciri🤣🙏
@@Mere-Lachaiselongue Spy! Spy! Spy!
Oh my god! Unbelievable! It's so strange to see new scenes and dialogue from a game that I know by heart😲😳
Knowing CDPR they probably would've included a "good" ending for the lodge if you choose the right options during your PT.
Like getting rid of Radovid and making sure Ciri is empress.
Wonder if that would have made more people like the empress ending. As far as I have seen mostly everyone* prefers the witcher ending because it fits with what Ciri and Geralt wants, but the empress ending is arguably much better for the world at large.
If it meant they could save some characters I'm sure some people would have gone for it.
@@EmhyrvarSpice "but the empress ending is arguably much better for the world at large." I don't know how true that is. People seem to forget that Dandelion is the narrator, so of course Ciri is painted in a positive light in the ending, but we don't really know how she would fare as a ruler or how much better it would be from having Morvran as the ruler (which is book canon).
@@Bronzescorpion I guess Dandelion could be fudging the truth a bit. Besides if the witcher 4 is about Ciri then they would probably skip that possibility or have her run away/abandon her position anyway.
@@Bronzescorpion Morvran implies he would be wed to Ciri, and given Ciri's disinterest in politics it would probably end up as just Morvran doing the ruling.
@@agilemind6241 a point in favor of my argument that she may not be better for the world as a whole if she rules. It would likely be the same.
No tears for the lodge. After the Wild Hunt they were the biggest threat to Ciri/Yen/Geralt. I really wish this part was included, but it is undeniable that it would ruin the pacing of the ending.
Absolutely I truly have no Idea why they cut this ending and after playing the Witcher 2 they really do deserve this ending as they are the ones who conspired to kill Foltest and they just caused unnecessary chaos The Witcher 3 overall seems like it was toned down for the "General Audience" compared to The Witcher 2 which was brutal
@@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي Also in the books in the ending, it's clear that the Lodge have no intention of letting Ciri go and removing Geralt and Yen from the picture if need be. The massacre of Rivia took care of all that though.
Yeah fuck the lodge, I really disliked them in the books. Scheming heartless scum.
@@انا_ابراهيم_البناوي true
I really don't like Phillipa so its a shame no path screwed her over. This content would have been satisfying.
*Wow This whole section looks almost finished, must have been scrapped last minute to keep the tension rolling and the action preserved. This explains the absence of the other sorceresses throughout the whole endgame section. Really Interesting Stuff. Hope we will Find some important Cut Content Related to Radovid Assassination Mission. Great Work!!! XLetalis and Mr. Glassfish.*
At 5:12 I feel like "An ordinary day at war" might be a nod at the German "All quiet at the western front" Or more accurately from the German title "Nothing new at the western front" very similar themes at least
i feel like the "Complete Edition" should've contained all the cut content. This adds so much depth to the story
yeah once ciri is found it all went down so fast this cut content is nice to see that it slows down a bit lets you catch a breath
I think it makes sense. Yennifer selling out the Lodge just makes her irredeemable imo. I've read all the books and played the games; I know Yen is no angel. But even for her, this feels like a step too far. She's never seen eye-to-eye with the Lodge, but selling out the sorceresses just feels out of character for her. Yen is selfish, but not to the point of backstabbing friends to a death sentence.
Wow, Yennifer committed exactly one good thing in her life by betraying the Lodge! Very nice.
Not surprising at all really, Yen doesn't play around when it comes to protecting Ciri. Also this makes a LOT more sense for Emhyr's character, knowing he'd get his prisoner back and more if he cut the deal with Yen.
No, Yennefer never crosses such limits in the books, and the game makes her a villain at the very end of the plot.
@@Diego-rt2ot yennefer spends a good chunk of the books in a chair being tortured to protect ciri, I would not put it past her to have the lodge (who doesn't gaf about her and is responsible for a lot of whats going on in the world considering TW2) arrested and judged by Nilfgaard.
