AMRT Chapter 35: An Old Ally of the King

Mordant's Need group reads

Moderators: Cord Hurn, danlo, dANdeLION, Cameraman Jenn

Post Reply
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20837
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Contact:

AMRT Chapter 35: An Old Ally of the King

Post by danlo »

Geographically, if there was ever a more informative or frustrating chapter in all of Mordant's Need it's An Old Ally of the King. I don't know if Stephen R. Donaldson had a map in mind or was deliberately trying to swill us into chaos with his directions and description of Mordant, but, in anycase, to someone like me who has actually attempted to make a map, he has definately achieved his goal with the latter.

So I direct you attention to my rendering of Mordant: Mordant Map

After Eremis suceeds in burning Houseldon, and it's surviving citizens beat a safe retreat to The Closed Fist, Terisa and Geraden ride out in an effort to gather support for King Joyse. There first destination is Sternwall, the seat of the Care of Termigan. Donaldson has them traveling in a northeasterly direction, following the Broadwine River, aways, towards the Demense. This combined with all the other descriptions and directions in the book(s) really makes no sense unless Sternwall is north/NE and right next to Rostrum-the famous Termigan wine making town. Anyway, we are now out in the open and Terisa and Geraden undertake a four day journey to an old ally of the King.

They cross the Pestil's Mouth, a spur of the Pestil River into the flinty landscape of Termigan also known for it's abundant wheatfields and vineyards. Terisa, inwardly-and eventually outwardly, complains about the continued days on horseback but, in all enjoys the expanse of Mordant as her and Geraden's relationship deepens. I put Sternwall at a different location on my map to be more accessible to the defense of it's Alend border and after Geraden explains Mount Kelendumble's relationship to the joining of all three borders (Domne, Tor and Termigan) it, sorta has to be there... :screwy:

Anyway, they finally draw within sight of Sternwall and can clearly see the bubbling pools of liquid rock before the stronghold that Eremis had (mockingly) told of before, Pits of fire appear in the ground of Termigan--almost within the fortifications of Sternwall. The granite walls were on the verge of collaspe and soon the seat's occupants would be burned out of their homes.
Geraden scowled at the sight bitterly, "Glass and splinters!" he murmured. "Oh Eremis. No wonder the Termigan doesn't trust Imagers ."

"I don't understand." Terisa had to swallow hard to make her throat work. "Why? I mean why do it this way? Why not put this--this lava?--why not translate this lava right into the city and be done with it?"

"It's more fun this way," grated Geraden. Then he shook his head. "No, that's not it. Sternwall itself probably isn't in the Image. The mirror they're using probably shows a place up in the hill somewhere. This is as far as they can adust the focus."
As Terisa and Geraden make their way between the fire pits a group of the Termigan's men come out to meet them and confirm their identities before allowing them in. Terisa, being concerned about city's plight, doesn't twig, until the last moment, to the significance of being within translation range.

'She was taken completely by surprise when a touch of cold as thin as a feather and as sharp as steel slid straight through the center of her abdomen.'



ImageSorry things got busy and I can't miss the football game! I SWEAR this will be done my 12pm Friday!

coming up:
G & T are attacked by horse-eating black super Pac-Men :E :E

Terisa gets whacked on the head :faint:

Termigan none too happy :-x

Geraden gets pissed :x

No help forthcoming :-|
Last edited by danlo on Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:39 am, edited 8 times in total.
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20837
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Contact:

Post by danlo »

Gods! I'm stuck tutoring study hall and I'm up to my eyeball in football players! Will try to make entry in 1-2 hours from now--I'm trying to be unbusy! 8O
Myste
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 3029
Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 6:45 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Post by Myste »

danlo wrote:Gods! I'm stuck tutoring study hall and I'm up to my eyeball in football players!
8O danlo only has one eyeball??? I think that's worse than when he cut off his mullet! It's okay, danlo, we can wait....:D
Halfway down the stairs Is the stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair where I always stop.
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20837
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Contact:

Post by danlo »

Yes in reality I'm Mike from Monsters Inc.! :P The mullet's growing back, btw...and the mustache has totally come back. (I'm out of mourning, I hope)
Myste
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 3029
Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 6:45 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Post by Myste »

I hope you are, too. |G Glad to hear about the hair, Samson! :D
Halfway down the stairs Is the stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair where I always stop.
User avatar
duchess of malfi
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 11104
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
Location: Michigan, USA

Post by duchess of malfi »

Yes, I am glad that your glorious mane is returning. :twisted:

Danlo, I love the way you used those emoticons near the end of your first post!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Love as thou wilt.

