Kevin's Watch

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 2:17 pm**

Am currently re-reading the second chronicles and Vain that archetype enigmatic creation of fantasy fiction tends to steal the show at times.
Just curious as to favourite scenes, lines etc (I guess we can almost exclude Vains dialogue) surrounding Vain.
So far in TWL it is when Vain appears in Covenants room after being locked out of Revelstone and TC utters that immortal line "Good for you".
Also Donaldsons description of Vain's leering grin directed towards TC after the white gold has blasted up the place and killed 21 people, adds that extra bit of malevolence and complexity to the Covenant/Vain interaction.

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 2:25 pm**

That's my favorite Vain moment too!

Although chasing after the Courser, and escaping the Elohim are pretty awesome too! And when he got PISSED and attacked those warped viles. And Cail using him as an anchor to lower the sled. And...

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 2:33 pm**

Fist and Faith wrote:That's my favorite Vain moment too! Although chasing after the Courser, and escaping the Elohim are pretty awesome too! And when he got PISSED and attacked those warped viles. And Cail using him as an anchor to lower the sled. And...

Its sort of like "and.." too many to mention. I find myself reading the page and just waiting for another Vain moment to arrive.
In essentially what is a pretty dark book Donaldson includes humour and one-liners that make you laugh out loud.
Vain the ultimate purveyor of black humour (groans!!!!!!).

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 7:33 pm**

I liked it when Pitchwife throws an off hand comment about Vain standing before the foremast because Findal is hiding in there.

"...perhaps he seeks to ravish our foremast of it's maidenhood..."

(grr grr hope that's the right line...) It never fails to crack me up.

It also puzzles me that Vain rescued LA from the on-coming Lava bed that the group was standing on instead of Covenant. Seems to me that Vain knew that LA would be more valuable in the end instead of TC.

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 7:51 pm**

ROFLMAO!!! that is a hilarious line!!

Vain is the coolest character .. he to me was as hilarious as Bannor .. another .. sooo cool dude

Vain was programmed to protect her wasnt he? part of his design matrix if you will

but thats an interesting thing in itself .. how did the folk of the Land know about LA/the chosen????? before her arrival in the Land?

Posted: **Sat Oct 04, 2003 8:04 pm**

Good point Skyweir!

i suppose that must also raise questions about how vain was made..

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:10 am**

It's possible that Vain was programmed to protect someone who possessed certain qualities.

But maybe the viles' lore allowed them glimpses into the future, and they saw Linden.

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 7:08 am**

Maybe the viles knew that LA was the sunsage and only she could help Vain complete his purpose.

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 7:19 am**

perhaps vain just plain had a crush on linden? after all, big black blobs have feelings to ya know

lol

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 10:35 am**

"Tar-baby on steriods" ROCKS!

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:44 pm**

I loved this part in TWL:

Chapter 13: Demondim-Spawn

Seeking release from his sense of loss, he rose to his feet, faced Vain. He considered the dark form briefly, then said, "Foamfollower says you don't talk, is that true?"

Vain did not react. An ambiguous smile hung on his lips, but no expression altered the fathomless ebony of his orbs. He might as well have been blind.

"All right," Covenant muttered. "You don't speak. I hope the other things he said are true, too. I don't want to test it. I'm going to put off commanding you as long as I can. If those ur-viles lied--" He frowned, trying to penetrate the mystery of his companion; but no intuition came to his aid. "Maybe Linden can tell me something about you." Vain's black gaze did not shift. After a moment, Covenant growled, "I also hope I don't get in the habit of talking to you. This is ridiculous."

LOL, that makes me laff everytime I read it.

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:46 pm**

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:51 pm**

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 5:11 pm**

LOL .. another good scene furls!!

Fist and Faith wrote:It's possible that Vain was programmed to protect someone who possessed certain qualities.

But maybe the viles' lore allowed them glimpses into the future, and they saw Linden.

excellent!! Yeah this could be it!! .. so what qualites was Vain on the look out for I wonder? not physical qualities probably, like honey blonde haired females for example

Yet this smacks of some precipience too maybe as someone else mentioned urvile lore may have been able to access.

mmm .. tis a mystery

i like it

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 5:26 pm**

Could they not have mad him quickly after seeing LA turn up and realising she had a bit going for her, and just fast-tracked delivery of the product so it'd be ready in time for TC to enter Andelain?

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 5:46 pm**

mmm ......... mmm

......... no i dont think so

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 6:01 pm**

yeah well they could ... they were still there you know ... in the mountain ...

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 6:31 pm**

.. what knock him out post haste!!

what time frame were they working to? they didnt know when TC or LA were arriving or did they?

oooh .. maybe they did know eh?

I think they just knocked him out when they did and programmed him to fulfill his unique mission of protecting 'a' healer character .. cos LA's health sense/sight .. and empathy/healing power .. was relevant to her healing of the land right?

how did the urviles know this kind of person/individual/element would be needed?

she would be the one to unite physically findail and vain .. and heal the Land .. boy this makes me think the urviles must have been privy to some sginificatn foresight ..

Posted: **Sun Oct 05, 2003 7:01 pm**

If I recall correctly, they made him out of some sort of gesture of goodwill merged with purpose, due to some self-loathing they had.

And it took a while for TC, LA, Sunder and Hollian to wander from K-Dub to Andelain, so I reckon there was time. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Posted: **Mon Oct 06, 2003 9:08 am**

Landwaster wrote:If I recall correctly, they made him out of some sort of gesture of goodwill merged with purpose, due to some self-loathing they had.

And it took a while for TC, LA, Sunder and Hollian to wander from K-Dub to Andelain, so I reckon there was time. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Look the ur-viles obviously existed in a post-fordist just in time production mode. Their economies of scale and technical excellence enabled the quick track approach and their supply chain and networking abilities were second to none.

Kevin's Watch

Vain- Your favourite scenes.

Vain- Your favourite scenes.