Well, I do agree that Triss is some kind of an idealist, already said that before. So what she wants to achieve (which isn't necessarily all the same the lodge or Philippa want to achieve) is maybe a good goal. I just don't agree with the means but I'm deeply convinced that the end doesn't justify the means.



In the specific moment later in the books I agree with you that Triss acts a bit differently, but it's a very different situation if you are "far away" from the problem or if your friends are literally dying in front of your eyes. I don't blame Triss for not taking action there. I agree with you that she is a troubled person (actualy like many other sorceresses, Yen included) and it's hard to blame somebody for action (or lacking action) in a concrete and dangerous situation. That's why I actually wanted to refrain myself to the less concrete situations in which Triss acts just like a member of the lodge with Philippa's "the end justify the means" approach.







Well, first of all Yen is a quite troubled character, imho even more troubled than Triss. She was born as an ugly and hunchbacked baby, outcasted from the own parents. She could call herself lucky that she was given to the sorcerers for education instead of just being thrown into the roadside ditch. I think that's the reason why she lacks some good amount self-assurance and even more so, self-love. She hides that with an extremely hard shell made out of extreme pride, cold and heartless behaviour and a huge deal of arrogance and feel of superiority. That's how most people know her and that's how she wants to be seen by most people. And it's an appearance and self-assessment she shares with most of her collegues. She is well integrated in the circles of sorcerers before the books, being in the council of sorcerers and knowing all the important people there. She had an active part in the genetic experiences with the elder blood and Ciri's ancestors, including the incesteous marriage of her grand-grandparents. But her greatest personal problem is perhaps that she can't accept that she isn't able to give birth to a child. She wants to be a mother whatever it takes. Before the books and in the short stories almost everything she does has the goal to make her fertile again, like the tale with the golden dragon. So before the books Yen is cold, calculating and self-centered, not really caring about anybody, while still believing in the superioirty of the sorcerers and those who can use magic. Much like Philippa and most other sorcerers she thinks that she is accountable to none and that the sorcerers know best what to do.



But there are two elements that changed Yen and her behavior, namely Geralt and Ciri. Geralt gave her back self-assurance and empowered her to some kind of self-love again. She is used to relationships to other sorcerers, which are often just sexual and not really deep. Geralt and Yen are bound by the last wish, but we don't really know if they are just bound together by destiny or if there is more to it. During the books there is a progression in their relationship that goes from "I don't know what's between us" to "I love you". At the end of the books it is pretty much sure that there is much more between Yen and Geralt than just destiny. Ciri is of course both destiny and "social putty" between them. After some time, Ciri becomes the substitute for Yen's own child she can never get. They begin a natural mother-daughter relationship which frees Yen at least partially from her endless cure for her fertility trauma. With Ciri and Geralt she knows two people she actually and truly cares about. So much that she is ready to sacrifice herself for either of them which is a pretty outstanding trait for a sorceress in that world. So much that she would basically do everything for them. So she might still be cold and merciless and arrogant on the outside, and she still might push Geralt quite around, but nevertheless she cares for her "family". That's her no 1 priority now. And we shouldn't forget that Geralt isn't perfect neither. They have both flaws. And Ciri. The Ciri from the books is maybe the most flawed character of them all, but she gets some catharsis at the end of the book, like all of them get. Geralt sacrifices himself for some anderlings although he doesn't have to. Yennefer sacrifices herself in order to save his life although she doesn't have to. A Ciri sacrifices "the world" for rescuing both of them, although the end is open.



So no, Yennefer is no perfect character by far. But if we look at Yen and Triss through Geralt's eyes she is the perfect partner for him, at least in my books. She's the one who truly loves him and would do anything for him and Ciri, leaving behind her former friends and allies, accepting being called traitor and accepting being tortured and killed. What's true love if not that? I don't know but I don't think Triss loves Geralt on the same level. She might be a generally nice person and she might even have a genuine belief in the higher good but for Geralt she is just a nice person he likes. They don't have the history he has with Yen and Ciri, the deep connection with them forged by destiny, suffering and experience alike. And in the end, no matter how troubled, no matter how egoistic, now matter how merciless, cold or arrogant, Yennefer never gave up Geralt or Ciri. It was a long and painful process for her but in the end she knows what's most important for her: family. And if you ask me, a human being can't really find a more worthy and valuable goal in life than living for the family and loved ones and doing everything for them.





See above. That's a good example for the "early book" Yen, only caring about herself and her problem with her infertility. But like I've said before, Ciri and Geralt changed her on a quite fundamental level imho.