[jonny_anonymous]

Out of ICE's books I've only read Knight of Knives so far. I did start Crimson Guard but I was told I should really read Reaper's Gale first so I stopped and started that instead. So please no spoilers, I'm really only asking for confirmations so simple yes or no answers will do.

Do we ever find out 100% what/who the Stormriders actually are?

Do we ever get to meet their leader?

Do we get to meet any "named" Riders?

Do we get to know more about their culture?

[Gorefest]

It's a bit of a RAFO, really. If I answer this, it might be considered a spoiler by others who haven't read everything yet either. All I can say safely is that they (and references to them) will appear again in the future.

[BarneyLegh]

1. Not really
2. Nope
3. Also nope
4. Don't think so.

You find out a little more of their motivation in Stonewielder - as well as a very brief description of their physical appearance under the armour (well, under the helmet). But other than that i think they remain a mystery.

If i'm wrong, please correct me

[Andorion]

1. Very brief insight but RAFO
2. No
3. No
4. Nope again.

SW will be important, also Assail

[jonny_anonymous]

This really bums me out

[Gorefest]

Just think at is as potential future projects to look forward to!

But really, SW does give some nice extra background. So definitely worth a read if you are intrigued by the Stormriders.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 22 August 2014 - 12:11 PM

[Khazduk]

And (as mentioned by Andorion) Assail does provide a few more tidbits. And a clear distinction as to what they are not.

[Abyss]

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

This really bums me out

With this series, you cannot assume you will ever get a complete and total response to anything.
We get most of it, sometimes all of it, but some things just remain a mystery.


Also, opinions vary on just how much of an explanation we do ultimately get. I'd argue we get all we really need.

[D'rek]

We learn about as much about the Stormriders' origins and culture as we ever do about the Forkrul Assail or Jaghut, but few people ever seem to complain about that, and the Stormriders are a minor side-race compared to them. I'd also say we get more explanation of the Stormriders than we do of other periphery races like the Jheck or Eres.

This post has been edited by D'rek: 22 August 2014 - 02:04 PM

[jonny_anonymous]

Abyss, on 22 August 2014 - 02:01 PM, said:

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

This really bums me out

With this series, you cannot assume you will ever get a complete and total response to anything.
We get most of it, sometimes all of it, but some things just remain a mystery.

Also, opinions vary on just how much of an explanation we do ultimately get. I'd argue we get all we really need.

I was hoping we were going to get indepth like Erikson has with the Andii/Edur. The Stormriders are really the only race I love the concept of, the others in Malazan are ok but I'm really more into the certain characters rather than their entire races.

This post has been edited by jonny_anonymous: 22 August 2014 - 03:50 PM

[Gorefest]

Depends what you class as 'indepth', really. I haven't read Assail yet, but already in SW we do get quite a bit of insight into their motivations. The big difference is that for the MBotF storyline, the Stormriders are a "side" race, not really that much involved into the main story arc, whereas for instance the Tiste, Jaghut and Imass are. Plus as you say, the 'race' is interesting as a concept but we hardly see any individuals, so there is no real need to delve deeper at this point in time. Compare the Seguleh for example, also an interesting concept as a group, and we need to wait a long time to get into their back story but it does happen (RAFO).

Apparently Assail again lifts more of the veil, which leads me to think that the Stormriders were placed primarily in the Esslemont camp. And considering that he is supposedly doing another series on the origins of the Empire, it would not surprise me at all if we get more Stormrider background still in the future, like we do with the Tiste, Jaghut and Imass now in the Kharkanas series. So your hope may not be in vain yet, patience is probably the key word here.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 22 August 2014 - 03:57 PM

[Abyss]

Gorefest, on 22 August 2014 - 03:55 PM, said:

... patience is probably the key word here.

True, it's not like SE and ICE aren't aware that we want to know more.
They may not actually give us more, because evil, but the possibility remains open for as long as they're writing in this world.

[Andorion]

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

This really bums me out

Dude you are bummed out because you don't know enough about the Stormriders who are like a mostly marginal group with central billing only in SW. As of right now, there isn't even unanimity of opinion or even a steady theory about who Quick Ben really is and he is one of the most central, most crucial characters of the series. What this basically says is that in Malazan, true closure and full disclosure are like sweets near Kruppe, chimeras in the mist which appear fleetingly and then disappear impossibly into a void.

[jonny_anonymous]

Andorion, on 22 August 2014 - 05:18 PM, said:

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

This really bums me out

Dude you are bummed out because you don't know enough about the Stormriders who are like a mostly marginal group with central billing only in SW. As of right now, there isn't even unanimity of opinion or even a steady theory about who Quick Ben really is and he is one of the most central, most crucial characters of the series. What this basically says is that in Malazan, true closure and full disclosure are like sweets near Kruppe, chimeras in the mist which appear fleetingly and then disappear impossibly into a void.

