Kevin's Watch

500 Bloodguard? That's what Bannor told TC right?

"The Bloodguard are 500, the Harucai are more." or something like that.

But was it true that IF a Bloodguard's body wasn't taken back to the Westron Mt. then another wouldn't be sent?

OK, if that was true, then wouldn't it stand to reason that in High Lord Kevin's war that many Bloodguard had died protecting the Old Lords during the meeting with LF when LF betrayed them? During the various battles that were lost by the Old Lords? There had to be many fatalities among the Bloodguard, right? Sure, they went into exile before the ROD but I doubt they sat every battle out that drove Kevin to despair.

What am I missing?

There were 500 Bloodguard at the time of LFB. After LFB, there were 499 (Tuvor died in Kiril Threndor and his body was not recovered.) The story that Mhoram told Covenant about his journey to Foul's Creche indicated that several Bloodguard were killed, and we don't know that they all were replaced, but we were told later (either in Gilden-Fire or TIW, my memory isn't clear) that Tull was one of the replacements. Several Bloodguard (we don't know how many) died during the battles in TIW, but we have no way of knowing how many were replaced. Thus, by the time of TPTP, we simply can't be sure how many Bloodguard were remaining.

I believe it was said that some relatively small number of Bloodguard bodies had not been sent back over the centuries before LFB, and that there were less than 500 in the beginning of TCTC. Not much less. No specific number was mentioned that I recall, but I'm getting the impression that there were certainly more than 450. Probably closer to 490? After all, if the Haruchai and Ranyhyn want to recover a body, you can believe the body will be recovered. But some small number were probably destroyed beyond any possibility.

dlbpharmd wrote:Thus, by the time of TPTP, we simply can't be sure how many Bloodguard were remaining.

Unfortunately, they all abdicated before TPTP began, so the answer to that one is 0.

Relayer wrote:

dlbpharmd wrote:Thus, by the time of TPTP, we simply can't be sure how many Bloodguard were remaining.

Unfortunately, they all abdicated before TPTP began, so the answer to that one is 0.

Picky, picky.....

It was probably all over anyway by the time of the Illearth War. There are several accounts of such bodies destroyed beyond all possibility of recovery (eg eaten, obliterated etc).

By the end of that war between the battle both in the south and on mission to Seareach, even if the Vow wasn't corrupted, there would have been many less - except for Lord Mhoram's/Troy's deal with the Forestal, only those left at Revelstone would have been left.

500??

Spoiler

(Something in FR has that number)

I had thought there were 2000 Bloodguard..

Of the Harachai army marching to the Land I believe 2000 took the oath.
Well since my LFB had fallen apart I can't reference back..

I always remembered 500 too UrDead.

There were 1000 Haruchai in their original army. 500 took the Vow.

Fist and Faith wrote:There were 1000 Haruchai in their original army. 500 took the Vow.

Yeah, it was two thousand years that they served by the time of LFB right?

Yes.

Ur Dead wrote:500??

Spoiler

(Something in FR has that number)

I had thought there were 2000 Bloodguard..

Of the Harachai army marching to the Land I believe 2000 took the oath.
Well since my LFB had fallen apart I can't reference back..

I think your right.. not sure if it was 2000 but i remember there was alot more haruchai but 500 remained to take the vow and the rest went back home. im surprised they didnt all fight to become one of the 500 to stay, I know i wouldnt want to be going back to the Western mountains.

They probably did fight, I mean, that's how they decide pretty much everything isn't it?

yep..the haruchai are always willing to beat the hell out of each other..but i dont think you could make one hit you no matter how much verbal abuse you give them. i suppose if you said Akharu Kenaustin ardenol eats Ranyhyn Droppings.. that might suffice. or they would just lift an eyebrow.

Nah. They'd just tell you that is logically impossible since there are no Ranyhyn at the Isle of the One Tree.

Vulcans!

Bannor told TC (conversation held at Revelstone in LFB) that in the days of Kevin, a Haurachi army invaded the Land, but were so amazed by what they saw (giants, Ranyhyn etc) they decided to stay & 500 swore oath to be the Bloodguard - the rest returned home.

Bannor also said that when a Bloodguard was killed in action, his body was sent to the mountains and a replacement returned. Only those bloodguard whoose bodies could not be recovered were not replaced.

Because Korik & co. were corrupted by Foul, the Bloodguard realised their Vow could not be maintained so most left & returned home while some like Bannor stayed on to fight.

Yep, that's the way I remember it.

Do we find out what happend to the Bloodguard that were mutilated but not killed in battle?
I can never remember these details.

Marvin wrote:Do we find out what happend to the Bloodguard that were mutilated but not killed in battle?
I can never remember these details.

Only 3 Bloodguard were mutilated i.e. fingers lopped off their hands to resemble TC - they were killed by Bannor and other Haurachi who were dismayed to see the Bloodguard corrupted by Foul - hence main reason why Bloodguard disbanded...