Three fingers (SPOILERS)

[zioste81]

I punished the thief by sending him to the Wall, as I wanted to be merciful and that was apparently described by Duncan as the more generous choice (and not punishing a man for STEALING WEAPONS he was supposed to defend during the war doesn't exactly set a good precedent) Thinking about it, it really doesn't make any sense though - what's worse, losing three fingers or being sentenced for life to serve in a military force at the edge of the world to fight against savages (and monsters) along with the worst scum?

[Talon]

He also never gets to see or support his family ever again. Its basically a death sentence like being sentenced to work in the mines as little more than a particularly reviled slave-soldier.

Mercy seems like the best choice from my perspective given the three options since:
Good for popular support to a point since a show of mercy might allow his family to survive and for Lord Ethan to count on a modest increase in popular support among those smallfolk who have suffered horrifically in the War of the Five Kings and the lasting and devastating effects of the Red Wedding on House Forrester.

More likely to find support if choices actually have some measurable and genuine consequences in future episode. Mercy more closely ties the common folk to the Forrester nobility and perhaps opens the potential for covert ops via a grateful soldier to rescue the littlest Forrester from Whitehall and Bolton's evil lair.

You also feed and clothe one family allowing it to remain together and possibly survive whatever doom is coming on the heels of the Flayed Man's Bastard and Whitehall scum and villianry.

Mutiliation: He can't work (not at full capacity) and provide for his family with his brutal disfigurement. The wound could become infected and he could also die as a result of complications from his injury. Those among the crowd who believe it too harsh a punishment will be less willing to support the Forresters in the future but perhaps that's true no matter what you decide here given that this is a Telltale game and your choices don't matter to the plot in any significant way.

Send to Wall: Death Sentence or at best Life Sentence without possibility of parole or even the hope of seeing his family alive again...a family that given the times will likely starve to death come Winter or Ramsey Bolton looking for a little sport among the common folk.

Besides, Lord Ethan the Brave is going to be brutally murdered in his own hall by an evil bastard (both literally and figuratively). Do you really want the stain of an "innocent" man's blood and the likely death by starvation of his innocent family on his lordly soul when he goes to meet his maker?

[zioste81]

Mercy definitely appears the best option from a meta-gaming perspective ("Your brother forgave me, let me help you" etc.) and will probably pay off in the long run in the series, but it did not seem right to me using Westerosi criteria. I mean, the guy hadn't taken a piece of bread. He was guarding WEAPONS during a WAR, and he chose to STEAL them. That means sabotaging the war effort. It's treason.

I don't think even Ned Stark would have said "You cool, let's forget about this". Doesn't exactly send a good message. Next time someone needs money, he can do the same - worse it can happen, you get caught and your lord forgives you. Hey, even today, in more reasonable times, this kind of crime would be seriously punished. Imagine a soldier raiding his unity's weapon storage to sell them to the black market.

[Talon]

I suppose you are right...still given that everyone is scared and freaking out about Winter, Whitehall, and Ramsey Bolton I thought it might be best to break with tradition this once and trade in on the good will to get through tough times later.

Still, you do have a point. He broke the law and should be punished for it. My biggest problem with the other choices is that you are not just punishing him with a virtual death sentence but effectively condemning his entire family (along with the wife and kids I assume) to a death they do not merit even granting that its still his fault and he should have thought through the consequences of his crimes.

I thought mercy required a modest monetary sacrifice and that by turning the other cheek it would spread a message going something like let's all work together to get through the dark days ahead, the Forrester's will protect and look after us so perhaps we should look after and protect them in kind, etc.

It seemed worth a little unorthodox mercy to me given the circumstances surrounding his crime. I can still understand your choice and it does perhaps incentive further crimes but given the Whitehall hostage taking and take-over...perhaps the people and this soldier in particular will be more willing to fight to restore their merciful lord's family. Guerilla tactics, espionage, rescuing the littlest Forrester from Whitehall clutches enroute to their destination.

Yet from past experience, I have my doubts that Telltale will attach any meaningful narrative significance to this or any other choice in the game at least in terms of the plot.

[Devoras]

Yes, it was his mention of his family that is dependent on him that made me discount sending him to the wall. However he was clearly guilty and even admitted what he did, but tried to pass it off as innocence and justify his actions, trying to stir up the people against me.

As he wasn't willing to even make a cursory acceptance that what he had done was wrong, especially to the people, I had to do that for him by having his fingers removed. He should still be able to support his family, hopefully with a more reputable profession.

I did listen to him however, and when it came to the decision whether to take extra food from the peasants I insisted on finding other solutions. I'm willing to listen to everyone's problems as long as they bring them to me directly, but going behind my back and even stealing from me will have consequences. I demand respect, but will give it in return.

Well, that was my plan before the ending. Now the forester characters are going to be extremely brutal in retaliation.

[yusupov]

mercy was never a good option and if u chose it, welcome to tool time, u r the star.

as said HE WAS STEALING WEAPONS. he calls it INJUSTICE that you delivered the known punishment FOR THE CRIME OF STEALING....ANYTHING. and you have a guard stealing WEAPONS at a time of war & decide to give him a pass??? wow what a ♥♥♥♥♥♥. i would re play the whole thing bc ur ppl will probably rebel against ur LAME HOUSE at least i would..

