Is the New Staff of Law the Old Staff of Law

Book 2 of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

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sammadhi
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Post by sammadhi »

all interesting points. here's my try.....the first staff was destroyed when Elena's ghost wielded power through it while TC's ring touched it. couldn't stand wild magic and lore together. the new staff was created out of earthpower (findail)-lore (vain)-and wild magic (linden). these 3 things created the structure which was later refined by BotE and runes. the new and old staff are fundamentally different. as far as the heals, loric made the krill with a gem he found in melenkurion skyweir and his creation of an alloy, which is unknown in its components. the question is where did he get the knowledge of metal working? could that have been passed down to him from the experiences of his grandfather that he learned from the theomach? thats my best guess
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Borric
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Post by Borric »

The thing that drew me to this at first (and I believe I was the first to ask this question?)
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16085

was this. (quote from my original post)

“ Why did the Theomach really stop roger going back to the time of Damelon on there trip to Melenkurion Skyweir?. We where lead to believe it was because Damelon could sense them in some way.
Would it not be more logical to assume the real reason was you cant have the same staff in two places at once? (as Damelon carried the Staff of Law at that time.) “

This is subtle enough for Donaldson.
To me its sparking a question. Why even bother mentioning that roger had intended to travel to another time?.
And that the Theomach altered his (also Lindens of course) arrival time in the passed.
It just sticks out like a saw thumb, take a look at it once again and I think you will agree.
Page 165

Why else would rogers intended time be a problem?. Why even add the alteration to the story?.

I see a lot of other reasons being discussed. But to me personally, this was by far the lightbulb moment.
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wayfriend
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Post by wayfriend »

That's a fine point, Borric. Why add that element to the story? Why not make it so that Roger and Jeremiah had always intended to go to the time of Berek's war?

It may have been to demonstrate the Theomach's power.

It may have been to increase the conflict between the Theomach and Roger during that period of the story.

It may have been to make Roger and Jeremiah seem more menacing. The idea that they might want to meet Damelon and risk Time itself.

It may have been to create a reason why the three time travellers were unprepared, and so in need of Berek's supplies. They needed a real good reason to see Berek (and risk Time). Being unprepared for travelling a long distance in mid-Foulwinter is a good reason. Without the interference of the Theomach, the only reason they'd be unprepared is that Roger and Jeremiah were a bit inept for not bringing horses back in time. -- This is the reason I like, although I think the others also contribute.

As for the Staffs ... if Esmer went back in time (as he claims he did, though I have my doubts) then at that time there're two Esmers. That doesn't seem to be an issue.

On the other hand, there may be issues with there being two Staffs of Law at the same time, even if they are not both the same Staff. Perhaps only one Staff can occupy that unique position in Law. Or perhaps one Staff bearer would be instantly aware of the other.
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aliantha
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Post by aliantha »

Do you think maybe the different Staffs govern different Laws?

The current Staff has never overseen, say, the Laws of Life and Death. Both were broken before the current Staff was made.

It's possible that even if the two Staffs were in the same time together, their bearers may have no clue, because they're similar tools but not identical (either in appearance or in purpose).
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Solar
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Post by Solar »

Regarding the original question of the two Staffs being the same: I have a theory (first posted here) that could make it work.

Linden travels back in time, to long before the era of the First Chronicles. She plants the her Staff of Law in the ground, and it takes root and grows, like the Glastonbury thorn, which, according to legend, grew when Joseph of Arimathea planted his staff into the ground. Eventually Linden's Staff grows into the One Tree from which Berek took a branch (perhaps its roots reached deep enough to draw Earthpower from the Worm itself, or perhaps they found a spring of EarthBlood [which I like to think is the blood of the Worm anyway]). So the two Staffs are sort-of the same, sort-of different.
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Post by wayfriend »

Interesting ... the new Staff is like the seed of the One Tree.

That would mean that Linden would place the first Guardian, the one that the Theomach eventually defeated.
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Post by Solar »

wayfriend wrote:That would mean that Linden would place the first Guardian, the one that the Theomach eventually defeated.
It could even be Findail. The blossoming of the Staff might free him to some extent, so that he would be able to protect the Tree. Perhaps that was the ultimate objective of Findail's Appointment all along...
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