[Musoyama]

My first post! I am sure someone will advise me as to how to use the search engine, but I have tried and cannot find the answer.

I know some things about him, like his ethnic background, but that's all I can figure out.

Please help (kindly, if possible).

Many thanks!

[Aptorian]

Little is revealed about the guy. We learn that he was actually a Letherii that was adopted or kidnapped by Awl. We know that he at some point came in contact with the KCCM Matron. And that's about it. I can tell you that when the story returns to Lether in Dust of Dreams a little more detail is revealed.

But Redmask will probably always be something of a mystery.

EDIT: Oh and if the search function is giving you trouble (it can be annoying) just click the RG forum and flip back a couple of pages. Redmasks identity and purpose is indeed a subject that had come up more than once and I think you might find some good long posts discussing him.

This post has been edited by Aptorius: 18 February 2012 - 07:07 PM

[Musoyama]

Aptorius, on 18 February 2012 - 07:04 PM, said:

Little is revealed about the guy. We learn that he was actually a Letherii that was adopted or kidnapped by Awl. We know that he at some point came in contact with the KCCM Matron. And that's about it. I can tell you that when the story returns to Lether in Dust of Dreams a little more detail is revealed.

But Redmask will probably always be something of a mystery.

Thanks for your polite response. I am surprised that so little is known...Erikson often fills in the blanks (subtly at times) for us. I will us the search function the way you suggest as well. Happy reading!

[tiam]

I posted this a while back and it was actually on the first page of the RG forum. Anyway here it is

Honestly Ive never understood the Redmask plotline and ive read RG a few times. Anyway Im on my first reread in a while and this view by Abyss seems pretty much correct. Im going to try and get this down to answer any questions. It may take a while but its worth a read for anyones interested in the Redmask timeline (hopefully)

The main relevant quotes are Bivvats comments to Brohl Handar after Redmasks attacks on Drene (RG MMPB p.56 onwards) and Redmasks own POV (RG MMPB p.634). Also relevant is the opening passage of chapter three (RG MMPB p.62)

The first quote deals with how a letherii came to be Awl in every sense. Bivatt states that the Awl were in the habit of stealing Letherii children, and as a response, Letur Anict stole the clan chiefs daughter to extort the chiefs herds. It seems likely that the clan chief adopted one of these Letherii child as his own and that this Letherii child became Redmask. To get his now indebted daughter, the adopted sister of Redmask, back, the chief, Redmasks adopted father, agreed to give Letur Anict his herds. On the way to the exchange, overcome by grief or something like that the daughter/sister stabbed herself in the heart. Letur Anict refusing to give up on this opportunity attacked the tribes anyway in an attempt to take the herd. Anicts troops killed everyone except Redmask and possibly also the one Elder that Redmask kills because he knows Redmasks actual heritage.

The quote goes on to say that the skirmishes between the Awl and Letherii continued. A few years later the defeats started piling up against the Letherii and the name Redmask was heard, a new war chief. It seems likely that during this gap of a few years Redmask travelled near the KCCM nest as when he returns to fight the Letherii he has his mask and namesake.

There are two things that give us an indication of his activites during this time. Firstly, Bivatt tells of a legend of Redmask slaying a dragon (obviously a KCCM of some distinction), though discounts the myth as Redmask was nothing more than a child at this time. However it may have been at this time, or possibly from a young age before the slaying of his family, that Redmask mastered the use of the Cadaran whip and Rygtha. Atleast by the time he was turning ambushes against the Letherii a few years later when he became Redmask the warchief, he was using the legendary Awl weaponry, as Bivatt uses it to convince Brohl Handar it is the original Redmask.

The second point that may give information about those 'few years' is based on a passage opener.There is a clue to what happened. Bivatt comments to Brohl Handar that the last expedition into the Wildlands was 'decades ago' may appear as a chapter opener. Theres a passage on p.62 that details factor Breneda Anict journeying into the Wildlands and comes across the body of a Kell Hunter. The passage details a 'tentacle like' series of wounds aswell as deeper wounds 'invariably delivered to a region vital to locomotion' clearly signifying the use of the Cadaran Whip and the Rygtha axe that are used by Redmask and ancient Awl to combat the KCCM. Now there is no time frame for this though clearly the factor is related to the current factor as they both have the surname Anict. It may be a relative or an ancestor of the current factor. In any case it may be relevant to Redmask but may not be.

