TWL Chapter 17: Blood-Speed

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DukkhaWaynhim
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TWL Chapter 17: Blood-Speed

Post by DukkhaWaynhim »

As a desert sun rises on the Center Plains, Covenant, infused with and exalted by the gift of Waynhim-blood, trots his way toward Revelstone, hoping to learn what fate has befallen his companions. Vain lopes along beside him, like a fluid automaton, impervious to the Sunbane and completely unaware of anything but maintaining a detached accompaniment of Covenant.

Thanks to the Waynhim transfusion, TC has knowledge of the named regions through which he is traveling, and we are graced with SRD's ability to come up with etymologically-imbued-with-meaning and phonetically-pleasing place-names.

For a day, straight through the night, and for nearly all of a second day of desert sun, he runs using Waynhim power, casually sipping vitrim (almost needlessly, it would seem). His ecstasy of eldritch energy expires near nightfall, and he regretfully continues, though now only at a steady walk.

Intending to walk for most of the night, he almost immediately comes within spying distance of a small campfire. He sneaks close enough to identify a female Rider of the Clave who has made camp for the evening, and is in the process of stealthily resuming his solo (well, do you count Vain?) journey, when he is approached by one very hairy, growling-angry Courser. This alerts the Rider, Memla na-Mhoram-in, to her guest. She almost immediately recognizes him as the Halfhand, and he finds out that she (and a few other Riders fanning about Revelstone's outer approach) have been expecting him, though not as quickly as he had arrived.

Once Memla dispatches the Courser ["Din! Watch and ward"] she and Covenant have a tense first meeting, where she becomes increasingly vexed over his attitude toward the Clave and his complete lack of trust in even basic hospitality. Covenant, for his part, is extremely wary, since he has–through Sunder's word and his own experiences–so far a less-than-shining opinion of the Clave, and is anxious to know what has happened to his friends.

After an expository tutorial on rukhs and their abilities, given through Memla's explanation of how she came by her information of Sivit [the na-Mhoram-wist who was trying to claim Hollian in Crystal Stonedown], Memla claims no knowledge that Santonin [the na-Mhoram-in who the Graveler of Stonemight Woodhelven says captured Linden, Sunder, and Hollian and bereft the Stonedown of its Stonemight] has captives, or has even passed nearby, only that he has been away from Revelstone for many days. TC is wary of this, but doesn't press, other than ask whether Santonin could have passed undetected. Memla concedes that this is possible, but is frustrated at the implications of duplicity that he is making about her fellow Clave-men.

Covenant decides to trust Memla enough to bear him to Revelstone, though in Unbeliever fashion he isn't making it pleasant for her.
The next morning, another desert sun crests the horizon, and Memla and Covenant make a days journey toward Revelstone on the back of the Courser. En route, Covenant gets Memla to talk of the Rede [including the Three Corners of Truth, a three-premise creed that hinges everything around the Sunbane, and provides the metaphoric basis for the triangular rukh design], and Covenant learns that it is essentially based on a lie claiming Berek Halfhand betrayed the Land and joined with a-Jeroth of the Seven Hells [the Clave name for Lord Foul]. He keeps this to himself, not knowing how to discount her belief, thinking that the only way to prove himself is to destroy the Sunbane. He manages to offend Memla anyway, and she refuses to tell him more that day.

The next few days bring suns of fertility, and Memla must now use her rukh to clear a path for her Courser to continue towards Revelstone. Covenant remarks on Vain's amazing ability to keep pace behind the Courser, though Memla's path closes so quickly behind them that the Demondim-spawn is forced to travel unaided through the organic obstacles laid out for him by the Sunbane. This he does without exertion, blankly, and with complete success.

They come upon Revelstone rather suddenly, leaving the out-of-control flora of the fertile sun behind as they gain the rocky area surrounding the Keep.

Revelstone is described anew, and Covenant is struck again by it's lasting magificence, which leads him to briefly mourn the loss of the Giants and their grand abilty to carve such a work of both obvious and inscrutable beauty from the stone of the promontory.

Memla sets the Courser straight for the entrance tunnel beyond the broken outer gates, but Covenant quickly dismounts and refuses to enter until the na-Mhoram himself comes and promises him safety within the keep.
Gibbon, the na-Mhoram, does come out, alone and bearing only an iron crozier (a taller version of a rukh) apparently as a sign of his office. He is a rather plain, monk-like leader, except for bright red eyes, of course. His blandness doesn't set well with Covenant, but after a brief discussion about who should mistrust whom, Gibbon does believably claim no knowledge of Santonin's whereabouts or any word of Covenant's companions.

He invites Covenant (and only Covenant) to enter, who after brief hesitation follows him up to the great inner gates of Revelstone. Gibbon re-enters, and as soon as Covenant follows him, the gate slams shut behind him, shutting Vain out completely, and leaving Covenant in darkness. [END OF CHAPTER]

The main theme in this chapter is mistrust. Nobody trusts nobody. I think Donaldson finesses his way through presenting Memla to us, because in a relatively short time, he has to introduce Memla, give us a believable idea of her life in faithful service to the Clave, and then immediately start attacking her belief system at the very core. The attack hasn't begun quite yet, but you can see it brewing just beyond the margin.

There is also a decent amount of explanation in this chapter about the powers of rukhs, and how communication and tracking can occur through them.

Finally, this is the first time we meet Gibbon, and though we are seeing things through Covenant's blunted senses, he seems to instinctively dislike Gibbon, who is so bland that he isn't believable, though everything he says seems to make sense.

