[Bloodwood Hoodlum]

Hi Everybody!

First post here! Glad to be officially a member of the website with some of the most intelligent posters I've found on the interwebz! Anywhoo, on to the topic title. I was reading through House of Chains again and I noticed this very interesting little piece:

From the Tor MMPB Edition, page 150, 151 (Karsa's escape attempt after being imprisoned with Torvald Nom)

"The small, lone room of the shack was cluttered with Sunyd objects, most of them useless: charms, belts and trinkets. He did find, however a pair of Sunyd hunting knives, sheathed in beaded buckskin over wood. A low altar caught Karsa's attention. Some lowlander god, signified by a small clay statue-a boar, standing on its hind legs. The Teblor knocked it to the earthen floor, then shattered it with a single stomp of his heel."

Given that we know SE doesn't do throwaway lines, and we've been told many events in TCG are heavily foreshadowed, I'd say this is a pretty big hint. Also, the fact that Fener showed up on Letheras and it seems that The Errant is keeping him in his pocket for when he needs some back up, which he probably will in the last novel. AND, Karsa has a history of fighting beasty things and taking them out.

Or I could be totally off base...thoughts?

[ShadowThorne]

I think you could be on to something (or maybe im wrong too XD )
But it seems to make sense that he would come back, he was a pretty big player toward the middle of the series and then sort of fell off
Personally, I hope he does make a reappearance. I love Karsa!

[alt146]

I stand under correction, but I think SE said that Karsa wouldn't be seen in the main arc after TtH. Fener is definitely an interesting candidate as to who Karsa might kill though.

[Ceda Cicero]

Well, we did get a glimpse of him in the 10 page preview on Tor... Though he could be the character that Pat referred to as never being seen in "real-time" in his review - maybe we'll just get a handful of continuing italicized, pseudo-POVs like the one we saw in the preview that will somehow fit into what's happening.

Alternatively, given the following factors, I think it likely Karsa will be involved in the final convergence in tCG (even though I felt sure he wouldn't until I read the preview):

-Calm is knocking about and clearly set to play a huge (perhaps the pivotal) role in the last convergence.
-Karsa and Calm have unfinished business. She very clearly told Bairoth and Delum in HoC that she and Karsa would meet again. I think it unlikely that this meeting will take place in a future trilogy.
-As the OP said, Nimander and co will likely be heading out of Genabackis - this provides Karsa a credible "vehicle" for leaving the continent as well.

Still, there are other factors. Considering Karsa just left Lether at the end of RG, something about him going right back via warren or something seems strange to me. Also, it would take some serious luring to get Karsa away from Genabackis since he's been hell bent on getting back for some time now.

I really just don't know. The more I think on it, the more I think it likely that Karsa will be somehow involved, but perhaps won't appear in "real time."

[Ulrik]

I bet on Calm...but his sword will betray him (damn, cant remember exact quote:))

[Bloodwood Hoodlum]

Ciceronian, on 07 February 2011 - 07:04 PM, said:

Well, we did get a glimpse of him in the 10 page preview on Tor... Though he could be the character that Pat referred to as never being seen in "real-time" in his review - maybe we'll just get a handful of continuing italicized, pseudo-POVs like the one we saw in the preview that will somehow fit into what's happening.

Alternatively, given the following factors, I think it likely Karsa will be involved in the final convergence in tCG (even though I felt sure he wouldn't until I read the preview):

-Calm is knocking about and clearly set to play a huge (perhaps the pivotal) role in the last convergence.
-Karsa and Calm have unfinished business. She very clearly told Bairoth and Delum in HoC that she and Karsa would meet again. I think it unlikely that this meeting will take place in a future trilogy.
-As the OP said, Nimander and co will likely be heading out of Genabackis - this provides Karsa a credible "vehicle" for leaving the continent as well.

Still, there are other factors. Considering Karsa just left Lether at the end of RG, something about him going right back via warren or something seems strange to me. Also, it would take some serious luring to get Karsa away from Genabackis since he's been hell bent on getting back for some time now.

I really just don't know. The more I think on it, the more I think it likely that Karsa will be somehow involved, but perhaps won't appear in "real time."

I'm thinking on the same lines as you, but I just thought that foreshadowing in HoC was too much to ignore. Also, since Calm seems to be at the center of things with the baddies, I can't see there not being a showdown with Karsa; I mean, he seriously may have the chance to change the world, depending on what happens in TCG! Well, after reading Pat's thought of one no show character and one that wasn't in realtime, I thought Karsa and Paran, or vice versa. But I think I was proven wrong with the 10 page excerpt. Or at least I hope I was!

[D'rek]

alt146, on 07 February 2011 - 06:48 PM, said:

I stand under correction, but I think SE said that Karsa wouldn't be seen in the main arc after TtH. Fener is definitely an interesting candidate as to who Karsa might kill though.

Just like he said WJ wouldn't be back...?

[nacht]

Fener is expects to be sacrificed, with some power feasting on his blood, but I doubt Karsa would be that guy. I suspect that Forkrul Assail would try to do that.

Reapers Gale quote. Errant to Fener

Quote

They will want the raw power within you -- in your blood -- and they will need it spilled before they can drink, before they can bathe in what's left of you..
'Yes, One last battle awaits me. That much, at least, I do not regres.'

[tiam]

D, on 08 February 2011 - 03:01 AM, said:

alt146, on 07 February 2011 - 06:48 PM, said:

I stand under correction, but I think SE said that Karsa wouldn't be seen in the main arc after TtH. Fener is definitely an interesting candidate as to who Karsa might kill though.

Just like he said WJ wouldn't be back...?

And there were no Hounds of Light?

Seriously the man is a demon for these things. I cant blame him as its the same thing when he leaves a major character out of the Dramatis Personae and then turn up like a freight train.

[Bloodwood Hoodlum]

nacht, on 08 February 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

Fener is expects to be sacrificed, with some power feasting on his blood, but I doubt Karsa would be that guy. I suspect that Forkrul Assail would try to do that.

Reapers Gale quote. Errant to Fener

Quote

They will want the raw power within you -- in your blood -- and they will need it spilled before they can drink, before they can bathe in what's left of you..
'Yes, One last battle awaits me. That much, at least, I do not regres.'

Ah ha, one last battle. Perhaps with Karsa in the end? I just can't think Fener would lay down to be killed, plus this quote even leads you to believe he's going to be seeing some action in the end. Maybe the FA just plan on using the power that is unleashed when his blood is spilled. Or somehow Karsa is tricked into doing the deed. He is still the Knight in Chains, I believe. Makes sense, now that I think about it. All of the Elder Gods can obtain power through blood sacrifice. hence, the amount of people on Kolanse the FA have been slaughtering in order to power up Kilmandaros and Sechul Lath. AND, imagine what the blood of an ascendent such as Fener could do for an Elder God? Heck, maybe this is even the BIG plan-use those Jade Giants or something to kill the CG and use his blood for power...yikes! (Maybe I read something like that on these boards too)

Also, to those thinking Karsa won't be back, well, there is the piece in the Tor excerpt, plus Calm is on Kolanse, as well as the Unbound-which he has some history with, alongside good ol' Kaminsod himself.

[ichiitk]

icarium is worshipped as a god and is now held by calm. Karsa and calm are destined to meet again iirc so i'm starting to think maybe Karsa will kill icarium. cant really think of a good reason as to why and how, but maybe to stop calm or the nameless ones to use him as a weapon...

[Lister of Smeg]

More likely he would free Icarium, surely? I mean, he hates seeming people in chains. And Karsa and Icarium on the same side would be nigh-on unstoppable (except by Fiddler, obviously.)