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Toll the Hounds
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TtH - Chapter Eight - No Spoliers
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Lee, High Priest of Shadow
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Dec 01, 2013 01:11AM
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Wow wow I love this chapter. There's so much! Gothos. Who is the elder god? A new Azath created from the blood of dead dragons! This migh allow more dragons
Damn iPhone! So is this a gate for dragons?
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The spirits fed him life. And he took them into his soul and gave them a new home. They proved, alas, restless, uncivil guests.
The tyrant runs a mobile kingdom – his palace, a carriage dragged by slaves and kept in perpetual motion. Even things like stables are dragged along. When Karsa shows up the spirits abandon the Tyrant and leave him in the condition he was when they first found him – bleeding to death. The Tyrant dies without Karsa raising a finger and he burns the mobile kingdom to the ground – freeing the slaves and promising to return to kill them all.
And know that the time I give you now is all that you will ever have. For when next you see me, when you are hiding there in your cities, I will come as a destroyer. Five years or twenty – it is what you have, what I give you. Use it well. All of you, live well.’
Samar has been tracking Karsa through the warrens – all the way from Lether. She has his horse and she needs to give it back to him – yeah right, Samar.
She had, after all, travelled through warrens to find the trail of the one ahead of them on this plain, and such an undertaking was not embraced on a whim.All to deliver a horse.
Traveller is accompanying Samar because they are headed in the same direction and they spot the burning fires of The Captain’s mobile palace. Traveller and Karsa are about to meet – what will they make of each other
Rake summons Spinnock to go on a mission for him. Rake then reveals that he has been thinking about the situation with The Redeemer and Seerdomin and he sees things could get out of hand – Rake urges Spinnock to hurry and help his friend. Spinnock searches out Salind, the priestess of the Redeemer and finds her sick – he also notices the situation in the Redeemer’s camp deplorable and decides something needs to be done about it- starting with forcibly removing Salind.
Gradithon, seeing Salind being removed sees an opportunity to take a more no holds barred approach to his plans. The thinking here is that they have been restrained from acting because the are afraid the priestess will be able to convince Seedomin to act if things get too bad. They don't want to awaken the Benighted – a mortal sword of sorts. With her out of the way though, Seerdomin remains in his funk and thus harmless. Interestingly Gradithon is advised by a priest of the Dying god from Bastion – probably the supplier of the diluted form of the black goup they drink
Kallor, having hitched a ride with Nimander and co is happy to free load off his new companions. They come across an old ruins where they find Gothos. Gothos commandeer’s Nimander’s soul by trickery and sends him into a realm covered in dragon’s blood – Inside the realm Nimander is found and rescued by “The Elder” – a being that reminds me of the Eresal – The Elder is lost in this realm – but usually he makes Azath Houses!!!! And just as he finishes a house Gothos comes and snatches it away. Bastard!
I don’t think I like Gothos.’
‘I don’t blame you,’ Nimander said, unwilling to voice his suspicion that Gothos’s arrival and the vanishing of the houses were in fact connected; that indeed the Jaghut came to collect them.This Elder builds the Houses of the Azath.
But something went wrong here. The Elder somehow ends up in a realm filled with spilled dragon blood. Gothos is unwilling to enter the realm – presumably because he does not trust himself to be able resist the drawing power of the blood that would leave him trapped just like the countless Tiste wraiths in the realm. So Gothos’ solution is to send someone else in – Except Nimander ends up sacrificing himself – letting the Elder stay in the house while he pushes in the last stone – And the Elder is now loose in the Azath network and beyond Gothos’ control – the Jaghut isn’t happy.
‘You damned fool,’ Gothos said. ‘I was saving that one for later. And now he’s free.’
Nimander twisted round. ‘You cannot just collect people! Like shiny stones!’
‘Why not? My point is, I needed that one. There is now an Azath in the blood of dragons—’
I wonder what happens if an Azath is made in the blood of Dragons? Dragon blood is laced with Chaos – while an Azath is a structure of order. Whatever that means it seems it wasn’t supposed to happen – whatever it is, it seems it has something to do with dragons -either they aren’t going to be happy – or it may be a means for them to acquire power – or perhaps it gives dragons access to the Azath network – meaning dragons have access to every world and every warren where there is an Azath?
‘You idiot, Nimander. Dragons don’t play games. Do you understand me? Dragons play no games. Ah, I despair, or I would if I cared enough.
I’m not sure if this has been alluded to before, but it appears the Tiste had to fight an invasion of dragons in their past – and it appears the invasion was not limited to just one gate but every gate – maybe this is what Gothos fears may happen again?