@@ItsMeStrider But it was she herself that I suffered for her. She didn't sell anyone out, Margarita is her good friend from school, even Frinnglia helped her in some way and she was very close to Geralt even if she used him. I just don't see Yennefer handing over sorceresses to torture and death to Emyhr, that's a step too much for me
Margherita getting lumped in and triss too along with the lodge feels like a sorta half ass betrayal, it would be rather a lodge civil war in a sense, one side that cares about ciri led by Yennefer and the other that cares about their political influence on the global scale led by Philipha, it seemed to be going down this road in the books when the votes in the lodge meeting happened, but then Geralt and Yen did the ultimate oof and died
Yen fought Fringilla at Sodden, probably getting blinded by her. They hate each other. She is also not exactly a friend of Eilhart, but she would not betray Margarita. No way
Damn, so much fully voiced, animated, written content just removed from the game. Makes it cool to find these things even so many years after this beautiful game's launch.
It’s interesting, it shows what lengths Yenn would go for Ciri. I wonder if Emhyr had plans to find Keira Metz.
I think it was removed because it messed up the pacing, as you said. Its a very long segment in the middle of two action driven scenes. But it fits with the canon parts and why there are not ending slides for the lodge members(remember there is one for Keira, but not the others). It is also possible they didnt have time to finish it, or change opinion at the last minute.
But i wonder why the Emperor would want to interrogate them? what the hell for? what they could possibly tell him.
The pacing is already messed up because you go from defeating Eredin to Conjunction and End of the world in seconds. This would've improved the pacing, allowing time to breath
Interrogation is probably related to the events of the Witcher 2 game. Philippa could at this moment still have control of Saskia, and the rest of the lodge still know a lot about the other rulers of the North and any possible surviving heirs that might some day challenge Emyr's rule.
Man thank you for the update but this is huge we will have a massive content surge of restored Witcher 3 cut content and maybe just maybe the modders could restore the cut content regarding the state of reason mission
I kinda like this ending ngl, but only because it offers some more context on what COULD actually happen regarding the whole Lodge plot. However, it's a bit too much of a stretch imo, Yennefer's willingness to just throw them all in the trash bin. I see lots of people here debate whether Yen hates her "sisters" or whether she would never cross a line like that, how she will do anything to protect Ciri, etc. etc., BUT...
It seems like everyone forgets that Yen is also somewhat of a politician and an important part of the now dwindling magical society? She was brought up by Aretuza, she is not just some random rogue hedge mage. She sees what is happening to the world, she is not blind. And she must have at least some idea of what all these developments could lead to... With all the other Lodge sorceresses gone, what would stop Emhyr to just get rid of her too? Would he not be aware of the possibility of a massive conflict of interest over Ciri in the future? Or does Yen just have plot armor? Does she really want to go full in that glorious "peaceful" future Emhyr is building? Where all mages are also unquestionably under his heel. Has she suddenly become a rabid imperialist? I am just not buying it. "Morally grey" is cool, but she cannot just suddenly stop being a mage. This is ultimately what she is and will always be.
Besides, it's not like Philippa is trying to sacrifice Ciri to old gods or smth. Yes, she wants the girl, but so does everyone. And her vision of the future for Ciri might very well be more lenient than that harbored by Emhyr... Idk. Better the devil you know. Or worked with at least. With Emhyr having the final say in EVERYTHING and holding the leash, I doubt very much that Yen would just serve her possible allies on a silver platter to him so easily. Last but not least... This part where you enter the tent, and the sorceresses are talking about teaching more adepts. Idk, it kinda touched me? It's not like they are plotting the end of the world. I am sure that their sentiment is one Yen would gladly get behind. They are cut from the same cloth after all. 🤕
I love that Yen saves Triss + their small conversation, when she gave her the gift. I mean they were close friends at some point and I would have loved to see more moments like that between them
Showing Yen being ruthless when it comes to protecting her closed ones is amazing, and since in the base game we don't have much of it, the idea of her betraying the Lodge for Ciri sounds cool. Not sure i like the way it's supposed to be implemented (if what shown in the video would've ended up being the implementation ofc) with all these corrupted spell and response to Emhyr by Geralt stuff, but i'd probably be down for that anyway - the run through Skellige would feel less rushed (cause in the base game it kinda is) and it'd bring more depth to characters, which is always nice.
Ciri isn't the only one she's close to though. SOme of the members of the lodge are he best friends for decades, she went to school with some of them. She'd betray Philippa to the Emperor in a heart beat, but not Keira and Margarita.
