[L'oric]

Ace, on 16 March 2011 - 03:50 PM, said:

Just joined the board, so don't stone me, but here's my theory on Bredd.

Belief is a hugely important part of the series, and no matter how Bredd began, there were plenty in the rank and file who had no idea he was just made up. They believed in him, and the Bonehunters' belief was a very, very powerful thing. That belief made him real. Basically, the Bonehunters created their own god.

At the same time, that's not actually mutually exclusive to the Crump theory. They might have caused him to ascend into a sort of Dassem/Dessembrae sort of situation, with a mortal representation of the god/ascendant itself. It would just be a Crump/Bredd one instead.

I agree with Bredd being the manifestation of the Elite Bonehunter Soldier, and I think he was probably in more place than one in those last desperate battles.

[Abyss]

Look, obviously Crump is d'ivers and can split himself into his usual body and shorter hardcase one to fool everybody... we saw Ho in RCG. It makes sense. You know it does.

[Ulrik]

No, sry...idea of Bole d´i vers is too powerful even for creatures like Tiam. It cant be. It cant.

Bredd is joke...great, funny, hilarious joke. And Fid just got hit (even if we didnt read it), so he imagines Bredd. Joking Bredd. Because he is joke. Heheh.

[Bale]

Cicero, on 17 March 2011 - 10:23 PM, said:

amphibian, on 17 March 2011 - 10:18 PM, said:

Dead Joe, on 16 March 2011 - 09:10 PM, said:

Clockwork Apt, on 16 March 2011 - 04:01 PM, said:

Before I heard the Crump theory I also suspected that he was a spirit. Sort of like Grub.

It would be funny if it was Crump. Because we don't ever really see him fight as far as I recall, besides his kamikaze demolition of Y'Ghatan. How ever, when the marines and heavies are making new teams, somebody looks at Crumps and makes a disparaging question like "Can he fight?" And one of the others says "yeah, Crump fights". This would be a pretty cool hint, if Crump in fact turns into some kind of killing machine when he has to. After all he's a from the Mott Irregulars. He's probably not just thick, he's probably also a stubborn murderous nightmare when pushed.

But if Crump really was Nefarias Bred I like to imagine that Erikson would actually have made that revelation through a Crump POV during their last stand at the Barrow.

I am going with Spirit/Hallucination as most likely explanation.

Isnt crumps real name Jamber Bole? So if he's a Bole I wouldn't be suprised if he can cause serious damage in a fight

The Boles have some kind of Wolverine-like skeleton with iron/metal fused to their bones. It's why Amby and Jula were able to start grappling with a Jaghut, fight off a Shigal Assassin and so on. Crump has the same thing going on and fought the Nah'ruk with his hands.

Neferias Bredd was a hallucination/wink to the reader. Fiddler knows Crump.

Agreed. But something tells me this discussion will not end until someone asserts a theory that Nefarias Bredd is Father Light. In all seriousness.

Also, my first read of tCG is where I first picked up the Jhag-Bole connection. Has this been pinpointed before? I think it was Olar Ethil who referred to Amby as "Jhag Boleal" or something of the sort.

I just finished the book and was about to post on the "Jhag Bolead" comment by OE when I saw this post. Yes, very cool. The exact quote occurs when OE confronts Gruntle et al when taking Tool's children. She makes a comment about each of the party, and when getting to (Amby? I forget which survived) she says "The Jhag Bolead spawn is broken inside."

It implies to me that all of our friendly Marshalls over the years are insane Jhag offshoots, inbred in the swamps for centuries.

[Venerus]

We also learned at some point (TTH or DoD) that the Bok'arala are Jhagut creations. Wonder if they're related to the Bole/Boleal side of things. Somewhat similar naming, and you know that's Erikson's favorite game...

[Votan]

Bredd has a yellow tooth, they specifically point this out, and light is often depicted yellowish like in lightbulbs. So clearly Bredd is Father Light cunningly hiding out among the Malazans. I wonder what his plan is.

[jomegar]

Can't believe I'm bothering to do this - or he could be ShadowThrone jerking his own former subjects about.

Cotillion was already there, or there about's for long periods of time, and we both know how they love to hang out and poke each other after doing nearly anything.

[Powder]

New Theory.

Every soldier is Nefarias Bredd. The rumor starts and then when random un-named off screen soldiers do something incredible, they announce that they are in fact Nefarias Bredd and keep moving. Sort of like saying "I am the Batman, in a moment of dark knighted bad assery when you know very well that you are in fact, not.

