[Obdigore]

Here is the quote from the prologue:

THEPROLOGUE!!!!! said:

When the starvers and the bone-skinned inquisitors marched on the city his mother had sent him running, hand in hand with his sister who was two years older than he was, and they'd run down streets between burning buildings and screams filled the night and the starvers kicked in doors and dragged people out and did terrible things to them, while the bone-skins watched on and said it was necessary, everything here was necessary.

The Liosan seem to be a society based on honor, lords and ladies, and the worship of their 'father', Osseric.

Why would the Liosan have 'starvers' with them, who do terrible things to humans, a species they consider their slave class? I assume terrible things much like the Reavers from Serenity.

The obvious, and correct, answer is that the 'bone-skinned inquisitors' are the first generation of dead seed children, where as the 'starvers' are the tenescowri.

The Pannion Dominion needed to be ever-expanding, and do ever expanding empires, in an age of horses, have just one army? No. This one was sent across the sea to continue the empire's expansion, and has been for the past couple years. It seems they have destroyed the southern half of the continent so far, and guess who is going to be fighting them?

KCCM, Bonehunters, and Letherii.

[Vengeance]

Obdigore, on Mar 26 2009, 02:53 PM, said:

Here is the quote from the prologue:

THEPROLOGUE!!!!! said:

When the starvers and the bone-skinned inquisitors marched on the city his mother had sent him running, hand in hand with his sister who was two years older than he was, and they'd run down streets between burning buildings and screams filled the night and the starvers kicked in doors and dragged people out and did terrible things to them, while the bone-skins watched on and said it was necessary, everything here was necessary.

The Liosan seem to be a society based on honor, lords and ladies, and the worship of their 'father', Osseric.

Why would the Liosan have 'starvers' with them, who do terrible things to humans, a species they consider their slave class? I assume terrible things much like the Reavers from Serenity.

The obvious, and correct, answer is that the 'bone-skinned inquisitors' are the first generation of dead seed children, where as the 'starvers' are the tenescowri.

The Pannion Dominion needed to be ever-expanding, and do ever expanding empires, in an age of horses, have just one army? No. This one was sent across the sea to continue the empire's expansion, and has been for the past couple years. It seems they have destroyed the southern half of the continent so far, and guess who is going to be fighting them?

KCCM, Bonehunters, and Letherii.

That wouldn't be much of a fight. Last time the Tenescowri had reanimated KCCM to help out with their conquests. This time they would be facing the KCCM. No I think that the Starvers and Bone-skinned inquisitors are probably someone we haven't ran into yet or if we have we have only slightly heard about them. Plus why would the dead seed be called inquisitors. It might be Assail and some human tribe that serves them though. Or some peoples from Assail.

[Obdigore]

Vengeance, on Mar 26 2009, 03:01 PM, said:

Obdigore, on Mar 26 2009, 02:53 PM, said:

Here is the quote from the prologue:

THEPROLOGUE!!!!! said:

When the starvers and the bone-skinned inquisitors marched on the city his mother had sent him running, hand in hand with his sister who was two years older than he was, and they'd run down streets between burning buildings and screams filled the night and the starvers kicked in doors and dragged people out and did terrible things to them, while the bone-skins watched on and said it was necessary, everything here was necessary.

The Liosan seem to be a society based on honor, lords and ladies, and the worship of their 'father', Osseric.

Why would the Liosan have 'starvers' with them, who do terrible things to humans, a species they consider their slave class? I assume terrible things much like the Reavers from Serenity.

The obvious, and correct, answer is that the 'bone-skinned inquisitors' are the first generation of dead seed children, where as the 'starvers' are the tenescowri.

The Pannion Dominion needed to be ever-expanding, and do ever expanding empires, in an age of horses, have just one army? No. This one was sent across the sea to continue the empire's expansion, and has been for the past couple years. It seems they have destroyed the southern half of the continent so far, and guess who is going to be fighting them?

KCCM, Bonehunters, and Letherii.

That wouldn't be much of a fight. Last time the Tenescowri had reanimated KCCM to help out with their conquests. This time they would be facing the KCCM. No I think that the Starvers and Bone-skinned inquisitors are probably someone we haven't ran into yet or if we have we have only slightly heard about them. Plus why would the dead seed be called inquisitors. It might be Assail and some human tribe that serves them though. Or some peoples from Assail.

The letherii and bonehunters see the KCCM as the enemies, they have a 'house' of humans, and are on the battlefield, and up from the south comes this flood of humanity, with dead seed children empowered by chaotic power, possibly led by Heboric, to destroy both armies?

Oh yes!

I don't see why they couldn't be called Inquisitor if they are starting a cult?

[Aptorian]

I think it is all something new. Some random unknown empire that is going through some kind of internal strife. This has led to refugee's trying to flee the area. The ribbers are dogs or other similar predators eating the weak and the fathers are soldiers, raping, killing and some times eating the kids.

Come to think of it Tenescowri is an interesting idea, but I still doubt it.

And why are we talking of Liosan? What link could there possibly be?

[Stalker]

I considered the Tenescowri at first, but then came to the same conclusion as Apt, that it is likely some new race that we haven't encountered yet.