@@LeutnantJoker Yen is not a good person, so this doesn't surprise me in the slightest. She certainly wasn't good in the books either, just think of all the horrible stuff she did in The Last Wish alone. Honestly I think some fans think of Yennefer as better than how she's actually portrayed. Specially in the books.
@@ShonendoBy the end of the books, she's a really good person. Better than in the games.
@@Masloy940 Yen doing a couple of good things near the end doesn't erase the multitude of horrible things she did along the way. The Witcher 3 Yen is very accurate.
@@Shonendo By the end of the books, Yennefer does much more than just a couple of good things, and she develops as a character. In the game, it's like her initial version.
Ohh now the line Emhyr says to Geralt at the end about not pursuing Triss make sense. Anyway I like that they cut this out because it make Yen look so bad.
The segment between fight with Eredin and the bit with Avallach would be a perfect time to see the consequences of some of Geralt's choices and plots he had no way of knowing or influencing. It should hammer home that for all of Geralt's work, he's just one witcher, one man. He set off to find his adoptive daughter, ended up affecting the world somewhat, but in the end there are bigger fishes in the pond (it's a similar feeling to meeting the Unseen Elder or Gaunter in expansions). TW2 had a similar interactive segment after the last boss. I hope modders can completely restore what's left and patch in what's been omitted, I'm always a fan of restoring official content that enriches game's plot.
2024 and my man xLetalis still making Witcher videos.
This was really interesting to see.
The big problem I see with this, though, is the idea that Geralt was out for an extended period (given Yenn's quip about 3 days without sleep, I would assume he's been unconscious for at least one) and Yennefer and Emhyr were both 100% fine with everyone just sitting on their thumbs waiting for him to come to while Ciri was gods know where. It's not like Geralt actually contributed anything to the spell to locate her and even if he did know where she went, two people as impatient for results as Yenn and Emhyr would certainly exhaust the alternatives while Geralt was out.
As much as it would have been horrendous from a player's perspective, it would've made as a timeline if Geralt woke up to the news "Triss disappeared, the other sorceresses are being tortured - no time to explain. We know Ciri is somewhere on this island. Are you ready to join the search?"
Adding to that, it makes sense for Avallac'h to make good use of the commotion and act quickly. Why on earth would he wait and give anyone time to thwart his plan?
@@Bronzescorpion A very good point. Although, since this is essentially a completely different iteration of the story from the one we received in the end, something like that could be explained away with something like there's a great deal of setup that needs to be done before he could truly initiate things. It would've felt a bit awkward but not too glaringly illogical.
i honestly dont know what to think of this, i always knew that the ending was "rushed" but if this was the official ending it would be bit too much to swallow atleast for me
makes sense to have this nilfgaard/skellige content in that phase of the game, as it was it felt kinda fragmented
it wouldn't be so easy to capture the most powerful sorceresses like that with couple of soldiers , I think it was cut for good reason capturing them would be complicated they could burn the whole camp down
This reaffirms the CDPR devs care about the Witcher books -- every dialogue option, every NPC interaction, every character continues the lore with such believable detail that can only come from devs that truly paid attention to the source material. I love your videos
Modders truly embody the soul of gaming passionately.
As always, love your hard work too xLetalis.
Damn, this whole thing was perfect. I really liked Yen's cold betrayal of the Lodge. It was totally in character for Ciri.
Can you teach me nilfgaardian? I didn't even know you mastered that language man
@@xLetalis mein got
This is awesome, anyone else wishing this had been in the game?!? What an end to the story, and it really fits with Yennifer as a character, she's utterly ruthless when it's something she wants or someone she cares about
29:24 OMG IT'S THE HEBREW COVER, you're my man
(also for everyone interested: it's the cover for The Last Wish, aka the only Witcher book translated to Hebrew so far)
What do you think about the translation I think it's not bad at all
I wish more parts would get translated
Watching this video made me even more sure that picking Yen is the right choice. The world of the Witcher is unforgiving and you can face it with either Chernabog or Minnie Mouse at your side (Yennefer or Triss.). xLetalis is the absolute king of Witcher content.
I'm with you. Think it would have been a great addition to the game. And I'm still amazed you're able to bring new content for this, the greatest of all games.
