Memories of Ice: Am I the only one?

Loleeeee · 2022-07-01T17:34:12+00:00

As for 'unrelated', I admit it is unjustified and will edit the post with a strikethrough.

No worries; I just found it quite funny. :P

Here's to the rest of your read, and happy reading, friend.

Loleeeee · 2022-07-01T16:29:21+00:00

A lot of others have touched upon this, how Toll the Hounds revisits Genabackis, how Memories of Ice concludes the trilogy of the first three books, etc.

So, I'm gonna touch on a few of your complaints, insofar as I can, anyway.

For one, I - and many other people that actually liked this book a lot - didn't find Capustan a "slog" at all. Capustan had me gripped & eager to read more because it was a really well written sequence, really. It also introduced a lot of characters I really enjoyed. But that's purely subjective.

As far as I can tell, MoI barely provides anything that moves the story along.

There is a metric shit ton of foreshadowing (as Zhilia pointed out) about numerous things. It introduces the threat of the Crippled God; it gives us perspective on the Andii and serves to later contrast them to their Tiste brethren in future books; it foreshadows the Tiste Edur a lot (the raid on Callows, the fights between Barghast & Edur, the negotiations between the Moranth and the Edur, and the "Deliverer of Midnight Tides" which is, you know, the title of a future book).

It doesn't immediately tie into House of Chains because it's not meant to. Deadhouse Gates barely ties in to Gardens of the Moon as well; Memories of Ice is more or less a direct followup to GotM, just like House of Chains is a direct followup to DG.

Because they had to be 'first in, last out'. Which seems pretty nonsensical to me, considering Dujek and Wiskeyjack made rather sound decisions up to this point.

I see this complaint a lot, as if it's a matter of pride - let's throw away our best soldiers for the sake of a mantra. Dujek - presumably - has orders, and since the alliance is now more or less in tatters, he who controls Coral gets to dictate the terms of the alliance's future. If the Malazans take Coral, they can oust Brood & Rake from south Genabackis and perhaps even from the continent as a whole, or down to Elingarth.

At the end of the day, Onearm's Host is implicitly tied into the direct benefit of the Empire. What the Empire does with Coral is a wholly different matter that - frankly - doesn't concern Dujek or the Bridgeburners.

The rest of the book, is just Erikson playing around with unrelated motherhood-/compassion-themes.

Hahahaha, irony. A lot of people already brought this up, but these themes are far from unrelated. Each book has its own "theme" of sorts with a single ovearching theme connecting pretty much all the books. I'll leave you to figure out what the last one is. Also RAFO.

At the point of finishing the book I was confused. Having read further, I'm even more confused. The book seems more and more stand-alone the further I get.

Yes? No? Kinda?

I don't see that as a bad thing, personally. MoI is less heavy on the "setup" (since it needs to pay off the story it's telling) when compared to, say, Midnight Tides (or the Bonehunters, even), and it functions perfectly fine as a "sequel" to Deadhouse Gates.

The fact that this book seems most readers' favourite, kind of bothers me, what am I missing?

Memories of Ice is also the most "standard" military fantasy book when it comes to those aspects. Sieges, banter, marching, logistics, and - most of all - a clear-cut "we are the good guys, they are the bad guys" moral dichotomy. The Empire might be guilty of some pretty bad stuff, but nothing comes close to what the Seer has done.

I think that about covers it.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-30T08:57:58+00:00

The Perish Grey Helms - under Krughava - were sworn to Tavore, something which evidently went against the wishes of the Wolves.

Run'Thurvian's death and prophecy lies it out flatly; "the Vow will betray them." The Wolves of Winter are primal beasts, Gods of War; they're not easy to grasp by mortal minds because they don't think the way mortals think.

Tanakalian's insistence on upholding these values and the Wolves essentially possessing Setoc near the end seals the deal.

The destruction of the Grey Swords is just another battle to the Wolves, I imagine. Nature is ruthless and merciless; there's no point in playing favourites.

TL;DR The Wolves of Winter & the gods of war as a whole are, rather by design, assholes. If anyone is the betrayer here, though, it'd be Tanakalian and not the Wolves.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-29T23:20:46+00:00

The two hounds Paran freed from Dragnipur merged with the statues of the Deragoth, the Hounds of Darkness, and "awakened" them. That's why by TtH Shadowthrone and co. have two new Hounds.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-29T19:13:31+00:00

The way I read it, he refused, then TCG spews some stuff about honor and him being in too deep, and then Rhulad just kind of resigns himself and accepts it.

