We only hear a brief reference to the giants. Im a little disappointed by that so far. Could they possibly be back in time to help Linden? Would they even care to after they way they have been treated by the masters in past visits?
Thoughts anyone?
Perhaps the Haruchia even fought with the Giants to keep them away...if we could see a fight like that it would finally settle the question i always wanted the answer to...Who wouuld win in a fight?
But if you're all about the destination, then take a fucking flight.
We're going nowhere slowly, but we're seeing all the sights.
And we're definitely going to hell, but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
It will be interesting to hear how the Giants have been visiting the Land in more detail.
Is getting a cold welcome by the Masters really going to keep Giants away from seeing Revelstone?
I doubt it.
They still make sight seeing journeys.
I can't imagine the Giants enjoy the Haruchai as hosts though.
Those guys are polar opposites personality wise!
Perhaps they escort the Giants wherever they go?
So that when the Giants interact with the people of the Land the villagers never the question the Giants in a way that would reveal anything about Earthpower?
And would the People of the Land even know what the Giants were talking about regarding it?
Kevins Dirts has robbed them of even knowing what real Earthpower is.
And what would these Giants even know about it?
Just stories passed down from others, no first hand accounts.
But Giants do love stories.
And NightBlaze, I think that the Giants ARE in the Land already.
And have been for quite some time.
Possibly fighting a guerilla "war" against the Haruchai (with knowledge not weapons) and interacting with the people of the Land without the Haruchai knowing.
Yeah I expect the Giants and the Masters to "mix it up" some.
But the Haruchai respect them so much it wil be VERY interesting to see how SRD handles it.
I also expect that once Giant Home is destroyed and the fleeing refugees repopulate Seareach the Giants and the Masters are going to but heads quite a bit.
(that's just my idea, by the way)
Personnally, I think that there won't be Giants. SRD's description in ROTE seems to point that way - the Giants are not relevant to the story this time.
I think SRD would find it hard not to include Giants as it would have been hard not to include Harchai, Urviles, Waynhim, Ramen or for that matter Lord Foul: they are all part of the fabric of the Land. Besides, there'd be an outcry and his publishers at least would take notice even if his artistic integrity did not!
I think we will see giants both living and dead, maybe going to their home across the sea. Foamfollower's shade is supposed to be in Andelain, though with the breaking of the laws of Life and Death he may have the power to leave and to 'act'.
The breaking of the laws of Life and Death also raises the idea that all enemies and allies throughout the lands history are potentially accessible and able to 'act/interact' with the current denizens. Lords, Bloodguard, Wardens, Giants and of course TC.
I think one of the most powerful scenes written by SRD was TCs caamora for the dead giants, his connection to them is more powerful than with any other race and is in some ways more powerful than his connection with Linden. That is of an entirely different nature and if they were not lovers I think the remaining connection would pale next to that of TC and the Giants.
Some VERY good posts on this here. This was something that bothered me ALOT. I thought for certain we would see them by the end of ROTE, and was disappointed when still no giants.
I am hoping they are living in the Greive, as the Unhomed did. If that is the case, it IS possible the Masters would not be aware of their presense.
Thanks for the replies!
....On " casual" day at work we're allowed to wear non collared shirts if it so pleases, and during these extreme heat days of summer here in Phoenix,,what, we're up to 20 some "heat" related deaths so far..most of us at work do sport the T shirt when allowed. Now, I'm not talking a thread bare white T shirt, some class please. The usual is a pronouncement of ones favorite sports team, automobile.,,drinking establishment,,some shape or form of making a personal statement.
...Recently that became the Rub. Sexual Harrassment law suites have turned Corporate into totally political correct white bread and mayonaisse doctrine enforcer. No more pin ups on the tool boxes or office partitions,,and no more exposed belly buttons apparel or crack and tattoo exposing hip hugging jeans and no more suggestive T shirts...etc.
...So,,today being Friday and casual day,,should have been a day to take it easy, be casual, relax a bit. But one middle age white male decided he'd had enough and wasn't going to take it anymore. Maybe the heat had finally got to him,,but anyway,, off to HR he went when he saw the clerk Kathy walking down the aisle.
