[Erik Raditzky]

THE BONEHUNTERS!!!!!!! WHY!!!!!!

The book was awesome, and having read through Abyss' Post I have to agree with just about everything said. But Still, It was an ending I jsut didn't see coming, and like Laseen's death in RotCG I found myself having to re-read several times to make sure I wasn't Hallucinating. I am literally heartbroken, Surely they cant all be dead, Quick Ben is my Hero and I refuse to believe that man can die, it's not possible.

But assuming I'm wrong and all the BoneHunters are now a Steaming pile of Nah'Ruk faeces (not a pleasant image I know) Does that mean that its now down to the K'Chain Che'Malle led by Stormy and Gesler? Because, lest we forget, Brys Beddict and the Letherii were anihilated too and so were the Perish and the Burned Tears! Honestly! talk about your genocidal endings.

Someone tell me it isn't true, all my favourite Malazan Characters cant be gone. Can they?

[Obdigore]

So you want us to tell you that we think that some of the Bonehunters survived?

Ok. I think some of the Bonehunters survived.

Do I have any proof that anyone survived? No.

[Tiste Simeon]

Agreed with and rep to Obdi. It is entirely possible that some of the Bonehunters survived... I mean there was enough power in that army to ensure that a few people had an escape plan. However, we know exactly as much as you, especially as Abyss still hasn't perfected his brainz-consuming process...

[Illuyankas]

There were signs of a retreat to a direction away from the K'Chain, so some element of their forces survived.

[Hetan]

I take comfort in the thought that Bottle's grandmother told him the sea would be the end of him, therefore he cannot be dead because that was one wise old lady with all sorts of mojo working for her

[Obdigore]

Hetan, on 17 December 2009 - 08:37 PM, said:

I take comfort in the thought that Bottle's grandmother told him the sea would be the end of him, therefore he cannot be dead because that was one wise old lady with all sorts of mojo working for her

Ahh, but wasn't he run over by a veritable ... tide of lizards?

Oh god I said it. I'm sorry.

I think much of the force survived, however the marines and heavies were decimated. I maintain that QB used his acorns to do nothing but 'MOVE' the lizards back, giving the BH and associated armies a chance to MOVE! GET OUT THE WAY!.

Obdigore, once rode down the lemming waterfall.

[waylander001]

Just finished a re-read and there DEFINITELY WERE survivors. First of all I think much of the baggage train survived as Brys organised it so that they could pull back and escape through his Letherii troops before he ordered them to attack. Sure enough i think most of the Letherii were destroyed after this - but not all.

The bonehunters although being fully engaged also had avenues of retreat due to the fact that so much else was happening - and Gu-Rull (flying K'Chain) in explaining to Gesler the course of the battle from the skies actually offers to follow the escape route and see what happened - Gesler though declines because he is so distraught and also has another battle to worry about.

Quick Ben had an "Ace in the whole" in Bottle as they had arranged that during the book at some stage - and NO - before you ask, Bottle is not dead (although possibly driven insane by his use of the Wyval) he was hiding under the bodies of some of the Na'ruhk and I also think he will have survived - and pulled Quick Ben out of there ...... also aside from that QB has Shadowthrone and Cotillion looking after him.

The Perish also never got to engage the enemy as they were not with the Khundryl Burned Tears - they were at least a few hours, maybe even half a day behind Gall and his army. Aside from this there is also Queen Abrastals Saphii legions (15,000 if im right) ...... and even a few thousand T'Lan Imass (slaughtering the last of the Senaan Barghast) who will no doubt show up to redeem their Betrayal of the Bonehunters need - I was wondering what all the talk of betrayal was about, seems Toc by turning awa Tool from Hoods realm seen to that though.

Guys Re-read and quick ..... it's ********* AMAZING!!!!!

This post has been edited by waylander001: 03 January 2010 - 10:16 AM

[HoosierDaddy]

Hetan, on 17 December 2009 - 08:37 PM, said:

I take comfort in the thought that Bottle's grandmother told him the sea would be the end of him, therefore he cannot be dead because that was one wise old lady with all sorts of mojo working for her

Yes, but who gave Tavore a one time deus ex machina? That'd be the Elder God of the Sea, right?

Not all the Bonehunters are dead. Fiddler at the least deserves an in POV death scene.

This post has been edited by H.D.: 18 December 2009 - 05:58 PM

[waylander001]

H.D., on 18 December 2009 - 05:58 PM, said:

Hetan, on 17 December 2009 - 08:37 PM, said:

I take comfort in the thought that Bottle's grandmother told him the sea would be the end of him, therefore he cannot be dead because that was one wise old lady with all sorts of mojo working for her

Yes, but who gave Tavore a one time deus ex machina? That'd be the Elder God of the Sea, right?