After he returns from this contact with the KCCM he returns to the Awl, wielding ancient Awl weapons and wearing a mask so no one can see his features.At this point I assume know-one, given his weapons and likely fierce hatred of the Letherii because of what happened with his adopted sister, doubts his origins. Bivatt makes it clear this is the first time the name Redmask was heard. At some point Redmask tries to unify the clans and spoke out against the Elders of the gathering of clans. He spoke out against them and when he would not retract these words he was banished and went into the wastelands between Kolanse and the Awldan.

At this point I assume the elders of the tribal gathering do not know he is Letherii. If they did surely Redmasks reputation as a legendary Awl warrior would be tainted as this fact could be spread through the tribes, stopping any support for Redmask rather than the awe and admiration that are held by the warriors on Redmasks return. It would also be easy for the Elders of the tribe to dismiss Redmasks efforts to unify the tribes as he was Letherii. It would certainly have been noted and remembered by a number of Awl rather than one solitary Elder though this is unclear.

It seems likely that the Elder that Redmask kills was another survivor from Letur Anicts initial attack. Redmask states on p.634 that the 'last of the Renfayar Elders,who knew yes,knew well my father and all his kin, and the children THEY CALLED THEIR OWN' (emphasis mine obviously) again suggesting that the chief adopted Letherii children.There is also an interesting section on the mentality of Redmask. Fuelled by the hatred of the Elder who looked down on him as he knew he was Letherii Redmasks POV (again p.634) reads

' A fathers regard on a wayward son, as if nothing that child did could be good enough, could be Awl in the ways of the people as they had been and would always be'.

If anything this suggests a troubled relationship with his adopted father or possibly Redmask feeling vulnerable about his heritage.

Anyway the sum of this seems to be that Redmask was adopted by a clan chief of the Awl, and was likely a stolen child. His adopted sister was kidnapped by Letur Anict and killed herself on the way to an exchange for the herds of Redmasks adopted father. Letur Anict killed the rest of Redmasks clan apart from Redmask and possibly the last Renfayer Elder. It seems he then travelled and learnt the traditional weapons of the Awl the Cadarn Whip and the Rygtha axe, most likely in an effort to make himself a model Awl as a way to distance himself from his Letherii origins and possibly because he had daddy issues because he wasnt Awl enough. He returned to the tribes as a master of traditional Awl weaponry and started turning the war in the favour of the Awl. In an effort to unify the tribes, and fully take revenge for the fate of his sister and his adopted tribe, he spoke out of turn against the Elders of the gathered clans and in turn was banished. Upon his return he took over the last of the Awl, who viewed him as a legend, so musnt have known of his Letherii origin. The Renfayer Elder (presumably of Redmasks original adopted clan) held the truth of his origin over him forcing Redmask to kill him.

He was the original legendary Redmask and is definitely dead aswell. The big reveal at the end was that the secret the Renfayer elder held over him was his Letherii origins not that he wasnt the real Redmask.

Hope someone reads this and finds it helpful.

This post has been edited by tiam: 24 February 2012 - 03:01 PM

[HKShaman]

The other thing that you just inadvertently passed over, not understanding why there is so much about Redmask. Despite Redmas being central to the Awl subplot, it is really about Toc (again). That poor dude can not catch a break.

tiam, on 20 February 2012 - 06:50 PM, said:

I posted this a while back and it was actually on the first page of the RG forum. Anyway here it is

Honestly Ive never understood the Redmask plotline and ive read RG a few times. Anyway Im on my first reread in a while and this view by Abyss seems pretty much correct. Im going to try and get this down to answer any questions. It may take a while but its worth a read for anyones interested in the Redmask timeline (hopefully)

The main relevant quotes are Bivvats comments to Brohl Handar after Redmasks attacks on Drene (RG MMPB p.56 onwards) and Redmasks own POV (RG MMPB p.634). Also relevant is the opening passage of chapter three (RG MMPB p.62)

The first quote deals with how a letherii came to be Awl in every sense. Bivatt states that the Awl were in the habit of stealing Letherii children, and as a response, Letur Anict stole the clan chiefs daughter to extort the chiefs herds. It seems likely that the clan chief adopted one of these Letherii child as his own and that this Letherii child became Redmask. To get his now indebted daughter, the adopted sister of Redmask, back, the chief, Redmasks adopted father, agreed to give Letur Anict his herds. On the way to the exchange, overcome by grief or something like that the daughter/sister stabbed herself in the heart. Letur Anict refusing to give up on this opportunity attacked the tribes anyway in an attempt to take the herd. Anicts troops killed everyone except Redmask and possibly also the one Elder that Redmask kills because he knows Redmasks actual heritage.

