[SpectreofEschaton]

See post 17. http://www.tor.com/b...ian-c-esslemont

That's certainly an interesting title. Makes me think of Draconus, and...well, any new material featuring him would be awesome, I say. These should be quite the interesting follow-up (or prequel of sorts?) to the main decology.

[Defiance]

There's a song by The Lonely Island that describes what I just did...

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

lol I just signed into that chat and saw this title and had to ask a question, we'll see if he answers.

Edit: He answered

32. StevenErikson
VIEW ALL BY · FRIDAY OCTOBER 29, 2010 03:58PM EDT
WJD, yeah, up till now only my TW editor knew the title. This trilogy takes us back to before the Tiste diaspora, and involves the eponymous peoples, along with a few others you know well, or think you know well, not as well as you think, as I think you'll see

This post has been edited by WhiskeyJackDaniels: 29 October 2010 - 08:00 PM

[Adjutant Stormy~]

OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION.

EDIT: YAY

This post has been edited by Adjutant Stormy: 29 October 2010 - 08:56 PM

[Defiance]

Adjutant Stormy, on 29 October 2010 - 08:40 PM, said:

OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION.

Both of my questions have been answered so far, and I haven't seen anyone else not get their questions answered, so I'm sure they'll reply to yours.

[Adjutant Stormy~]

I wanted to know if they'd ever publish a GURPS manual / setting.

Quote

Steve, Ian, again, thanks for doing this.

You have mentioned on many occasions that you've literally gamed out large tracts of the stories, and being a bit of a GURPS fan myself, I wonder if, when all is said and done, you might publish a Malazan Manual of sorts?

I know at least a dozen people who would absolutely love to construct their own adventures in the masterpiece that you guys have created.

And a minor, but encouraging response.

Quote

Regarding GURPS and doing something for that system, well, they ain't never contacted us. If they did ... we'd listen.

[Abyss]

Crap. I was right here at the 'puter and didn't know this was on. Crap.

Neat exchange with some great bits in there esp what to look forward to.

The fact that Cam was set for at least three more Malaz novels has been a great relief with TCG - the end of the 10 book cycle - coming around, but i'm really relieved that SE has solidified another trilogy as well.

[MTS]

AWESOME.

Annoying that I was asleep for that whole thing though. Interesting title...but I'm not sure it is directly related to Dragnipur. We're told in TTH that Dragnipur was forged in the heart of Burn, with the aid of Burn's hammer. Dragnipur wasn't completed until after the Fall, as well, long after the Tiste and the Elder Gods arrived on Wu.

I do remember reading something about a forge in Kharkanas, though. Searching through TTH I came across several mentions of the great Hust forges in Kharkanas that plundered the Blackwood forests surrounding it (the selfsame forest that Draconus used to construct Dragnipur apparently). One of the poems had a more interesting mention though:

'Upon some other world is where darkness
Beats out from a cursedly ethereal forge
And no sun rises above horizon’s rippled
Cant—'

Anomandaris, Book IV, Soliloquy, Fisher Kel Tath

Not sure what that means exactly, but I have a feeling it's got something to do with the title. Could even refer to Chaos, the maelstrom out of which Darkness formed. Gothos talks about a 'miracle forged in the fires of Chaos', that being that everyone is unique.

[HoosierDaddy]

I find the usage of the word "Hust" prior to forges to be interesting. Doesn't "hust" imply the usage of eleint-blood (e.g. The Watch's Hust sword)?

[MTS]

It does, yes. All the Hust weapons were quenched in dragon's blood.

Quote

'A Hust sword, sister.'
'And it's healed.'
'Yes.'
'But how can a broken sword grow back?'
'Quenched in dragon's blood,' he replied. 'Hust weapons are immortal, immune to all decay. They can shear other blades in two.' He held up the sword. 'This is a five-blade sword - tested against five, cut through them all. Twilight, there is no higher calibre of sword than the one you see here. It was the possession of a Hustas, a Master of the House itself - only children of the Forge could own such weapons.'

Note the capitalisation of 'forge'.

By the way, I don't think I will ever cease to be amazed at the layering that goes on in these stories.

