Was the Termigan too anti-Imager?

[fightingmyinstincts]

I mean, everyone got screwed over by bad Imagers...but to just club the first one you see seems harsh and a little implausible...




[mod edit - changed the title from "Was the Termigan was too anti-Imager?" to "Was the Termigan too anti-Imager?"...it flows better--CH]

[danlo]

Aside from Sternwall, that his father built with almost his bare hands, falling into lavapits I remember some other good reasons why he was that way. Wasn't there something in the past involving Alend-need to rush home from work to consult the book. He was one of the few "Caretakers" who didn't really cotton to Emeris.

Great topic FMI! Welcome back! (hope to see you in the Augury too... )

[Revan]

Yeah... I think he was... his belief that Havelock would have betrayed King Joyse was wrong imo.

[fightingmyinstincts]

well of course it's wrong...Havelock is loyal even in insanity...that's some effort, not to just daffy-duck around yelling "Fornicate you between the eyes!" when you're that nuts...to actually restrain your broken mind and try and put it to use in the name of the King...that doesn't smack of disloyalty to me...

[duchess of malfi]

The Termigan had the right to be anti-Imager, (after all, his whole capital city was being destroyed at the time Terisa was knocked on the head) but just took it to an extreme. He hated them all, without making any distinctions between the good guys and the bad guys...

And given what Eremis and Gilbur were capable of, I can almost understand his position, especially since Joyse was no longer in control of all of the Masters of the Congery...I think Eremis's little meeting reinforced the Termigan's low opinion of Imagers, in fact.

[danlo]

AMRT, paperback, page 215 An Old Ally of the King:

I don't like Imagers, my lady. When my father was killed in the wars, and I became Termigan. I fought beside King Joyse for years because I don't like Imagers. All my life, most of the people I value have been killed by Imagers. Or Alends. I've never let Havelock inside these walls. Even when he wasn't crazy.

He also believed that along with "talent" Imagers were innately meglomaniacal and power mad and that even Havelock would have eventually taken over Mordant had he not become insane.

[Revan]

AMRT, paperback, page 215 An Old Ally of the King:

I don't like Imagers, my lady. When my father was killed in the wars, and I became Termigan. I fought beside King Joyse for years because I don't like Imagers. All my life, most of the people I value have been killed by Imagers. Or Alends. I've never let Havelock inside these walls. Even when he wasn't crazy.

He also believed that along with "talent" Imagers were innately meglomaniacal and power mad and that even Havelock would have eventually taken over Mordant had he not become insane.

Yeah, over all he was very narrow minded... Couldn't see the fact that Imager's could be good people, and stay good people.

I think he might have learnt differently at the end though...

[Cord Hurn]

The short answer: yes.

[Cord Hurn]

A few moments later, the soldier returned, ushering Geraden into the Termigan's presence.

After that, the man left.

Geraden looked at her, at the lord. He said, "My lord Termigan," roughly his only concession to politeness. He was already hurrying toward Terisa.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a low voice. "You were hit so hard, I thought they broke your neck."

She managed a crooked smile, a stiff nod. Putting her hand in his, she pulled herself to her feet. "The lava's getting worse," she said, speaking carefully so that she wouldn't start to yell. "I think it's another way of attacking us." She faced the Termigan, although she spoke to Geraden, held Geraden's hand; with all her strength, she willed the lord not to harm Geraden. "And I think Eremis is afraid of the Termigan. There must be something he can do to fight back." Because she wanted the lord to understand that she was threatening him, she concluded to Geraden, "I told him you're an Imager."

And Geraden--without hesitation, almost without trepidation--supported her even though he probably had no idea what he was getting into. "That's right," he said. "If you've got any sand here, any furnace or kiln, I might be able to make a mirror. I could translate that fire away."

Terisa squeezed his hand hard and held her breath.

For the first time, she saw the Termigan react plainly. A muscle twitched in his cheek; his brows knotted into a hurt scowl. The emotion she felt wash from him wasn't anger or even disgust; it was grief.

In a ragged voice, he said, "No. Even if you're telling the truth. I won't have Imagery here."

His own severity cost him this hope.

This illustrates to me that the Termigan was too "anti-Imager". Even to save his beloved capital city built by his father, and to save many of his people from becoming homeless, he cannot allow it to be saved from lava--not if it takes Imagery to do so. Too "anti-Imager", indeed!

[Avatar]

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

--A