..Kathy , god bless her, was indeed blessed by God. She claims she has no idea which side of the family she got her inheritance from. Both Grandmothers, she claims, put together still wouldn't make an A cup overflow. Kathy is incredibly further along the alphabet. And today the always effervescent one decided to sport a athletic shirt promoting her favorite football team ( this post is in Americanese, but the concept still works if one refences the international understanding of " Football " to being the sport when apon a scoring of a point, a Guinesse World record is attempted for the longest pronounciation of the word " Goal" takes place.)
..Nothing unusal in wearing a athletic shirt promoting a sports team one would think,,and a National Football team at that,,a top notch National Football League professional Team at that,,A Super Bowl winner on ocassion National Football League professional sports team if I may say so, and I do...and I may add,,a team located on the east coast, in a town made up of 5 boroughs, even tho they play sometimes in a stadium located to the southward State of New Jersey...And thats where HR directed Kathy and her athletic shirt proclaiming her allegiance to the GIANTS,,rite there, spred across her well blessed chest,,HR told her to go home and put on a new jersey. So thats where the Giants were headed the last time I saw them, heading for a new jersey. ....whaAAt?......MEL
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
lurch wrote: Kathy and her athletic shirt proclaiming her allegiance to the GIANTS,,rite there, spred across her well blessed chest,,HR told her to go home and put on a new jersey. So thats where the Giants were headed the last time I saw them, heading for a new jersey. ....whaAAt?......MEL
I don't know how the Giants would be relevant to the story this time. Unless Linden & crew have a need to cross the ocean again like in the last trilogy, the Giants don't really serve a useful purpose IMHO.
I wonder if we will see more traveling to the west this time, possibly to the Outer Earth and the home of the Haruchai? THAT would be interesting.
"This is the grace that has been given to you - to bear what must be borne."
Kathy's Giants, on the other hand, definitely appear to serve a useful purpose. But I don't think we'll be seeing those in the story either. (Though there is a school of thought suggesting that they have already appeared in Mordant's Need, under the name of Saddith. . . .)
I think SRD left sufficient hints that we're going to see the Giants again soon. True, the Haruchai state that it isn't their time to show up right now, but consider:
1) The Haruchai have been wrong about just about everything up to now ("The ur-viles are evil. Ok, they're not evil, but you'll destroy everything if you go back in time to get the Staff. Ok, that worked out all right, but Anele can't be the son of Sunder/Hollian; he's just mad. Ok, ....")
2) This chronicles involves time travel, so "timing" isn't quite the problem it used to be; and
3) people are willing to speculate that the Mahdoubt is anyone from Memla to the healer at Morinmoss from PTP. If you're willing to believe that previous minor characters making bit appearances might show up 3,000 years later, let's extend a bit of faith that the Giants are a slightly better bet.
MrKABC wrote:Well, I remember that the Ranyhyn were relegated to a footnote in the Soothtell in the second Chronicles.
It may be possible that the Giants will suffer the same fate this time.
Yea i kept expecting them to appear sometime.
Also it is my theory the Coursers are Sunbane-warped Ranyhyn.
But if you're all about the destination, then take a fucking flight.
We're going nowhere slowly, but we're seeing all the sights.
And we're definitely going to hell, but we'll have all the best stories to tell.
MrKABC wrote:Well, I remember that the Ranyhyn were relegated to a footnote in the Soothtell in the second Chronicles.
It may be possible that the Giants will suffer the same fate this time.
I look at it as, Donaldson doesn't want to tell the same story every time. Do we really want to repeat of a Giant-supported mission again?
The Giants were necessary for the Second Chronicles because Covenant needed to leave the land. There are only so many sea-faring peoples in the Earth to choose from, and only one that we had met in the First Chronicles. Therefore, Giants.
The Ranyhyn are necessary in the Final Chronicles because Linden needs to control the ceasures. Therefore, Ranyhyn, and Ramen.
The author has hinted that the Final Chronicles takes place solely in the Land. So we might not see many Giants.