Image
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20837
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Contact:

Post by danlo »

Well I found a little bit of free time so lets at least discuss the attack of Imagery that besets our intrepid duo as they ride through the lava pits.

:E :E
Yet the surprise itself may have been what saved her. She had no time to be frightened, paralyzed. Instead, she yelped a warning and flung herself to the side, out of the saddle, out of the way.

The fangs missed her. They came so close, however, that they snagged her shirt at the shoulder, nearly tore it off her body.

She hit the ground awkwardly, wrenched her knee, fell flat on her face. Desperately, she scrambled her legs under her and pitched to her feet--

--just in time to see a gnarled black spot the size of a puppy get up on it's limbs and come scrambling toward her. Its savage jaws took up more than half her body: they stretched for her, ravening.
Due do her yell Geraden barely avoids being munched by yet another one of these nasties that appears out of nowhere from the invisible edge of the translation. It does, however, rip his horse's head off and proceeds to eat throught its entire body straight at him. Then two more hit the scene and one of them doubles up on Geraden as Terisa stuggles, armed with all she has: a kitchen knife, with her original assalliant. She somehow wrests free of it's rage and unconciously, intinctively stabs it in the side.

Geraden rips through his saddle bags and, finally tosses cornmeal into the "face" of his attacker, who has almost devoured the horse right up to his groin. Fortunately it must have some nasal capacity because it sneezes itself almost into oblivion with a mouth too big for its body. Just then as Terisa's second and Geraden's "corn meal buddy" monsters are really ready to tear their heads off they're impaled by crossbow arrows.
A moment later, the three men halted in front of Terisa and Geraden. They peered down from their high seats. Snarling one of them demanded, "What in the name of goatshit and fornication are those things?"
To make a long story short, Geraden explains that they are creatures of Imagery and to reach saftey they need to move a hundred yards out of range. Somehow the word "Imagery" spurs the Temigan's men to action and the rescue party rides to the gates. Meanwhile Terisa equates these creatures as the type capable of doing the damage, back in Orison, to Lebbick's guards and Nyle, or was it really the physician Underwell? The soldiers refuse to let them in Sternwall unless they identify themselves. Geraden introduces himself as a son of the Domne, known as a lifelong friend of Termigan. But when he identifies Terisa of Morgan as arch-Imager and augered champion one of the men quickly cracks her on the neck and knocks her out! :faint:

:-x I really like this chapter for a couple of reasons, 1.) The action really begins to pick up here and then zooms along until you're done with the book, and 2.) The Termigan himself. Aside from the champion he's probably my favorite (Mordant bound) character. In a way, he reminds me of my Dad. Donaldson's description of him in this chapter is, kinda, nondescript, but I personally, and from his earlier visit to Orison, envision him as a burly bear of a man. A no-nonsense guy who can be the greatest friend you can imagine. He seems the type fused with common sense and detests anything done with "smoke and mirrors". And with good reason: in fact, he abhors Imagers.

As Terisa, battered and bruised, eventually comes to he makes this abundantly clear to her. His loved ones and his people have been killed by Imagers. He joined Joyse's cause, after his father died-presumably at the hands of his Care's border enemies: The Alends, for the sole purpose of rounding up as many Imagers as possible and negating their power. In fact he wouldn't even allow Havelock within his walls, back in the day. He doesn't, necessarily dislike Terisa-perhaps he too can't understand her role in anything, but feels that if she indeed is an Imager she has been infected by power lust and will, eventually, seek the total domination of others. "The Imager I trust is one who kills himself." Looking back its hard to believe the Termigan could even control himself during the clandestine meeting of the Lords of the Cares with The Alend Contender and Eremis.

