Malazan Empire: Just something I noticed - Seguleh masks - Malazan Empire

Jump to content

Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

Just something I noticed - Seguleh masks

#1 User is offline   Gothos 

  • Map painting expert
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 5,428
  • Joined: 01-January 03
  • Location:.pl

Posted 01 February 2009 - 11:04 PM

just rereading MoI today and I stumbled across a fragment...
Paperback p. 189:

Quote

'Rake said the last swordsman he faced wore a mask with seven symbols.'
Mok tilted his head. 'The mask still awaits him. Blacksword holds the Seventh position. Mistress, we would have him claim it.'


now, from other sources in the book, the Seguleh 1st has a mask without any symbols. Mok, the Third, has two marks on his mask. So, for the ranked Seguleh, the position seems to be "1+number of symbols".
Yet, in the quoted passage, Rake faced a Seguleh with seven symbols and took his position. Should be Eight, not Seventh, right?

so, inconsistency, yay! I'm a genius.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
0

#2 User is offline   Illuyankas 

  • Retro Classic
  • Group: The Hateocracy of Truth
  • Posts: 7,254
  • Joined: 28-September 04
  • Will cluck you up

Posted 01 February 2009 - 11:10 PM

1. Can't believe this never got a thread before - EDIT: Make that a thread in this forum just about it, it keeps popping up in Seguleh threads in the later book forums. Also I didn't bother to check so it may have but I don't care.
2. Damn you for reminding me that I forgot to ask Steve about that at the barbeque.

This post has been edited by Illuyankas: 01 February 2009 - 11:11 PM

Hello, soldiers, look at your mage, now back to me, now back at your mage, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped being an unascended mortal and switched to Sole Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re in a warren with the High Mage your cadre mage could smell like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an acorn with two gates to that realm you love. Look again, the acorn is now otataral. Anything is possible when your mage smells like Sole Spice and not a Bole brother. I’m on a quorl.
0

#3 User is offline   Mcflury 

  • First Sword
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 561
  • Joined: 15-September 07
  • Location:Belgium
  • Interests:Reading, writing, partying, playing PC-games (mainly MMO's) and many more.

Posted 01 February 2009 - 11:30 PM

I do believe I've seen someone mention this before though... not too sure however.
And I bet this is just a small mistake SE made. It must be rather hard to keep track of all plotlines in your story all the time and at the same time still remember the Seguleh ranking system :p
"There is no struggle too vast no odds too overwhelming for even should we fail, should we fall, we will know that we have lived" - Anomander Rake
(From Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson)
0

#4 User is offline   Gothos 

  • Map painting expert
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 5,428
  • Joined: 01-January 03
  • Location:.pl

Posted 02 February 2009 - 08:01 AM

well yeah I didn't expect this to be any sort of a colossal breakthrough (note the sarcasm in the 1st post about the genius etc)
just wanted to post something in the book forums :p
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
0

#5 User is offline   D'rek 

  • Consort of High House Mafia
  • Group: Super Moderators
  • Posts: 14,628
  • Joined: 08-August 07
  • Location::

Posted 02 February 2009 - 01:13 PM

Congrats. I'll add it to the Series Inconsistancies page on the Wiki.

View Postworrywort, on 14 September 2012 - 08:07 PM, said:

I kinda love it when D'rek unleashes her nerd wrath, as I knew she would here. Sorry innocent bystanders, but someone's gotta be the kindling.
0

#6 User is offline   Red King 

  • Mortal Sword of Dissembrae
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 80
  • Joined: 11-March 10
  • Location:That place, in the town.... You know

Posted 16 March 2010 - 07:28 AM

Well, we all make mistakes now don't we. 7th, 8th, same thing, its only a number off. I did have a possibly logical reasoning for the exact reason why it was seven marks instead but i lost it and now i'm rambling for the sake of hoping it will come back to me soon........ Nope, lost it. Anyways, Rake is a damn good swords man and desreves his rank of 7 or 8, whatever one it really is.

-Ultor
'The locals believe Coltaine ascended, Nether. The new Patron of Crows-'
'Fools. Wickans do not ascend. We just ... reiterate.'
0

#7 User is offline   Hetan 

  • Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
  • View gallery
  • Group: Mezla's Thought Police
  • Posts: 4,617
  • Joined: 29-January 03

Posted 16 March 2010 - 09:15 AM

This has been discussed before - not that it shouldn't be discussed again :p .

The only other way it could be is that by beating the dude with seven marks (the Eighth in other words) Rake would be entitled to hold the next level up (Seventh) and by beating another Seventh he would become Sixth. But that of course would depend on how the ranking works in Seguleh hierarchy.
The mask still awaits him doesn't necessarily mean the mask with the seven marks on.
"He was not a modest man. Contemplating suicide, he summoned a dragon". (Gothos' Folly)- Gothos
0

#8 User is offline   Gothos 

  • Map painting expert
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 5,428
  • Joined: 01-January 03
  • Location:.pl

Posted 16 March 2010 - 10:26 AM

talk about thread necro...
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
0

#9 User is offline   Eispeis 

  • Trygalle Trade Guild Route Planner
  • Group: Malaz Regular
  • Posts: 166
  • Joined: 17-October 08

Posted 16 March 2010 - 10:30 AM

Discussed before as you say, but just my two cents.

View PostHetan, on 16 March 2010 - 09:15 AM, said:

The only other way it could be is that by beating the dude with seven marks (the Eighth in other words) Rake would be entitled to hold the next level up (Seventh) and by beating another Seventh he would become Sixth. But that of course would depend on how the ranking works in Seguleh hierarchy.

This only works if several people can hold the same rank, which is possible. If only one person can hold any given rank at any given time, Rake cannot be ranked Seventh if he beats the Eight as the Seventh would then have to become the Sixth and so on up til the First would essentially becom the Naught. I would assume that by beating the Eighth, Rake takes over that position and the former Eight is unranked until he defeats another ranked fighter, which then in turn becomes unranked and so forth. The alternative is that the Eight becomes the Ninth and on down, but that would require a hell of a lot of mask-rotating.


I'd like to see this explained by the Count from Sesame Street :p
0

#10 User is offline   Hetan 

  • Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
  • View gallery
  • Group: Mezla's Thought Police
  • Posts: 4,617
  • Joined: 29-January 03

Posted 17 March 2010 - 04:41 PM

View PostEispeis, on 16 March 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

Discussed before as you say, but just my two cents.

View PostHetan, on 16 March 2010 - 09:15 AM, said:

The only other way it could be is that by beating the dude with seven marks (the Eighth in other words) Rake would be entitled to hold the next level up (Seventh) and by beating another Seventh he would become Sixth. But that of course would depend on how the ranking works in Seguleh hierarchy.

This only works if several people can hold the same rank, which is possible. If only one person can hold any given rank at any given time, Rake cannot be ranked Seventh if he beats the Eight as the Seventh would then have to become the Sixth and so on up til the First would essentially becom the Naught.


Which could explain why as the First, there are no marks on his mask :)
"He was not a modest man. Contemplating suicide, he summoned a dragon". (Gothos' Folly)- Gothos
0

Share this topic:


Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

1 User(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users