I don't think it could be the Liosan, doesn't fit. Pull some Occam's Razor on you guys.

[Urizen]

Obdigore, on Mar 26 2009, 08:53 PM, said:

The Liosan seem to be a society based on honor, lords and ladies, and the worship of their 'father', Osseric.

The liosan society might be based on honor but they also have a severe superioity complex going, where everybody else (except maybe the Tiste Andii) are looked upon as sub-human. I can definately see the Tiste Liosan commiting genocide with the motivation that the inferior races must be wiped out to stop them from siding with the Crippled God/KCCM or something similar.

[Aptorian]

I repeat... WHY ARE PEOPLE TALKING OF LIOSAN? there is no connection to anything about the Liosan at all.

Its just humans being cruel towards other humans. Old history repeating itself.

[Salt-Man Z]

The "bone-skinned" description could very well be referring to skin color, and who else have we met in the Malaz universe with bone-white (not caucasian) skin?

[Obdigore]

Urizen, on Mar 26 2009, 04:41 PM, said:

Obdigore, on Mar 26 2009, 08:53 PM, said:

The Liosan seem to be a society based on honor, lords and ladies, and the worship of their 'father', Osseric.

The liosan society might be based on honor but they also have a severe superioity complex going, where everybody else (except maybe the Tiste Andii) are looked upon as sub-human. I can definately see the Tiste Liosan commiting genocide with the motivation that the inferior races must be wiped out to stop them from siding with the Crippled God/KCCM or something similar.

The Tiste Liosan might commit genocide, but would they encourage their troops to rape and eat the people they were killing?

No.

@Apt - read the prologue thread, page 3 or 4 with the standard 20 per page, and there are some people claiming hte 'bone sknned inquisitors' are the Liosan.

[Daemon_Monkey]

perhaps some Fallen Liosan, isolated or cast out by their kin.
Then again has anyone considered that it's some kind of uniform made to resemble bones or something like that?

[Traveller]

I doubt very much that they are Tenescowri, being the wrong continent and all. And them being pretty much wiped out in MoI.

[Cougar]

Aptorian, on Mar 26 2009, 09:46 PM, said:

I repeat... WHY ARE PEOPLE TALKING OF LIOSAN? there is no connection to anything about the Liosan at all.

Its just humans being cruel towards other humans. Old history repeating itself.

Do not present your unqualified opinion as fact, you have no idea who they are. There may be no connection to the Liosan but beyond the facct that from the childrens description they must be at least vaguely human (ie: if they were KChain or Deragoth they would have been described as lizards or big dogs) we have no evidence of anything else.

[Lister of Smeg]

Isn't there some mention in MT that Kolanse has cycles of expansionism followed by civil war? I think this snake of children is made up of refugees from such a civil war.

[Aptorian]

They were not wiped out in MoI, I'm guessing that most of the Tenescowri who didn't die from complications caused by their malnourished, fatigued condition, are still around. The Malazans would not brook the killing off of that many people for the sins of their insane ruler. It is not impossible that Panion sent a ship across the ocean, but it is unlikely.

More likely, if the CG is involved, it's just a new empire.

[Lister of Smeg]

Aptorian, on Mar 26 2009, 10:52 PM, said:

They were not wiped out in MoI, I'm guessing that most of the Tenescowri who didn't die from complications caused by their malnourished, fatigued condition, are still around. The Malazans would not brook the killing off of that many people for the sins of their insane ruler. It is not impossible that Panion sent a ship across the ocean, but it is unlikely.

More likely, if the CG is involved, it's just a new empire.

Didn't most of the surviving Tenescowri join the Grey Swords? Meaning they would have been wiped out in the RG prologue.

[Aptorian]

There were hundreds of thousands assembled at Capustan alone, so no they didn't all join the Grey Swords, that would be logistically impossible

I'm guessing they asked for volunteers and out of that group they took those that were healthy enough and had the characteristics that was wanted in the mercenary army.

I think I remember some number of volunteers being mentioned in MoI, but I'm guessing around 10.000 might be a possible number.

[masan's saddle]

Salt-Man Z, on Mar 26 2009, 09:51 PM, said:

The "bone-skinned" description could very well be referring to skin color, and who else have we met in the Malaz universe with bone-white (not caucasian) skin?

Forkrul Assail !

They have played a very small part in the series so far and are pretty tasty in a ruck.

If my memory serves they are all about order and cleansing ? The opposite of chaos.

Hang on, don't the Barghast paint themselves white and wear bone fetishes ?

Happily confused.

[Salt-Man Z]

I couldn't remember if the Forkrul Assail were white-skinned or not.

[Morgoth]

Salt-Man Z, on Mar 27 2009, 04:03 AM, said:

I couldn't remember if the Forkrul Assail were white-skinned or not.

Aren't they supposedly light grey? I first though FA myself, but considering how little we learn about these bone-skinned people that is probably more a product of wistfull thinking than anything else. Much like the belief that they are Liosan. It's possible of course but not anywhere near obvious.

[Aptorian]

I think the term pale best describes the FAs. I believe that the descriptions of their skin has ranged from blueish to greenish, like the belly of a fish perhaps.