Yet once again, you breathe life into a game that's almost a decade old. Thank you very much for your dedication and persistence
I honestly think they should've kept it in the game maybe had different outcomes for this ending but this ending is really like the Witcher 2 the Witcher 2 had this kind of surprising and debatable endings but it seems like the Witcher 3 got very toned down which is in my opinion really made the game feel lacking
it was the last game so while the bad ending suits the witcher's world more, it was better that we were given closure
Good god, even now there’s still something to discover. Great job xletalis and glassfish!!!
I could see Yen just saying f--- it all to Hell with them after the mess in Witcher 2.
Yen is responsible for the mess in Witcher 2
@mrlucky9157 true enough, the Empire magic users really helped dig a lot of things from her mind, and she wasn't in such a good position to resist most of it.
This is honestly everything I've wanted for the past 5+ years. Thank you for showing these to us.
my pleasure
Honestly think if they just played the journey to the tower as normal and everything with Ciri then the Lodge plot happening after the big choice of Ciri’s fate? I think that would work especially when visiting Emyhr
Charles Dance really gives the Emhir character. What an actor.
I personally prefer the normal ending, but it's always really interesting to see the lengths Yennefer will go to for Ciri - and how much she still loves Triss, in spite of everything ❤ we love a girlie with layers
Honestly, all these cut scenes and other scenes that were removed, should be restored by the developers in a future update. The scenes seen in this video feel like they were missing key points in the game, especially the ending portion on Unvik.
Stuff gets cut for a reason. Characters are WAY off in this content.
Hey man, congrats on getting an IGN article - well deserved for your efforts. Keep up the good work!
I could understand Yenn betraying the lodge. They're as much a danger to Ciri as Eridin or at least the lodge would try to use her for their own gains. Winning the battle against Eridin was really only half the battle if Yenn wanted Ciri to be free to live her life as she saw fit. Ciri wouldn't be pursued by the wild hunt or scheming sorceresses.
Love seeing this content of what was meant to be included, as others have said would also love to know what else was originally planned but later scrapped. Especially with Iorveth, so gutted he wasn't in The Wild Hunt.
Damn, I wish this was included. But it's cool to watch new content after so many years.
I kind of understand why they cut it though. Like you said, it takes away a lot of the tension at that moment.
I started another playthrough of The Witcher 3 recently. It feels like going to visit an old friend. I'm glad to see it still getting love.
Content never disappoints over here.
It's awesome to see more cut content all these years later. Great video, thanks!
3:44 If I remember well this scene where the medics want to remove the leg of an injured soldier can be seen in the nilfgardian camp in white orchard. So I guess it was put there after they deleted this part of the ending.
indeed
I'm happy they removed it, as it's yet another thread that doesn't need including in the game at that point. Once you're in the final phase, the focus should be on finding Ciri and resolving that quest.
Best Video by farrrrrrr.
Let’s hope we get all of this stuff and more with the remake.
Man i gotta play Witcher 3 now that we have this awesome mod tool.
I think it kinda makes sense they scrapped it since the finale now moves way faster and smoother imo, but that being said, there should've been some reaction to Crach's death from his children
Obviously the best thing about redkit is Yennefer in that mini skirt. I mean god dayumn.
THATS SO COOL. I always love when i discover something new from this game and especially if its about story. AND THIS IS LIKE ANOTHER SMALL (really really small) DLC TO ME. I absolutly love it and wish there was more cutted story content discovered
I’ve been waiting for your take on this! Looking forward to a great video
gawd!! Charles Dance is incredible as Emhir. Iconic.
I thought, he said "I won't pursue her" because Geralt failed to protect Ciri but he won't avenge it with Triss
Thank you to whoever made this video possible ! Thank you glassfish !
I kinda like that ending, but it's really heavy and dark, maybe that's why the devs deleted it, they wanted a quick and painless resolution for us so we don't bother about some political issues. At least Filippa finally got what she deserved and was deafeated with her own weapon wich is satysfying, I don't have any doubt that she would kill the empress Ciri if she'd need to. Also as you said the tension is really dead, the hunt for Avallac'h in the middle of the battle is really epic in the official ending.
One more thing to note is that in the letter that Yennefer sends to Emyhr (and that you deliver when picking up Fringilla), there is one rather important sentence:
"I promise that I will uphold the conditions of our arrangement, despite the fact that they will demand sacrifices of me and will leave me in an unfortunate situation."
I always wondered what did Yen promise to Emyhr in order to make him agree with the whole plan but getting the whole lodge arrested after the fact seems appropriate.
