Kevin's Watch

Any comments on this odd character who shows up near the end of Runes? Although she seems to be a simple servant at first, there are hints she's something more. She appears to melt in and out of the shadows, is perhaps foresighted (as she warns Linden obliquely about who she is about to meet outside of Revlestone), and is seen briefly by the Ramen as someoen else (we are not told who). Yet it is also emphasized that she is kind and generous.

Of all the things in Runes, she is the one that really has me totally stumped. No ideas at all on this one, I'm afraid.

My first impression was:

Spoiler

Croyel

But I don't know. Odd though, 'aint she?

Aleksandr wrote:Any comments on this odd character who shows up near the end of Runes? Although she seems to be a simple servant at first, there are hints she's something more. She appears to melt in and out of the shadows, is perhaps foresighted (as she warns Linden obliquely about who she is about to meet outside of Revlestone), and is seen briefly by the Ramen as someoen else (we are not told who). Yet it is also emphasized that she is kind and generous.

I dont know. My only idea is that she might be some character from the previous two Chronicles, returned from the past and in disguise, but Im really not sure. She is certainly interesting though.

The thing that's bugging me about her is her way of speaking. Does she [blank] No she does not. Some other character, not sure if by SRD or not, did that constantly, and I can't remember who.

My guess:

Spoiler

She's an Elohim. Note her name is a title, the Mahdoubt, possibly similar to the Appointed? And that would explain her seemingly magical abilities. Just for kicks I looked the word up in the OED, it's apparently made up, but there is Mahdi, a figure out of Muslim belief who's supposed to rule before the apocalypse.

I thought maybe an Elohim too. But I have trouble seeing beings as arrogant and self-absorbed as they are, even "good" Elohim like Daphin, assuming a servant's role as a disguise. I also thought, Maybe someone from the Land's past, but there aren't a lot of candidates for that and she isn't really like any of the female characters we've known. And yes her method of speaking (all third person pronouns, no "I" or "you") is certainly odd. Anele however seems to speak that way, at least about himself.

I think it more likely that she is more akin to the character who was the way to the 7th ward... AMOK. The reason I think she is not a croyel or some other horror, is that everyone is calmed by her.

I beleive that in one of the great ironies of SRD's marvelous writings, we will find that like AMOK Madoubt will end up being an expression of earthpower which has existed under the noses of the Masters!

The first and most obvious thing that I thought about her was her similarity to the Shadout Mapes. Beyond that I really don't have a clue.

This character made no sense to me whatsoever. I can't believe that she's like Amok, a being of earthpower. Surely the Masters would be able to see that and react according to their oppressive policy (unless they couldn't...)

I think clues to her identity/nature are:

a) Her robe

b) her clothing

Note that she does not serve the masters, but Revelstone, which is itslef a symbol of fealty and of earthpower.

I found the Mahdoubt's mysterious calming influence very creepy. It made me deeply uncomfortable, like everyone was being lulled falsely into a dangerous sense of safety and peace. Just because she says she's a servant of Revelstone doesn't mean she is. Ok, the Masters believe her, but I no longer trust their judgement. We don't know what she's capable of.

She went ot great lengths to point out her robe, which Linden found pitiable.

Yes the masters judgement must be questioned, but their health sight (and Linden's at the end) was intact. Were she a servant of corruption, they would know it.

This is why I think she to be something more like AMOK...an expression of power (perhaps earthpower) rather than an entity like croyel or elohim.

Her simplicity and service are no doubt veiling her true nature....why would she point out that robe?

And what is with her eyes?

A Gunslinger wrote:Were she a servant of corruption, they would know it.

I'm not convinced of that. To repeat something I said in another topic: Covenant was always "closed" to the vision of the Land-dwellers because the power he bore surpassed them, and my theory is that the same principle is what cloaked Foul's presence on Kevin's council. We can't know for sure at this stage that the Mahdoubt isn't just too powerful to be seen for what she really is. Powerful enough to manipulate how she appears to the health senses of the Haruchai and Linden's party? That's my gut feeling here...

CovenantJr wrote:

A Gunslinger wrote:Were she a servant of corruption, they would know it.

I'm not convinced of that. To repeat something I said in another topic: Covenant was always "closed" to the vision of the Land-dwellers because the power he bore surpassed them, and my theory is that the same principle is what cloaked Foul's presence on Kevin's council. We can't know for sure at this stage that the Mahdoubt isn't just too powerful to be seen for what she really is. Powerful enough to manipulate how she appears to the health senses of the Haruchai and Linden's party? That's my gut feeling here...

Would not the staff of Law react to corruption if it were present?

I don't know. Would it? Why?

And doesn't Foul presumably also surpass that overrated splinter of solidified Elohim ego?

Besides, who said anything about corruption? If that Elohim harbinger has got any of its facts straight, there's a lot more at large in the world now than just Foul...

CovenantJr wrote:I don't know. Would it? Why?

And doesn't Foul presumably also surpass that overrated splinter of solidified Elohim ego?

Besides, who said anything about corruption? If that Elohim harbinger has got any of its facts straight, there's a lot more at large in the world now than just Foul...

Only time (in fact probably a decade) will tell!

A Gunslinger wrote:

CovenantJr wrote:

A Gunslinger wrote:Were she a servant of corruption, they would know it.

I'm not convinced of that. To repeat something I said in another topic: Covenant was always "closed" to the vision of the Land-dwellers because the power he bore surpassed them, and my theory is that the same principle is what cloaked Foul's presence on Kevin's council. We can't know for sure at this stage that the Mahdoubt isn't just too powerful to be seen for what she really is. Powerful enough to manipulate how she appears to the health senses of the Haruchai and Linden's party? That's my gut feeling here...

Would not the staff of Law react to corruption if it were present?

Kevin held the Staff in the Council, and was never made aware of Foul by it. Mind you, that was the old, "deadwood" Staff. The new and improved "living" Staff might react to Corruption, but there's nothing to indicate that as yet.

hmmm.... What was the exact warning again? "Be cautious of Love"... and she said something about the Masters...

The Mahdoubt is described thus:

...a short dowdy figure apparently well past middle age, with a crow's nest of hair askew on her head, plump flesh hanging from her arms, and features which might have been sculpted by an unruly child during a tantrum.

Did anyone think suru-pa-maerl when reading the description of her features?