I have done my reading and some research but I still feel rather daunted by the task at hand. Truly, all day at work on "Haven Farm" (the small ranch I run, close 2 SRD's home...) I have been looking at the Sandia Mts and seeing Revelstone and when I look at Blackie and Super, and the white markings on their foreheads, I see Ranyhyn...Literally I have been lost in the Land. Hopefully, I haven't consumed so much springwine tonight to want to grow a beard, feel my impotence and rot inwardly...
Korik's Mission and "Lord Kevin's Lament" are pivotal chapters in The Illearth War. In a way, they recap alot of pertinent information from Lord Foul's Bane (especially the Giant's situation) and fill in many gaps of what has happened in the fourty years that Covenant has been absent from the Land. These chapters begin to set the stage of differing missions about to unfold and, in a way, begin 2 branch out into a number of differing points of view, some alternate to Covenant's, that will capture the magnitude of the sweeping epic about to unfold.
Elena has replaced the deceased Osendrea as High Lord, and remember that, aside from Mhoram, many of the Lords we met in LFB have either passed on or returned home. High Lord Prothall, being so upset about his old friend Birinair dying in his place in Mt. Thunder elects to spend the rest of his days at his original home in the Northron Climbs. Now we are introduced 2 a whole slew of new Lords: Shethra, Verement, Trevor, Loerya, Amatin, Callindrill and, oh yeah, Hyrim son of Hoole.
The self-effacing, jovial and corpulent Hyrim comes to Covenant, in secret, to ask him to join Lord Shethra and himself on a mission to Seareach to determine the fate of the Giants. During the past fourty years Saltheart Foamfollower, who survived the calling of the Fire-Lions by running to Andelian, and other Giants have come and gone to Revelstone to share knowledge and aid in the preparations of the Gildelode keels and rudders that can help them find Home. But now that Loric's prophesy is almost fufilled contact with the Giants has been cut off.
During Covenant's summoning Mhoram was suddenly called away by a vision in which he saw the death of the Giants coming towards them. He could not determine the source of that death but told the Council that if aid wasn't given it could occur within month, if not weeks. Hyrim doubts himself on this mission but feels that Covenant and the white-gold could turn the tide and gain the aid of the Giants in the approaching war. Shethra's determined, straight forward attitude inspires hope but it is Korik's, Council appointed, mission to have the Bloodguard gain Seareach whether the Lords persevere or perish..."Now for three years a silence has lain over Seareach. No Giant has come to Revelstone--no Giant has set foot on the Upper Land."..."Oh we have not been idle, For a year we did nothing--Seareach is near fourhundred leages distant, and a silence of a year is not unusual. But after a year, we became concerned. Then for a year we sent messengers. None ever returned. During the spring, we sent an entire Eoman. Twenty warriors and their Warhaft did not return."
"Therefore the Council decided to risk no more warriors. In the summer, Lord Callindrill and Lord Amatin rode eastward with their Bloodguard, seeking passage. They were thrown back by a dark and nameless power in Sarangrave Flat. Sister Amatin would have died when her horse fell, but the Ranyhyn of Callindrill bore them both to safety. Thus a shadow has come between us and our ancient Rockbrothers, and the fate of the Giants is unknown."
A lover and afficiando of Giants Hyrim's naivete believes in Covenant and the power of the White Gold. His clandestine approach to him is against the wishes of Mhoram, who understands Covenant's limitations, and Elena who either has other plans for Covenant in the war or is too obessed with him and her own personal dillema to let him leave. Eventually Covenant denies Hyrim's reguest for a plethora of reasons including impotence, non-belief and guilt regarding the Giants.
So the Ranyhyn are called at dawn and the mission sets fourth. At this point the mission's POV was to have been take over by Korik, senior of the Haruchai, who lead the army befriended by High Lord Kevin centuries ago when the Bloodguard's Vow was initially taken...
To Korik, Hyrim says:
Gilden-Fire was ommitted from The Illearth War at this point because SRD and his publisher felt that Korik's POV and the ancient history of the Haruchai would distort the establishment of the reality, or non-reality, of the Land. Hile Troy's existence already begins to question this and Korik's mission, though it does go through Grimmerhorde, is not recounted until later on in Tull's Tale..."It is in my heart that you can measure the dangers ahead better than any Lord. You should speak of them, so that we may prepare. It may be that we should not risk Grimmerhorde or the Sarangrave, but should rather ride north and around, despite the added lenght of days."
I am starting to get to wordy and am beginning to take up too much space. So I need to come back tomorrow to talk about "Lord Kevin's Lament". As a teaser: this chapter questions Kevin's actions via the Ritual of Desecration, the role of the Bloodguard in present circumstances, highlights despair and Foul's deception all which lead to the Oath of Peace. Introduces Amok, questions Covenant's belief in the Land via Hile Troy and sets up a horrible confontation with Trell Atiaran-mate. In "Lord Kevin's Lament" we see, through Amok, references to people, creatures and lands that take place, much later on, in the second Chronicles.
Well before I begin to spoil I'll just say this: "Lord Kevin's Lament" has long been a source of some of the greatest quotes uttered by Servants of the Land on Kevin's Watch, such as: Bannor's wife being dead for 2000 years and Amok's famous line, "Those who know me have no need for my name." One of my favorite passages in this chapter is Covenant speaking to Troy,
Here Covenant is going to any lenghts to deny the reality of the Land, however Troy comes back with a beautiful retort, as to whether Covenant is imagining things or dreaming,"That is, assuming you exist at all. I've got an ideal about you. I must have made you up subconsciously so that I would have someone to argue with, Someone tell me I'm wrong."
There are tons more factors to be considered, and I will be back to argue them vehemently"Wait a minute! You can't deny this. You're responsible for your dreams, Covenant, Just like anybody else."
I just hope some of this made sense--cause it's a helluva lot of info 2 digest...
EGAD! 
AAAA shuddap danlo! Everyone else who just read this is just as messed up in the head...you don't have to make it any harder than it already is... 
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