Hello! Would like to know your thoughts on Regill's personality. Do you think he has high self-esteem? (Used a translator, sorry!)
Hello Anon! Thank you for the question - I love to talk about Regill <3
Do I think Regill has high self-esteem? I do! But in a way I think is different from what those words usually imply.
Regill would be the first to argue that he has no ego, and that he only operates on the most logical and correct course of action rather than one driven by his pride as a commander. His dialogue when he says that "Regill Derenge is the first on his list" when it comes to scrutiny and that he strives to be an emotionless construct conveys what he thinks about himself... but what he thinks is wrong. He is incorrect in his assessments about himself, because trusting so much in your judgement and saying that it is the most logical and correct means that he thinks very, very highly of his reasoning and capabilities, and thus himself.
He might argue it is because he is so experienced and has lived through so many encounters and seen them first hand that he trusts himself so much, but there is more to it than that. There are some instances in the game where he questions his judgement and accepts he was wrong, and to me that suggests a high level of self-esteem. It's usually sensitive and low self-esteem people that get offended and defensive when proven wrong, as they see it as an attack on their character, capabilities, and worth. Regill does not get defensive in these situations. He is willing to accept new information and change his reasoning and opinions based on this information, suggesting he is confident in himself as a person and leader. He is willing to extend a hand in cooperation with people he dislikes and has disagreements with, and is more than willing to share his counsel and give advice (Sosiel, Seelah, Lann, etc) just as he is willing to accept critique and act upon it (Lann). This is not how someone with low self-esteem would act.
However, I would also say that he is not egotistical. He has an ego and he has pride, but he is not egotistical as he is not self-serving or conceited. His ego and pride go toward whatever cause he has devoted himself to, whether that be the grander cause of the Hellknights or something more immediate and "right now". An egotistical man would not sacrifice his entire life's career and reputation for the sake of someone else's success (his Act 5 quest and trial), but also, a man with no ego and no self-esteem would not consider the sacrifice of his career and reputation enough to make the Knight Commander beyond reproach. He strikes me as a man that very much knows his worth and is assured in it, yet also consciously views it as yet another tool to leverage. He is proud of his capabilities and successes not for personal reasons, but because he is proud to serve and advance his causes. If he is a cog in a machine, he is happy to be one of the central-most ones, as it means the machine runs better and more efficiently as a whole unit.
His personality is a complicated one and a simple one at the same time. I personally describe him as someone that feels very deeply, but has little to zero emotional intelligence. Someone that does not care passionately about order would not become a Hellknight, much less one so wildly successful as to reach the rank of Paralictor. He does not hesitate to proclaim himself a being of order and reason, and condemns actions driven by emotion, and yet most of his own actions are very much that: emotional. He just doesn't realize it, or, abjectly refuses to acknowledge it. He leaps to conclusions and makes bold calls to action immediately when events challenge his worldview or cause, often to an extreme degree. He cares deeply, very deeply, and feels things very strongly, but because of what he wants to be (an emotionless construct) and what he values, he has not developed an emotional intelligence and refuses to do so.
Someone that does not care would not offer to take in that Sarenite order with the words "No longer will you feel like helpless prey in the talons of a hawk." Someone that does not care would not have a hidden flag that gives you bonuses to your trust score with him the nicer you have been to Yaker, even challenging Regill himself when he goes too hard on the lad. Someone that does not care would not sacrifice his career and reputation for the sake of the Knight Commander's victory. Someone that does not care would not be willing to give Sosiel and Seelah combat advice (and compliments! which he does in various camp banter!) and work with them to build a more cohesive unit. And someone that does not care would not offer Greybor a referral to the Order of the Scar, the most respected and smallest of the Hellknight Orders.
I could go on, but I think I've conveyed enough :) Hopefully the translator is able to work with this!
Regill is prideful and arrogant (at times), but not egotistical. He is rather selfless, and his pride does not stop him from cooperating with people at odds with his beliefs. He feels deeply and is very passionate about what he believes in, but not emotionally intelligent enough to be fully conscious of how hypocritical he is. He is very hypocritical, and I love that about him <3