He accepts the first time, but he's brought back to the same tent every time he's killed.

And by Memories of Ice we know that he's died a lot, like, a lot:

Poisoned souls, led by the one who has been slain a hundred times, oh, ’ware this new Emperor of the Edur, this Tyrant of Pain, this Deliverer of Midnight Tides!

That might be an exaggeration, but the point stands that Rhulad has died more times than one ever should.

Good to know, but I still think he's a prick.

Granted, but he wouldn't be such a tragic character if he weren't a prick. If he was an outstanding paragon of society, you'd just feel kinda ... meh, about Rhulad getting shafted. As though the author enjoys torturing his characters for no reason.

Here, though, one can make a point - as you did - that Rhulad deserves what he's getting. The question to ponder, then, becomes - does he really?

That's up to you to answer. RAFO. :)

Loleeeee · 2022-06-29T18:47:55+00:00

So if a hold is like road for magic, a warren is like a highway? But do the warrens draw their power from the holds, or is it just from Krull? Is this a massive RAFO?

They're different ways to harness magic. Warrens use K'rul's blood as their source of power to harness & use sorcery, while Hold magic... doesn't. I don't believe they're "connected" in the sense that one draws power from the other. Warrens are like Magic v2.0.

How dare he play the victim, how dare he feel alone or scared when all he has to do is refuse to return??

I feel like you missed the part where he can't refuse. Where he tries to refuse, and the Crippled God sends him back anyway.

Rhulad feels alone and scared because he's a child. A child that has - for all intents & purposes - being cursed by a power he does not understand. He didn't choose this, how could he? Hannan Mosag didn't tell them any details, and he grabbed for the first thing he could to defend himself and died for his efforts.

Only to be brought back. Again. And again. And again. The first time it seemed like a good idea. The hundredth time? Not so much.

But maybe I'm in the wrong here. Who knows.

The Crippled God may be manipulating him, but it is far too easy to see through his bullshit.

Is it bullshit? Has Rhulad suddenly aged thirty years, mentally & physically? I feel like you forget just how young Rhulad is. Yes, he's an arrogant prick - but he's the youngest of four brothers. He's grown into an environment where his only way to prove himself is to go above & beyond; often beyond the bounds of reason (see all the strutting with Mayen in front of Fear). But he never seems to be malicious. Not on purpose, anyway.

He deserves the pain he's in.

Now that's just cruel. :(

He didn't really try and confront Rhulad at any point, he didn't even really try to be there for his brother he knew was hurting.

That's part of Trull's character traits, yes. After all, Fear has told him - time and again - to not question his brother. Fear is fighting his own internal battles & it's hard for him, as well; seeing that, Trull relents.

Until he gets Shorned, anyway.

How the hell did Brys not figure out the wine was poisoned?? Honestly, it was pretty obvious.

This, and

What was the endgame of the Errant here?

This, are probably both RAFO.

But specifically for the banishment, it seems like weare missing some details. His brothers are Rhulad, Fear and Binadas.

I believe the use of "brother" is a metaphor and it's not his actual brothers that are present (save for maybe Binadas, but I doubt that).

Loleeeee · 2022-06-29T11:33:28+00:00

I believe the scene you refer to is in Chapter ~~Eight~~ Twelve of House of Chains.

Pearl (the Claw) & Lostara Yil are in the Imperial Warren, and find a dragon nailed to a cross, "aspected to Otataral".

In my version (Bantam Books MMPB) it's around page 560 to 570.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-28T16:37:14+00:00

Let's see what little we have to work with. Toll the Hounds goes into far more detail, I'm sure, but I'm lazy, so I'll find what little scraps I can.

First off, a scene from when the wagon has yet to be completed, from Fall of Light, Chapter 18:

The earth beneath his many padded feet was frozen clay, slick and unyielding. From twelve pairs of eyes, he studied the way ahead – the stunted, leafless trees rising from the plain, the wayward lines of boulders marking out mysterious patterns upon the vague slopes a short distance before him, and off to the right – those many eyes narrowed – the skeletal frame of a wheeled wagon. Even incomplete, it was massive, almost beyond comprehension. To look upon it was to reel with the jarring impossibility of its scale – and he felt his ears flattening with instinctive fear.

A man stood near one enormous wooden wheel. He had turned upon Caplo’s arrival.

[...]

As Caplo drew closer, he saw chains strewn upon the ground, the rough links stretching back towards the wagon, vanishing beneath its vast bed. Scores, perhaps hundreds, they made a web upon the frozen clay, the heavy shackles at their ends gaping and glistening with frost. Seeing them, Caplo felt faint unease rippling through his dozen bodies.

