[Grimjust Bearegular]

I don't know if this question has been answered because the search function wouldn't work:(


What exactly does happen when you throw magic at otataral that has been heated up, by say Morant muntitions?

[Aptorian]

Nobody knows. It's only mentioned... once? and the result wasn't revealed. I'm guessing it goes boom!

Now your idea about throwing Moranth Munition at hot ottataral sounds scary. According to GotM very bad things happen if you try to channel against a Moranth explosion.

Two bad things mixed probably don't make a good thing.

---------------------------

I might aswell post the Lost Pages of the Malazan Book of the Fallen here aswell

Quote

1157th year of Burn's Sleep

The assassin and the mage squated behind a boulder, sweat covering them and not only from the heat. The abandoned quarry echoed with the noise of their nervous fidgeting behind the rock.
'Come on, Quick, get on with it already"
"Don't push it, Mekhar," Quick used a sleeve to wipe his brow. "What I'm about to do... I don't know."
Kalam looked over the top of the boulder, the Ottataral lying on the steel plate had begun making an unsettling crackling sound. The furnace it was lying on was quickly making the metal grow an angry red.
"You know how much trouble I went through to get that much Ottataral, Wizard? I didn't just have to bribe half the city council, the guards and that fat workman.. Blood was spilled. For this. For your crazy ideas. Hood balls, we still don't know if it works.
"Yes, yes," Quick made a dismissing gesture" But if it works. The war..."
"Then do it!"
Quick suddenly jumped up screaming "UNLEASH THE SEVEN WITHIN ME!"

Kalam awoke lying on his stomach. Everything hurt, it felt as though he'd been slapped by a giants hand. He rolled over on his back and looked around. He wasn't in the quarry any longer. He'd been thrown clear over the the top of the side.
Now he was crawling to the edge to peer into the quarry. His ears were ringing, his head was spinning and he felt wet blood trickling from his nose and ears. The stonequarry seemed to have doubled in size. The old, rich stone melted to glas, still radiating heat. Steam was rising in waves and there, fading in and out of view close to the center, was Quick, his telaba torn to rags, starring at something. How long had he been passed out? How long had the crazy mage been standing down there?
Kalam made his way down the hot glass, burning himself where the fabric of his clothes had been torn. He scrambled to the mages side and grabbed his shoulder.
"Quick, what the hell happened. What are you doing down here?"
The mage didn't respond, just pointed to the center. Now Kalam saw what the mage had been starring at, a mule. The strangest mule he'd ever seen. It was standing besides an expensive looking tent, it's sides firmly anchored in the fabric of the hot glass. A tall wooden table for two had been placed, ornatly carved, with matching chairs pulled out, as if someone was expecting the two Bridgeburners.
"Quick, snap out of it, damn it!" Kalam shook the mages wiry frame. Slowly, as coming out of a trance, or more likely shock, the mage opened his mouth.
"Kalam, I didn't know!" Quicks eyes were wide with a mix of fear and giddy exilleration. "I never realised. Who could have known! Not even the gods, Kalam. Look what it did, Kalam, it's been working ever since, I never... Oh, there were warnings. Vague suggestions of where it came from. But this... this is beyond any of us. Beyond the gods. Beyond the Azath!
Cold fear ran down Kalams back. Looking from the mule to the mage, eyes widening now as the mule turned towards them. Swallowing and finding his throat dry, Kalam spoke with a shaky voice.
"What is it doing?"
"It... It's making tea!"

[Grimjust Bearegular]

so it's not mentioned in later books either?


Soemone should tell SE to tie up loose ends:P

[Zanth13]

Grimhilde;319668 said:

so it's not mentioned in later books either?


Soemone should tell SE to tie up loose ends:P

It wouldnt suprise me if we find out later... its quick were talking about... He is probably the info safe for when he needs it... like I dont know, when he has to fight that otatoral dragon :eek:

[Grimjust Bearegular]

Zanth13;319687 said:

It wouldnt suprise me if we find out later... its quick were talking about... He is probably the info safe for when he needs it... like I dont know, when he has to fight that otatoral dragon :eek:

oooh, nice theory, Zanth... I didn't think about the otataral Dragon!

[caladanbrood]

Well, it must get hot, because they make weapons with it inlaid, and I don't see any other way to do that than heating it up... they don't explode when they're being made, I doubt.

