Understanding Durance (long text and spoilers!)

[neotemplar]

Hello!

Please help me understand Durance the Priest.

 

I've completed PoE+WM1+WM2 twice, both in Russian and in English, and I understand all my companions, their inner conflicts and usually I am eager to help them to feel better. But I really failed to understand Durance, his inner conflict and his ark in general.

 

The writing for Durance is very strange, being smart enough (I hope so) I completely sink in his speeches and lose all sense of reality   And I rage, lose my interest and spend the rest of the game like "Just do your support stuff and shut up, and we'll be fine, okay?"

 

So, can you please explain what the hell is wrong with him, why is he so angry and frustrated, what is his conflict, and in general - how do you "feel" this character?

 

What I managed to understand:

 

1) He has a serious inner conflict shown by his sleepless nights, looking into one point, attempts to avoid the topic in dialogues and overall angry and aggressive behaviour.

 

2) He has huge troubles with his deity Magran, and even if Magran blesses aggressive and passionate behaviour his attitude towards her seems way too much even by her standards (words he uses to call her and his judgements of her are very rude and seem uncommon among other Magran followers so I guess it is not a style of worshiping her).

 

3) He played a big role in the creation of the Bomb, and Magran responded to his prayers and gave him enough of her energy to channel into the bomb. So at this point she was with him, answered his prayers and all was well.

 

4) After the detonation something happened in Durance's mind - he somehow re-evaluated both Magran and the Bomb, now feeling bad about this deed.

 

5) He turned away from the deity and curses her, but she seems unwilling to abandon him - when talked to at Magran's Fork he manages to lit the statue up, and this can be performed only by priests with great faith and Magran's favour as we learn from the female priest in the city, he is not losing his powers, his staff burns indicating Magran presence in him, and he says "I saw you in flames", which imho means "in a spiritual link with my deity". 

 

6) And after learning all that I completely sink in his dialogue lines and can not form a picture.

 

I thought - maybe Russian localisation lacks something and for my 2nd run I went in original. Once again I understand every companion and feel empathy for their troubles. But Durance is again annoying and crazy.

 

How do you understand his story and conflict and what is your opinion on him? Why did he suddenly change his attitude towards Magran so radicaly? What needs to be done to calm him down and balance "the angry one"? Why is Magran tolerating his behaviour and keeps aiding his powers?

 

I always get this feeling that I talk to a madman and try to understand what lacks any sense.

 

Thanks in advance 

[Messier-31]

How do you understand his story and conflict and what is your opinion on him? Why did he suddenly change his attitude towards Magran so radicaly? What needs to be done to calm him down and balance "the angry one"? Why is Magran tolerating his behaviour and keeps aiding his powers?

 

Have you finished his personal quest?

Edited October 30, 2017 by Messier-31

[neotemplar]

 

How do you understand his story and conflict and what is your opinion on him? Why did he suddenly change his attitude towards Magran so radicaly? What needs to be done to calm him down and balance "the angry one"? Why is Magran tolerating his behaviour and keeps aiding his powers?

 

Have you finished his personal quest?

 

Yes. But I didn't understand his conflict and this 'finish' is basically just my interpretation given to him. Like, I can say that Magran is ok and never abandoned him, or I can say she is a bitch. Or I can say relax, gods always play people like toys. But I don't even know if I said correctly. What is the meaning of all his story? I don't even get why he is mad at Magran for being left alive. 

 

Let's say I take a train and the cart goes off-rail. All my co-passengers die. I survive. I start to hate God and curse him/her/it. It seems weird. Then I meet a guy he gives me his point of view (any point he wants, based only on his judgements). I change my view of me God. WTF is going on here?

[Messier-31]

Basically:

 

• Magran conspired with Woedica for reasons unknown in order to kill Eothas
• Durance was among the dozen who created the Godhammer bomb
• Magran wanted all of the dozen dead, because of them being the loose ends
• Presumably all of the dozen died in the blast, but it turns out that by some twist of fate Durance was the sole survivor
• Magran stops communicating with Durance, even though he did everything she asked
• Durance thinks that he must've done something wrong and Magran is angry at him, tries to get back to her (even though he is a **** about it)
• The blast however changed something in his soul, Magran could no longer see him as her cleric: Durance was merely a blurred figure for Magran since then - this is why she no longer speaks to him (it is revealed in Teir Evron conversations if you have Durance in your party)
• You can convince Durance that he was "betrayed" by his goddess

[neotemplar]

Wow, that's so detailed, thank you!

 

I basically get the idea now. 

 

There are still several weak spots in this story for me, but they are acceptable and not worth further discussion.

So now the character makes way more sense.

 

Love this forum.

[Messier-31]