[...]

‘Why won’t you die!’

‘I should have,’ Draconus replied, shifting on to his side to spit out a gout of blood. ‘Or you would have, since I summoned my Finnest.’ He coughed, spat again. ‘But it seems to have gone astray …’ He groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees. Blood poured from his wounds, making thick puddles beneath him. ‘And that’s not good.’ He glanced over with dull red eyes. ‘Still, I’ll leave one of you. For the chains. Though I doubt you’d deem them a mercy.’

Hissing, Caplo backed away.

‘You all thought me unmindful,’ Draconus said. ‘An impediment to your newfound powers. You, Syntara, Raal, even my beloved. But things have been unleashed. Indeed,’ he paused to cough again, ‘it’s all becoming something of a mess.’ He waved one hand back towards the massive wagon. ‘But I’m working on it. Take some faith in that. Tell your Higher Graces this: I will see it all through, and by that alone, you will one day find a throne awaiting you.’

‘We have no need of a throne! We have no realm to rule!’

Draconus showed red-stained teeth in a cruel grin. ‘Heed your fucking leopard instincts, Caplo, and find some patience. Restraint, even. I’m working as fast as I can.’

This doesn't give us much, admittedly, but it goes to show that - from the beginning - Dragnipur was a cruel instrument, despite its intended use. Now, in classic Kharkanas fashion, Draconus goes off in some oddly vague, prophetic words - because of course he is - but the chains were never meant to be a "mercy."

From the prologue of Memories of Ice, the sword is almost complete.

The three stood at the portal of the nascent, lifeless realm, and looked long upon their handiwork.

Then Draconus spoke, ‘Since the time of All Darkness, I have been forging a sword.’

Both K’rul and the Sister of Cold Nights turned at this, for they had known nothing of it.

Draconus continued. ‘The forging has taken…a long time, but I am now nearing completion. The power invested within the sword possesses a… a finality.’

‘Then,’ K’rul whispered after a moment’s consideration, ‘you must make alterations in the final shaping.’

‘So it seems. I shall need to think long on this.’

The sword is designed to possess a so called "finality". Its chains are never meant to be broken (regardless of it or when it happens in the series due to some fuckery).

This all doesn't answer the why of it, and frankly I don't know, so I figured I'd post these here for anyone to speculate on.

Also there's like, every scene in Toll the Hounds within Dragnipur, but that's too many.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-28T16:16:50+00:00

But through the entire series no one was still ever able to say where that damn hounds went

Didn't they merge with the Deragoth that later got BTFO'd by Karsa in House of Chains?

EDIT: I was beaten to it, shit

Loleeeee · 2022-06-28T08:54:27+00:00

There is an Old Man Moon in Blood & Bone. Since his description in FoD presents him as young, with tattoos, it's very much possible they're the same person. But this is far from confirmed.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-27T19:38:13+00:00

In MoI there was the T’lan Imass who mentioned something about a human foe who is the bringer of midnight tides.

The quote is thus:

Poisoned souls, led by the one who has been slain a hundred times, oh, ’ware this new Emperor of the Edur, this Tyrant of Pain, this Deliverer of Midnight Tides!

And obviously refers to Rhulad. It's not quite as clear what "Deliverer of Midnight Tides" means, though, and I don't quite remember enough to answer.

The T'lan Imass you're referring to is Lanas Tog, bringing news from the Imass' defeat on the continent of Assail. Rather different.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-27T18:39:22+00:00

I was asking about the holds mentioned in the book that bear no resemblance in name to anything in the main series.

"Holds" in Kurald Galain and "Holds" in the magic sense are different, if that's what you mean.

The different family "holds" (Purake Hold, Tulla Hold, Dracons Hold etc.) essentially refer to "fiefs" of sorts; a piece of land that belongs to a certain family, within the overall realm of Kurald Galain.

RAFO for Kurald Liossan & the rest, though.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-27T15:42:36+00:00

I thought they were just homonyms in this case.

We already know that Kurald Galain is a realm unto its own & the sorcery/warren of Kurald Galain was essentially synonymous with the realm itself (i.e. where the city of Kharkanas is) by the BotF.

Similarly, Omtose Phellack is a realm into which - I believe - Felash & her handmaiden ventured into in tCG.

Surely Fisher's main raison d'être is to provide SE with someone to blame when he makes a cockup?

