The Harrow

[Jerico]

I posted this question to SRD in the GI so thought I would throw it out to the group also.
The Harrow knows all about the Demondim, but how does he know? He cannot travel through time so how did he study them?

[High Lord Tolkien]

The Insesquent seem to have incredibly long life spans.
His must have coincided with the age of the Demondim.
The Harrow's specialty seems to be...I don't know, collecting objects?
And then figuring out how they work.
Seems so, since the Demondim are made and he knew how to unmake them.

[Seppi2112]

Harrow: a tool used to level/uproot land, as well as to disturb or distress the mind

[Relayer]

Did anyone else notice the similarity between the way the Harrow tries to compel Linden and what Kasreyn did with his eyepieces? It may just be coincidence, but... (when is anything ever coincidence in these books).

[wayfriend]

I chalk that up to there are only so many ways to do the mind domination trick. It wasn't that similar. And some of the similarity comes from that they are both trying to achieve the same thing, loss/forfeit of will.

[Relayer]

The Harrow's specialty seems to be...I don't know, collecting objects?

I now think it's much more ominous (and interesting ). I just re-read the part where Linden first meets the Harrow outside Revelstone and he says a couple of things she might have missed. I certainly did.

Throughout the rest of the book, she keeps worrying that he wants her ring and Staff, but in that scene there's more:

Linden asked: "You ate the Demondim?"

The Harrow replied: "Were I able to consume them, I would have taken their power into myself and become stronger. Belike I would then have no need of you."

He would have no need of white gold or the Staff?? Whoa. Then, he attempts to 'consume' Linden with his eyes. As I posted earlier, I had thought it was similar to Kasreyn, that he was trying to compel her, but now I don't. The description of Linden's experience says things like "drawing her deeper and deeper into the fathomless abysm of his eyes" and "until every particle of her being was devoured."

While he attempts Linden, he says:

"First, I desire this curious stick... Second, I crave the circle of white gold... And last, I covet the unfettered wrath at the center of you heart. It will nourish me as the Demondim did not."

In the rest of the book, she's forgotten that last part. He wants more than her tools, no matter how powerful they are. My theory is that he can actually take the essence of a being into himself, and become the power that they are. For some reason he can't do it w/ the Demondim, perhaps they're too alien. But I suspect this is what he's going to demand from Linden in exchange for delivering her to Jeremiah... her being.

On the other hand, he may no longer care about her... she just summoned the Timewarden. That might serve him even better

[Seppi2112]

He could very well try and devour TC in the same way.

[IrrationalSanity]

True, he only promised to leave HER alone...

[Ur Dead]

He could very well try and devour TC in the same way.

He could try, but I think Linden would take exception to that. Considering she took a swipe at him after he lost his battle with the Mahdoubt.
He might be too involved trying to consume TC when Linden burns his eyes out.

I was also thinking that if TC got his ring back that the Harrow (He forswore to not hurt Linden) has nothing to constrain him from an attempt. That if TC gets his ring returned, he may know how to invoke the Wild Magic and turn the Harrow to ash. Or being the Timewarden he may know the Harrow's real name.

AATE is going to be interesting.

[wayfriend]

Hmmm.... I posted a reply here, but it seems to be gone. I shall try to reconstruct.

It's interesting, now that Relayer mentions it, that devouring seems to be recurring as a theme. The Worm devoured the stars. The Elohim were devoured by the Wurd. The Harrow, we now see, tries to devour Linden, and though he is unable devour the Demondim, he seems to be familiar with the concept. (Any other devouring in the Second and Final Chronicles?)

My first thought was that, like other things, we are setting the stage for something important for TC and Linden. There will be devouring in their future. I cannot help but think that, at the end of WGW, Covenant has taken the power of Lord Foul into himself and became stronger. Covenant DEVOURED Foul. Which evidently has more implications than nutrition.

As for the Harrow vs Linden. I am not sure if his comment re unfettered wrath merely meant that he would get enjoyment and satisfaction out of destroying Linden. That this would nourish his ego, if you will. If it means something more specific than that, we have no way to guage what it might mean, yet.

[Creator]

A very interesting thought. In like fashion Nom devoured the raver!

[wayfriend]

A very interesting thought. In like fashion Nom devoured the raver!

Yes!

"It says that it has rent the Raver. It does not say slain. The word is 'to rend.* The Raver has been rent. And the shreds of its being Nom has consumed."

[The Humbled]

The skurj seems to be pretty eager to devour! Hunger is what defines them, not malice. It's Kastenassens' malice that steers them, but SRD says pretty clearly that they themselves are just... hungry.

Yes it is a theme to be sure.

I had forgotten what the Harrow says about Linden's "unfettered malice". It seems she became much more despite-driven beneath Melenkurion Skyweir, and that this is a power which would "Nourish" the Harrow!?!

Hate as a power source is a slippery slope... Be True Linden Avery!

[Relayer]

Good catch Wayfriend. I didn't think of consuming as a recurring theme.

I am not sure if his comment re unfettered wrath merely meant that he would get enjoyment and satisfaction out of destroying Linden. That this would nourish his ego, if you will. If it means something more specific than that, we have no way to guage what it might mean, yet.

I definitely think it's not just for his ego and enjoyment... he thinks he will gain something from her anger.

[Icarus]

A Giant's grief by the Caamora?

The Skest?

I'm not sure of what verbiage has been used to this point, but I envision the skuurj as very consuming.

Fire of course is consuming -- and we see this replayed multiple multiple times throughout the books -- on both sides (and also within the 'neutrals.')