[Cowl's Disciple]

Considering my complaining about Skinner's characterisation in Toc's thread I thought I'd give ICE a for how he handled Cowl. He came across as dangerous, vicious, brutal and half-crazed but not completely reckless (see his little trip with Skinner). Essentially he was everything I wanted him to be!

The addition of the neck scar he'd recieved from Cotillion and the tattoos around his mouth (which I imagined as similar to the attached photo) were nice little touches as well.
Given my fanboyish gushing over Cowl, was wondering what others thought!



Not saying the above is what Cowl looks like, it's a woman, but just the maori tattoo is what came to mind for me.

[Aptorian]

Yeah, I certainly liked Cowl. Too bad we didn't get more of him.

I wanted him to face-off with Tay.

[Lisheo]

I also loved Cowl. I think together, he and ICE built up a very stable image of the character, more so than with Dassem or indeed Skinner. We met him before, in GotM, where he was referred to as a "snake" or "evil bastard" or something by his own Guardsmen, and his actions in RotCG kinda conveyed that... I'm willing to bet we will see more of him.

[Benji]

I also somewhat agree. I think there are only really three other characters that were built up as well as Cowl: Laseen, Kyle and Nait.

[Hinter]

Another of my favourite characters. When we first meet him he completely pwns Serrat, a mage assassin of the Tiste Andii "second only to Rake himself".

I hope we haven't seen that last of him either, as he seemed to willingly let himself get taken by the Azath, so maybe he had some insane plan to get out?

[Lisheo]

Well, the Azath Hold died... And the Deadhouse is constantly being contested by the Stormriders. And we have seen Azaths die before.
So here's hoping.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Cowl was careless...Skinner made a deal with a goddess but our favourite mage-assassin tried to seize power for himself.

But man he was awesome. I'm sure that, like QB, he will find some way to trick his way out of the Azath (not saying QB was in an Azath, just that he'd be able to do that).

[Hinter]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Feb 13 2009, 10:58 AM, said:

Cowl was careless...Skinner made a deal with a goddess but our favourite mage-assassin tried to seize power for himself.

Are you sure? He was Skinners right hand man imo.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

I dunno about that...Cowl seemed to be in it for himself.

And even if he was, I imagine getting pressed into the CG's servitude would make him change his loyalties.

[Cowl's Disciple]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Feb 14 2009, 06:43 PM, said:

I dunno about that...Cowl seemed to be in it for himself.

And even if he was, I imagine getting pressed into the CG's servitude would make him change his loyalties.

I hadn't thought of that! Like most people I think we haven't seen the last of him, but when he gets out it'll be interesting to see if he sides with Skinner & the CG, or against them, or perhaps even as a free agent after his own goals.

[Aptorian]

I think that Cowl and Skinner in RCG were like the Kelanved and Dancer of the Malazans. Both devious, powerfull characters who understood that they were strongest together and shared the goal of taking the empire and retaining the immortality.

That said, I think Skinner was more loyal to his bretheren while I doubt Cowl shared that passion.

[HoosierDaddy]

I don't know about the beginning, but Cowl's ambitions completely overrode every loyalty in the end. His goal was power, and that was it. He reminds me a little bit of Mallick Rel riding Korbolo Dom. Sorcerers of supreme skill with absolutely no loyalty inducing characteristics of their own. He was also mad as a damned hatter at the end if he was willing to be taken by the Azath w/out even putting up a real fight against Topper. If you can't beat Laseen's lieutenant you have no business ascending.

[Cowl's Disciple]

HoosierDaddy, on Feb 15 2009, 05:35 PM, said:

I don't know about the beginning, but Cowl's ambitions completely overrode every loyalty in the end. His goal was power, and that was it. He reminds me a little bit of Mallick Rel riding Korbolo Dom. Sorcerers of supreme skill with absolutely no loyalty inducing characteristics of their own. He was also mad as a damned hatter at the end if he was willing to be taken by the Azath w/out even putting up a real fight against Topper. If you can't beat Laseen's lieutenant you have no business ascending.

I suppose the question is if he let himself be taken by the Azath to deny Topper victory or if it was part of a larger plan/goal of Cowl's. Either is possible but as a fan of Cowl I'm of the opinion that it's the latter, rather than the former.

[HoosierDaddy]

He could have been taken by an Azath at any point in time though. It seems to me that he only chose that after realizing he was about to get offed.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Do you think Cowl lost it at the end? Or was he fully aware of what he was doing?

[HoosierDaddy]

I think Cowl "lost" it a while ago, but only the reentrance back to Quon and Malazan powers showed him how much he hadn't gained.

[Toc]

I agree with you Thyr, Cowl was a boost to the story. It was sad that we wern't able to read in detail the fight between Cowl and Topper. It must've been awesome (Starting where Laseen was slain and ending in Malaz.. daaamn it must've been quite a fight).

About the Azath event, I'm fairly certain that Cowl will be back, although I think the Azath will change him alot. Maybe Cowl strikes a deal with the Azath and becomes the Assassin of High House(es) of Azath.

The 'why' he did what he did is alot harder to speculate about. It's probably a combination between not wanting Topper to get the best of him and a gamble for more power. Or maybe he thought he did exactly what Kellanved and Dancer did in order to ascend. It would be quite funny if he's lying there in the ground thinking "Damn, this wasn't what I had in mind..."

[Cowl's Disciple]

Toc, on Feb 17 2009, 01:55 AM, said:

I agree with you Thyr, Cowl was a boost to the story. It was sad that we wern't able to read in detail the fight between Cowl and Topper. It must've been awesome (Starting where Laseen was slain and ending in Malaz.. daaamn it must've been quite a fight).

About the Azath event, I'm fairly certain that Cowl will be back, although I think the Azath will change him alot. Maybe Cowl strikes a deal with the Azath and becomes the Assassin of High House(es) of Azath.

The 'why' he did what he did is alot harder to speculate about. It's probably a combination between not wanting Topper to get the best of him and a gamble for more power. Or maybe he thought he did exactly what Kellanved and Dancer did in order to ascend. It would be quite funny if he's lying there in the ground thinking "Damn, this wasn't what I had in mind..."

You just read my mind Toc, I was thinking Cowl might have been trying to use the Azath as a route to ascend! Is it safe to assume that one is prevented from ascending if taken by an Azath?

This post has been edited by Thyr: 17 February 2009 - 01:10 PM

[lobo the wolfman]

If taken by the garden then yes i guess it could stop one from ascending. With that in mind, Dancer and Kellanved become gods though the deadhouse, could Cowl have some means of reaching the house from the gardens? and if so would Shadowthrone use Kalam to stop him?

[Toc]

Thyr, on Feb 17 2009, 02:55 AM, said:

You just read my mind Toc, I was thinking Cowl might have been trying to use the Azath as a route to ascend! Is it safe to assme that one is prevented from ascending if taken by an Azath?

Hm, I guess we shouldn't count it as impossible. It's a difficult point to speculate about, since we don't really know how mortals ascend, but we do know that you can do it with some sort of help from the Azath houses. But we also know that the Azath houses usually traps magical beings for a loong, looong time.

lobo the wolfman, on Feb 17 2009, 05:45 AM, said:

If taken by the garden then yes i guess it could stop one from ascending. With that in mind, Dancer and Kellanved become gods though the deadhouse, could Cowl have some means of reaching the house from the gardens? and if so would Shadowthrone use Kalam to stop him?

Yeah that's not impossible. Poor Cowl, have to make his way throu a gotdamn Azath only be face Kalam at the end.