Not all the Bonehunters are dead. Fiddler at the least deserves an in POV death scene.

Hell Yes!!!! Fiddler is to the BH's as Whiskeyjack was to the BB's - no way that death can go without a slow-mo multi-POV ....

[Clip]

Obdigore, on 17 December 2009 - 09:49 PM, said:

I think much of the force survived, however the marines and heavies were decimated.

Please, I beg everyone, learn how to use decimated, decimated means one out of every ten died, and far more than that many died in that battle.
Perhaps an 'inverted decimated', ie. one out of every ten lived? Does such a word exist?

[HoosierDaddy]

Clip, on 20 December 2009 - 11:45 AM, said:

Obdigore, on 17 December 2009 - 09:49 PM, said:

I think much of the force survived, however the marines and heavies were decimated.

Please, I beg everyone, learn how to use decimated, decimated means one out of every ten died, and far more than that many died in that battle.
Perhaps an 'inverted decimated', ie. one out of every ten lived? Does such a word exist?

I bow at the alter of your foreknowledge, and envy your ability to settle these matters beforehand.

[Illuyankas]

Triduomated! One out of two died, then one out of two of the remaining died, then half the survivors died as well! LATIN IS MY BITCH

[Ain't_It_Just_]

^I like this guy. He knows Latin and doesn't afraid of anything.

I suspect that the survivors will suffer amnesia of some sort and become not very aware. Kind of like those on Chal Managal. Then something will happen for them to remember.

[Sinisdar Toste]

Ain, on 21 December 2009 - 01:08 AM, said:

^I like this guy. He knows Latin and doesn't afraid of anything.

I suspect that the survivors will suffer amnesia of some sort and become not very aware. Kind of like those on Chal Managal. Then something will happen for them to remember.

you mean like PTSD with retroactive amnesia? somehow i don't see that happening, not if there's any more than a handful of them left. i mean sure the battle was traumatic, but even twenty people can't walk around all perfectly unaware that the thousands of people they used to hang with were eaten by giant lizards. and remember that the chal managal was made up of children, not battle hardened soldiers

[Obdigore]

Clip, on 20 December 2009 - 11:45 AM, said:

Obdigore, on 17 December 2009 - 09:49 PM, said:

I think much of the force survived, however the marines and heavies were decimated.

Please, I beg everyone, learn how to use decimated, decimated means one out of every ten died, and far more than that many died in that battle.
Perhaps an 'inverted decimated', ie. one out of every ten lived? Does such a word exist?

Pleaes, I beg you, understand that languages like cultures change and adapt.

Quote from Merriam-Webster

Quote

Main Entry: dec·i·mate
Pronunciation: \ˈde-sə-ˌmāt\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): dec·i·mat·ed; dec·i·mat·ing
Etymology: Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare, from decimus tenth, from decem ten
Date: 1660
1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
2 : to exact a tax of 10 percent from <poor as a decimated Cavalier — John Dryden>
3 a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population> b : to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>

— dec·i·ma·tion \ˌde-sə-ˈmā-shən\ noun

See that 3a and b?

[Abyss]

Erik Raditzky, on 17 December 2009 - 07:17 PM, said:

... having read through Abyss' Post I have to agree with just about everything said. ...

Welcome to the forum. You'll fit in fine.

Quote

But Still, It was an ending I jsut didn't see coming, ...
Someone tell me it isn't true, all my favourite Malazan Characters cant be gone. Can they?

per upthread, the Perish weren't involved and at least some of the Malazan army survived. Gu'rull confirms a fighting retreat.

I think there's a bit of a running theme that to be truly exceptional, armies have to be hardened, and this was an extreme example. Whoever survied will be HARD.

And there is no way Fid died. He's destined to carry the BBs 'to the end'.
And QB is just too damn clever to go out like that.

Tiste Simeon, on 17 December 2009 - 07:51 PM, said:

...we know exactly as much as you, especially as Abyss still hasn't perfected his brainz-consuming process...

Or HAVE I????

But the evidence of survivors IS there. We just don't know the who and how. There were confirmed casualties, including a few characters that had had a long run til now, but even so most of the pov marines are unaccounted for.

Hetan, on 17 December 2009 - 08:37 PM, said:

I take comfort in the thought that Bottle's grandmother told him the sea would be the end of him, therefore he cannot be dead because that was one wise old lady with all sorts of mojo working for her

Nice catch.

waylander001, on 18 December 2009 - 03:09 PM, said:

...
The Perish also never got to engage the enemy as they were not with the Khundryl Burned Tears - they were at least a few hours, maybe even half a day behind Gall and his army. Aside from this there is also Queen Abrastals Saphii legions (15,000 if im right) ...... and even a few thousand T'Lan Imass (slaughtering the last of the Senaan Barghast) who will no doubt show up to redeem their Betrayal of the Bonehunters need - I was wondering what all the talk of betrayal was about, seems Toc by turning awa Tool from Hoods realm seen to that though.