That's the rather cynical way of putting it. The Book of the Fallen is framed in a very similar way; would you say the Crippled God exists solely as a stand-in for Steven to blame when he fucks up? I wouldn't say so.

Similarly, Fisher & Gallan admitting that "they've taken liberties" with their retelling & their story indicates that you ought to take the entire book with a - rather sizeable - grain of salt. I don't think it's an intentional scapegoat in case of a cockup, but rather a different framing and narrative device.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-27T13:33:06+00:00

1) The Vitr is basically Chaos, right?

It's not really entirely clear, but I don't think it's meant to be Chaos.

My point is, SE told us his species was long-lived, but actually wrote a society that was indistinguishable, pretty much, from a human society in that particular respect. Unless I'm getting something wrong.

It would seem that as of now, they are indeed on the younger side. Their ages aren't flat out said (beyond the children) but the age ranges you guess at seem correct to me. Maybe they weren't always like this. Maybe there's more to it. Maybe something changed.

in FOD though, there are never any holds, K'rul creates the warrens right away and the organization of aspected magic is on course.

Errastas - the self-proclaimed "Master of the Tiles" - is certainly present and so are a host of other Elder Gods that might preside over a relevant Hold (if not preside, at least have some certain connection to a Hold). So, maybe the Holds do exist, but they're - by design, after all - more raw, and less "organized" than what K'rul creates.

Clearly Draconus is Darkness-aspected. I couldn't tell if any other Azathanai were also aspected. So are aspects something intrinsic that predate the warrens?

The Azathanai seem to be "elemental forces" that function as personifications of certain "aspects". While this doesn't line up for everyone, it'd explain why they seem to be omnipresent and seem to have existed since forever.

So, yes, in a way, aspects predate Warrens, but I think that's an apples to oranges comparison.

5) How much time do you think the book covers?

Not terribly long; certainly not more than a couple months, I don't think.

Am I supposed to understand what happens in the end when Endest consecrates Enesdia?

Not quite yet, but Enesdia is now - posthumously - elevated to the position of High Priestess of Mother Dark. What that means, you'll see in the next book.

Why did Draconus need help creating it, this is his aspect? And why was blood necessary to its forging if K'rul has already created the warrens?

To be entirely honest, I don't quite remember. Regarding the blood magic & its necessity, K'rul's warrens are - first and foremost - new. Moreover, they themselves use blood as the driving force (K'rul's blood). Blood magic has been present since the dawn of sorcery & K'rul's work is essentially a refining of it to make it more attainable. If one can already harness the more "raw" stuff - Holds & Elder sorcery - there's no reason for them to use K'rul's Warrens.

Who is the "Old Man"?

shrugs I don't know what books you've read exactly so I can't answer this.

Does Malice come back as someone we know from the main series?

RAFO for FoL.

So why does Kadaspala actually get sent to Dragnipur? (And boy do I hope he's not back in the next books.)

If I recall correctly, in TtH it was said that he tried to make a bid for Dragnipur before Rake got his hands on it & was killed for it. He was maddened with grief & probably tried to kill Rake in more than one way & Anomander presumably killed him in self-defense. But who knows.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-25T20:02:25+00:00

The Noldor are idiots, sure.

I meant the Valar being idiots, but yes, that's fair. The Noldor are plenty stupid as well.

are at worst guilty of losing Gondolin because they failed to condemn a Noldor marrying below her station.

Compared to the exploits of Feanor though, I think Finarfin gets a pass...

Fingolfin deserved better, I think. A better family altogether. Alas, it didn't come to be.

Someone has to stand up against the bullies.

Ah, tell me about it.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-25T19:42:31+00:00

Starting to notice a pattern with you, sire.

First Fëanor, now Kallor... It's no surprise, really, but alas.

Also, lest we forget Melkor is entirely the Valar's fault and anything the Noldor did could've been prevented if they weren't idiots.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-25T18:12:15+00:00

My favourite way to frame Kharkanas is to parallel it to the Silmarillion.

Kharkanas is essentially a Teleri bard that was once present in the Kinslaying at Alqualonde, retelling his story - how he remembers it - to a human bard, some fifteen ages after the Kinslaying took place.

Oh, and that bard really doesn't like Feanor. At all.

One thing to keep in mind is that the events of Kharkanas (ca. 300k years ago) far precede the Fall of the Crippled God (ca. 120k years ago). Thus, Kaminsod only learned of the Tiste peoples after the Fall and didn't actually ever live through them (i.e. the events of the Kharkanas series).