There are Tiste Andii spirits out there. And Tiste Edur. Even Liosan. The ones who fell in the first wars, when dragons burst through every gate to slay, to die.
The other couple of things we learn
Gothos was the Jaghut who hooked up with the Imass to imprison Raest – his son
We had gathered to imprison a tyrant, until our allies turned upon us and resumed the slaughter. I believe I may be cursed ever to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘T’lan Imass allies,’ Kallor said. ‘Too bad they never found you...’
... Forty-three hunters and a Bonecaster. They found me....’
... ‘You killed forty-three T’lan Imass and a Bonecaster?’
‘I killed them all...’
... ‘Raest was the name of the Tyrant we defeated. One of my more obnoxiously arrogant offspring...
We learn that Kallor was responsible for the loss of Togg’s eye
The Jaghut’s left hand shot out, closing about Kallor’s wrist. ‘You wounded that wolf god,’ he said...
... ‘When you laid waste to your realm,’ the Jaghut continued. ‘You wounded it terribly.’
So Gothos does care about some things – he hold’s the eye against Kallor – but what of the countless souls who died in that conflagration? It’s a meh from Gothos I think.
Is Gothos Icarium's father as well? I thought he was?
Mod
Yes.
Karsa is back! He is probably my favorite character.Now traveller is planning on killing hood could Karsa become the new god of death if hood is killed.... I only say this because the end if the chapter almost hints as if foreshadowing that outcome...
A new Azath created from the blood of dead dragons! This migh allow more dragonsThis is a really good pick up because I think all the realms have sealed their gates to starvald demelain because the Azath which grew in last book actually opened its gate to starvald demelain.Was this the reason basically because in last book it was told us that the younger dragons rebelled against krul because I think they did not agree with him to give their blood for the making of warrens.
I liked this chapter too. Gothos is funny. I wonder what happens if Icarium ever meets Raest. Also I wonder whether this Elder will still make more Azath houses now he's loose.If Karsa's going home, sounds like we're about to see more of him. In particular, he must have made up his mind on the genocide question.
Mod
I think the Azath last book seals the gate to Starvald Realm properly - before it was leaking - but it gives access to Starvald Demelain to anyone who can access the Azath network.
But I think the implication of this Azath being build in Dragon blood is that it gives Dragons access to the Azath network and therefore to all the gates.
I think you are right about dragons not being able to access the gates and we had that picture last book of all the dead dragons in Starvald Demelain - as if they had just settled near the gate and decided to give up and die.
Mod
That's a good question. The other question raised this chapter - is this the only maker of Azath or are there are "Elders" who make Azaths. Gothos makes the comment to the effect "I was saving this one" - implying maybe that there are "other ones"?
Eight books into the series and we are still figuring out what is a warren and azath.Regarding the warrens I have a idea i just want to pitch that to you guys so that it becomes clearer.
Regarding the warrens we know these things
1.There are Elder warrens like
-Starvald demelain
-Kurald Galain
-Omtose Phellack
-Kurald liosian
-Kurald Emruhaln
and other elder warrens for these elder warrens I think there are places actually present in the malazan world where in they are the strongest also I don't think we require any dragon blood for these for their magic to work as they are self sustaining.
Also otaral does not seem to work on elder warrens.Also humans do not have access to these warrens.
Know we have child warrens like
-Mockra
-Meanas
-Serc
-Rashan
-Driss
I think these warrens are not actual places in the malazan world and krul actually gave his arteries for these warrens and we have dragon blood pumping through and making these warrens work.otaral definitely affects these warrens and humans can use them.
Tellanan
-I am confused regarding this because this warren was a beast's hold first but from the imass ritual it got converted into a warren also this warren has a place present for it and from MOI we saw that it know has its flora fauna from the imass times.
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Azath
Well this is the most mysterious structure we have come across in the malazan world and we have been given bits and pieces about it until now.This structure is basically imposition of order on chaos and it basically imprisons entities which are magically very powerful and they can abuse the magic by causing a tear in the warrens or basically make a space completely devoid of magic which happened in GOTM where in rake went gainst tryachrenn and we have tattersail telling us that as far i can remember.
The Azath we have known so far and i can remember are
1.DeadHouse in Malaz
2.Tremelor in rakaru
3.Azath in Darujistan
4.Azath in drifting meckros which now is gate to starvald emelain.
5.Azath in Lethar which died and which freed Silchas.
also Azath has a guardian which basically stays in Azath and how it interacts with the Azath is still a mystery.From what we know of this chapter there are guardians who are basically responsible for building Azath.
