Chronicles Virgin/First-Timer Questions

[wayfriend]

Interesting. You keep finding all these ancient Scandinavian references... I wonder if Donaldson really knew them all, or if it's that ancient Scandinavians just did everything first.

[Vraith]

Interesting. You keep finding all these ancient Scandinavian references... I wonder if Donaldson really knew them all, or if it's that ancient Scandinavians just did everything first.

Heh...funny.
OTOH, for much it is true that the source of his sources is best preserved [if not actually invented, we can't really know that] in the stuff Frostie keeps briinging up.

[Major Isoor]

Don't take the laughter itself as a spoiler, it could well mean it any way - that he screwed up terribly or succeeded awesomely, or both.

Heh yeah, I was thinking "Now, just wait while he does just that!" when I took out the book to continue reading it, after making that post!

Major Isoor, I felt this might be the most appropriate place to warn you about two seemingly innocent threads which may contain potential spoilers for you.

There is a thread in General Discussion called "Win Wayfriend's Money." The current contest has to do with the final chrons. There is another thread in General Discussion called "Watch and SRD-related song parodies." Some of the songs may have to do with the chrons beyond where you are currently in the plot.

I see the OP of the thread edited the title to say *expect spoilers.* (thanks LF!) But wanted to warn you to take that seriously anyway.

Aah, ok thanks for the warning! Very close-call, as I was just about to go into the SRD parody thread, too! I might just stick to this thread and off-topic/non-TC threads for the time being

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Interesting. You keep finding all these ancient Scandinavian references... I wonder if Donaldson really knew them all, or if it's that ancient Scandinavians just did everything first.

Well, that's partially why I like SRD's books so much: whether he coincidentally concocted some contents or not, he's faithful to our myths unlike most other fantasy authors. If the GI stood open these days, I'd definitely inquire about his sources. All we know for certain, is that he's very intimate with Wagner's works.

If anyone remains dubious of the previous attestation, they can grab themselves Sarah M. Anderson's English translation included in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders Vol II. I'm merely calling Mjöll (Bárð's mother) a giantess here, since in all other stories she descends from Fornjótr or Fin. Iku-Turso/Kaleva's line of giants.


Regarding spoilers...oops, just realized something, but if I don't point out its existence, it will remain connectionless.

However, Isoor ought to stay out of the Gallery also, at least till he's finished Against All Things Ending. Visual spoilers could be the worst of all.

[Major Isoor]

I just finished reading The One Tree, and Effaeldm, you may be right there, about Brinn! (Although I still maintain that Brinn would've done just as well/poorly as Hergrom did, against that Sandgorgon!)

Spoiler

But yeah, it's sad to see that they weren't (well, at this point, anyway. Vain's now-wooden arm hasn't been spoken of, for one thing) able to create a new Staff of Law - not to mention Seadreamer's death.

But yeah, White Gold Wielder will certainly be interesting!


Also, I've just got a question about Brinn's judgement of Linden, not long after they sailed away from the Bharathian Harbour. As I recall, he had stated that she was Corruption in their quest, and that she should be punished - and when it was asked as to what sort of punishment he had in mind, he told the group that she should speak the name of a Sandgorgon. Although, unless she just shouted out random names for a while, in the hopes of stumbling upon a Sandgorgon name*, the only possibility would be her calling out 'Nom', as Hergrom and Covenant had, before her. However, Covenant wasn't killed by the Sandgorgon, and is still technically (as far as I'm aware) Nom's target - not to mention Nom had been bested and released, at which point it just left, so it wouldn't have to return to Sandgorgon's Doom - so what would actually happen? Would the fact that Linden shouted out Nom's name override what had previously occured, and send it after her? Or would it just stay in the Great Desert, enjoying its newfound freedom? (Additionally, would it be able to even reach Linden? Since they are out in the middle of the ocean...)



*Heh, wouldn't it be slightly funny/sad if one of the Bharathians shared a name with a Sandgorgon? Anybody who greets that person (or otherwise speaks their name) would be in quite a bit of trouble! Things would certainly get interesting...

[wayfriend]

I hope you enjoyed The One Tree. It's a hit-or-miss with fans, although it's a hit as far as I am concerned.

I don't think it would be fair to answer any of your questions about Nom at this time. All I can say is that you have spotted what is indeed a good matter for your conjecture.

And, yes, Nom's name has provided us with lots jokes, which you will discover in due time, but not too soon if you know what I mean.

[peter]

(some of us live in hope of the second installment of 'Nom's Garden' at some point before the end of the decade. Wayfriend is the only writer on record actually *slower* than SRD in releasing his sequals )

[Major Isoor]

(Wow it's been a while since my last post!)

Anyway, why is TOT a hit-or-miss with people? I know that

Spoiler

it was in a sense a waste of time, (at least judging from what happened during the book/at the end, anyway; seeing as they didn't succeed in getting a new Staff of Law at all) but is there more to it, or just that?

