It may have been said already...

[Borillar]

but does anyone else besides me think that the Skurj are eventually going to be revealed as the Fire-Lions of Mount Thunder? In other words, that time travel will somehow account for their being bound to the mountain in the past, possibly by the power of the Staff?

[dlbpharmd]

I would be surprised (and disappointed) if this were true. Fire-lions were beings of Earthpower and thus were not inherently evil, as the skurj appear to be.

[emotional leper]

I would be surprised (and disappointed) if this were true. Fire-lions were beings of Earthpower and thus were not inherently evil, as the skurj appear to be.

I don't think the Skurj are inherently evil -- I don't think they're high enough in the levels of intelligence for that. I think that, as beings of fire, they exist for one purpose: to consume. It's just what they do. It's their point in existing.

If I remember things correctly.

[native]

I don't think the Skurj are inherently evil -- I don't think they're high enough in the levels of intelligence for that. I think that, as beings of fire, they exist for one purpose: to consume. It's just what they do. It's their point in existing.

I think they are a corruption of earthpower, like, say, the Illearth Stone.

[emotional leper]

I don't think the Skurj are inherently evil -- I don't think they're high enough in the levels of intelligence for that. I think that, as beings of fire, they exist for one purpose: to consume. It's just what they do. It's their point in existing.

I think they are a corruption of earthpower, like, say, the Illearth Stone.

I thought the Illearth stone was just a naturally occuring bane?

[Zarathustra]

I'm going with Native.

I think they are a corruption of earthpower, like, say, the Illearth Stone.

Remember that Esmer said (in chapter 2, FR), that something which appears evil isn't necessarily so. Or may not stay that way forever. Same thing can apply to something which seems inherently good. I think that if earthpower can be corrupted, so can the Firelions (though I shudder to even consider the ranyhyn being corrupted; but I suppose that's possible, too).

[danlo]

It would be interesting to see Fire Lions in conflict with Skurj.

[dlbpharmd]

I don't think the Skurj are inherently evil -- I don't think they're high enough in the levels of intelligence for that. I think that, as beings of fire, they exist for one purpose: to consume. It's just what they do. It's their point in existing.

I think they are a corruption of earthpower, like, say, the Illearth Stone.

I thought the Illearth stone was just a naturally occuring bane?

This is true, I don't think the Illearth Stone has anything to do with Earthpower.

[native]

This is true, I don't think the Illearth Stone has anything to do with Earthpower.

Err yes I meant to say 'unlike the Illearth Stone'

[Borillar]

It may be a bit premature for me to analyze the Skurj, as we've only heard bits and pieces about them, but they strike me as somewhat similar to the Sandgorgons. To outsiders, the Sandgorgons probably seem violent and fierce beyond all redemption, but we learn better over the course of TOT and WGW. Perhaps the Skurj are the same. And perhaps the Fire-Lions would behave similarly if they were left to ravage across the Land (I'm guessing Prothall's summons in LFB only released them for a short time).

In this vein, are the Fire-Lions ever explicitly identified as creatures of Earthpower? I can't remember...

[dlbpharmd]

In this vein, are the Fire-Lions ever explicitly identified as creatures of Earthpower? I can't remember...

I don't recall exactly, but it seems that it's clear that Fire-lions are indeed made of Earthpower - they answer Berek's need and then answer Covenant's call at the end of LFB.

[emotional leper]

In this vein, are the Fire-Lions ever explicitly identified as creatures of Earthpower? I can't remember...

I don't recall exactly, but it seems that it's clear that Fire-lions are indeed made of Earthpower - they answer Berek's need and then answer Covenant's call at the end of LFB.

Does anyone else see a sort of resemblance between Sandgorgons, Merewives, and Firelions/Skurj? Like maybe there should be a forth creature/being that exemplifies Air?

[dlbpharmd]

Hmmmm, that's food for thought.

[emotional leper]

That's assuming that SRD uses a traditional four elements view at all in his Laws and Workings and Other Occult Operations Formulae.

It could just be me reading too much into things.

[aliantha]

Maybe. That's a cool idea, though.

SRD hasn't done too much in the way of airborne stuff, has he? I'm trying to think of *any*thing in the Chrons that flies, and I'm coming up dry. I guess the Andelainian wraiths fly, sort of, and your odd Elohim of course, but that's all I can think of. Anybody?

[MrKABC]

Maybe. That's a cool idea, though.

SRD hasn't done too much in the way of airborne stuff, has he? I'm trying to think of *any*thing in the Chrons that flies, and I'm coming up dry. I guess the Andelainian wraiths fly, sort of, and your odd Elohim of course, but that's all I can think of. Anybody?

Griffins (described as "great lionlike beasts that alternately trotted and flew" by Manethrall Rue) can and did fly.

Griffins were present at the battle of Soaring Woodhelven, and also were used by Fleshharrower in their flying capacity to combat Lord Verement's Word of Warning.

Also, there were flying birds in the Vortex of Trepidation.

AND... references to "savage flocks of cormorants" that killed Hiltmark Quaan's riders.

[emotional leper]

Maybe. That's a cool idea, though.

SRD hasn't done too much in the way of airborne stuff, has he? I'm trying to think of *any*thing in the Chrons that flies, and I'm coming up dry. I guess the Andelainian wraiths fly, sort of, and your odd Elohim of course, but that's all I can think of. Anybody?

Griffins (described as "great lionlike beasts that alternately trotted and flew" by Manethrall Rue) can and did fly.

Griffins were present at the battle of Soaring Woodhelven, and also were used by Fleshharrower in their flying capacity to combat Lord Verement's Word of Warning.

Also, there were flying birds in the Vortex of Trepidation.

AND... references to "savage flocks of cormorants" that killed Hiltmark Quaan's riders.

But weren't all those creatures that were warped/twisted into being with use of the Illearth stone by Foul, or by the Giant Ravers with their shards?

[aliantha]

Thanks, Mr. KABC!

I think SRD has said that he now regrets using griffins, and sorta thinks he should've thought up something Land-specific instead.

And none of the others have been a thing that the plot revolves around, as the merewives, et al., have been.

Maybe SRD just hates flying...

[Borillar]

If the Skurj are corrupted Earthpower, they certainly could be "healed" by the new Staff of Law, thus setting them up to become the Fire-Lions of Mount Thunder (via some sort of time-travel device).

[High Lord Tolkien]

but does anyone else besides me think that the Skurj are eventually going to be revealed as the Fire-Lions of Mount Thunder? In other words, that time travel will somehow account for their being bound to the mountain in the past, possibly by the power of the Staff?

That would be great.
Awesome idea!