Kevin's Watch

Hi all,

New poster. I have been a fan of Donaldson for the past 10 years -- I was fortunate to be able to skip the agony of waiting between books, simply because I wasn't even able to read until after the 1st and 2nd Chronicles were written.

So, here's the thing... If Foul can make use of the caesures to any extent, he should. If the Law of Time is so fragile, there are many historical events to tamper with that could have terrible consequences that are "win-wins" for Foul.

For instance, let's say that those Demondim (or some other caesure victims) were intended to be part of the ambush at Treacher's Gorge. The Old Lords were so incredibly much more powerful than the New Lords -- it must've been a spectacular battle. If the ambushers were weakened to some extent, it's quite possible the Old Lords could've survived.

That would clearly create a huge, catastrophic paradox. The living Old Lords could've prevented Kevin from his Ritual of Desecration, or who knows whatever other consequences would've taken place. History would've been changed so significantly that the Law of Time would be shattered irrevocably.

So, what if Foul set up such a paradox? Linden and her time-traveling goon squad would have to do something about it. It presents two horrible options for Linden or whomever may be involved:

1. Let the paradox play out; Foul wins. (Right? White gold was involved, since Joan makes the caesures... So could this free Foul?)

2. Linden has to ensure the slaughter of the Old Lords. Perhaps even destroy them with wild magic.

If the latter were to occur, of course, this might give the historical Foul some knowledge of Linden, but that doesn't necessarily break continuity. It could have even shaped Foul's attitude toward Linden in the Second Chronicles. If Foul witnessed her coming in to slaughter the Old Lords, it might give him the idea that she would be bent to his will...because why else would she participate in the murders of his mortal enemies?

Helping to slaughter the Old Lords would be devastating for Linden and her crew, but maintaining Time would be so vital that she'd have to consider it.

So, perhaps not the battle at Treacher's Gorge...but maybe we should be expecting something of this sort?

Aloha!

...

PS - Sorry if I am breaking any conventions of the board. There's a good chance that my ideas have been discussed elsewhere, but in the several hours I've been reading through the board, I've found nothing of the sort. I will admit that I'm roughly 2 years behind the creation of the boards, it seems.

Koriku, let me be the first to welcome you to the Watch!!

I think Foul direclty making use of these ceasures would be too much for SRD to control. I do not think SRD will allow this to happen.

Now, Foul might send someone back to try to change things to his advantage, but for some reason I do not think that changing the past will affect the Land's present. This doesn't feel right to me. There is probably some Law we will be made aware of that controls this or something.

I do think that we will get to meet characters from the Old Lords, etc. It will be interesting to find out how this plays out.

Thanks for the welcome. And I agree with you -- it seems unlikely that Foul would directly use the caesures for himself. But he is a huge fan of secondary consequences, so that every victory is a loss and every loss is an even bigger loss.

I don't want to get too hung up on the Demondim being part of the fight at Treacher's Gorge, but I can still see Foul facilitating some paradox through one of our present-actors. Esmer tries to maintain some kind of balance--help and harm at the same time--but how accurate is his perspective?

Maybe I am just a big fan of poetic injustice. I don't want Linden and the gang to become the Time Police, but having to do a great evil to keep the AOT intact is something I wouldn't put past SRD.

Koriku wrote:Thanks for the welcome. And I agree with you -- it seems unlikely that Foul would directly use the caesures for himself. But he is a huge fan of secondary consequences, so that every victory is a loss and every loss is an even bigger loss.

I don't want to get too hung up on the Demondim being part of the fight at Treacher's Gorge, but I can still see Foul facilitating some paradox through one of our present-actors. Esmer tries to maintain some kind of balance--help and harm at the same time--but how accurate is his perspective?

Maybe I am just a big fan of poetic injustice. I don't want Linden and the gang to become the Time Police, but having to do a great evil to keep the AOT intact is something I wouldn't put past SRD.

agreed!!!!!!!!!!!

But what id Linden SAVES the Old Lords at Treacher's Gorge before they are wiped out but transporting them to the future via a caesure?

huh? huh? huh?

Maybe an Old Lord's knowledge using the Staff of Law could heal the broken Laws of Life and Death?

(ok, im stretching it with that one)



That's what I'm hoping for anyway!

Koriku, welcome to the Watch!

I'm a little confused - it was the ur-viles that ambushed the Old Lords, correct?

As for bringing the Old Lords forward in time - sounds way to much like Anny McCaffrey. I don't think SRD will go that route, but we may (as has been hinted at) meet one of the Old Lords.