NOM

[Bannor]

If one said the word, "NOM," the sandgorgon came and destroyed the one who said it. What if the name NOM was said accidentally? If someone were going to say nominate and got cut off before he could say the whole word, why didn't NOM come and get him? Was NOM able to tell when someone's intent was to say his name and when someone just made a mistake?

[robo]

Oh, I'm sure an intent was required.

[danlo]

There's alot we don't know about Sandgorgons! They probably had a reason for attacking the Braitharians...the acoustics of the earth the Land sits on have to be PRETTY darn good for Sandgorgons to be able to hear their names so far away...so what else can explain it--earthpower? If it's earthpower then the Sandgorgons must be cool! Perhaps they were turned into evil-nasty beasts by that evil-nasty beast The Kaseryn of Gyre. I hope we find out more about them in the 3rd Chrons...I think when you call their names it has to be one of your last resorts and you have to mean it!!! You can scream Vain! all you want, but it would all be in vain,...

[Bannor]

EWWW, Danlo! Puns should be outlawed! (But it sure was funny )

[Quaan]

i think the thing with nom sounds alot like the way the ranyhyn(spelling) answered the calls from the lord/bloodguard.
its almost like they knew the call was coming before they were actually called, which gave the appearance of them being to cover long distances so quickly.

[aliantha]

They did, actually, know that the call was coming before it was made. Didn't they? I read that somewhere, didn't I? Must've been in IEW, when Hile Troy and the gang mounted up -- I think one of the Haruchai explained that to Covenant as they watched the Ranyhyn gallop toward Revelstone. Or am I hallucinating this?

[Bannor]

It is true that the Ranyhyn knew of their call before it came and so were already close at hand when the call came, but this was not said of sandgorgans. On P.289 of TOT, The Kemper says, "The Sandgorgans answer their release swiftly. Distance has no meaning to such power." No mention is made that the sandgorgons knew of their call before it was made.

[danlo]

I still contend that the Sandgorgons were originally cool...but this point questions my argument: According to SHFF in LFB, and Giants in TOT, the Giants were in the service of the Braithiar in repelling the Sandgorgons. This raises alot of questions--were those Giants bound by their service? (I think they were..can't totally remember..) Or did they recognize the Sandgorgons as bad? Or did they not know whether they were good or evil? Perhaps they were just working to stop conflict? Were the Sandgorgons originally cool and something transformed them? Did Kayseryn come in to create Sandgorgon's Doom just as the Old Giants were leaving, or dispersing if you will? Perhaps Kayseryn was the one who transformed them--thus setting up a quick access to power in Braithiar by then controlling them? And what about the time before (and maybe after they left, if there is a gap..) the Old Giants came: if the Sandgorgons are as strong as we've seen why didn't they just wipe out the Braithar? Either there's too many unanswered questions or I need to jump back into TOT, probably the latter...

[Tohrm]

It was said somewhere that the sandgorgons were mindless beasts, so they probably did not know what they were doing. Instead they were just doing, period. Just going along and surviving in their own fashion.
But now here's a question for you. Now that Nom is an intelligent sandgorgon, is he going to work to release all of his "imprisoned" brothers? And also, is he going to find some means to bring up their intelligence as well? They would provide one heck of a fighting force against anybody they went up against if they were an intelligent species.

[Bannor]

Good thought, Tohrm! They would be formidible force indeed! Of course, you'd have to say all their names at once to get the whole group there at one time!

[Lauralin]

But the only reason that a sandgorgon had to come when his name was called was because Kasyren chose that to be the flaw of Sandgorgons doom. So after Kasryen died and the intelligent Nom figured out how to undoo the Doom, wouldn't that rule no longer be applicable?

[aliantha]

I'm still stuck with the image of a platoon of sandgorgons at TC's beck and call. Hello, 3d Chrons, anyone?

[danlo]

I agree w/aliantha now I can't get the picture of a HUGE platoon of Sandgorgons coming over the hill, that's ALOT of dust!!--how would you call all their names @ once? now as loud as you can: "HEY SANDGORGONS!!!!" (sounds like Lou Costello! )

[Caer-Caveral]

But now here's a question for you. Now that Nom is an intelligent sandgorgon, is he going to work to release all of his "imprisoned" brothers? And also, is he going to find some means to bring up their intelligence as well? They would provide one heck of a fighting force against anybody they went up against if they were an intelligent species.

Yep, it's stated pretty explicitly during "White Gold Wielder" that Nom is going to return to release the rest of the Sandgorgons. Covenant and Linden actively encourage him, although Covenant asks him to leave the Brathairain alone, and Nom agrees.

[xp_spec]

"NOM" is such an interesting word for such evil creatures. Why not name them Nofnee's, then people wouldn't accidentally call them. But I mean if someone actually said NOM it would be purposeful because nowhere in the whole series does anyone say nominate of nomenclature or anything like that. Going back to the original question of this Topic I think that maybe a better question would be, "Was any word beginning with "NOM" found in any of the Chronicles?" BUT That is just my opinion

[Lauralin]

Why do you call Nom evil? He didn't seem particularly EVIL, he was forced by Kasryn's powers to attack those who said his name. And you said "creatures," Nom, was only one of them; it seemed as though you could say different names to call the different sandgorgons.

Hehehe....all those sandgorgons WOULD be quite a site

[amanibhavam]

he was not evil, just savage to the extreme

[Skyweir]

I personally really liked NOM ... he was an innocent agent of the Kasreyn .. so not personally driven to be destructive he was controlled by some spell or curse thingy Kasreyn placed on him .. He himself .. was cool!!

Interesting about the accidental call thingo that could happen .. occassionally I find myself humming NOM sounding noises in place of words I dont know .. also when parents want to encourage their kids to eat they often utter NOM NOM's to their little one's .. or is it more NUM NUM's .. I forget .. but its very similar and would take a discriminating ear to distinguish between to two utterances!!

[amanibhavam]

NOM is also the sacred syllable in Sanscrit, isn't it?

[NOM]

NOM was one of my favourite characters and i too hope to hear more from him in the third chronicles. There has to be a third chronicles or i dont think i can go on...