Torture and death for Eilhart? Damn, I like Yen now
I've been watching this channel for 5 years! Soon, I'll have a 3 year old of my own time really does fly.
I'm glad this Ending didn't make it to be honest, there's just too much things that either don't really fit, or would've "ruined" a lot of things. Also we don't know if these specific scenes aren't tied to other scrapped Content that would've taken place earlier in the Game, leading partly to the present situation shown.
I love Yennefer, and she'll always be the best Girl over Triss in my books. But this Ending would've done her a great disservice. I hold no special love for the Lodge, except maybe for Philippa because of her sass although all Lodge members are known to have participated in questionable Events and done questionable things. But seeing Yennefer betray everyone, even if it's in Ciri's best interests, just... no. Especially fellow Sorceresses like Margarita, who is one of her own best friends and remains oddly mute in this scene.
I would just not be able to look at Yennefer the same way if this Scene would've played through during my Game. Because something has to be done doesn't make it right.
On the other hand i'm also a bit bummed we once again were robbed of seeing that Nilfgaard is not always just bad and evil and cruel, but that they will honour valiant foes and pay them respect. To the point of following Skelliger customs, which tells it's not a half-arsed decision. I find that pretty significant. I always found it frustrating that despite being the overarching antagonists for the entire saga, they almost never get any development, we don't know much about their customs, beliefs, etc... And such little things are interesting.
Also, it's a detail, but i always found it odd that you meet Emhyr in the Quest "Veni, Vidi, Vigo", and then he's nowhere to be seen until the Ending of the Game, despite a battle raging or having raged around. That, and if you pay attention, you walk past his stranded Ship on the way to the Naglfar, there are frozen Nilfgaardian soldiers around, but that's it. Even prior to the battle you can walk around the Nilfgaardian encampment and strategize about everything, but he is nowhere to be seen. You'd think of all people Emhyr would have a thing or two to say about what to do during the Battle with Eredin.
Thank you! I feel the exact same, Yen could be ruthless and she definitely holds grudges towards some of the lodge sorceresses but this is way too much. I think Fringilla is more of a "friend" to her than Triss. Triss literally betrayed her and Ciri and heard to her face that Yen will never forgive her and yet they somehow remain "bffs". I feel like Triss is portrayed waaaay too much like an angel while Yen got the opposite treatment.
I also agree with the Nilfgaardian lore, I love the fact that they do things that are actually pretty damn good for the world even though they're extremely ruthless if something goes against them. It's a very interesting dynamic and seeing Crach's funeral should be in the game, it was pretty great scene and I'd love to keep that one.
Plus Geralt telling Emhyr to "kiss his ass" in front of his soldiers would not end up good for him, even more, that should be a game over screen like when you ask the Unseen Elder too many questions in Blood & Wine.
@@Synthia17 I *could* see Yen doing this, it's not totally out of character BUT i think even Yennefer would show more remorse about betraying the Lodge and condemning her "Sisters" to torture and most likely death. In that situation it's fair for Geralt to be disgusted by her actions, and quite frankly i could see it compromise their relationship, and even that she has with Ciri, who would probably not agree to have condemned several people to a dreadful fate on her behalf. And i 200% agree that the Games portray Triss as the cute, sweet, caring angel who never does anything wrong, when all things considered, she abused Geralt while he had amnesia, knowing he was with Yen, knowing she might still be alive, and her trying hard to be Ciri's "big sister" is so cringe because it's really just to get closer to Geralt. Yennefer is the one who -despite her flaws- will get to hell and back for Geralt and Ciri and is ready to sacrifice everything for them.
I also like how Crach's funerals is another proof that Hjalmar would be a moronic and brutish King. Yes his Father just died he's upset, but he's close to causing a diplomatic incident while the Nilfgaardians went out of their way to restitue the body, following Skelligers customs, so that Crach might go to Skelliger Valhalla and get a burial fit for a King. I hate it when people mindlessly antagonise Emhyr. Yes, he's one of the main antagonists of the Franchise, yes he's done despicable things and yes he's utterly ruthless, but he's more nuanced and complex that just "big bad evil man".