The quote goes on to say that the skirmishes between the Awl and Letherii continued. A few years later the defeats started piling up against the Letherii and the name Redmask was heard, a new war chief. It seems likely that during this gap of a few years Redmask travelled near the KCCM nest as when he returns to fight the Letherii he has his mask and namesake.

There are two things that give us an indication of his activites during this time. Firstly, Bivatt tells of a legend of Redmask slaying a dragon (obviously a KCCM of some distinction), though discounts the myth as Redmask was nothing more than a child at this time. However it may have been at this time, or possibly from a young age before the slaying of his family, that Redmask mastered the use of the Cadaran whip and Rygtha. Atleast by the time he was turning ambushes against the Letherii a few years later when he became Redmask the warchief, he was using the legendary Awl weaponry, as Bivatt uses it to convince Brohl Handar it is the original Redmask.

The second point that may give information about those 'few years' is based on a passage opener.There is a clue to what happened. Bivatt comments to Brohl Handar that the last expedition into the Wildlands was 'decades ago' may appear as a chapter opener. Theres a passage on p.62 that details factor Breneda Anict journeying into the Wildlands and comes across the body of a Kell Hunter. The passage details a 'tentacle like' series of wounds aswell as deeper wounds 'invariably delivered to a region vital to locomotion' clearly signifying the use of the Cadaran Whip and the Rygtha axe that are used by Redmask and ancient Awl to combat the KCCM. Now there is no time frame for this though clearly the factor is related to the current factor as they both have the surname Anict. It may be a relative or an ancestor of the current factor. In any case it may be relevant to Redmask but may not be.

After he returns from this contact with the KCCM he returns to the Awl, wielding ancient Awl weapons and wearing a mask so no one can see his features.At this point I assume know-one, given his weapons and likely fierce hatred of the Letherii because of what happened with his adopted sister, doubts his origins. Bivatt makes it clear this is the first time the name Redmask was heard. At some point Redmask tries to unify the clans and spoke out against the Elders of the gathering of clans. He spoke out against them and when he would not retract these words he was banished and went into the wastelands between Kolanse and the Awldan.

At this point I assume the elders of the tribal gathering do not know he is Letherii. If they did surely Redmasks reputation as a legendary Awl warrior would be tainted as this fact could be spread through the tribes, stopping any support for Redmask rather than the awe and admiration that are held by the warriors on Redmasks return. It would also be easy for the Elders of the tribe to dismiss Redmasks efforts to unify the tribes as he was Letherii. It would certainly have been noted and remembered by a number of Awl rather than one solitary Elder though this is unclear.

It seems likely that the Elder that Redmask kills was another survivor from Letur Anicts initial attack. Redmask states on p.634 that the 'last of the Renfayar Elders,who knew yes,knew well my father and all his kin, and the children THEY CALLED THEIR OWN' (emphasis mine obviously) again suggesting that the chief adopted Letherii children.There is also an interesting section on the mentality of Redmask. Fuelled by the hatred of the Elder who looked down on him as he knew he was Letherii Redmasks POV (again p.634) reads

' A fathers regard on a wayward son, as if nothing that child did could be good enough, could be Awl in the ways of the people as they had been and would always be'.

If anything this suggests a troubled relationship with his adopted father or possibly Redmask feeling vulnerable about his heritage.

Anyway the sum of this seems to be that Redmask was adopted by a clan chief of the Awl, and was likely a stolen child. His adopted sister was kidnapped by Letur Anict and killed herself on the way to an exchange for the herds of Redmasks adopted father. Letur Anict killed the rest of Redmasks clan apart from Redmask and possibly the last Renfayer Elder. It seems he then travelled and learnt the traditional weapons of the Awl the Cadarn Whip and the Rygtha axe, most likely in an effort to make himself a model Awl as a way to distance himself from his Letherii origins and possibly because he had daddy issues because he wasnt Awl enough. He returned to the tribes as a master of traditional Awl weaponry and started turning the war in the favour of the Awl. In an effort to unify the tribes, and fully take revenge for the fate of his sister and his adopted tribe, he spoke out of turn against the Elders of the gathered clans and in turn was banished. Upon his return he took over the last of the Awl, who viewed him as a legend, so musnt have known of his Letherii origin. The Renfayer Elder (presumably of Redmasks original adopted clan) held the truth of his origin over him forcing Redmask to kill him.

He was the original legendary Redmask and is definitely dead aswell. The big reveal at the end was that the secret the Renfayer elder held over him was his Letherii origins not that he wasnt the real Redmask.

Hope someone reads this and finds it helpful.

[worry]

The mighty tiam stopped posting here long ago, for some reason. A real shame! We'd often come to different conclusions, but they were great with the quote fu.