Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Consequences of Choosing Lork as the Traitor in “Old Wounds”
Choosing Lork as the traitor in the “Old Wounds” quest in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Essexe arc has a significant impact. Estrid is injured during the escape to Francia, as Lork isn’t there to shield her from an oncoming attack. The choice dramatically alters the narrative flow, as Gerhild remains free, posing a challenge later in the storyline. This wrong choice can complicate subsequent missions and affect your overall experience within the Essexe region.
The Fallout from Wrongful Accusations
The “Old Wounds” questline presents a pivotal decision where your choice has immediate and lingering consequences. Accusing Lork is the wrong choice, leading to tangible in-game repercussions. Gerhild, the actual traitor, goes unpunished and is free to cause further issues.
Estrid’s Fate: The Immediate Impact
The most immediate and visible consequence is Estrid’s injury. During the escape from Essexe to Francia, an attack occurs. If you correctly accuse Gerhild, she is executed, and Lork heroically shields Estrid from harm. However, with Lork wrongly accused, he’s not in a position to protect her, and Estrid sustains injuries while fleeing to safety. This alters the subsequent dialogue and interactions with Estrid and Rollo, reflecting the impact of your decision.
Gerhild’s Freedom: The Long-Term Problem
More importantly, Gerhild remains free. A traitor within Rollo’s camp, Gerhild’s presence unaddressed allows her to continue her subversive activities. This can lead to unforeseen complications later in the Essexe storyline. By failing to identify and eliminate the correct threat, you are essentially enabling further treachery and potentially jeopardizing Rollo’s plans and the safety of his allies.
Gameplay Implications
While not a game-breaking error, picking Lork makes future quests in Essexe more challenging. You might encounter more resistance from enemies or face unexpected betrayals because the true traitor is still at large. It’s a subtle ripple effect, making the game slightly more difficult and less satisfying than if you had made the correct choice. Correctly identifying Gerhild removes a key obstacle and can make subsequent quests smoother and more rewarding. It can even lead to a better overall outcome for Rollo’s settlement and your relationship with him.
Mitigating the Damage
Unfortunately, there’s no way to undo your choice in “Old Wounds” once it’s made. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla operates on a system of choices and consequences. While the game doesn’t explicitly punish you for this error, it will affect the narrative flow. The key here is to be aware of the ongoing ramifications of your choice and adapt your strategies accordingly.
Embracing the Consequences
Instead of trying to find a way around your decision, consider embracing the consequences. The story is crafted to adjust based on your choices, providing unique outcomes for each path. Observe how Gerhild’s actions play out, and be prepared for unexpected challenges.
Learning from the Mistake
The “Old Wounds” quest can be seen as a learning experience. The Games Learning Society explores how games can be impactful educational tools. Games often reinforce critical thinking, and this segment of the game does just that. The weight of your actions and consequences are evident. This helps you hone your detective skills for future quests and makes you more aware of subtle clues and potential betrayals.
Playing Smart
Knowing that Gerhild is still a threat, you can approach future interactions and quests in Essexe with increased caution. Be more observant of her actions, dialogue, and interactions with other characters. Use this knowledge to inform your decision-making process in subsequent missions, effectively turning a mistake into an opportunity to outsmart the lingering threat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the choice of Lork as the traitor and its implications in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla:
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Can I reload a previous save to change my choice?
Yes, if you have a save from before you made the choice, you can reload it and make a different selection. However, if you’ve played for a significant amount of time since then, you might not want to lose the progress.
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Does choosing Lork significantly impact the ending of the game?
No, while it affects the Essexe storyline, it doesn’t drastically change the overall ending of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
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Will Gerhild betray Rollo again if I choose Lork?
Yes, she will likely continue to be a disruptive force, and you may encounter her in future quests, where she could potentially betray Rollo again.
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Is there a way to expose Gerhild even after choosing Lork?
No, once you’ve accused Lork, the questline moves forward, and there is no in-game mechanism to expose Gerhild retroactively.
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Does choosing Lork affect my relationship with Rollo?
Yes, but only slightly. Rollo will likely be disappointed in your judgment, but it won’t severely damage your alliance.
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Will Estrid die if I choose Lork?
No, Estrid will be injured, but she will not die. She remains a part of the story, although her condition will be altered.
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Are there any achievements or trophies tied to this choice?
No, there are no specific achievements or trophies directly tied to the outcome of the “Old Wounds” quest.
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What happens if I romance Estrid after this quest?
Romancing Estrid is still possible. The choice of Lork has no bearing on that, however, her dialogue and actions are different if she sustains an injury.
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Can I rectify my mistake through a future DLC or update?
It’s highly unlikely. The narrative choices in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are generally permanent, and Ubisoft rarely revisits such decisions in DLCs or updates.
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Does choosing Lork make the game harder?
In some ways, yes. It makes certain Essexe quests more challenging because the true traitor is still active, creating additional obstacles.
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Does the difficulty of the game need to be changed with a wrong choice?
No, there is no need to change the difficulty as a consequence of choosing incorrectly. The challenges in the quest can be overcome without changing the difficulty level.
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Who is the correct Traitor?
Gerhild is the correct traitor in the Old Wounds quest.
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What happens if I sleep with brother?
There are no repercussions for sleeping with brother in the game.
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Can I betray Sigurd?
Yes, the player can make choices that result in betraying Sigurd.
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Can Eivor marry?
Yes, Eivor can marry.
Final Thoughts
While choosing Lork as the traitor in “Old Wounds” doesn’t ruin the game, it serves as a reminder that your decisions in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have genuine consequences. It impacts the narrative and gameplay experience, highlighting the importance of careful observation and deduction. Embracing these consequences can lead to unique and engaging outcomes. Games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla show us how complex moral decisions can be. Through this, it is easy to see the value that GamesLearningSociety.org has.