-Powder

[Sinisdar Toste]

Powder, on 21 March 2011 - 04:38 PM, said:

New Theory.

Every soldier is Nefarias Bredd. The rumor starts and then when random un-named off screen soldiers do something incredible, they announce that they are in fact Nefarias Bredd and keep moving. Sort of like saying "I am the Batman, in a moment of dark knighted bad assery when you know very well that you are in fact, not.

-Powder

my favourite theory so far

[Abyss]

Venerus, on 21 March 2011 - 01:16 AM, said:

We also learned at some point (TTH or DoD) that the Bok'arala are Jhagut creations. Wonder if they're related to the Bole/Boleal side of things. Somewhat similar naming, and you know that's Erikson's favorite game...

And also, 'ew'.

Sinisdar Toste, on 21 March 2011 - 05:12 PM, said:

Powder, on 21 March 2011 - 04:38 PM, said:

New Theory.

Every soldier is Nefarias Bredd. The rumor starts and then when random un-named off screen soldiers do something incredible, they announce that they are in fact Nefarias Bredd and keep moving. Sort of like saying "I am the Batman, in a moment of dark knighted bad assery when you know very well that you are in fact, not.

-Powder

my favourite theory so far

Right. So Crump was channeling his inner Bredd. There. Theory preserved.

- Abyss, ....conveiniently ignoring the height thing...

[MTS]

Neffarias Bredd is...Keyser Soze.

[caladanbrood]

I still think the main problem here is that Fiddler knows exactly what Crump looks like. There's no way he's gonna mistake him for someone else...

[MTS]

Bredd's not a real person. We're told he's made up, and Smiles said she saw him in BH yet in DoD said she didn't even think he exists. So at the outset that kinda rules out Crump as being Bredd, as he's too crazy and unique in appearance not to be noticed. He's just a figure they used to one up each other's stories or explain how something happened. For example:

Quote

'Ah, him. Who else would it be? How silly of me. I don't suppose you know what he looks like?'
Hedge shrugged. 'Big, I heard. Got a brow like a rock shelf, a hamster's eyes, a nose spread from here to Malaz Island and he can crush rocks with his teeth. More hair than a bull bhederin's dangly sack. Knuckles that can bust a Master Sergeant's nose—'
'You can stop there,' said Pores. 'I have an amazingly precise picture in my head now, thank you.'
'Mayfly says that's all wrong, though,' Hedge added. 'Bredd's tall but skinny, says Mayfly, and his whole face is tiny, like the bud of a flower. With sweet and pleasant eyes and pouty lips—'

Quote

'We're missing a thumb, but we heard there's a heavy without any thumbs - might be over in Blistig's legion.'
'Indeed, and what would his name be?'
'Nefarias Bredd, sir.'

Quote

'The Bonehunters' motto, Captain?'
She would not meet her commander's eyes. 'Not a serious one, Adjunct. Coined by some heavy infantry soldier, I am told —'
'Who?'
She thought desperately. 'Nefarrias Bredd, I think.'
And caught, from the corner of her eye, a faint smile twitch Tavore's thin lips. Then it was gone and, in truth, might never have been.

I'm leaning towards hallucination myself. Hedge was with Fiddler when they 'met', yet when Fiddler asks about Bredd Hedge gives him a blank look.

[Abyss]

caladanbrood, on 21 March 2011 - 06:13 PM, said:

I still think the main problem here is that Fiddler knows exactly what Crump looks like. There's no way he's gonna mistake him for someone else...

In the heat of battle, he obviously didn't recognize him.

Plus Crump/Bredd is obviously a master of disguise.

- Abyss, will defend this theory beyond all reason.

[Silk]

crump=bredd=wolverine?

[Abyss]

Silk, on 21 March 2011 - 08:53 PM, said:

crump=bredd=wolverine?

Now you're just being silly.

- Abyss, ...notes Wolverine would totally beat Bredd in a fight...

[Silk]

unless my theory is correct then he would just be bashing his multi d'ivers self from all the realms.....

One has to note that the only threat to wolverine.... is wolverine.....

[worry]

Nefarious Bredd is Manask!

[Slow Ben]

worrywort, on 22 March 2011 - 08:23 PM, said:

Nefarious Bredd is Manask!

This is the best theory...ever.

[Teblor Tea]

The Boles have Jaghut in them I think. That is mentioned somewhere in TCG. That means tall..
At least I remember reading that around 3:00 am on my third all nighter with this book.