[ElT]

Having just finished MT, I started thinking how the Errant portrayed there is so different from the maniacal, power-hungry, blood-thirsty prick in RG and DoD.

The change between MT and RG is actually quite pronounced, and I came across the idea that the Crippled God may be nudging the Errant towards insanity, his tool in the fight against Order, in the Fulcra or Aligned, in direct opposition to the imposition of Order set forth by the Master of the Deck.

My reasoning hinges mainly on two things, the Errant being blinded in one eye by Feather Witch would definitely endear him to the Crippled God (if he didn't arrange for it to happen in the first place), and his attack on Brys Beddict in DoD. IIRC, the magic that he unleashes upon Brys is described as Chaotic. Furthermore, this stands in direct opposition to MT where he acknowledges that he is unable to act direct, that the nature of his magic only allows him to various degrees and subtleties of nudging. While he may have been convincing himself that he was merely nudging the air and blood of Brys' body, that attempted murder is completely the opposite of what the Errant is.

Wouldn't it be deliciously ironic if the Errant was himself being nudged?

[blackzoid]

I think you are forgetting the scene in RG, where the Errant was infected with something by standing too close to the trapped sea-demon god thing. I think that was the main motivator for his drastic change in personality.

Although it would be interesting if there was a connection between the Errant and the Crippled God.

[ElT]

Probably, my recollection of RG is really fuzzy at the moment.

[Urizen]

blackzoid, on 12 November 2009 - 10:52 AM, said:

I think you are forgetting the scene in RG, where the Errant was infected with something by standing too close to the trapped sea-demon god thing. I think that was the main motivator for his drastic change in personality.

Although it would be interesting if there was a connection between the Errant and the Crippled God.

But that might be the Crippled God's path to the Errant. The sea-god/demon was bound by Hannan Mosag and he had help from the CG and was meddling with Chaotic power. I also seem to remember Trull in MT thinking about how the chaining/using of the sea-god/demon wasn't regular Kurald Ehmurlan(Sp?) stuff.

[Sinisdar Toste]

if that was the crippled gods path to the errant (assuming he is influencing ol erastas) it had to have been purely opportunistic. there's no way that the CG could have known that the demon would get trapped by the ice

[Powder]

Sinisdar Toste, on 12 November 2009 - 09:29 PM, said:

if that was the crippled gods path to the errant (assuming he is influencing ol erastas) it had to have been purely opportunistic. there's no way that the CG could have known that the demon would get trapped by the ice

Could be that he is just evolving into the COMPLETE TOOL that SE needs him to be. I mean its not like he is the SCUM OF OLD GODS THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO DIE IN A HORRIBLE FIRE FOR BEING A TOOLMONSTER most startling change throughout the series, Karsa has had a wonderful transformation from the start of HoC.

Powder

Someone seems to have infiltrated my post with errant hate, now who could that have been?

[Elephant Tamer]

I've always wanted to know, did anyone hate The Errant before he killed Trull?

[Urizen]

Elephant Tamer, on 18 February 2010 - 10:06 AM, said:

I've always wanted to know, did anyone hate The Errant before he killed Trull?

Yes, I pretty much hated the Errant from the get go..

[Aptorian]

Elephant Tamer, on 18 February 2010 - 10:06 AM, said:

I've always wanted to know, did anyone hate The Errant before he killed Trull?

Not to say I wasn't outraged at the death of Trull, but my love for the Errant only grew when he finished off the emo Edur.

The Errant is such a good bad god.

[caladanbrood]

If Trull hadn't died, the book would have lacked the emotional punch it eventually got, so the death of Trull was a very good thing. That's why the Errant is awesome, he's the only character in Letheras who was truly able to deliver tragedy. I mean, even Rhulad turned into some sort of tortured hero.

[Hetan]

I didn't much like the Errant for trapping Mael in the altar but I enjoyed him killing Feather Witch.

He came across as a bit of a loser and sad bastard in DoD - everyone seems to be one step ahead of him in the planning department.

