Revelstone

[Bishop]

I was glad it was back in the Runes.

Revelstone has always in my mind been a character and a central part of the story. I wish I had some talent to Draw, I would love to draw it. ( lol I feel like Richard Dryfuss in Close Encounters, making little Revelstones out of things )

[CovenantJr]

Yes, I would have been gutted if it hadn't returned, though it never crossed my mind that it wouldn't. You know, I've never been able to picture Revelstone. I find the descriptions quite confusing.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Yes, I would have been gutted if it hadn't returned, though it never crossed my mind that it wouldn't. You know, I've never been able to picture Revelstone. I find the descriptions quite confusing.

Pitchwife murmured, "No words. There
are none. Your scant human tongue is void—•" Tears spread
through the creases of his face, mapping his emotion.

But the First said for him, "All tongues, Giantfriend. All
tongues lack such language. There is that in the granite glory
of the world's heart which may not be uttered with words.
All other expression must be dumb when the pure stone
speaks. And here that speech has been made manifest. Ah, my
heart!" Her voice rose as if she wanted to both sing and
keen. But for her also no words were adequate. Softly, she
concluded, "The Giants of the Land were taught much by
their loss of Home. I am humbled before them."

[drew]

What was the signifigance of the gates?
I mean why didn't the Voice tell Linden the frist time she asked about them? She had to wait until one of the humbledtold her, but it wasn't much of a story..."..Pitchwife and the First hung around for a few years and rebuilt the Gates..". I didn't find this alarming, why did the Voice want to hold this info from Linden...any ideas...?

[I'm Murrin]

What was the signifigance of the gates?
I mean why didn't the Voice tell Linden the frist time she asked about them? She had to wait until one of the humbledtold her, but it wasn't much of a story..."..Pitchwife and the First hung around for a few years and rebuilt the Gates..". I didn't find this alarming, why did the Voice want to hold this info from Linden...any ideas...?

Touchy thing, Haruchai honour. The Giants did a big favour for the Haruchai in rebuilding the gates, and then when the Haruchai decided Earthpower caused desecration, the Giants opposed them. Either they are not entirely happy about losing the giants' aid in such a way, or they have judged the giants because of it - and for whichever reason they may not like to speak of it.
Oh, and I just thought of this one - it's something to do with the Land's past, which the Haruchai don't want anyone to know.

[lurch]

..Aaah Revelstone,,quite rite, no Convenant story is complete without. Confusing?..well, only the outer two gates and ramparts are easily descernable in the writing and in the imagination. I seem to recall, somewhere in the 1st chronicles,,that the interior of Revelstone was specifically designed to confuse and slow down any enemy that managed to get beyond the 2nd gate. And the author has maintained the perpsective thru-out imho. The lack of detailed measurements in the comings and goings of folks inside, make a map impossible. I prefer the Escher perpspective as one has already posted an example of in another thread recently. I suspect, due to its Earth Power,,if it wanted to, Revelstone could change itself interiorly to further confound or trap any it decided was worthy.
..Yes,, the Harauchi as Masters in Revelstone is quite the contradiction. And they know it. A part of me wants to see them revenged apon. I mean, theres got to be a price paid for their arrogance,,a bigger price than they have paid so far. Perhaps Revelstone will be part of the extraction..MEL

[10k Gold Wielder]

Well, at the risk of getting lambasted for making a Chronicles/Lord of the Rings comparison , when we first saw Minas Tirith in The Two Towers, it struck me as how Revelstone might look - just carved right out of the mountain.

10k

[High Lord Tolkien]

Well, at the risk of getting lambasted for making a Chronicles/Lord of the Rings comparison , when we first saw Minas Tirith in The Two Towers, it struck me as how Revelstone might look - just carved right out of the mountain.

10k

I'll only lambast you if you're getting your Minas Tirith image from the [shudder] *movie* and not the *Book*!
Lets not go there.


It's funny, in all my numerous re-readings (usually alternating between the two authors) I never saw any comparison between Revelstone and Minas Tirith.
So I grabbed "The Return of the King" (where it describes Minas Tirith, not TT) and laughed out loud when I found this:

***********
And there where the White Mountains of Ered Nimrais came to their end he saw, as Gandalf had promised, the dark mass of Mount Mindolluin, the deep purple shadows of its high glens, and its tall face whitening in the rising day. And upon its out-thrust knee was the Guarded City, with its seven walls of stone so strong and old that it seemed to have been not builded but carven by giants out of the bones of the earth.
***********

Ooohh...
That's ah.....
That's...
That's pretty Revelstonish don't you think?


Still, after that, the follow up description of MT is more along the lines, to me anyway, of standard castle formations that I don't get with Revelstone.

[10k Gold Wielder]

OOH! How positively Giantish!! Now you've got me all excited for another reread.

Thank you for turning the spit ever so gently...

10k

[dlbpharmd]

Does anyone remember the old Superman comics of the late 70s early 80s, when Curt Swan was the principal artist? Remember the Fortress of Solitude, which was basically a cliff face with the yellow door? For some reason, I always pictured Revelstone like that - a cliff face with the prominent tower, with multiple balconies and windows. I never saw Revelstone as it was drawn in Gilden-Fire, and I don't see it as anything like Minas Tirith.

[Bishop]

I've never been able to picture Revelstone. I find the descriptions quite confusing.

I agree but thats one of the things I like so much, almost like a character who is very hard to define. Part of why I wish I had some artistic talent maybe I could put something down on paper to better define it.

It also reminds me a bit of various Houses,buildings etc in books/movies that change of it's own will.

[CovenantJr]

I'm a very visual person, so not being able to picture it is immensely frustrating. I like to know what I'm looking at.

[Furls Fire]

Giant-troth Revelstone, ancient ward—
Heart and door of Earthfriend's main:
Preserve the true with Power's sword,
Thou ages-Keeper, mountain-reign

[quag]

To get a good idea as to what Revelstone looks like, consult the Atlas of the Land, if you can find it. I once had this marvelous resource, and I am now quite saddened that I no longer have it. My basement flooded in a storm, and more than 200 books were destroyed :-(. Does anyone out there have the Atlas? :cry:

[dlbpharmd]

I have a copy. If you're interested, there are usually copies for sale on eBay.

[JD]

One thing nice about SRD's writing is its so descriptive. He wants each of us to imagine what things look like to us as individuals. You definately can't use the book covers as a refernece because they vary so greatly. I'd have to say though that Runes is pretty close of how I imagine the land. As far as Revelstone, I see it carve in the side of a mountain, with ornate marking and runes carved into the stone. Something that a craftsman with many years of experience would consider a masterpiece. To have the Giants of the Search (who are very familiar with stone) be brought to tears at the very sight, shows the skill and love that was put into the work of the Unhomed Giants that built it.

[MrKABC]

I also have a hard time picturing Revelstone.

I can't imagine what it looks like, but I also know what it does *not* look like (if you can understand my tortured logic).

The Gilden-Fire illustrations show Revelstone in one drawing if I remember correctly (it's been a while) and I remember looking at the drawing thinking "No! That's not how it's supposed to look!"