PERSONALITY

While openminded to other's, Dettlaff prefered the company of lesser vampires. Thanks to his unique talent for "Herd Mentality" --- bringing lesser vampires of all kind towards him and to answer his call --- he was able to create his own pack. In his pack, Dettlaff is the leader and caretaker, taking his job seriously and is deeply attached to his pack, even having a favorite bruxa out of the bunch. 

Dettlaff's emotions were notably intense, being so much more emotional than most humans, following his heart and feelings. For this reason, he could act impulsively and unpredictably at times. He could be quite the romantic and passionate, declaring that he "intended to live happily ever after." He would do anything to protect those he cares about as seen with his involvements as the Beast of Beauclair, killing the people who's name are sent to him in letters just so he can get back his lover, Rhena, safe and sound when he recieves word she has been kidnapped. 

Regis noticed Dettlaff's tendency to overreact to his own views on what was right and wrong in society, possessing a very black and white outlook on morality. As Regis understood humans were more nuanced than that, he tried to gently guide Dettlaff and curb his behavior. However, it is often pointed out by Regis, and even the Duchess, on how good of a man Dettlaff is. When Anna Henrietta first meets Dettlaff, she considers him to be intriging, saying he is "sensitive. Sad. He carries within him the weight of a terrible tragedy. He is a good man, but lost. Which is why he comes across as grim."

After discovering the truth of Syanna being the blackmailer and stagging her own kidnapping, it deeply enraged and hurt Dettlaff, bringing him into a deep state of depression with there no longer being anything in this world he wished to live for. 

BIOGRAPHY

Dettlaff van der Eretein, also known as The Beast of Beauclair, was a higher vampire who was responsible for regenerating Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy with his blood and nursing him back to health after he was killed by Vilgefortz in the Assault on Stygga castle. Regis became forever indebted to Dettlaff for his selfless actions.

Not much is known about his earlier years, although, like the rest of his tribe, he stayed within the regional area of the North and the Nilfgaardian Empire. Dettlaff's emotions were notably intense, as demonstrated when he was in Lyria around 964, where a monster known as the Brute of Lyria plagued the area and killed around 200 people. While initially unmoved, Dettlaff subsequently heard that the beast killed a young boy who had earlier offered him an apple and expected nothing in return. Enraged at this, Dettlaff found and slew the monster but, not wishing to draw unwanted attention to himself, he planted the dagger with a nearby sleeping hunter so that the people would praise him for slaying the monster instead.

Many years later, after the assault on Stygga Castle in 1268, he found what remained of Regis and, using his own blood and a significant amount of time and patience, nursed the other vampire back to full health. In the process, Regis noticed Dettlaff's tendency to overreact to his own views on what was right and wrong in society, possessing a very black and white outlook on morality. As Regis understood humans were more nuanced than that, he tried to gently guide Dettlaff and curb his behavior.

Eventually, the two parted ways for a time and Dettlaff ended up in Metinna, where he ran into a young woman who immediately figured out what he was and trailed after him. Intending to just scare her off, he tried to jump out at her in an alley, baring his fangs, but instead of sending her running, the woman, who went by the name Rhena, became intrigued. The two then met up several more times before they became romantically involved. However, sometime prior to 1275, Rhena disappeared without a word.

Dettlaff then made his way to Toussaint. While there, as he waited to get his boots shined by the local bootblack, a man rudely cut in front of Dettlaff. As the vampire tried to control his outrage at this behavior, another waiting customer, Louis de la Croix, reprimanded the rude customer before sending him away and offered the seat back to Dettlaff. Admiring de la Croix's actions, the two soon became friends.

By 1275, Dettlaff got word that his beloved Rhena had been abducted and was being held hostage and the only way to free her was for the vampire to do what the abductors instructed: namely, kill 5 people whose names would be delivered to him by individual letters. He then took up residence in the abandoned Rocking Horse shop, using it as his base of operations, when he received the first letter and name: Vladimir Crespi, who he was to kill and then display his body against the town's pillory. Once this deed was done, Dettlaff soon received the next one, this time of Ramon du Lac, whose body was to be posed with a bed warmer instead of a sword. After this death, word began to spread of The Beast of Beauclair and Duchess Anna Henrietta sent two of her knights to track down the famed witcher, Geralt of Rivia, for assistance.

