Question about Foul's Deceptions/Don't Mind Spoilers

[Rukh]

I thought about posting this question in the gradual interview section, but decided to check with the others on this site first.
In Runes of the Earth does SRD explain how it was possible for Foul to deceive the old Lords about his nature? This theme has been touched on a few times;it was said that though the people of the Land have their "health-sense", and the various lore wise methods for proving the nature of a person, Foul was strong enough to master these perceptions and methods and remain undetected. Now reading these books closely will show you that this does not quite make sense; for one thing the health-sense, and the manifestations of Earthpower seem to react the most strongly to the intensity of the the wrongness. Given the Foul seems to be the very epitome of this wrongness, he should be the most discernable. It would seem that power alone could not be enough to deceive; there would be an issue of perception here. If this is true, than how does Foul pull this off.

[wayfriend]

I think that the resolution of this dilemna lies in what Hirebrand Baradakas says in LFB:

"In the older age," she said, "when High Lord Kevin trusted the Gray Slayer, he was given priceless gifts of orcrest and lomillialor. The tale says that these gifts were soon lost - but while the Gray Slayer possessed them they did not reject him. It is possible for Despite to wear the guise of truth."

and

But during that time, the Gray Slayer rose up in the guise of a friend. In some way, the eyes of Kevin were blinded, and he accepted his enemy as a friend and Lord.

So it seems clear that the intention of the author is that Foul, either because he surpassed Kevin in strength, or because he was from beyond the Earth, was able to disguise himself sufficiently to fool Kevin.

[Variol Farseer]

It's been suggested in another thread that Kevin was arrogant enough to consider the orcrest and lomillialor tests foolproof, and didn't look for other signs of Foul's evil until it was too late. I think there's something to this idea.

Also, Elena said in TIW:

If [Kevin] had a fault, it was in excessive trust — yet how can trust be counted for blame? At the first, it was to his honor that the Despiser could gain Lordship from him — Lordship, and access to his heart. Was not Fangthane witnessed and approved by the orcrest and lomillialor tests of truth? Innocence is glorified by its vulnerability.

Perhaps Kevin thought his Lore had the power to reform even the Despiser, and was willing to take the risk to show how very magnanimous and sporting he was. Something like Beorhtnoth at Maldon, and with similar consequences.

[drew]

So perhaps a similar, but on a lower scale, Test of Truth was given by Linden to Foul, when she willing found the hurtloam he was bugging her to find.

So if Kevin Failed as the tester, it seems that Linden failed as the the truster herself.

Foul may not have wanted her just to be in better shape, he wanter her to gain her healthsense, so she could perceive Kevins Dirt, so that she would want to find the SOL..etc..etc.

Kind of like the same way he origionally plunked TC on Kevins watch, near a mound of hurtloam, and a certain hottie named Lena.

I feel that Linden's time travel, is going to be like her version of Lena's rape (Only of course she raped Time itself)-the conciquences will be just as dire-espessially since (I assume) she may keep doing it, trying to rectify over and over again, and screwing things more with each trip!

[Sheriff Lytton]

Perhaps the tests don't apply because Foul (and the Creator) are beyond good and evil, they just are.

Perhaps the Foul who was imprisoned on the Earth was a different creature to the Foul who's been trapped on the Earth for millenia after millenia, and who's willing to do anything to escape.

Perhaps despite is the most potent solution after all.

After all - doubt, integrity, sacrifice, peace and a whole host of others have failed to put a stop to despite thus far.

What's left ? Superior despite ? Is that the one word of truth, that only those who hate the most will survive ?

Or are we looking at an end to life in order to spare the universe from Lord Foul ?

God, I hope these books turn out to be as gloomy as that. Strange as it may sound, I prefer a bleak story.

[drew]

I think Kevin fought Despite with Despite...he lost.

[Variol Farseer]

In TOT, the Elohim say explicitly that they are powerless to oppose Despite. Since they are beings of pure Earthpower, logically that means that Earthpower cannot oppose Despite. Foul certainly isn't 'beyond good and evil', but he is beyond any test of good or evil done using Earthpower. You can't analyse the Despiser with Earthpower, any more than you can spot schizophrenia on an X-ray of the brain. Each is impervious to that kind of analysis.

To find out that Lord Foul is evil (or that a mortal human is schizophrenic), you have to observe his actions and use your noggin. This takes time and effort, and unfortunately, it seems that Kevin gave out his trust too freely and too soon. By the time he used the said noggin, Foul was on the Council and the damage had been done.

That's my hypothesis.

[CovenantJr]

From Baradakas in LFB:

Then hear me, Unbeliever. Any test of truth is no greater than the one who gives it ... In spite of my testing, you might be the Grey Slayer himself, come to turn all the life of the Land to ashes.

Unless Kevin was more powerful than Foul (I think we'd all agree he wasn't) any test of truth would be pointless. But Kevin would very likely not consider that, since he was probably the most powerful human being in the Land at that time. Unless he had a reason to suspect he was testing a being greater than he, he would presumably accept the result of the test.