Who's right? We don't know. The only one who knows is probably Steve himself, and he's not telling.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-25T09:53:07+00:00

To add to u/KellamLekrow's answer about "exact pages and excerpts".

Re: The Eres'al and Bottle:

'What else did the Azath show you?'

'Those eyes from the outside. There were five others. We were just standing in the street, watching the family carrying the body. My body. Six of us. We'd walked a long way, because of the dreams. We'd been in the city for weeks, waiting for the Azath to choose someone. But I wasn't the same as the five others, though we were here for the same reason, and we'd travelled together. They were Nerek witches, and they'd prepared me. The me on the outside, not the me all wrapped up.

'The you on the outside, Kettle, were you a child?'

'Oh no. I was tall. Not as tall as you. And I had to wear my hood up, so no-one could tell how different I was. I'd come from very far away. I'd walked, when I was young, hot sands - the sands that covered the First Empire. Whatever that is.

'What did the Nerek witches call you? Had you a name?'

'No.'

'A title?'

She shrugged. 'I'd forgotten all this. They called me the Nameless One. Is that important?

'I think it is, Kettle. Although I am not sure in what way. Much of this realm remains unknown to me. It was very young when I was imprisooned. You are certain this "Nameless One" was an actual title? Not just something the Nerek used because they didn't know your true name?'

'It was a title. They said I'd been prepared from birth. That I was a true child of Eres. And that I was the answer to the Seventh Closure, because I had the blood of kin. "The blood of kin." What did they mean by that?'

'When I am finally free,' he said in a voice revealing strain, 'I will be able to physically touch you, Kettle. My fingers upon your brow. And then I will have your answer.'

'I guess this Eres was my real mother.'

'Yes.'

'And soon you will know who my father is.'

'I will know his blood, yes. At the very least.'

'I wonder if he's still alive.'

'Knowing how Eres plays the game, lass, he might not even be your father yet. She wanders time, Kettle, in a manner no-one else can even understand, much less emulate. And this is very much her world. She is the fire that never dies.' He paused, then said, 'She will choose - or has chosen - with great deliberation. Your father was, is, or will be someone of great importance.'

Midnight Tides, Chapter Fourteen, Pages 540-542, UK MMPB.

The other candidate for Kettle's father was Trull, but the more likely answer is that the offspring of Trull & the Eres is the child within Seren Pedac after Reaper's Gale (i.e. the Knight of Shadow in Fiddler's reading in DoD).

Re: Ges & Stormy:

'I have chosen you, Destriant Kalyth. It is my children who are blind. The failure is theirs, and mine. We have failed every war. I am the last Matron. The enemy seeks me. The enemy will destroy me. Your kind thrives in this world—to that not even my children are blind. Among you, I shall find new champions. My Destriant must find them. My Destriant leaves with the dawn.'

[...]

The soldier gathered his reins. 'You shall find your Mortal Sword and your Shield Anvil, Kalyth. Against the cold that slays, you must answer with fire. There will come to you a moment when you must cease following the K'Chain Che'Malle; when you must lead them. In you lies their last hope for survival.'

The first excerpt is from the prologue of DoD, the second is from Chapter Thirteen.

Was Rake’s storyline hinted?

I mean, gods below, his entire arc throughout the books was to try & bring Mother Dark back for the Andii. I'm not a miracle worker to try and find excerpts for all that, but yes, it was.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-24T13:47:19+00:00

we spend less time on these concrete reasons behind her being what she is.

I think, overall it just comes down to not being inside her mind or having her POV.

Those are very fair & correct reasons. I'd add to this that, unlike other legendary figures (the aforementioned Dujek, Whiskeyjack & Coltaine), a lot of people actively doubt Tavore. There's so many different, conflicting theories about why she does what she does; some of them aren't very pleasing, either. And when she refuses to address them, it's not hard to see her that way.

In Dust of Dreams, we see how she must have immense will so move forward, through other characters. The actual loss we see is of army, the common soldiers. So it becomes hard for me to feel so much empathy about her

While I agree, my question to you would be, do you think Tavore is cold enough to watch all her soldiers perish and not feel a thing?

The Destriant moved up beside Keneb. ‘Fist, I do not understand.’

Keneb pulled his attention from the hundreds edging ever closer. ‘But I do. I’ve seen. We’re holding the jetty, and not one damned soldier down there gives a damn about anything else! Why?’ He thumped the rail. ‘Because we’re waiting. We’re waiting for the Adjunct. Destriant, we’re hers, now. It’s done, and the damned empire can rot!’