And as you say, from the very beginning of the Game when you meet Emhyr in Vizima, Geralt is subtly warned not to try his patience by being impertinent because he knows he's needed, so most interactions are extremely passive-aggressive (and quite frankly during Veni, Vidi Vigo i even found them hilarious) but to openly flip-off the Emperor of Nilfgaard, yes, that wouldn't fly. I *could* see Emhyr letting it slip if they were alone, but as you pointed out, there are soldiers around who would've witnessed Geralt getting away with such disrespect, it's just weird. It should totally get a Game over screen.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Being a console player, I never use mods.
I'm torn on whether I prefer this or the original, but I think you explained both good points and bad points very well at the end and I tend to agree.
Keep up the great work!
I guess they didn't want Yennefer to look bad with this whole betrayal of the Lodge.
But I'm ngl, I kinda wish they had kept this in, even if it's a variation of it.
Just the whole dialogue between Yen & Triss, Emhyr, Geralt & other characters it just felt engaging.
no i totally agree its to not make yen look bad. i dont think that its because its so totally out of character, but because it needs more time to integrate this action back into her character, its right at the very very end of the game and could easily give people the wrong impression.
Yennefer would look bad only because CDPR made a shit job in explaining what the Lodge was to people who never read the books or played Witcher 2
@@moonknightish Nope, I read the books, and I still think Yen betraying all the lodge members is not something she would do. Phillipa and Fringilla? Sure. She has beef with them and I can see her happily getting rid of them to save Ciri from their future schemes. But Keira? And esp Margarite? Keira is a pompous prick but she poses no danger to Ciri, and Marg has no interest in politics and is only part of the lodge to support her school. There is no justice in betraying her, at ALL.
@@DemBigOlEyes I was going to say the same exact thing, I find it very out of character for her to betray whatever is left of the lodge just like that. Especially Rita. The lodge can't really force her to do things for them anyway, as it was said when Ciri met with them, she's grown up and can understand when people want to take advantage of her and when not.
And Yen seems to have come in terms with the past, in the end all sorceresses where taken advantage or mistreated or tortured or killed. So I'd say there's a mutual understanding of their hardships.
Emhyr on the other hand had much more vile ideas about Ciri imo, he even killer her mother and after that he was plotting on how to find and take advantage of her power. Yen is not stupid, she's smart enough to understand that Emhyr is a bigger threat than the lodge and I feel she'd rather take him out of the way first
I found it interesting that Yen saves Triss no matter what, because you could argue she have no reason to do so. Triss slept with Geralt when he had lost his memory despite the fact he was her supposed best friend Yen’s lover.
If you romance Triss you could make the argument that Yen saves her more for Geralt’s sake then for Triss herself but I don’t know.
My reasoning is that it’s maybe in return for Triss helping at the Battle of Kaer Morhen. Triss shows up there no matter what, even if you refuse to help her save the Mages in Novigrad.
How was Triss supposed to know that Yennefer was alive? Yes, she slept with him, she loved him. Yennefer also slept with the witchers of the snake school Letho says about it
Thank you for your upload
I think the decision was made because the writers chose that their version of Yennefer wouldn't do something like this. I think the writers kept pretty faithful to the book Yen but I do think that maybe you could argue book Yen would do something like this especially after finding out that the Lodge were planning to use and manipulate Ciri for their political aspirations, but I think through this decision of the developers we can assume that eventually even if they had the idea for a long time and pretty much had it in the finished game, they ultimately chose that their Yen wouldn't go this far. But I will add a point that I don't think this would be a unique thing for Yen, people who aren't parents will never understand the lengths their parents would go to if they had to to protect them until they become parents themselves, I can see the majority of parents doing something like this and worse if it meant saving their child. They wouldn't be proud or happy about it maybe even be ashamed but the length a parent would go to protect their child are enormous, even adopted child the instinct is the same. Point and case Joel from Last of Us (even though I like The Last of Us characters less than Witcher 3)
Also you showed The Witcher book in my native Hebrew which is awesome so thanks for that lol even though the translation is legit awful uninspired and lazy. They just used the word for "Wizard" or "sorcerer" in Hebrew to describe Witchers not even trying to come up with a unique term.
OMG! Thank you for this. This was exactly what I missed in the game. Now everything finally feels complete for me and much more credible. Ths fits all so perfect with the Witcher lore and Yennefer's character and is just the way she would deal with the threat the Lodge poses to Ciri and how she'd act out her revenge on the other sorceresses that have crossed her in the past. This video has kind of recharged my love for the character of Yennefer. This Yennefer rocks!