[Talon]

@yusupov: Maybe some would see it as weakness. Maybe others would see the converse as an injustice perpetrated against an already devasted and starving populace.

When you are starving and desperate and alone you might remember who helped you and who cut your hands off or sent you packing up to where the frost zombies eat human babies for breakfast. Since the House is going to fall into the hands of the Whitehills without a fight any way you slice it, then maybe that little bit of coin would at least see a small family through the Winter.

Remember that he said that they had been working without pay since Lord Gregor died at the Twins in the Red Wedding along with the rest of the Forrester Levy. He was only taking what he thought was "his by right" of his unpaid wages.

He stole the difference of what he was owed for the continued survival of his starving family. He should have begged his lord for aid or even the castellan without resorting to stealing weapons in a time of War.

A literal interpretation of the Law might not always be warranted in every case given the unique circumstances surrounding this time in the Seven Kingdoms.

I'm not saying the other choices are wrong since at least you are certainly disincentiving further bad behavior with the promise of mutilation equal to the Boltons or exile to the Wall without ever seeing his family again.

He certainly should have considered the price before resorting to stealing weapons from the armory or spreading sedition. The fact that he admits it so readily should give you a moment's pause. I've played through all the possible variations so it really doesn't matter since the narrative differences between mercy, mutilation, or exile are likely to be non-existant beyond a spoken line here or there.

[Tiny Mute Lizard]

The Thief-Thing has a lot to do with the Song of Ice and Fire. The books i mean. The Wall is considered a punishment and nothing else in the south, but the Starks hold it with high honor still, because unlike the south, "the north remembers" what its all about, so they see it as a way to redeem yourself from the crimes you comitted. They only bring in criminals because the great southern lords stopped sending soldiers or volunteers to the wall. x..x To the southern lords, the wall is something obscure and far away they never had to deal with. The northern lords however live right beneath its shadow, so to them this is a thing and the threads behind it are actually part of their histories to a big degree. So if someone from the Lannisters sends someone to the wall its sheer, eternal punishment (even Tyrion sees it that way). When a Stark does that, its a chance given. After all Starks still volunteer... and not only Jon Snow did. So, to the Forresters who are a northern clan, the wall is a chance to have this thief regain his honor. Yes, service forever in a military group void of any pleasure, but... Honor! Honor above all! ...which is what costs Eddards Head in the first Book/Season.

[Ace_Khal]

Soldiers don't need fingers.

[Dongald Jeffreys]

I wonder if Erik will have any interaction with Gared if you send him to the Wall.

[G3N0M3]

Originally posted by Richard A. Conditioner:

I wonder if Erik will have any interaction with Gared if you send him to the Wall.

That is exactly why i sent him to the wall as i made my decision I wanted to know if they would run into each other, I saw it as a way for them to possibly interact and who knows... ya know? The soldier may end up teaching Gared to fight, im not sure of Jon Snows current situation as i didnt finish season 4... but i think it does take off after season 4? or beginning of ish...

[Talon]

Originally posted by G3N0M3:

Originally posted by Richard A. Conditioner:

I wonder if Erik will have any interaction with Gared if you send him to the Wall.

That is exactly why i sent him to the wall as i made my decision I wanted to know if they would run into each other, I saw it as a way for them to possibly interact and who knows... ya know? The soldier may end up teaching Gared to fight, im not sure of Jon Snows current situation as i didnt finish season 4... but i think it does take off after season 4? or beginning of ish...

I bet all you get is exactly one line of spoken dialogue. That's all the 400 days from TWD Season 1 got in Season 2. A short cameo before vanishing like so much smoke.

[G3N0M3]

Originally posted by Talon:

Originally posted by G3N0M3:

That is exactly why i sent him to the wall as i made my decision I wanted to know if they would run into each other, I saw it as a way for them to possibly interact and who knows... ya know? The soldier may end up teaching Gared to fight, im not sure of Jon Snows current situation as i didnt finish season 4... but i think it does take off after season 4? or beginning of ish...

I bet all you get is exactly one line of spoken dialogue. That's all the 400 days from TWD Season 1 got in Season 2. A short cameo before vanishing like so much smoke.

LOL man that would suck if thats all that happened.. I would hope that it goes farther with gared running into him and they stick together possibly because they are from the same city, yea i know gared is a squire but not anymore.. and that also makes me wonder if you have to tell them what you were... ie yea i was a squire.. oh i cant be a ranger?? option.. for example i dont know if this does anything as i havent tried yet but.. i didnt run when i had to chose to stay or run after i watched them flay the dude, i thought running would have got me caught for sure.. I did not do another playthrough yet and try to run and see if im forced to stay because of telltale making me or if i die because of that choice??..

[Amanojaku]

No mercy for the traitors, espechially at North. Espechially after events of Red Wedding. I did sent bastard to the Wall however, since tenshion is already high at the house, and straightforward punishment would probably made things even worse.