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| “ | If you acknowledge any gods... start praying, now! | „ |
| ~ Dettlaff after turning into his ultimate form during the battle with Geralt. |
Dettlaff van der Eretein is the secondary antagonist of the Blood and Wine expansion in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Used by his lover Syanna, he became the serial killer known as the Beast of Beauclair, killing Syanna's old enemies to seemingly ensure her freedom. When Geralt was invited to Beauclair to kill the beast, he realized that his opponent was in truth a higher vampire.
Biography[]
Past[]
Dettlaff arrived in the plane of Geralt's world during the Conjunction of Spheres. In contrast to other vampires, Dettlaff was unable to comprehend and adapt to his new situation. Thus, he shunned humans and lived with other, lower vampires. However, Dettlaff did not hate humans and even helped those who were friendly towards him.
At some point he ventured through the ruins of Castle Stygga where he found the higher vampire Regis, who had been molten by the magic of Vilgefortz. As higher vampires were not so easily killed, Dettlaff reanimated Regis with his own blood and thus formed a deep blood-bond between the two. Dettlaff nursed Regis back to health.
Dettlaff also met a woman, Rhena, and fell in love with her. Unbeknownst to him, Rhena was in truth Sylvia Anna, the exiled sister of the Duchess of Beauclair. Syanna, bent on revenge for her exile, manipulated Dettlaff's feelings towards her. She staged her own abduction and later sent Dettlaff a letter, claiming that the kidnappers of "Rhena" would torture the woman should Dettlaff not follow their instructions. The letter also told Dettlaff that he would need to kill five people in order to get Rhena back unharmed. In the following weeks, associates of Syanna brought letters to Dettlaff in which the names of the victims and the way Dettlaff was to kill them were detailed. In order to save Syanna, Dettlaff agreed to kill the five victims. After murdering his first two victims, the citizens of Toussaint gave the unknown killer the name 'Beast of Beauclair'. Duchess Anna Henrietta also employed witcher Geralt of Rivia to hunt down the beast.
While Geralt travelled to Toussaint, Dettlaff befriended Count de la Croix, who helped him out against some thugs. However, Dettlaff was later handed another letter in which de la Croix was named the third victim. Although feeling guilty for murdering his friend, Dettlaff killed de la Croix in order to save Rhena. After tossing de la Croix' corpse into the river, Dettlaff broke down and, full of anger and remorse, ripped off the hand he used to kill de la Croix. De la Croix' corpse and Dettlaff's hand were brought to Corvo Bianco were a bruxa tried to retrieve it. The bruxa was caught in the act and killed by Geralt.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt[]
Dettlaff as the Beast of Beauclair.
While investigating the murders, Geralt finds out that the next victim of the beast will be Milton de Peyrac-Peyran. He tracks down Milton to a greenhouse in the palace gardens of Beauclair but upon entering the house, finds that Dettlaff has already killed Milton. Dettlaff seemingly attempts to flee but in truth lures Geralt into a warehouse inside the city. There, he confronts Geralt, stating that he is almost done killing and cursing Geralt for killing the bruxa. He and Geralt then fight. During the battle, Dettlaff is about to rip Geralt apart but is stopped by Regis who jumps in front of Geralt and is impaled by Dettlaff's claws instead. Regis tries to calm Dettlaff but Dettlaff is too angry to listen. Instead, he transforms himself into smoke and flies out of the warehouse, only moments before the arrival of Anna Henrietta's guards.
After leaving the scene with Regis, Geralt is told by his old friend that Dettlaff is not an evil person. Regis tells Geralt about Dettlaff's past but is unaware that Rhena has been captured. When the two find out that Dettlaff is blackmailed and thus forced to kill the people of Beauclair, Regis attempts to convince Geralt to help Dettlaff. They also attempt to save Rhena from her kidnappers so that the kidnappers would have no further influence over Dettlaff.
Eventually, Geralt, accompanied by Dettlaff, confronts whom he believes to be Rhena. Upon meeting her however, he realises that Syanna and Rhena are one and the same and that Syanna has only been using Dettlaff. When revealing this to Dettlaff, Dettlaff at first doesn't believe it. Realising that he is to furious to act reasonable, Dettlaff demands that Rhena is delivered to him at the old vampire fortress Tesham Mutna in three days. Before once more disappearing in a cloud of smoke, Dettlaff threatens to slaughter everyone inside Beauclair should Rhena not arrive.
Geralt fights the transformed Dettlaff.
As Anna Henrietta is unwilling to surrender her sister, Geralt and Regis try to track down Dettlaff for a week. However, they are unable to find him. When they return to the palace of Beauclair to report to Anna Henrietta, they are disturbed by a mortally wounded palace guard. From a terrace overlooking the city, they see that an army of vampires is attacking the city and slaughtering the citizens. To stop Dettlaff's vampire horde, Geralt can decide to either surrender Rhena to him or to track him down with help of an ancient vampire.
If they choose to seek the aid of the vampire, the vampire calls Dettlaff to Tesham Mutna. Unable to ignore the vampire's call, Dettlaff arrives at the fortress. In his rage, he tries to attack Geralt but Regis intervenes and fights Dettlaff. The two vampires battle and Regis is eventually smashed into a brick wall. Geralt continues the fight with Dettlaff, who after taking damage transforms into a skeletal vampire beast. After Geralt defeats him, slicing him in half in the process, Dettlaff's vampire powers start regenerating him. As only a higher vampire can kill another higher vampire, Regis steps in and kills his old friend, of whom he now knows that he can never completely adapt to the new world, for good.