This post has been edited by MTS: 30 October 2010 - 05:40 AM

[HoosierDaddy]

Children of the Forge, in this context, pertains to what? The earliest Andii? Ancestral lines? Master of a House in that connotation denotes some sort of rank achieved with skill of sword, I'd think. I guess, what I find most interesting, is the fact that there were "Hust forges in Darkness" during the Andii wars. Meaning there was lots of dragon blood being shed.... or one dragon shedding lots of blood, to be able to fuel one or more forges for long enough to make many blades.

Perhaps Rake took on Soletaken aspects because he was forced by outside circumstances to do so during these events.

[MTS]

It says a Master of the House rather than a house, so the first thing I thought of was something analogous to High House Dark in the Deck. Dunno how well that stacks up though. It seems there is something that separates the 'great' Andii like Anomander and Silchas from those regular Andii. It may be that the 'children of the Forge' were those first Andii to be created by Mother Dark, the first to stride out of the Forge, and they propagated the species. Who knows, really.

ETA - I'm thinking the Forge is most likely the Gate to Kurald Galain, the 'Unseen Road' that Endest takes Anomander on to see MD.

This post has been edited by MTS: 30 October 2010 - 06:38 AM

[HoosierDaddy]

I considered House in that sense as well, but it makes no sense chronologically, (side-step), at that point. I was envisioning somewhat of a dueling house for those of the Forge.... a sort of mix between a traditional school and the isolation of say the Seguleh.

Of course, complete and utter speculation from the beginning to the end, considering Erikson himself said in the same "thread" there that it was eponymous, which means it is just as valid that "The Forge of Darkness" is literally about the forging of the Andii and their brethren, and thus an end to the creation myths in favor of canon.

[Silencer]

Man, I am so keen for this novel! Now that it's confirmed to be set in the History of the Andii, rather than the future, oh God yes!

As for the title...hrm, dunno what it is, but it certainly was foreshadowed in DoD with all that talk. Potentially it refers to the fact that the original Andii are considered (if not entirely accurately) to not have any association to Father Light, and therefore a means of their creation was required.

Alternatively, it is a factional description - for example, like the Mask Council. Could also have religious connotations, in that the religion of the Andii so far seems to have only female Priestesses.

[Illuyankas]

Also cutting down all the blackwood trees to fuel said Forge.

[Salt-Man Z]

You know what I kinda dig? The fact that "The Forge of Darkness" sounds like a mass-market generic-crap fantasy title. For some reason that resonates with me. Now they just need to get Darryl K. Sweet to do the covers.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

Interesting that everyone went directly to the Hust Forge that was said to be in Kharkanas. My initial reaction was just to think it was a metaphor for Kharkanas, and maybe Kurald Galain in general. It was the birthplace of the Andii I think, where they all originated from.


Dirty mind possibility: Mommy D's lower extremities.

[worry]

Illuyankas, on 30 October 2010 - 11:16 AM, said:

Also cutting down all the blackwood trees to fuel said Forge.

I wonder if stripping an entire forest would be an affront to the Edur, given the amount of shadow cast in a forest.

[Cornelius The Elder]

I think Dragnipur was forged from chains that Draconus just beat one onto another in the hearth of Burn with the Hammer of Burn , and then the Consort just trapped the true gate to Darkness the heart of Kurald Galain in the sword thus whit Anomandaris sacrifice in the ninth installment he actually releases darkness again in to the world with him the supreme sacrifice for chaos. This is what i think Erikson wanted to say i want to express my regret if i am wrong but this is my personal opinion . The Forge of Darkness is the birthplace of all things implicit the birth of Darkness the first thing to oppose Chaos, the "Spark of Creation" . When the Master of the Deck went through the gate after Anomandaris killed him he came out on the other side transformed with the two Hounds of Shadow within him so this is what i think implies a place of creation a place rearranging the Order. Sorry i just went mad on my silly thoughts but this is my first post

[Roldom]

the master of the deck didnt go through any gate, and anomandaris didnt kill him, rake killed the 2 hounds, paran went in for a sneaky feel and when he contacted the hounds blood his soul was linked to them. it was this link that took him to the warren inside dragnpr

@ silencer, endarist slinn (or however you pronounce the old tiste andiis name from TTH) was a male priest, and there was mention of others. only the most sacrad rites where for priestess' only