[Urb]

Aptorian;319654 said:

I might aswell post the Lost Pages of the Malazan Book of the Fallen here aswell

What the hell... where did that come from?

[Nequam]

caladanbrood+;320169 said:

Well, it must get hot, because they make weapons with it inlaid, and I don't see any other way to do that than heating it up... they don't explode when they're being made, I doubt.

Yeah..but they don't shoot magic at it while making to weapons now huh?
I bet it just amplifies the magic instead of negates it...but it shoots back at you!!

[Narg]

caladanbrood+;320169 said:

Well, it must get hot, because they make weapons with it inlaid, and I don't see any other way to do that than heating it up... they don't explode when they're being made, I doubt.

There is actually a wikipedia entry on otataral. The following is a quote from it

Quote

Otataral is too brittle to be forged directly into a weapon. Instead, most weapons are forged as normal, then quenched in otataral dust while still hot. Attempting to counter magic with hot otataral can cause catastrophic explosions.

Taken from here

I dont quite remember where the source for this is, but it tickles my memory. Best possibility I can come up with is around the time Kalam got his new daggers, but that is a guess.

[DurhangAddict]

I'll take Hot Otataral over a Hot Karl any day.

[Aptorian]

Urb;320170 said:

What the hell... where did that come from?

The warren of beer and wheelchairs.

I wonder if there's Ottataral in the Aren walls?

[caladanbrood]

Narg;321119 said:

There is actually a wikipedia entry on otataral. The following is a quote from it



Taken from here

I dont quite remember where the source for this is, but it tickles my memory. Best possibility I can come up with is around the time Kalam got his new daggers, but that is a guess.

Well that pretty much answered it then

@Apt - yes, there definitely is, it's discussed when Pormqual is saying they should march out and kill the rest of the apocalypse's army. Someone mentions how they could hold out for months, because the mages will be useless in an assault.

[Perashaman]

I know there's a mention somewhere about attacking a city (in Seven Cities I believe) where moranth munitions come into contact with otataral... and I believe the result was something catastrophic. In HoC I'm pretty sure...

[Aimless]

What I don't understand is why those who witnessed that event decided their reports needed to be vague. I mean, if it just goes boom, what's the point of being vague?

[Perashaman]

Well maybe it was a vague description because somewhere down the line the clash between otataral and moranth munitions is going to be vital to either defeating the crippled god, killing the adjunct, some happenings on otataral islands or other otataral veins.... SE wanted to give a vague idea that there was something very interesting and important but just that foreshadowing hint rather than a clinical description where the reader could go: " Oh Fiddler can kill the Crippled God by strapping a ton of cussers to Rallick Nom and send him to suicide bomb the little dude's tent"

[Raraku]

Aptorian;321649 said:

The warren of beer and wheelchairs.

I wonder if there's Ottataral in the Aren walls?

I m quite sure its mentioned in DH that Arens walls are lined with it cause a chat between Duiker and someone else (Blistig i think) says its safe to stay in Aren rather than sortie after Coltain dies.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Aren's walls do in fact have ottateral in them, just finished my DHG reread. It is known.

[Aimless]

Perashaman;342500 said:

Well maybe it was a vague description because somewhere down the line the clash between otataral and moranth munitions is going to be vital to either defeating the crippled god, killing the adjunct, some happenings on otataral islands or other otataral veins.... SE wanted to give a vague idea that there was something very interesting and important but just that foreshadowing hint rather than a clinical description where the reader could go: " Oh Fiddler can kill the Crippled God by strapping a ton of cussers to Rallick Nom and send him to suicide bomb the little dude's tent"

No, I mean, Quick said they kept their reports vague. What could their justification of that have been?

Also, Otataral is to magic as electron-holes are to electrons??

Err.

Otataral is all connected to the anti-magic "warren"?

[Salt-Man Z]

Aimless;342589 said:

No, I mean, Quick said they kept their reports vague. What could their justification of that have been?

They figured they stumbled on knowledge that's too dangerous to share.

[paladin]

perhaps otatoral is the essence of all warrens, similar to (rg spoiler)

Spoiler

what beak did in RG. he channelled everything, the dome exploded, etc

This post has been edited by Lisheo: 21 October 2008 - 09:40 PM