Journal entry[]
Beast form[]
It was horrifying to watch... that gentleman suddenly turned into a ghastly beast, with claws, and... tore those men to shreds with the precision of a master butcher... – a witness to Dettlaff's attacks
Dettlaff is a higher vampire and one of the most terrifying creatures the world has ever known. Some vampires of his sort live among men easily and inconspicuously, sometimes even gaining the respect and admiration of their community. Yet even the most civilized vampire can be incredibly dangerous if provoked, and Dettlaff... Dettlaff was far from civilized.
When in his two-legged form, Dettlaff strikes in surprising and unique ways, so one must be extremely alert and attentive. His razor-sharp claws, wielded with great strength and precision, are his chief weapons, yet he can also wield weapons of human devising with extraordinary skill.
Like all higher vampires, Dettlaff can turn into fog and envelop opponents. When fighting a vampire in this form, one must watch out for magic puddles and attacks from the air. When wounded, Dettlaff tends to assume his winged form, using these powerful appendages to stun his foes near effortlessly.
One must remember higher vampires are immortal creatures and thus do not fear for their lives while fighting, meaning they take every risk. They are able to turn invisible and can regenerate strength during combat. All in all, they are supremely difficult foes, even for a witcher.
Normal form[]
Milton's murderer was very swift. Even with years of witchering under his belt, Geralt could barely keep up with him. Soon, it became clear the killer was as clever as he was fast, by entering an old warehouse where he set a trap for Geralt. In this way Geralt had his first face to face encounter with the Beast of Beauclair – and discovered it was a higher vampire named Dettlaff.
A fight immediately ensued which might have ended very badly for the witcher, had he not been saved in the nick of time by an old friend, Regis, who put a stop to their battle. After that, Dettlaff fled away in a puff of fog...
When Geralt went to Orianna's residence with the duchess, he was certain Dettlaff was somewhere far away, safe in Regis' care. He was wrong, as he found out while watching both vampires stroll into the room, his surprise quickly turning to irritation. In the conversation which followed, the duchess had no idea she was talking to the murderer she so wished to have slain. In fact, the Beast of Beauclair even came off as... charming.
Afterwards, Geralt set off for Dun Tynne, but not before first extracting a promise from Regis to keep Dettlaff at a safe distance this time.
At Dun Tynne Geralt was dragged into a fight against bandits with considerably superior forces at their disposal. There's no knowing how this might have ended, had the proverbial cavalry not ridden to his rescue. Birds in service of Geralt's vampire friends had been following him the whole time. Thanks to them, right at the battle's pivotal moment, Dettlaff and Regis appeared to fight at his side.
Believing he was battling the men responsible for his beloved's kidnapping, Dettlaff killed with unseen passion. He only stopped when there was not a being left on the battlefield giving out the least sign of life.
Upon learning the woman he loved was using him for her own ends, Dettlaff lost all will to keep on living. The only thing left to him was longing for vengeance – blind, unrestrained vengeance. Dettlaff issued a clear ultimatum: Syanna was to meet with him alone and explain everything. If she failed to do that, Beauclair would be awash with blood. No one had any doubts Dettlaff meant exactly what he said.
- If Geralt visits the Unseen Elder:
Geralt and Regis arrived at the meeting with Dettlaff, but without Syanna. As predicted, Dettlaff flew into a rage. This time, however, Geralt was ready for him and stood to fight. After an exhausting battle, Dettlaff had been defeated.
Yet no man can truly kill a higher vampire – that takes another higher vampire. As he died, Dettlaff harbored no hard feelings for Regis, knowing death was his best option, there no longer being anything in this world he wished to live for.
- If Geralt brings Syanna...
- ...and gave her the ribbon:
Regis and Geralt brought Syanna to Dettlaff. Clearly not having grown one iota less enraged with Syanna, Dettlaff slashed out at her with his razor-sharp claws, hoping to rip her to shreds. She was saved, however, by a magic ribbon taken from the Land of a Thousand Fables, which transported her to a safe place in the nick of time. Dettlaff, more furious than ever, then attacked Regis and Geralt. In the fight that ensued, Dettlaff was defeated. Yet no man can kill a higher vampire – that can only be done by another of its own kind. As he died, Dettlaff harbored no hard feelings for Regis, knowing this was the best option for him. There was no longer anything in this world he wished to live for.
- ...and didn't get the ribbon and let Dettlaff go:
Regis and Geralt brought Syanna to Dettlaff – and the vampire murdered her without blinking an eye. Geralt understood the vampire's pain and did not hinder him in his vengeance. Dettlaff appreciated the witcher's neutrality and stated he had no more quarrel with him. He also had no reason to stay in Beauclair and decided to leave. As his friend, Regis decided to go after him. He knew Dettlaff would need him now more than ever.
- ...and didn't get the ribbon but did attack Dettlaff:
Regis and Geralt brought Syanna to Dettlaff. The vampire then murdered her without blinking an eye, Geralt attacked him and a final fight took place in which Dettlaff was defeated. Yet no man can truly kill a higher vampire – that takes another higher vampire. As he died, Dettlaff harbored no hard feelings for Regis, knowing death was his best option, there no longer being anything in this world he wished to live for.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Dettlaff is named after one of the concept artists of The Witcher 3, Marta Dettlaff.
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 Villains
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Novels The Witcher The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Hearts of Stone Blood and Wine Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales Netflix TV series Nightmare of the Wolf | ||