He even puts that together by infering, 'no wonder he (Eremis) was the only one who could control you'. Terisa is hard pressed to explain to him that she's really not an Imager, or at least had no idea she had the 'talent' until just five days ago, and that Eremis and Gilbur are behind the Imagery attacks in Orison, Houseldon and here. That they're tying to kill her and Geraden because they know that they have untapped Imager power and they know too much. She beseeches him to support their cause and aide King Joyse and says that even though they're both new to Imagery they are trying to harry Eremis and to discover the means within them to stop him. To the Termigan it's just an Imager's war for power and has nothing to do with him.

A soldier appears in the room and informs the Termigan that a huge new batch of lava is pouring out of the translation and that part of the wall is crumbling.
A sting of alarm when through Terisa. Half involutarily. she said, "That's because we're here, we're too dangerous."

And because they were approaching the crisis--the point where Master Quillon said Eremis would be vunerable. So that he would attack here. The point at which King Joyse intended to strike back. If in fact he had ever had the policy Quillon ascribed to him--or if he were still King enough to carry it out. Eremis needed to kill or paralyze the King's allies before that moment, so that King Joyse wouldn't have any force with which to strike.

It was probably true--although the thought made her sick--that Eremis wouldn't try so hard to kill her and Geraden if she hadn't convinced the Master that King Joyse knew what he was doing, that the King's choices were deliberate, purposive, rather than passive or accidental.

"We'?" asked the Termigan. He sounded fatal--too calm for the extremity of his outrage and dismay. "One new Imager and a failed Apt? I don't believe it."

"You should." Terisa couldn't bear it. Sternwall was going to be destroyed. Like Houseldon. Because of her and Geraden. "He's and Imager, too. He's even more powerful than I am. Let him make a mirror, and he'll get rid of the lava for you."

"Eremis wants us dead. He can't take the chance we'll talk you into helping us."
Terisa expects the Termigan to explode and throw her in irons at this point, instead he does nothing and has Gearden brought into the room. She tells him that she has told the Termigan he's an Imager, but instead of a reaction Geraden is ready to spring into action and build a mirror. Even so, the Termigan wants to believe in the son of the Domne and his loyalty to King Joyse,
In a ragged voice he said, "No even if you're telling the truth. I won't have it. I won't have Imagery here."

His own severity cost him this hope.

:x

Geraden blew a sigh; but he didn't hesitate. "Then my lord," he said clearly, "there is only one thing you can do for your people." Terisa marveled at him--at the strenght of his voice, at the certainty with which he met a dillemma that confounded her. "Evacuate Sternwall. Get your men together. Go fight for King Joyse. Before it's too late."

It didn't work. "'Evacuate Sternwall'?" the Termigan spat as if he had discovered a piece of glass in his food. "Leave my people? Abandon my Care?" Softly, but so intensely that it seemed like a cry from his heart, he demanded, "For what?"

"For Mordant," answered Geraden. "For peace."

The Termigan didn't respond so Geraden went on, "Orison is under siege. Prince Kragen has brought the Alend army against us--at least ten thousand men. And Cadwal is marching. The High King's army is even bigger--I don't know hold long the Perdon can hold out against it. Right now the Alend Monarch may be in the strange position of defending Orison from Cadwal.

"I don't think you can do anything about that. I don't think you've got enough men.

"But you could attack Eremis directly." He released Terisa's hand so that he could move closer to the Termigan, face the lord more squarely. "He is in league with High King Festten. But Cadwal has to fight Alend and Orison. So the place where Eremis keeps his mirrors is vunerable--the place where he does translations like this one, the one destroying Sternwall. The place where he and Gilbur and Vagel hid to do their plotting and shape their mirrors."

"You could attack him there. In the Care of Tor. In his home. Esmerel."
Terisa is shocked at this and wonders about Eremis' father and brothers. Geraden informs her they died in a fire years ago. Another lie and now she's really ready to grind him into a bloody pulp. Geraden informs the Termigan that he might not be able to save Sternwall in time but he can save King Joyse. And why in the Hellfire should he? Joyse allowed this to happen without consulting him? Allow Mordant to be attacked from both sides? He had reason?!!! Perhaps he should sleep in the bed he made...

