A Hero 39;s Destiny Quest 34

[Akeem Luperon]

Skyrimreally wants you to become the Dragonborn. You can ignore the main quest entirely, but in those first hours the game goes out of its way to nudge you towards the town of Riverwood. Here you trigger a chain of events that leads to you absorbing a dragon's soul and embracing your destiny. It's not even just Rolof or Hadvar, depending on who you decided to side with, explicitly telling you to go there, but the geography of the landscape too. A long, winding, linear path leads directly from where you escape Helgen to Riverwood.

I love role-playing as a character who escapes being executed in Helgen, suspects they might be destined for something greater, but decides just not to bother. In my latest playthrough, I left the burning city behind and headed straight for Whiterun, joining the Companions, completing their quests, then using the money I earned to buy land in Falkreath and build a house. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, but the freedom is exhilarating. I can do whatever I want, and just exist in this world, without having to live up to some prophecy.

Plenty of RPGs give you a big, important destiny to fulfill, to the point where it actually becomes boring. The Chosen One, am I? The fabled hero destined to destroy the Dark Lord and bring balance to the realm? Yawn. That's why I love Skyrim: I can be whoever I want to be, at my own pace, with no pressure to live up to anyone's idea of who I should be. I can be the Adventurer With No Name, drifting from town to town. I can embrace the dark side and become a thief or an assassin. I can spend a day in the woods hunting deer with a bow. I make my own stories, and it's great that the game supports this.

Skyrim isn't the only game where it's fun to ignore what you're 'supposed' to do, either. In the early hours of GTA 4, I take great pleasure in putting the story off to drive around Broker doing taxi missions for Roman. The Witcher 3 is a great game for role-playing as a wandering adventurer, forgetting about Ciri and the Wild Hunt, and just rambling aimlessly around the world looking for witcher work. Hunting and fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game in and of itself. Sometimes it's nice to just hang out in these worlds and enjoy being there.

The Paths of DestinyDescriptionChapter(s)4Location(s)LakesideGiven byBerengarReward + + up to 11000 XPAdditional InformationTypeSecondary quest

RelatedAlvinIDq4005_berengarThe Paths of Destiny is a quest which begins in Chapter IV when Geralt finds the witcher who has preceded him to Murky Waters, Berengar. It is quite closely tied to the Alvin quest.

When Geralt first arrives at the Lakeside, one of the first people he meets is the friendly vodyan priest who tends the altar to the Lady of the Lake. Speaking with the cleric, the witcher learns that another witcher has preceded him to the sleepy village. This other witcher had agreed to resolve the conflict between the villagers and the vodyanoi, but so far had produced no results. The friendly priest also mentions that the other witcher is most likely in the nearby crypt.

Geralt decides to find this witcher and speak with him. He finds the crypt and enters. No sooner is he inside, than he see a figure up ahead in the shadows. Finally, after all the searching and speculation, our hero meets Berengar, the errant witcher, face-to-face. They do not get much of a chance to speak as they are immediately set upon by alps and a bruxa. The two witchers battle their way through the crypt, clearing it of monsters as they go.

Once done, Berengar grudgingly agrees to speak with Geralt, but not there in the crypt. He insists they leave and go to his campfire to speak. They do, and at long last our hero gets to hear Berengar's story from the man himself. They speak a few more times over the course of the act, each conversation revealing a little bit more information.

The Lady of the Lake even involves herself, suggesting that Geralt speak with Berengar about destiny as she has had troubling visions about a witcher's destiny and wants to spare him some pain and grief. The problem is that she does not know if the visions pertain to Berengar or Geralt.

The witcher then goes back to speak with Berengar, this time about more philosophical issues. It is at this point that we find out that Berengar holds the concept of destiny in utter contempt, placing it in the same category as witchers and Salamandra as far as he is concerned. Our hero reports his findings to the Lady who says that they merely confirm that her visions then must pertain to Geralt and not Berengar. She then promises our hero a gift to come at some point in the future, telling him to be patient. This gift comes in the form of a splendid silver sword, Aerondight, which the Lady gives to Geralt as she knights him for his good deeds. She also grants the witcher a silver talent.

Geralt meets Berengar one final time during his stay at the Lakeside. The two witchers meet on Black Tern Island where they confront each other. As with many quests in the game, our hero must once again make a difficult choice. Should he forgive Berengar for collaborating with Salamandra and allow the errant witcher to move on, perhaps making amends for his misdeeds, or should he put an end to things and kill him for his betrayal? Keep in mind that Berengar is the one who chooses to duel with Geralt or not, meaning that if Berengar feels Geralt is too condemning, Berengar is the one who challenges Geralt to a duel, leaving no choice for Geralt other than a fight to the death.

If Geralt spares him, Berengar returns one last time in Chapter V to help our hero fight Azar Javed. Sadly he is really of no use at all there, but I guess it is the thought that counts. If Geralt kills him, then it is Berengar's medallion which helps the witcher in his battle with the mad mage at the Old Manor.

We killed several alps. Berengar's not bad in a fight. He still doesn't want to tell me anything. I'll follow him. I'll gain his trust eventually. I must follow Berengar if I want any more information. (1000 XP)

Berengar admitted that Salamandra forced him to work for them, but that he fled as soon as it was possible. The witcher is [in] no mood to confess, but he'll crack and tell me more in the end, I'm sure. I need to be patient, tend to some other matters. I should tend to other matters while I wait for Berengar to become more talkative.

The Lady of the Lake presented me with what looks like an exceptional sword. It is light, sharp as a razor, and it fits the hand neatly. It is also a gift from a goddess. I have a feeling it will be very useful. The sword I received has a destiny of its own. Time will tell what that destiny is.

It had to end this way. I crossed blades with Berengar and killed him in a fair fight. I took his medallion - wouldn't want it to rust away on this island. I guess I should get back to the Lakeside. I took Berengar's medallion... I should get back to the Lakeside.

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