Guys Re-read and quick ..... it's ********* AWESOME!!!!!

Not so sure the Imass will come to the Light, but i suspect we're looking at the Perish, Saphii and the Gilk with whatever survivors from the 14th, and STORMY AND GESLER'S AWESOME LIZARD ARMY OF AWESOME, as the force that will be marching into Kolanse. I'd also lay odds were looking at a surviving group of Fid's squad making some form of commando raid, possibly to recover Tavore from the Unbound. But i'm speculating in the extreme.

H.D., on 18 December 2009 - 05:58 PM, said:

...but who gave Tavore a one time deus ex machina? That'd be the Elder God of the Sea, right? ...

Also good point.

- Abyss, certain we haven't seen the last of everyone.

[waylander001]

The reason I think we could yet see the Broll and Arshayne T'Lan Imass back in the picture for the last battle is that the story between Toc and Tool cannot be left as it was ..... and I definitely think Toc will somehow be involved in whatever happens at Kolanse - thus I hope ensuring Tool redeems the Imass who have been cruelly used by the hag that is Olar Ethil.

Way too many different Gods have their claws ripped into Tocs hide (Hood, the wolves, and now Olar Ethil trying to get a piece) for him not to be involved in that last convergence. I know we seemed to see something die in Toc the Younger at the end of DoD when Olar Ethil jibes at him about losing his memories of what it was to be alive or some such - but somehow I still think there is more to come from him, he's been through so much in these books that he must get some sort of peace/reprieve granted by Mr Erikson. He's been used and abused by his creator more than any other character I can ever remember!!

[MTS]

Abyss said:

I think there's a bit of a running theme that to be truly exceptional, armies have to be hardened, and this was an extreme example. Whoever survied will be HARD.

Correction. The bedraggled mess that are the marines will be hard, cos they're virtually the only ones that ever see fighting. Well, that and the heavies. But we know that already. The others will simply be standing around grinning and saying 'thank God I'm not a marine.'

This post has been edited by Mappo's Travelling Sack: 22 December 2009 - 02:11 AM

[Abyss]

waylander001, on 21 December 2009 - 11:11 PM, said:

...[Toc] been used and abused by his creator more than any other character I can ever remember!!

"Oh my god! They killed Toc the Younger!"
"Those bastards!!!"

Mappo, on 22 December 2009 - 02:11 AM, said:

...The bedraggled mess that are the marines will be hard, cos they're virtually the only ones that ever see fighting. Well, that and the heavies. But we know that already. The others will simply be standing around grinning and saying 'thank God I'm not a marine.'

Not entirely true. Iirc various groups were engaged in 7C before and after the finale of HoC, Blistig lead a force of regulars into Yghatan in TB and in RG the entire army invaded Leth as the marine campaign reached Letheras.


- Abyss, deadhead.

But the marines are the hardest, no kidding.

[Mcflury]

Seems like nobody said it yet, so perhaps I'm imagining... but (and I just ended reading it a few hours ago, so should be rather fresh in my brain):

Don't the K'Chain Che'Malle, the new Matron, after the fight tell Ges and Stormy there are traces of survivors? That they will help Ges and Storm find the survivors? Or were the K'Chain just trying to comfort them, or looking for an excuse to be able to remain at their sides?

Also, on the "Bottle can't die because his grandma told him he'd die at sea" thingy. His grandma also told him Bottle shouldn't let his mind go to far, that he shouldn't dive to deep (or something like that). he mentions it as he's mindfucking Wyval after Wyval to attack the meany K'Chains. Now, sure his grandma told him he'd die at sea, but perhaps she didn't imply that if he'd try to mindfuck a score of wyvals that that would probably be the end of him.
This doesn't mean Bottle is dead now though. He is still alive. He must be. Just like QB, Fid, Hedge, Tavore, Lostara Yil, her newly found lover, Hetan and many other crazy-but-funny marines.

Also, they said the meany K'Chains (for god's sake, I really can't remember that last part of their name :s ) were just trying to pass and the Bonehunters happened to be in their way. perhaps the Bonehunter wall finally broke and the meany K'Chains could just pass through, picking up some fresh dead Bonehunter meat on the fly. making sure there are a few survivors left. I dunnow. I'd just think it weird if suddenly all of the bonehunters and the burned tears and Brys and his troops got flushed away in what's about 10 pages worth of writing, if nothing is ever said about it.