"Brilliant. Destroy your friends to save your enemies. Completely brilliant."

Again Geraden pleads with him to help Joyse in his time of need by attacking Esmerel. To which the Termigan roars "no" and slams the door.

"Do you mean," (Geraden) asked, that if we simply survive this experience I'm supposed to consider it a success?"

The Termigan doesn't see them again or even throw them in the lava pits. With his anger directed at Joyse, Terisa and Geraden may have, somehow, won a tiny part of his heart. At least they purposed a course of action, any action, in lieu of his impossible postion. That combined his lifelong loyalty to the Domne and a method of ridding Sternwall of Imagers as fast as possible; he surprises the pair by feeding them the next morning and equipts them with horses, supplies and a map to the Care of Fayle.

"But he didn't do anything to help King Joyse."

:-|
Last edited by danlo on Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
duchess of malfi
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 11104
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
Location: Michigan, USA

Post by duchess of malfi »

You did a great job, Danlo!

How did Eremis and Gilbur find monsters like the Pac-Men? :E :E :E I know they found them in mirrors -- but do you think they translated them to Mordant and used people as test subjects to see if the monsters were dangerous?

At this point in the story, does anyone else start to wonder if any capital city of any Care will be left standing by the end of the book? 8O If, in fact, enough of the people and places of Mordant will be left to be saved? 8O
Love as thou wilt.

Image
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20837
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Contact:

Post by danlo »

Right! At this point there's, probably, nothing much left of the soliders of Perdon, Armgrite's okay but it has been overun by Alends, Sternwall's sinking, Houseldon burned to the ground and Orison's under seige. We have to hope Fayle's ok but maybe the "leaderless" Marshalt's the place to be safe (even if Esmerel is fairly close to it 8O ).

I would probably be hiding in Rostrum consuming mass quantities of High King Festten's favorite vintage at this point...but it's likely to be the first place he'll visit when he's done with business. :P

I assume Eremis, Gilbur and Co. observed how the "Pac-Men" behaved in thier own world for some time (like the furry riders outside Orison) before unleasing them at Sternwall. Yet your idea, combined with other such possible experimentation, makes me fear for any poor denizen who lives anywhere near Esmerel... :hairs:
Myste
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 3029
Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 6:45 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Post by Myste »

I've always been a fan of the Termigan, too, though I think the Perdon is my favorite. The evil pacmen are revolting, and used to excellent effect. Like so many of Donaldson's monsters, they're just extraordinarily well-drawn. What an imagination this guy Donaldson has, eh? Sandgorgons and arguleh, horrid furry pacmen and the callat, malicious centipedes (think "The Conqueror Worm" in DOR), and so on....I'm constantly amazed by how real he makes his creatures. They aren't stock nightmares, but they are so well-described that they seem real independent of the people they attack. They are recognizable horrors, even if their shapes are entirely new.

PS--Terrific dissection, danlo!
Halfway down the stairs Is the stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair where I always stop.
User avatar
Earthblood
<i>Haruchai</i>
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2002 6:15 pm
Location: Hamburg NY USA

Post by Earthblood »

I agree Myste - this is the reason I like SRD so well. His descriptions of peoples, places, things & monsters is extraordinary!!!

Nice job with this chap Timekeeper - it really is the springboard for action to the end!!

I am never really sure about the Termigan - sometimes I feel he is being foolish by absolutely refusing imagry, but at other times, I can see why he would be so opposed.....

He is a good strong character tho & fits well in Donaldsons tale.
"You're afraid of yourself."
Image
User avatar
Cord Hurn
Servant of the Band
Posts: 7630
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:08 pm
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by Cord Hurn »

The Termigan certainly is hurting himself and his people by refusing to consider Geraden and Terisa using Imagery to remove the lava.
In [i]A Man Rides Through[/i] was wrote: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.
He seems like a good person, but his "purity" in how he opposes the use of Imagery is denying the salvation of his capital city. :(
Post Reply

Return to “Casting the Augury”