We get plenty of Quick Ben, I'm not in a rush to see more. A race who live in the sea that come with the storm coated in armor of ice is more interesting to me.

[Gorefest]

I don't know, I think it also is one of the major charms of the series, that even relatively sideline facets are (sometimes frustratingly) intriguing, partly due to their obscurity. I believe that for a long time our almost exclusive knowledge of the Seguleh and their culture was an almost throwaway paragraph on Rake in MoI:

"Anomander Rake once crossed blades with a score of Seguleh, one after the other. He'd paid an unannounced visit to the island – knowing nothing of the inhabitants. Taking human form and fashioning a mask for himself, he elected to walk down the city's main thoroughfare. Being naturally arrogant, he showed no deference to any who crossed his path... Two bells. That was the full duration of Rake's visit to the island and its people. He described the ferocity of that short time, and his dismay and exhaustion which led him to withdraw into his warren if only to slow the hammering of his heart."

And then learning that that short spell, unbeknownst to himself, had somehow elevated him to Seguleh Seventh and seriously pissed off the Seguleh because he didn't take his mask with him and thus insulted them deeply. A few paragraphs, but such richness and deepness and mystery, it was almost a shame to find out more about the Seguleh later on, thereby decreasing the intrigue and mystery.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 22 August 2014 - 09:03 PM

[jonny_anonymous]

Gorefest, on 22 August 2014 - 09:02 PM, said:

I don't know, I think it also is one of the major charms of the series, that even relatively sideline facets are (sometimes frustratingly) intriguing, partly due to their obscurity. I believe that for a long time our almost exclusive knowledge of the Seguleh and their culture was an almost throwaway paragraph on Rake in MoI:

"Anomander Rake once crossed blades with a score of Seguleh, one after the other. He'd paid an unannounced visit to the island – knowing nothing of the inhabitants. Taking human form and fashioning a mask for himself, he elected to walk down the city's main thoroughfare. Being naturally arrogant, he showed no deference to any who crossed his path... Two bells. That was the full duration of Rake's visit to the island and its people. He described the ferocity of that short time, and his dismay and exhaustion which led him to withdraw into his warren if only to slow the hammering of his heart."

And then learning that that short spell, unbeknownst to himself, had somehow elevated him to Seguleh Seventh and seriously pissed off the Seguleh because he didn't take his mask with him and thus insulted them deeply. A few paragraphs, but such richness and deepness and mystery, it was almost a shame to find out more about the Seguleh later on, thereby decreasing the intrigue and mystery.

But at least we got to spend time with some "named" Seguleh and we knew who they were and what there about.

[worry]

This way you get to name the Storm Riders yourself. Like Icy Steve, or Lorenzo the Foamy.

[jonny_anonymous]

worry, on 22 August 2014 - 11:16 PM, said:

This way you get to name the Storm Riders yourself. Like Icy Steve, or Lorenzo the Foamy.

I was thinking about Snowdrop and Janice the Chilly.

Damn, now I wish there was an RPG were I could play as a Stormrider.

[Gorefest]

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 09:35 PM, said:

But at least we got to spend time with some "named" Seguleh and we knew who they were and what there about.

I'm sure there are two named Wtormriders somewhere, memory eludes me now. SW perhaps? Or one of the other Esslemonts?

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 24 August 2014 - 07:00 PM

[tiam]

D, on 22 August 2014 - 02:01 PM, said:

We learn about as much about the Stormriders' origins and culture as we ever do about the Forkrul Assail or Jaghut, but few people ever seem to complain about that, and the Stormriders are a minor side-race compared to them. I'd also say we get more explanation of the Stormriders than we do of other periphery races like the Jheck or Eres.

Gorefest, on 24 August 2014 - 07:00 PM, said:

jonny_anonymous, on 22 August 2014 - 09:35 PM, said:

But at least we got to spend time with some "named" Seguleh and we knew who they were and what there about.

I'm sure there are two named Wtormriders somewhere, memory eludes me now. SW perhaps? Or one of the other Esslemonts?

I dont think so. The most we get from the SR is at the end of NOK

As for those saying we know the same about them as we do the Jaguut and the Assail thats not the case. We know alot about Jaghut culture and a fair bit about FA. The SR are a main entity in a book and we know nothing about them really. Origins, motivations etc are still a mystery and yet they play a large role. The Jheck and Eres are explained atleast in essence.

Jheck- Imass like tribal society that centre around Soletaken rituals explaining their longevity
Eres- Progenitor to the Imass and able to bypass alot of magic, including time, as a result of preceding all of them.

I wont put what little info we have on the SR here but both the Jheck and the Eres have smaller roles than the SR and, with ICEs cycle now over, the motivations of a continent defining villain/entity remain a mystery.