[Elephant Tamer]

The reason I ask is because he seems to have garnered quite an emotional response from a lot of people (I believe there is a fan-club of sorts?), but as a character I seem to lose my grip on him. I agree with Hetan's view on him in DOD, which I find strange. His character sort of takes leaps in development instead of visible steps. Where exactly did he go from mildly disinterested to annoying nudging to sudden useless power mongering? Oh well, maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

[foolio]

I hated him ever since I realized he had been a sexual plaything for his own son...thats just rough. Pardon the pun.

[D'rek]

Elephant Tamer, on 18 February 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

The reason I ask is because he seems to have garnered quite an emotional response from a lot of people (I believe there is a fan-club of sorts?), but as a character I seem to lose my grip on him. I agree with Hetan's view on him in DOD, which I find strange. His character sort of takes leaps in development instead of visible steps. Where exactly did he go from mildly disinterested to annoying nudging to sudden useless power mongering? Oh well, maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

Well he was his basic disinterested self in MT.

In RG he gets infected by the sea-demon giving him a bit too much ambition-craze. Then Feather Witch reveals to him the new Deck structure and the warrens and suddenly he has a target for his crazy ambition. From that point on he is the ruthless nudge-everyone-to-become-master-of-the-Deck-god we all know and love/hate/guacamole

[ritchiediaz]

Something to note (just finished MT re-read last night):

The Errant (as Turudal Brizad) specifically states to Brys Beddict that he would see the 'end of my objectivity'

However, after that quote, The Errant says to Bugg that his aspect enforces restrictions, so I'm not sure whether The Errant was lying to Bugg (which seems very possible) or he simply knew that events were in motion that would force his aspect to change.

I'll probably jump straight to Reaper's Gale next, so I'll be looking out for any indication that The Errant is being manipulated by the CG.

[Sinisdar Toste]

well during RG he is infected with the ambition of the trapped sea god, which engenders his reawakening of the holds and the cedance

[Wol]

i always thought of the Errant as being the representive for all the Elder Gods who
didn't want to be retired out as it were. I mean the Errant wasn't power hungry
in MT because he didn't realise how much the world had changed, but by RG hes realised
how totally irrelevant he is and because hes a meglomaniac he wants his toys (aka mortal lives) back to play with.
Upon learning hes been replaced and combined with the stress of losing an eye he goes completely nuts as he attempts to
A.) return to power and be special agian
B.) Teach the humans who is in charge Hence the Errant is just a bitter old man (he ascended i think?) who wants people to notice him again so he may get

ambition from the Sea god but essentially the Errant is just the spokesman for all the Elders who are still hungry for blood
Hence his ambitions just as much his own as the Sea Gods. Possibly he had a traumatic childhood (his dad molested him?)
like father like son

[D'rek]

Wol, on 27 February 2010 - 03:10 PM, said:

i always thought of the Errant as being the representive for all the Elder Gods who
didn't want to be retired out as it were. I mean the Errant wasn't power hungry
in MT because he didn't realise how much the world had changed, but by RG hes realised
how totally irrelevant he is and because hes a meglomaniac he wants his toys (aka mortal lives) back to play with.
Upon learning hes been replaced and combined with the stress of losing an eye he goes completely nuts as he attempts to
A.) return to power and be special agian
B.) Teach the humans who is in charge Hence the Errant is just a bitter old man (he ascended i think?) who wants people to notice him again so he may get

ambition from the Sea god but essentially the Errant is just the spokesman for all the Elders who are still hungry for blood
Hence his ambitions just as much his own as the Sea Gods. Possibly he had a traumatic childhood (his dad molested him?)
like father like son

Not at all, if you ask me. In MT he is plenty powerful and willing to use it to the fullest of his aspect. Consider that in MT he took upon himself keeping the entire 8000 Jheck away from The Pack, he ensured the survival of the names of the ancient underwater gods, and he ensured Rhulad's final death rather than let Hannan Mosag take the throne (all of these are for sure), not to mention probably nudging the deaths of Ezganar, Brys and Kuru Qan. He was plenty powerful in MT, not irrelevant at all, and we was completely at ease with his own limits of power and aspect, until RG when he got tainted by the sea-demon.