Not everything needs to be "complete". Ending of the books is the best example. Also, Yennefer is a b**ch. Good that Geralt can finally see that at 24:10. He will probably run away with Ciri and leave her. Magical community will probably turn on her too.
@@mrlucky9157 Yes, I agree with everything you wrote. Only that "b**ch" does not even start to describe Yennefer's arrogance and total lack of scruples. But she is one hell of a b**ch! And the restored episode from the game shows just that. It is so much in line with Yennefer's character in the lore and it shows that there is nothing (good or evil) that she would not do in Ciri's interest. I agree with the charms of "incompleteness" but this content does fill an achingly empty spot of the game's story. It should have been in the game and for me now it is and of now it will always be how I will remember the story of the Witcher 3. And Yennefer will remain the "b**ch" of my heart.
@@mike7715 Whatever turns you on
Ok I actually love the concept of Yen betraying lodge BUT making sure Triss escapes and that moment Triss teleports out of the tent if it were animated would be so cool, sadge it didnt make its way to the final game
1:04 spat my drink out😂😂😂
This is great, the ending in the main game feels very abrupt. Also, Geralt is absolutely savage there and I love it.
Damn, this is really fascinating. Shame they didn't keep it all in, polished ofcourse.
Wonderful video, thank you xLetalis and glassfish777 for makiing this happen, truly appreciate it. Much love and do take care on the path witchers! 😉🍻
Personally I prefer not having Yennefer ending on such a dark and traitorous note. If CDPR had a non treason ending I'd pick that but otherwise I prefer the original. There is a difference between Yen the ruthless and Yen the traitorous.
So interesting to see what might have been and I loved how thorough you were with the choices. I'm kind of glad that it wasn't put in as I don't want to think of the torture and killing...having Phillipa's eyes put out in game 2 was enough for me.
This extended playthrough and the redkit have given a new world to us. More Witcher 3...I dare hope that there will be someone who restores the lost arcs entirely, thus fulfilling the entire ambitious project. It's all very exciting. The beauty of the mod community brings joy.
nice to see you again
Keep xLetalis GREAT. So much dedication for us and for the game of the millenium.
Great work, you and glassfish! Love the cut content. It tied up 2 important loose ends (Crachs body and the fate of the Lodge), I wish it was given a third thought and included this in the game itself for just one reason: nobody comes out the winner here. Both Skellige and Nilfgaard suffered heavy losses. The surviving Lodge members may have escaped Radovid but fell into another ruler who shared Radovid's distrust with the Lodge (though Emhyr is slightly better with possibly showing a bit of leniency and we all know Philippa did not die at the hands of the empire if we read what happened to her in the books). As for the third reason why I prefer this to be included- purely my selfish reason: MORE EMHYR CONTENT! Cant get enough of Charles Dance XD, and more opportunity to take screenshots of Emhyr in settings other than his office in Vizima (shame my dino PC cant handle it 😢 and most everyone I know has moved on to other games for me to ask for pics). Anyways, thank you for this wonderful video that is now included in my Favorites Playlist!
I think this actually confirms that Philippa's book fate is canon. We know she's been tortured to death by Willemer, a Temerian priest. This works in all three endings - in Nilfgaard victory one, it's possible Emhyr would hand Philippa over to Temerians as the figure behind the assassination of Foltest, Dijkstra would probably barter her from the Nilfs at peace talks to do the same (as for him, she's too dangerous to live), and Radovid is, well, Radovid. It just changes the context from "a random victim of witch hunts" to "Emhyr's prisoner who's facing the consequences of her political machinations."
I found two remnants of this ending that were NOT cut from the final game:
1. Nilfgardian soldiers who you pass by as geralt and yen ran next to frost giant ship have banter/dialog that is sth like "take cover!" "whf is hanpening" "dunno, but the one who finds girl gets heaps of money, so just keep looking"
2. loading screen with dandelion talking about state of the plot that appears if you load a safe from after killing eredin but before reaching the tower mentions sth like " finding ciri location with the help of sorceresses " - nothing like that happens in final version ofc.
you're right, i'm using a mod that removes the transition screens to make the loading faster but it's true now that I think about it