My thoughts while rereading Lord Foul's Bane

[wayfriend]

In the most literal sense, death in the "real world" for a character like Hile Troy, or Thomas Covenant, simply means that character can no longer return to his/her "real" life. [...] In the "real world," Troy's body suffered literal death not long after his accident.

(11/21/2004)

I've always operated under the assumption that Troy died in his fire *before* Atiaran died in hers.

(07/22/2006)

[Aiden Victore]

I am approaching the end of ILW as well, and I can't remember if this actually happened or if we just discussed it here, but in TPTP, does TC try to look up to see of Hile Troy actually existed?

He does try to call the military, but they give him the run around.

And I don't mind myself about spoilers regarding this, so if there is a passage that references what really did happen to Troy in real life, please point me to it

But either way, it still leaves me questioning the relationship between the summoner and the summoned. How is it that TC is kicked back to our world after Drool and Elena die, but Troy stays after Atrian dies?

[dlbpharmd]

I am approaching the end of ILW as well, and I can't remember if this actually happened or if we just discussed it here, but in TPTP, does TC try to look up to see of Hile Troy actually existed?

He does try to call the military, but they give him the run around.

And I don't mind myself about spoilers regarding this, so if there is a passage that references what really did happen to Troy in real life, please point me to it

But either way, it still leaves me questioning the relationship between the summoner and the summoned. How is it that TC is kicked back to our world after Drool and Elena die, but Troy stays after Atrian dies?

Troy was already dead in the "real world," so wasn't able to go back.

[Orlion]

I am approaching the end of ILW as well, and I can't remember if this actually happened or if we just discussed it here, but in TPTP, does TC try to look up to see of Hile Troy actually existed?

He does try to call the military, but they give him the run around.

And I don't mind myself about spoilers regarding this, so if there is a passage that references what really did happen to Troy in real life, please point me to it

But either way, it still leaves me questioning the relationship between the summoner and the summoned. How is it that TC is kicked back to our world after Drool and Elena die, but Troy stays after Atrian dies?

Troy was already dead in the "real world," so wasn't able to go back.

Yeah, I'd look at it more as a sort of 'tug of war'. A summoner is able to hold on to the soul, and when the summoner is weakened too much/killed, the real world (the body) is able to tug back (you'll see some of this in the Power that Preserves).

In the case of Troy, there is nothing to tug back on him in the real world, so once he's in the Land, he's there for good, despite his summoner dying in the process. That's also why it is important that Troy died before Atairen.