The only issue I have with the whole chapter is the under-reaction to Gibbon's red eyes---the fact that, other than note their color, Covenant doesn't seem to think that's the slightest bit odd. Sure, he's got red eyes, but I'm more worried about how calm and beatific the guy is. THAT's weird.

Note that to prepare myself for this analysis, quotation wise, I did type the whole darn thing into Word. Going forward, I can post bits as needed, though I managed throughout my synopsis and short analysis NOT to quote passages.

Let me know if you'd like to see any portion quoted, and let the dissection begin!

DW
[Weird, warped, and weary of typing for a few hours]
Last edited by DukkhaWaynhim on Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Earthblood
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Post by Earthblood »

Very nice opening Dukkha!
I always thought this a cool way for SRD to move TC fast enough to catch up to his companions, while giving a little geography lesson at the same time!!

Melma (I love that name...) does seem to be of a different ilk than the other riders we have encountered so far - the others have been downright nasty & evil, while Melma is actually trying to be hospitable to TC, he obviously distrusts her, which really doesn't sit well with her. Is this besause she is generally a decent person, or because he is "The Halfhand" and she's supposed to be nice to him???

Dukkha says:
The main theme in this chapter is mistrust. Nobody trusts nobody. I think Donaldson finesses his way through presenting Memla to us, because in a relatively short time, he has to introduce Memla, give us a believable idea of her life in faithful service to the Clave, and then immediately start attacking her belief system at the very core. The attack hasn't begun quite yet, but you can see it brewing just beyond the margin.
I agree completely.
Spoiler
We see what Melma's trust of the Clave gets her in the next couple of chapters...
And, you do make a good point about Gibbon's red eyes, dukkha - doesn't TC think that a bit odd?
Spoiler
I don't recall off-hand if any of the Ravers had been previously described as having red eyes
All-in-all, a very good lead in Dukkha!!! Thanks!

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Post by Revan »

I didn't know what to think of melma at this point... Do you think that Thomas' mistrust is wrong?
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Post by caamora »

I don't think that his distrust is wrong. TC has already been told of the Clave and the wrong that they envoke under the guise of goodness. I would also distrust Memla. Also the fact that Covenant cannot "see" - he already misses the crutch of Linden's sight - he cannot decipher if Memla is worthy of his trust.


Did any of that make sense? :?
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Revan
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Post by Revan »

Yes it did... I pretty much think the same... though he could have been a little nicer towards her.
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Post by dlbpharmd »

Great job, Dukka, and thanks for answering the #1 question I've had about TWL since I first read it:
Thanks to the Waynhim transfusion, TC has knowledge of the named regions through which he is traveling, and we are graced with SRD's ability to come up with etymologically-imbued-with-meaning and phonetically-pleasing place-names.
The first time through I thought "where are these names coming from?" I even went back through TCTC trying to find these regions listed. It never occurred to me that these names came from the Waynhim.
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Post by Dromond »

Superb narration, DukkaWayhnim! Thank you.

I too, as Earthblood said, was surprised and delighted with the unexpected tactic of Blood-Speed for TC to catch up with his companions.
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Post by matrixman »

I was awed by the image of Vain smashing effortlessly through the jungle to keep pace with Memla's Courser. This display of Vain in action makes his rescue of Covenant from Stonemight Woodhelven earlier seem like a quaint episode by comparison:
He met the sharper test of each new league as if no size or density of vegetation could ever estimate his limits...Time and again, Covenant found himself craning his neck, watching Vain's progress and wondering at the sheer unconscious force it represented.
This demonstration of Vain's unfathomable strength further showed that he was unlike any entity seen before in the known history of The Land. At this point, our puzzlement over Vain only deepens: What on earth must he be made of? What grave and terrible purpose must he serve, that requires such frightening strength?
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Post by Seafoam Understone »

Covenant was mistrustful of Melma for good reason. The other riders of the Clave didn't show much respect or hospitality to him or his friends before why should THIS one be any different? Covenant knows Foul and knows his servants. He knows how Foul can twist and distort things to his will. The evidence is first presented by the ones in "our"world.
Hearing Melma's story of the Clave and the distorted version of Berek confirms this.
Covenant is also applying "our world" thinking (intentional or not) to the members of the Clave's believe/attitude towards them is: that the best thing to do with anything dangerous is to destroy it (as we did with predatory animals here in America and abroad). Since Covenant and his friends are considered dangerous by the Clave then what other purpose COULD they want with them other than their destruction?
If I were in TC's shoes I'd be leery of a group of people who's soul purpose is to bleed people to death because "it's the right thing to do" it is "a necessary thing."
Mebbe Melma and the others aren't evil per se' but their actions are and their guidance by a
Spoiler
raver
is the root of their evil acts. I believe that Covenant instinctively knows who Gibbon/Na-Mahoram is and anyone who is associated with him shouldn't be trusted at all.
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Post by kastenessen »

Great job Duhkka!
And I agree completely with your theme about mistrust. Of course TC is mistrustful against Memla. So far TC has only heard and seen bad things from the Clave, though but here, for the first time do we meet someone of the Clave who, to us, seems ok, misled but ok. Anyway, it isn't at all strange that TC acts as he does...

...and thank you for bringing up the idea of the Waynhim and the names of places. Great idea...Just love the names: Victuallin Tayne, Greshas Slant, Andelainscion, Centerpith Barrens, Richloam, Emmacrimmas Maw and many more...

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Post by Cord Hurn »

DukkhaWaynhim wrote:Thanks to the Waynhim transfusion, TC has knowledge of the named regions through which he is traveling, and we are graced with SRD's ability to come up with etymologically-imbued-with-meaning and phonetically-pleasing place-names.
I particularly liked "Andelainscion". :)
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