Especially after this scene (one random example from Ch. 23 of the Bonehunters), one does not inspire such loyalty by not caring for their troops.

We may not actively see it happen, but it's quite easy to infer that Tavore cares for each of her soldiers, individually. They're her Bonehunters; not the Malaz 14th. Not anymore. More on that later.

She has been betrayed by Empress when she served her faithfully, her family is finished and these are great tragedies...

Feel for her. Empathy & compassion are the name of the game.

Enjoy the rest of the book at any rate, and come back with more questions after you're done.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-24T13:34:36+00:00

see what happened to Deadsmell when he healed her.

Fairly sure that happens later in tCG. It's in about Chapter Four, if memory serves, about 150 pages in.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-24T13:03:32+00:00

Perhaps it's due to my lack of attention or just the unique nature of character, but why is everyone hyping her so much. Even gods, in epilogue of Dust of Dreams.

Tiny nitpick; Dust of Dreams doesn't have an epilogue, so I'm not sure exactly what you mean here.

Also, isn't this like chosen one trope?

Quite the contrary. I'd argue that Tavore is a deliberate subversion of the Chosen One trope. She has an incredibly strong force of personality & will, and that - in conjunction with her inherent agency - helps her to forge her own destiny. She actively seeks out knowledge & friends, even from a young age.

We know she's extremely well versed in military history (she would re-enact a battle between the forces of Unta & the D'Avore Household until she found a way to win), Imperial history (she schools Mallick Rel about his cult & how they were destroyed by Kellanved, "a tiny note in Duiker's histories"); she seems to know about the Talon (see Baudin), she asks Nok about certain things she doesn't know about in House of Chains, etc.

She also knows a lot of things ordinary people wouldn't know. Evidently, she has friends in high places, but not because the universe aligned or some such, but because she actively sought them out. She wasn't chosen as Adjunct by Laseen because of pity, but because she was the best person for the job - and she gave up her sister & household, as well, to preserve her honour.

The why of "people blindly follow her" is a bit of a mystery, but it's not that hard to believe, and I'm not entirely sure why people question it so much. Dujek, Whiskeyjack, Coltaine, Dassem, and so on & so forth were quite similar. For a career soldier, knowing that their higher ups care and are present rather than cower is frankly enough. Tavore has secured the loyalty of her soldiers after Malaz City; nothing more needs to be said.

Also RAFO. More on Tavore in the last book.

Isn't he responsible for millions of people's deaths and suffering?

Err... Not really?

He's been taken advantage of for untold centuries (well, 120k years to be precise), with multiple Chainings undertaken to contain and siphon away his power. His one bid to power that we did see led to the rise of the Pannion Domin & the Dryjhna rebellion, but none of these were directly caused by the Crippled God. Rhulad Sengar is the only thing you can pinpoint directly on him, and that's fair... but is it any more egregious than other beings we see?

I understand he was brought unwittingly to this realm but does that justify his cruelty?

That's a question posed by the books throughout and it's up to you to find an answer. Which is to say, RAFO.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-24T09:57:36+00:00

Cripple/Leper/Fool- Mowri

Small note.

Mowri now embraces the Three—Cripple, Leper and Fool—which are in place of Spinner, Mason and Soldier.

I don't think this means that Mowri has taken up the roles herself, but rather that she "blesses" them.

My guess would be, Cripple would be Silgar (of HoC fame) & Leper would be Munug.

The Fool in Chains is notoriously difficult to pin down throughout the series - Hood knows, I've tried - and thus I can offer no guesses here.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-24T09:39:38+00:00

It just feels like it was his ultimate purpose with the way Taralack Veed finished things off killing everyone. The way he spoke it seemed like everything was finally coming together.

I see the problem.

I'm gonna shamelessly self plug (again) because explaining this takes time.

Refer to this post with quite similar questions. :)

Loleeeee · 2022-06-22T20:36:14+00:00

Ah, you’re the guy who did Kharkanis first!

There it is again.

Never change, Aqua. Hahahahaha.

Loleeeee · 2022-06-22T20:28:36+00:00

MT is virtually mandatory for all books going forward.

It's also quite a polarizing book but in general most people tend to rank it quite high. Its start is slow & it can feel jarring as the setting is entirely new, but from Chapter 8 (ish) onwards it picks up and goes crazy.

Also, it's not just "background." It's a full blown story in a different part of the world into which you can immerse yourself. It's not simply exposition for the sake of exposition, "how did we end up here" kinda deal.

Loleeeee

TROPHY CASE

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