On Mon, 8 Sep 2003, Jon Carey wrote: > > > > > Philip Hart writes: > > > On the subject, I would like to once again assert that Morrolan's > taking > > > Blackwand into the Paths, when he fully expects to be staying, is an > > > annoying flaw in _Taltos_, which if anyone can explain away I'd be > > > grateful. > > > > > > > Just an oversight on my part. I completely forgot that, when going into > > great danger, someone who owns a powerful artifact that might save his > life > > will naturally leave this artifact behind. What was I thinking? > > While it seems like setting myself up as Job to continue the argument, > Morrolan, to quote someone I tend to agree with, "fully expects to be > staying." The main use for Blackwand I can see would be to slay all the > Gods and destroy the control system of the Paths so he could walk out > alive. As it happens, he makes no use of Blackwand per se. > > I suppose that on the other hand in extremis M could have given BW > to Aliera, who no doubt would have been an acceptable substitute. That > likely refutes my main objection, which is that he was depriving the good > guys of one of their main weapons against the J. Of course A would have > insisted on staying, as he should have foreseen. On the other hand, no > doubt the Gods could have shipped Blackwand back to Sethra somehow (some > way that wouldn't have worked for the Orb...) in that case, and perhaps > suitable wielders of BW abound... > > I'm still somewhat skeptical. > > __________________________ > > > > > > > I seem to recall it somewhere being said that there is no quicker way into > obliteration than to touch another's Great Weapon (at least, when the > someone is the person for whom the Weapon is destined). It's a vital > safeguard that prevents the wielder being killed out of greed for the power > that s/he carries around on her/his hip. Ok, I'm as bored of this low-information-content argument as the rest, but I can't miss the chance to point out you're quoting Vlad, who often can't pass up an opportunity to sound like he knows what he's talking about. For the record, he himself survives touching BW. > I believe, though it's never been explicitly stated, that it's also very > difficult for the wielders to even separate themselves from a Great Weapon, > much less have someone else touch it. This would explain not only why > Morrolan takes Blackwand (I mean, soulmates are together no matter WHERE > they are in relation to each other--that's part of the definition of a > soulmate: A person who is attached to another person's soul, with the > obvious implication that the soul is all but inseperable from the body of > the other, and therefore, the two are always together). I don't know if this is true. I don't see Morrolan getting a lot of dates if he has to keep BW (not a romantic mood enhancer, even sheathed) on his hip. Also I don't think the byplay at the end of _Orca_ is entirely consistent with this idea. > I think that, given the pointlessness of leaving Blackwand behind, The point was so Sethra could give it to the next wielder in case the expected but heroically prevented outcome of a stroll in the Paths was realized and the restless J chose that moment to woke up from their winter nap. It seems to me that Morrolan has no business going around risking his life adventuring with Vlad. Well, see above, maybe there was a lot of exposition about why I'm wrong that Vlad missed because Sethra and Morrolan didn't trust him yet (well, except with half a Great Weapon and Aliera's life.) > it's pretty much explained why he took it along, and furthermore, why it > was never mentioned as a problem. If it was going to be a problem, > leaving it behind would probably not do too much to prevent it. > > Jon > > _________________________________________________________________ > The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > >