[Benji]

I can see it now...

Cowl: Step aside! I can destroy any claw!
Kalam: I once ran through Malaz city destroying the entire claw army.
Cowl: I'm going back to bed...

[Hinter]

At the risk of starting another pissing contest, Cowl would pwn Kalam imho.

[Cowl's Disciple]

Hinter, on Feb 17 2009, 10:51 PM, said:

At the risk of starting another pissing contest, Cowl would pwn Kalam imho.

If Cowl took Kalam seriously and used everything at his disposal then I'd agree with you. If, however, Cowl dismissed Kalam as just a claw defector then I'd say Kalam would win, simply because that seems to be the way Kalam comes out on top (i.e. great skill as an assassin combined with magically inclined enemies underestimating him) throughout the series thus far.

This post has been edited by Thyr: 17 February 2009 - 01:16 PM

[Grief]

Kellanved says that Dancer would hesitate before crossing blades with Kalam. Now, this doesn't mean they're equals, but it means they're damn close, if Dancer is worried by him enough to pause before starting a fight.
It is also said that Dancer is better than Cowl, though not by how much.

I'd say that Cowl would lose against Kalam, considering what we know if him, if, and probably only if, Kalam had his otataral weaponry.

If it was sheer assassin to assassin, i'd bet on Kalam.

[drinksinbars]

pearl also says tapper and kalam would be very close in DHG and tapper and cowl are evenly matched.

[Hinter]

Ah, my bad. Forgot about Kalam's otataral knife.

I was surprised that Topper came out on top in this fight though. Cowl "gave Rake pause" (don't have an exact quote) earlier in Mott wood when he unleashed his sorcery on Silanah so I thought he'd deal with Topper fairly easily.

I have to admit to a bit of Cowl fanboyism though

[Grief]

You forget however, that they fought over a field of soldiers. It talks about "who blinked first" and I got the impression cowl survived cause Rake was unwilling to kill thousands of soldiers just for him, giving him time to escape, or a safe position.

[Toc]

Hinter, on Feb 17 2009, 02:52 PM, said:

I was surprised that Topper came out on top in this fight though. Cowl "gave Rake pause" (don't have an exact quote) earlier in Mott wood when he unleashed his sorcery on Silanah so I thought he'd deal with Topper fairly easily.

Yeah I would think so to before reading it.
Although it's not really the same thing to launch a massive magic-assault on a dragon up in the air and getting jumped from behind by another assassin. That must've given Topper a huge advantage, even if Cowl is better than him.

[Hinter]

Grief, on Feb 17 2009, 01:54 PM, said:

You forget however, that they fought over a field of soldiers. It talks about "who blinked first" and I got the impression cowl survived cause Rake was unwilling to kill thousands of soldiers just for him, giving him time to escape, or a safe position.

True. I wasn't suggesting for a moment that Cowl is in any way equal to Rake, just a very powerful (and bloody ruthless) bloke.

[Abyss]

I liked Cowl - he was a Mage strong enuf to have a rivalry with Tays and an assassin skilled enuf to have a rivalry with Dancer. He even started his own Talon/Claw type group in the Veils. He struck at Silanah and they were on the same side ffs. He was an ambitious bastard.

Thyr, on Feb 15 2009, 02:49 AM, said:

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.

Ambition was Cowl's fatal flaw, so to speak. It pushed him into courses of action that were, perhaps, foolish. Ultimately, Laseen knew that rather than support his troops or secure his victory, Cowl would take a shot at her, and she had Topper standing by (for like, a year) as her shaved knuckle for exactly that reason.

Ain't_It_Just_, on Feb 15 2009, 04:08 AM, said:

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

His apparent bugnuts aside, it's not unthinkable that Cowl had a plan, an escape, a deal with the Nameless Ones, something as backup so that being taken by the deadhouse Azath wasn't as final as it seems.

We've seen Azath upchuck or ally with powerful individuals where it's to their advantage - see Silchas, Jhenna, Gethol, Moby, etc - so it's not unthinkable that we haven't seen the last of Cowl.

Quote

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?

Kel and Dancer used the Deadhouse as a route to taking over Meanas. Cowl got taken by the Azath itself. Not the same thing and not the same outcome.

Hinter, on Feb 17 2009, 07:51 AM, said:

At the risk of starting another pissing contest, Cowl would pwn Kalam imho.

The answer is Wolverine.



- Abyss, notes roots make bad pillows...

[Cowl's Disciple]

Abyss, on Feb 18 2009, 12:15 AM, said:

The answer is Wolverine.

Best post in the thread!