Another "what-if" Question on the GI

[Krazy Kat]

U just ignored KK point about his beard! TC ages in the land at the lands time, he grows and decays at the land pace not his own earth, he would not have a lords expanded span he aint no student of lore, he is a paradox of power and time

I don't see KK's point about TC's beard. I don't know if that means he ages, only that his hair grows.

Time must have started to flow at a faster pace once Lord Foul took control of the Staff of Law. In book three, all the main characters including the Bloodguard were growing old, fast. Earthpower must have surely been receding from the Land, or Andelain was shrinking...or could it have left for warmer shores? Elena's look of apocalypse on the slopes of Mount Skywier is a clue, I think, to how the Despiser was increasingly draining the Illearth Stone of ice.

Spoiler

I also think the banana leaves in Ramen Covert were a red herring, or else, they were growing the plants in a cave like wot Hamako wos doin in the Wounded Land story.

[/list]

[thewormoftheworld'send]

That's always been my impression.

Law of Death broken because she disturbed the dead from their resting. Law of Life broken, because Hollian (AND Anele) were brought back to life.

One Law prevents the dead (as shades, spirits, ghosts) from interacting with the living. The other Law brings the dead back to life.

I find it impressive that Donaldson looks at magic a certain different kind of way. I don't know of any precedent in all of fantasy literature. Sure, magic is commonplace in fantasy, but in other fantasy fiction (that I know of) it does not have the power to break laws of nature permanently and irreparably.

It's not completely analogous, but one might be akin to Lazarus, brought back from death by the power of another, and Jesus, resurrected on his own. They are the same, "death conquered," but different in means and in where the power for the act comes from.

In that case, one law and covenant was replaced with a new law and covenant.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

About commands, and Elena and Kevin.
I do think that the Law of Death was a barrier between life and death and did not set a limit on the ability to act or have power.
Both Dead Kevin and Dead Elena are expressly noted as having made decisions. Kevin not as subtle.
Foul knew a whole lot more about about the Power of Command than Elena did. He was able to craft a much more potent command for each of them than Elena did for Kevin. The question is, if so much evil was accessible to Foul once the Law was broken, why didn't he break it himself much earlier?
That should probably give you a moment's pause about how powerful the stone was, by itself, and Foul was, by himself, and how powerful both were together.
Or more succinctly, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
It cannot be just that Foul would rather operate in a way that creates despair and uses people. If he truly wants out, and he has the power to bring back the dead, than he would have simply issued the command.

I think someone already answered this. The Illearth Stone does not break Laws, it corrupts Law just as it corrupted Elena's Command.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

U just ignored KK point about his beard! TC ages in the land at the lands time, he grows and decays at the land pace not his own earth, he would not have a lords expanded span he aint no student of lore, he is a paradox of power and time

I don't see KK's point about TC's beard. I don't know if that means he ages, only that his hair grows.

Time must have started to flow at a faster pace once Lord Foul took control of the Staff of Law. In book three, all the main characters including the Bloodguard were growing old, fast. Earthpower must have surely been receding from the Land, or Andelain was shrinking...or could it have left for warmer shores? Elena's look of apocalypse on the slopes of Mount Skywier is a clue, I think, to how the Despiser was increasingly draining the Illearth Stone of ice.

The Bloodguard had renounced their Vow. Their Vow had the side-effect of bringing immortal life. Why didn't everybody else grow old faster? I think by the time Covenant saw the Bloodguard again, after renouncing their Vow enough time had passed in the Land to give them the appearance of aging.

Spoiler

I also think the banana leaves in Ramen Covert were a red herring, or else, they were growing the plants in a cave like wot Hamako wos doin in the Wounded Land story.

[/list]

I have no recollection of that particular detail in the story. Sorry!

[Krazy Kat]

I also think the banana leaves in Ramen Covert were a red herring, or else, they were growing the plants in a cave like wot Hamako wos doin in the Wounded Land story.

I have no recollection of that particular detail in the story. Sorry!

From chapter 9, Ramen Covert.

A short time later, the food was ready. Kam's seven Cords sat cross-legged around the fire with the four Manethralls, Bannor, Foamfollower, Lena and Covenant, and the Winhomes set dry, brittle banana leaves in front of them as plates.

Interestingly, there's a Scottish expression used when someone is thought to be telling tall tales' that goes: Is that so wee man! And I came up the Clyde in a Banana Boat!
By which I mean that how is it possible banana's could survive in Foul's winter! So maybe it's a red herring, or else it's lame writing on Donaldson's part.

[Orlion]

Well, they are dry and brittle. That seems to imply that these leaves had been used and reused for some time now.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

Well, they are dry and brittle. That seems to imply that these leaves had been used and reused for some time now.

Maybe. But the Land seems to be in more of a northern climate even without Foul's winter.

[Krazy Kat]

The question I ask myself is why would SRD use bananas as a story prop, and does this have any bearing on Banas Nimoram, the Celebration of Spring.

Bananas have a high concentration of potassium making them radio active, and that tells me that this has something to do with Covenant's ring and the wild magic. It's an atomic connection!

(I personally think that the banana is not indigenous to the planet Earth as aliantha is not indigenous to the Land. But this deals with belief and is something I wouldn't know how to prove.)

As with all the three dreams of Thomas Covenant the main issue is belief.

5 LOMILLIALOR

But another force intervened. For an instant, he thought he could smell the aroma of a tree's heart sap, and pieces of song touched him though the cold: be true...answer...soul's deep curse...

It isn't Triock or Foamfollower who sing the song.
It could only be Caerriol Wildwood - the old man in the ochre robe.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

The question I ask myself is why would SRD use bananas as a story prop, and does this have any bearing on Banas Nimoram, the Celebration of Spring.

Bananas have a high concentration of potassium making them radio active, and that tells me that this has something to do with Covenant's ring and the wild magic. It's an atomic connection!

(I personally think that the banana is not indigenous to the planet Earth as aliantha is not indigenous to the Land. But this deals with belief and is something I wouldn't know how to prove.)

As with all the three dreams of Thomas Covenant the main issue is belief.

5 LOMILLIALOR

But another force intervened. For an instant, he thought he could smell the aroma of a tree's heart sap, and pieces of song touched him though the cold: be true...answer...soul's deep curse...

It isn't Triock or Foamfollower who sing the song.
It could only be Caerriol Wildwood - the old man in the ochre robe.

Are you saying that Caerroil Wildwood brought banana trees to the Land? I can understand how a banana tree would survive the cold climate under the aegis of a Forestal. But for what purpose? Just to add to his tree collection?

[Krazy Kat]

No, I wasn't thinking in those terms. More to do with the fallen stars; meteors and such like.

Or the migration and settlement of otherworlders. The Haruchai, perhaps.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

No, I wasn't thinking in those terms. More to do with the fallen stars; meteors and such like.

Or the migration and settlement of otherworlders. The Haruchai, perhaps.

Maybe someone from the "real" world brought along a banana.

[Krazy Kat]