Also, Vain has got to be one of my favourite characters, when in conjuction with other character/s, such as an incident I've just read in White Gold Wielder, where Cail has a rope tied to the sled at one end, and himself at the other, and has it looped around Vain's ankles, and is essentially using him sort of like a pulley, with him being the counterweight for the sled, when lowering it into the water. (Probably didn't word that as well as I could though, so sorry about that, heh)

That plus when the dromond was more-or-less dead in the water, with Vain standing - now horizontally - on the deck, while the Haruchai rescued someone (wasn't it one of the Haruchai, who attacked one of the Raver-eels? I can't remember now, sadly) while sitting on him, makes him the most unintentially humorous character in the Chronicles, I reckon! Just from merely standing there, oblivious to what's happening!

[shadowbinding shoe]

personally, I thought TOT was a good book. It's not just about the end goal. The journey itself and the way the characters grow and handle it are something I'm interested in reading. Also, I liked seeing more of the Land's world and meeting new characters and peoples.

[Major Isoor]

personally, I thought TOT was a good book. It's not just about the end goal. The journey itself and the way the characters grow and handle it are something I'm interested in reading. Also, I liked seeing more of the Land's world and meeting new characters and peoples.

Yeah, I feel exactly the same way - just basing the books in the Land is good and all, but I've always been interested in what lies in the surrounding areas of the world, and TOT satisfies that itch for knowledge, as the quest travels across the sea to the One Tree, encountering different races and cultures along the way, and the like.

[peter]

One reason Cambo why for me the Last Chrons are a missed oportunity

[ninjaboy]

The Giants of Seareach, the unhomed, IIRC, had actually lost ships which it had sent out searching for Home.

I don't know how many ships came with them and made it to Coerci originally, but I was under the impression that several had been lost in the seeking of the way home.

It may be that the Giants had to create new ships to help in their quest, and if they were building them on the Land it is likely that they would have to have made them out of stone.

[Major Isoor]

Oh wow, I think I stopped reading last night at one of the worst times to do so; (had a really bad sleep the night before, so I had to refrain from continuing!)

The company just reached Revelstone, and Covenant confronted a Rider outside the gates, who released a whole load of somewhat-oversized wasps from his robe at Covenant, which caused him to become uncontrollable (not sure how, exactly, as they didn't sting him, like in previous instances. Maybe he's just much more sensitive to the venom and its triggers now, so they don't even need to actually bite him to get him to become uncontrollable; although he's either much better at restraining himself now, or he didn't get the full effect, as he wasn't bitten. Hmmm) and create a conflaguration of (now black) wild magic, before he managed to put a lid on it, so to speak.

But yeah, he's just summoned our favourite Sandgorgon, so it'll be interesting to see what happens next; whether Nom will remember that Covenant beat him last time, and not try to desperately kill him, so that Covenant can try to instruct him to tear down the gates - or if Covenant will need to either subdue Nom again, or try to get inside Revelstone (which seems the least likely, really) and let Nom tear the place down to reach him, sort of thing.

Can't wait to continue, to see my earlier questions about what would happen if Linden did summon Nom as a punishment, answered! (well, more or less)

[Frostheart Grueburn]

One of the more thrilling scenes of WGW, definitely. Yet, wait, it gets better!

personally, I thought TOT was a good book. It's not just about the end goal. The journey itself and the way the characters grow and handle it are something I'm interested in reading. Also, I liked seeing more of the Land's world and meeting new characters and peoples.

I consider TOT the very best of the nine. Regulars are probably tired of my eeeendless harebrained gushing over the Giants already, so merely agreeing with the quote above.

[shadowbinding shoe]

One of the more thrilling scenes of WGW, definitely. Yet, wait, it gets better!

personally, I thought TOT was a good book. It's not just about the end goal. The journey itself and the way the characters grow and handle it are something I'm interested in reading. Also, I liked seeing more of the Land's world and meeting new characters and peoples.

I consider TOT the very best of the nine. Regulars are probably tired of my eeeendless harebrained gushing over the Giants already, so merely agreeing with the quote above.

TOT-lovers (giants rulez!!!) HIGH-FIVE

lol

[Iolanthe]

Ah, the Nom moment. One of my most favourite passages. Enjoy.

BTW, I just finished the first Chronicles - again, and have just started TWL - again. It doesn't matter how many times you read them, there's always more to find.

[wayfriend]

... now we can unleash the Nom jokes.

[Savor Dam]

(some of us live in hope of the second installment of 'Nom's Garden' at some point before the end of the decade. Wayfriend is the only writer on record actually *slower* than SRD in releasing his sequals )

While I eagerly await the next installment of Nom's Garden, iQuestor is slower than either Wayfriend or SRD. We've been waiting far longer for the conclusion of It cannot now be set aside, nor passed on.

[wayfriend]

If anyone wants to do my job for a week, and send me the paycheck when they are done, let me know, and I will finish Nom's Garden forthwith.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

... now we can unleash the Nom jokes.

*laugh* *laugh* *laugh*

You win +3 Interwebz!