[bridgeburner42]

Hey everyone

I'm new on here, and this is my first post. I am nearly finished with Memories of Ice and have loved every moment of it. The first two were just as good. I was just wondering what exactly the point of Anomander Rake's sword Dragnipur was? I understand some of it, but I wasn't totally clear.

Thanks

[amphibian]

bridgeburner42, on 08 October 2009 - 01:44 AM, said:

Hey everyone

I'm new on here, and this is my first post. I am nearly finished with Memories of Ice and have loved every moment of it. The first two were just as good. I was just wondering what exactly the point of Anomander Rake's sword Dragnipur was? I understand some of it, but I wasn't totally clear.

Thanks

Welcome!

It'd be easier to tiptoe around spoilers if you tell us what you don't understand.

Rough sketch: it's a sword which imprisons those killed by the blade inside another dimension; the prisoners pull a wagon that is fleeing from something bad; there is something important within the wagon; the wagon is also slowing down because the prisoners are breaking; it was made very long ago by Draconus and is now carried by the man who killed Draconus - Anomander Rake.

[bridgeburner42]

Thanks amphibian

That clears it up quit a bit. I was also wondering is there a point to him keeping those souls in the sword? I should probably finish the book first though.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

bridgeburner42, on 08 October 2009 - 02:20 AM, said:

Thanks amphibian

That clears it up quit a bit. I was also wondering is there a point to him keeping those souls in the sword? I should probably finish the book first though.

There is, and I think it is mentioned in MoI, but in case it isn't, or you haven't gotten there yet I won't spoil it for you.

[D'rek]

bridgeburner42, on 08 October 2009 - 02:20 AM, said:

Thanks amphibian

That clears it up quit a bit. I was also wondering is there a point to him keeping those souls in the sword? I should probably finish the book first though.

To pull the wagon, of course

[Red King]

Whiskeyjackdaniels is right that it is further explained in the book, its one of the experiences Paran has. It really fills in some blanks on why Rakes sword is really terrifying, besides what happens in the first. And it also sets up other events on his sword. Its all very interesting and very exciting information if you're really interested in lore and the fictional history of the books.

- Ultor

[Vaine]

First Sword Ultor, on 16 March 2010 - 06:48 AM, said:

Whiskeyjackdaniels is right that it is further explained in the book, its one of the experiences Paran has. It really fills in some blanks on why Rakes sword is really terrifying, besides what happens in the first. And it also sets up other events on his sword. Its all very interesting and very exciting information if you're really interested in lore and the fictional history of the books.

- Ultor

If someone could put the answer to this inside a spoiler tag, it'd be great, as I've forgotten about it myself.

[Aptorian]

Vaine, on 17 March 2010 - 06:19 PM, said:

First Sword Ultor, on 16 March 2010 - 06:48 AM, said:

Whiskeyjackdaniels is right that it is further explained in the book, its one of the experiences Paran has. It really fills in some blanks on why Rakes sword is really terrifying, besides what happens in the first. And it also sets up other events on his sword. Its all very interesting and very exciting information if you're really interested in lore and the fictional history of the books.

- Ultor

If someone could put the answer to this inside a spoiler tag, it'd be great, as I've forgotten about it myself.

Spoiler

There has been a progression of how magic and the warrens work on the world of Wu. First there was wandering, then came the holds and later on K'rul fashioned the Houses.

In the ancient times Draconus observed how Chaos warred with Darkness, how Chaos hunted the path of Darkness (Mother Dark created Order out of Chaos), and Draconus (for some reason not made clear) decided to break this wandering. He put the Gate of Darkness inside this sword and built a giant wagon around it to house it. He then fashioned chains that would hold the souls of the creatures he killed with Dragnipur. I assume that he worried that one day Chaos would catch Darkness and eat it, and by harnessing these souls to pull the gate he would ensure that the gate would always be in front of chaos in their cosmic race through the Abyss.

The problem lies in the way he fashioned the wagon. Over time the souls wear out. They fall to the side and the begin to drag upon the wagon. As they give up, their weight is added to the weight of the wagon, and so the chained souls need to pull harder. More souls, stronger souls, are constantly needed to keep up the wagons momentum and after a hundred thousand years, the wagon is begining to slow. It's become too heavy and Rake has stopped killing enough souls for the chained souls to keep up and keep Darkness safe.

So something needs to happen.

[Vaine]

Aptorian, on 17 March 2010 - 07:04 PM, said:

Vaine, on 17 March 2010 - 06:19 PM, said:

First Sword Ultor, on 16 March 2010 - 06:48 AM, said:

Whiskeyjackdaniels is right that it is further explained in the book, its one of the experiences Paran has. It really fills in some blanks on why Rakes sword is really terrifying, besides what happens in the first. And it also sets up other events on his sword. Its all very interesting and very exciting information if you're really interested in lore and the fictional history of the books.

- Ultor

If someone could put the answer to this inside a spoiler tag, it'd be great, as I've forgotten about it myself.

Spoiler

There has been a progression of how magic and the warrens work on the world of Wu. First there was wandering, then came the holds and later on K'rul fashioned the Houses.

In the ancient times Draconus observed how Chaos warred with Darkness, how Chaos hunted the path of Darkness (Mother Dark created Order out of Chaos), and Draconus (for some reason not made clear) decided to break this wandering. He put the Gate of Darkness inside this sword and built a giant wagon around it to house it. He then fashioned chains that would hold the souls of the creatures he killed with Dragnipur. I assume that he worried that one day Chaos would catch Darkness and eat it, and by harnessing these souls to pull the gate he would ensure that the gate would always be in front of chaos in their cosmic race through the Abyss.

The problem lies in the way he fashioned the wagon. Over time the souls wear out. They fall to the side and the begin to drag upon the wagon. As they give up, their weight is added to the weight of the wagon, and so the chained souls need to pull harder. More souls, stronger souls, are constantly needed to keep up the wagons momentum and after a hundred thousand years, the wagon is begining to slow. It's become too heavy and Rake has stopped killing enough souls for the chained souls to keep up and keep Darkness safe.

So something needs to happen.

Well that makes sense, I suppose >_>

[Red King]

It all falls under the SE way of writing, overly complex to the point of annoyance, yet very satisfying once the pieces come together and you understand a bigger picture. And it eventually comes to a point where Dragnpiur becomes more clear on its reason, and then the pieces, yet again, fall into place and make you got "God dammit, i can't believe i didn't see that coming with all the information that was dropped into my lap!"

- Ultor

[Vaine]

First Sword Ultor, on 19 March 2010 - 06:39 AM, said:

It all falls under the SE way of writing, overly complex to the point of annoyance, yet very satisfying once the pieces come together and you understand a bigger picture. And it eventually comes to a point where Dragnpiur becomes more clear on its reason, and then the pieces, yet again, fall into place and make you got "God dammit, i can't believe i didn't see that coming with all the information that was dropped into my lap!"

- Ultor

I got just that excact feeling when I reread the first chapter of GoTM.