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Also wasn't gothos guardian of Deadhouse in malaz city?.
Mod
Well he was in Deadhouse - as well as the Azath at Lether - and we find him here not in any Azath - so it appears he has the same access to the Azath network that Shadowthrone has - so if he is a guardian he doesn't appear to be a typical guardian - if there is such a thing as a typical guardian.
The Imass created Tellan by drawing on Kurald Thyrllan - they needed fire to defeat the Jaghut Ice - I'm not sure that it was the beast warren originally, but the Imass may have drawn on both warrens/holds to create Tellan?
The other Azath is the one that Icarium destroyed in Jhag Odhan. There is also the underwater Azath we see in RG.
I generally agree with everything else you have there.
Well he was in Deadhouse - as well as the Azath at Lether - and we find him here not in any Azath I think this the Azath where in the Tiste Andi and kallor enters because he mentions to kallor here that should i awaken the azath for you? and after that kallor exits I think.
Mod
I forgot about that - right you are.
That makes sense about there being other Elders, David. Nimander did ask if there were other house-builders, and the Elder said he didn't know.Now I look back on it, I doubt I understand the whole business with the Elder. Here's a try at piecing it together:
The Elder was free and building houses of the Azath.
Gothos caught him in the dragons' blood and he couldn't build any longer.
Nimander freed him, and he can now start building again if he wants.
Gothos was saving him for later. So Gothos expects that sometime in the future he'll need a captive Elder. I wonder what for.
There are so many gaps and questions in that story that I won't even try to write them out.
"If Karsa's going home, sounds like we're about to see more of him. In particular, he must have made up his mind on the genocide question."I don't think Karsa's plan is going to go as smoothly as he thinks. There is still the matter of the resurrected children that were sacrificed to his gods. They seemed hostile.
Isn't there an Azath underwater, where Brys Beddict was retrieved from.?
Mod
Yes - near where Brys Beddict was rescued from
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David Sven, Mortal Sword..Meow
(last edited Dec 06, 2013 10:37PM)
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Gothos caught him in the dragons' blood and he couldn't build any longer."
The Elder walked through the ice wall at some stage and found himself "lost" and unable to build Azath houses because he kept getting attacked by the spirits in that realm. I don't think the Elder's current predicament was engineered by Gothos because Gothos had been happily hijacking/harvesting the Azath houses prior to the Elder becoming "lost."
So my take is that Elder wanders into the dragon blood realm at some stage. Gothos has found the gateway but isn't willing to brave it himself so he hangs about trying to figure things out until some hapless victim wanders by for him to trick into going into the realm.
Or perhaps Gothos wanted an Azath house built in the blood of dragons - but he wanted to control it -so he tricks the Elder into entering but still needs someone else to go in to harvest the Azath for him because he's to chicken-shit to do it. Only Nimander didn't harvest the house and now there's an Azath loose somewhere - probably the deadliest Azath there is.
The Elder walked through the ice wall at some stage and found himself "lost" and unable to build Azath houses because he kept getting attacked by the spirits in that realmBut wasn't elder shielded from the spirits by some kind of wall which they tried climbing but never succeeded.Also Gothos is in azath then how can he steal an azath and place it where he wants or does he have some contract with the azath? or is he more powerful than azath ?
I think the elder wandered over here becaue i think the azath would not permit gothos to play games with other beings and may be gothos and azath have a contract and they tell him where to place the azath.
Mod
David Sven wrote: "Silvio wrote: "The Elder was free and building houses of the Azath.Gothos caught him in the dragons' blood and he couldn't build any longer."
The Elder walked through the ice wall at some stage a..."
That makes sense. I think the question it leaves openest for me is how Gothos planned to control the Elder if Nimander got him out of the dragon blood.
Mod
Mod
Arantha certainly seems to have a bit more to her than meets the eye. Ya she even surprised kallor, although it can be said that kallor is too full of himself and even dumb to threaten gothos who single handedly killed 40 imass and a bonecaster.
Mod
The Tiste Andii in this chapter just BORE me. I don't care about any of them. I'm tired of Nimander's whining/self doubt.
The stuff with Gothos/The Elder was kind of cool though.
Mod
I hear you. Second time round I was hoping to get much more out of Nimanders story, I remember speed reading some if it the first time round. To be honest, it still hasn't given me anything new second time round. Certainly a "bloat" part for me.
In a strange way I think I'm starting to like Kallor somehow. Never thought I'd say that. He's definitely one of the more interesting characters anyway.
