Is V really in control?

[Leta]

In his mind, there are riding three epic villains who have lifetimes of experience on manipulating the heroes psychologically.

He may be the final authority on his own actions, but I think that saying he's in control isn't entirely true either.

Just a thought I was having, anyway.

[Zanaril]

Don't worry, Suvie's new friends would never do anything like that.

[Gamiress]

I have no doubt that Vaarsuvius is in control. Regardless of what he's doing, he's still acting like Vaarsuvius, just on a level far more brutal than we've seen before. This is Vaarsuvius on UAP.

[dogmac]

I don't know about anyone else, but "I was not in control of my actions" would be a total cop out for me.

I love, well loved, V. I am so disappointed in how (s)he is behaving. I'm in the whole "that is beyond evil" mentality about it. But I think she knows what she is doing. The whole "why am I laughing?" thing a few strips back showed it. Plus the quick arrogant check of the wellbeing of hir family.

[Zanaril]

While I partly agree, the think three souls are having some influence on V's actions, simply by siding with her when she was taunting the dragon.

I also think that V refers to the souls as her "new friends" shows that she's not exactly making an effort to ignore their suggestions, especially since so far the suggestions have also been what V wants. We won't know how much they're affecting her until they try and get V to do something she doesn't already want to do.

[LuisDantas]

Of course V is not in control. But that does not excuse him in the least.

[Spiky]

Doc Ock, I mean V, isn't completely in control. But he is clearly in the mix. The lack of wisdom is the most telling way to see this. I suppose the only real question is, How much regret will V have when the splice ends? The other 3 won't have any, no doubt.

Well, another might be, How many new enemies will V have?

[Jason]

It seems clear that V is being influenced by the members of the splice, but ultimate responsibility for his/her actions does rest with V. After all, it was his/her choice to accept the soul splice when an alternative existed.

[delguidance]

Maybe it's like when you're drunk or high. You're there, but your inhibitions are modified.

[Ancalagon]

Vaarsuivius is in control. The problem is just that a part of him is controlling the situation now that was there all the time and that we saw on various occasions.
Vaarsuvius is doing nothing that was not already "in him" in some way. The soul-splice with three utterly evil souls just makes that part the dominating part.

[hamishspence]

Not everyone interprets V's earlier actions as symptoms of a growing evil streak, or of the dark side of V's character coming to the surface (though I do)

[Kaytara]

Vaarsuivius is in control. The problem is just that a part of him is controlling the situation now that was there all the time and that we saw on various occasions.
Vaarsuvius is doing nothing that was not already "in him" in some way. The soul-splice with three utterly evil souls just makes that part the dominating part.

I agree with this assessment. V has always had a chillingly ruthless, calculating side, but still displayed clear signs of having a conscience and being a good-natured person in general. (His attempts to help the potion-selling shopkeepers, his interaction with "Elanicalicus" and his unwillingness to lie to Elan at the docks come to mind.)

Now, after months of frustratingly futile work, being stuck with people who don't understand him and separated from those who DO understand him, suffering from guilt and traumatic flashbacks and finally led to believe in the pettiness and selfishness of his previously thought to be noble motives, there is close to nothing that could influence V's decisions in a positive way - and the souls of three EPIC-LEVEL EVIL spellcasters to influence him in a negative way.

That's probably, like, a -20 on V's Will save against making evil decisions. V's shoulder angel is probably lying gagged and bound in some mental closet right now.