While Geralt was on his way to Toussaint, Dettlaff got the third victim's name, this time of his friend, Louis de la Croix. Having no other choice, when de la Croix took Dettlaff on a tour of his family's old mill, the vampire asked the Count to forgive him before he fatally pierced his friend's heart. Then, as instructed by the abductors, he stuffed a bag of florens down the Count's throat and quartered the body before sending all the pieces into the river. Highly upset that he had killed a friend, Dettlaff also cut off the hand that had pierced de la Croix's heart and threw it into the river alongside the rest of the body parts.

By the next morning, the body pieces were discovered and taken to Corvo Bianco, with none of the men noting they had a third hand among the remains. Realizing it could result in his capture and therefore Rhena's death if the wrong person got a hold of his severed hand, Dettlaff sent one of his favorite bruxae to retrieve it. However, Geralt had arrived by then and found the hand in question. Before he could act on this, Dettlaff received the fourth name: Milton de Peyrac-Peyran, who'd just returned from his trip in retrieving Geralt. With this, Dettlaff soon carried out the order by killing Milton as he hid in the Palace Gardens as part of the annual Hunt the Hare event. As he did though, Geralt came in, moments too late to save the knight. Dettlaff quickly ran off, trying to escape the witcher, who gave chase across the gardens and eventually to a warehouse in Beauclair. There, the two briefly confronted each other and fought until Regis appeared, blocking Dettlaff from killing the witcher as he declared Geralt was a friend of his. Relenting, Dettlaff then disappeared into the city as knights closed in on the building.

Sometime later, Dettlaff and Regis met once more at the former's hideout and Regis managed to convince Dettlaff to accompany him to talk to Geralt at Orianna's estate. There, the three conversed along with Duchess Anna Henrietta and Orianna. At one point, Orianna asked Geralt his opinion on fighting monsters, to which Geralt responded by saying that not all monsters are evil, signaling to Dettlaff he didn't consider him the enemy. Orianna continued, asking what a monster might say to a witcher, and Dettlaff, referencing his own predicament, noted that they might wish to apologize for killing, but also acknowledging that there is sometimes no choice. Geralt and Regis later left the table for a bit, leaving Dettlaff to continue talking to Orianna and the duchess, turning the topic to Nazair.

Soon after, with Regis' help, Dettlaff learned that the witcher figured out his beloved Rhena was being kept at Dun Tynne Castle and the two set off to help with the rescue. After zealously cutting down the castle's defenders, Dettlaff entered the tower where Rhena was being kept and they had a brief reunion, before Geralt, having arrived just before, revealed what he just learned: Rhena and Syanna were one and the same person and the kidnapping had been a farce, having used Dettlaff to kill the knights as she knew he'd do anything to protect her. While initially doubtful of this, Dettlaff finally understood the truth and became enraged. He then threatened Syanna, ordering her to meet him in three days time at Tesham Mutna to explain everything, otherwise he'd raze Beauclair to the ground. With that, Dettlaff then disappeared into the night.

By the time three days had passed, the Duchess had confined her sister to keep her safe from Dettlaff. In retaliation, Dettlaff compelled an army of lower vampires to attack Beauclair, massacring many civilians. Dettlaff would watch the slaughter from Beauclair's rooftops until he was compelled to head for Tesham Mutna, where Geralt and Regis had devised a plan to draw him out. Upon arrival, Dettlaff found that the two had either used the Unseen Elder to forcibly summon him, or brought Syanna to him. If Syanna was brought to him, Dettlaff confronted her about her betrayal, but impatient and angered, Syanna barely had a chance to speak before Dettlaff attempted to kill her.

If Dettlaff succeeded in killing his former lover, his bloodlust was sated and he offered to call off the vampires if Geralt would let him leave in peace, in which case the Witcher would warn Dettlaff that he would kill him if they ever met again. In another scenario, Syanna is saved due a hidden ribbon she had on her, which teleported her away. Believing that Geralt and Regis tricked him, or outraged at being forced out of hiding from the Unseen Elder's interference, Dettlaff entered his vampire form to engage the Witcher and his best friend. He incapacitated Regis and engaged Geralt, transforming into a massive monster and forcing the Witcher into a bloody hallucination after managing to bite him. Despite this, after a grueling and exhausting battle, the higher vampire was felled by Geralt.

If defeated in battle, Regis bade farewell to his rescuer and friend before killing him to ensure that Dettlaff could not harm another innocent again. However, should Geralt agree to let Dettlaff go after killing Syanna, the vampire would keep his word and go into hiding. Despite everything he had done, Regis could not let go if his blood bond with Dettlaff, vowing to search for and help him move on from his emotion-filled trauma at Syanna's manipulations.