Where are all the animals?

[Alan]

In LFB TC was served a meal which was meat and bread baked together.

Now I know we have horses - but where are the cattle, the pigs, the sheep? For goodness sakes - where are the dogs and cats? All the animals seem to be evil - (kresh - or corrupted - birds and whatever Lord Foul used to make a Gryphon.

(And, thinking of that, since we were discussing the etymology of "rechristened" in an earlier topic, how did Lord Mhoram know the name for a Gryphon, and how did LF know how to make one? Where did he get the *ahem* parts?)

Anyway where are they all? And who actually did all the necessary work in preparing the animal who provided TC's meal? Where are all the shepherds, the cattlemen, the swineherders...

Where are the slaughtermen, the butchers and the tanners. Where are the leathermakers. There is leather in the Land so all these things must exist.

And what was the meat in TC's meal in Soaring Woodhelvin... Roast Unfettered???



Oh - I'll get Hell for that last bit.[/i]

[amanibhavam]

Triock was a cattleherd (or shepherd) IIRC, so there you go.

SRD says it time after time that he only writes into his stories what is essential to the storyline, hence the relatively undeveloped Landscape, with scarce human settlements, no mention of animals beyond the necessary ones etc.
But we know that people tended herds on the upper plateau of Revelstone during the time of the siege.

[Bran Pendragon]

Yeah SRD has said in his GI that he acknowledges its a a flaw in his books that there's not much attention paid to how people obtain the necessities of life, in as much as it inhibits peoples' suspension of disbelief.

That said, Triock was a cattle herd who took "good care of his kine", at least until TC ruined his life. It's mentioned in TPTP (if I recall correctly) that there are crops being grown on the upper plateau above Revelstone, so that the people would never starve in the event of a siege. The population of Revelstone is described as being in the 1000s, and only a small proportion of them are in the Warward, the Bloodguard or Lorestaat. Again in TPTP, there's descriptions of how the ordinary people of Revelstone lose the plot under the influence of samedhi's Vortex.

There are, in my view, enough hints about how life works for the normal plebes that I'm not concerned that Donaldson focuses his attention instead on the more interesting activities of TC and LA's parties, the activities of the Lords etc. The daily life of a shepherd is hardly thrilling stuff in terms of fantasy literature.

Regarding the griffins, I never understood that LF created them by warping existing creatures or other kinds of magic. I think they were naturally occuring, albeit rare, creatures that inhabited the Land and its surrounds, in the same fashion as a Sandgorgan or an arghule (I know I've spelt that wrong).

[ninjaboy]

Thats exactly what I understood about the griffins too

[SleeplessOne]

the Unfettered One who saves TC and Atiaran as the ur-viles are assailing the celebration of spring brings with him a 'stream' of rabbits, weasels, badgers, moles, foxes and a few dogs ... scary monkey-things hang out in the Sarangrave too ..
as far as preparing meals, the Lords are decent cooks, the Bloodguard aren't above getting their hands dirty in the kitchen, Foamfollower can throw together a hearty meal at a pinch, and the Ramen have 'Winhomes' to prepare their viands .. Revelstone's resilient cook is mentioned at length in TPTP, and the Giants have a 5-star chef on their dromond ..

Spoiler

the Mahdoubt can whip up some nourishing tucker too, apparently

[Alan]

Aye - but the Devil is in the details.

We can all identify with the Grand Themes but I still consider it a weakness not to involve the "little people".

Although I completely forgot about the Unfettered One in LFB.

Mea culpa

[amanibhavam]

as far as preparing meals, the Lords are decent cooks, the Bloodguard aren't above getting their hands dirty in the kitchen, Foamfollower can throw together a hearty meal at a pinch, and the Ramen have 'Winhomes' to prepare their viands .. Revelstone's resilient cook is mentioned at length in TPTP, and the Giants have a 5-star chef on their dromond ..

Yeah... only TC and Linded never get their hands dirty with a bit of cooking, packing, camp-building and the like... They always just sit around miserably waiting for the others to serve them

[Bran Pendragon]

lol - just imagining the Haruchai in the kitchen.
Brinn: "no Cail, that's too much pepper for that recipe"
(The two then stare at each other as if locked in a silent mental exchange before they fly at each other in a whirling flurry of elbows, feet and headbutts. Eventually Brinn sends Cail to the ground with a crash that would have fractured less preternaturally resiliant bones.
Cail stands, his dispassionate demeanour undisturbed despite the blood trickling from a cut above one of his arched eyebrows and bows.)
Cail: "I acknowledge I was wrong".

[Alan]

lol

[Relayer]

I imagine that no food would be too hot for a Haruchai.

[perpetualchange]

lol - just imagining the Haruchai in the kitchen.
Brinn: "no Cail, that's too much pepper for that recipe"
(The two then stare at each other as if locked in a silent mental exchange before they fly at each other in a whirling flurry of elbows, feet and headbutts. Eventually Brinn sends Cail to the ground with a crash that would have fractured less preternaturally resiliant bones.
Cail stands, his dispassionate demeanour undisturbed despite the blood trickling from a cut above one of his arched eyebrows and bows.)
Cail: "I acknowledge I was wrong".

Absolutely hilarious BP

[Blackhawk]

I think Sunder mentions goats or sheep having to be put in shelters during the the first touch of the sunbane in the Wounded Land ..so i imagine they had goats during TCs the first trip to the land. and that is funny as the seven hells Bran Pendragon...flying elbows feet and Aprons and they stir with their arm...they have no need for tools that could be turned against them.

[Bran Pendragon]

That's right: spoons and ladels serve Corruption - or sometimes soup.

[Alan]

The only answer to cooking in the Land is that they must use lots of Pepper sauce.

But, really, Goat? Is it really possible to eat goat (apart from kebabs - which. in London, are more likely to involve, well, certain animals more at home than anywhere else)

But yer cats and dogs whatever - goat? I suppose while we're at it - can anyone suggest a recipe for Polar Bear kidney?

I have no idea where this came from...

[Bran Pendragon]

Millions of people around the world eat goat and goat milk products as their major source of meat and dairy products. Don't get what's weird about the idea...

[Zarathustra]

Somehow, I've never missed the dogs and cats. That's not why I read Donaldson. I'm sure you can find hundreds of other authors who talk about unneeded details like this. He is too busy showing us characters in unparalleled detail.

[Rocksister]

Bran, you made my day. Cracked me up. And I am happy you provided my recommended daily allowance of Bran.

Oops, gotta go, Bran affecting me........

[Alan]

Oh Dear:

A) I am aware that millions of people rely on goats for their daily sustenance. I am also aware that millions of people rely on sheep, cows and, whatever crawls or swims or creeps. Or whatever slithers sinuously. Goats are not a special case.

I've fed goats - they don't say thanks.

And

B) How can you not miss cats???


I suppose I'm kind of interested in where the Land has its' slaughterhouses - after all - Revelstone is , by all accounts, quite a big place...


On this note - to all the Goat Apologists - have you actually tried Goat?

I expect some "oh bloody right you were right" posts - but I suspect I will not get them.

[amanibhavam]

I have - in a Greek restaurant, it was roast goat and it was pretty good actually.
But who am I to argue with a Rabbit Who Will Just Tear My Throat Open With Bare Teeth? My true servant forgot to bring the Holy Grenade.

[Ur Dead]

The Haruchai has never been seen eating a meal. I guess they eat like they fight. A flurry of arm-hand movements and they are done.

I bet the conversations are all mental.