[gandrin]

I think the new emperor could get rid of the Crimson Guard really fast if he wanted to. I might be wrong in this but I think it works.

1. They are bound until they recapture the land of D'Vore from the Empire, reinstating K'azz as it's ruler
2. They cannot die until that happens.

but...
3. If that happens, then the Vow is fulfilled.
4. Then K'azz will die, and all other Avowed released

So...If I'm the new emperor, I make a contract with K'azz. He names me the successor to him, and I give him possession of D'vore until his death. The instant K'azz signs the note, he gets the land, he dies, all the Avowed die (or start to age normally) and the Emperor regains the land. It would literally be an instant.

The problem with the T'lan Imass is they have to somehow exterminate an entire planet, and probably that includes several ascendant Jaghut they cannot access (Hood, Gothos, the Huntress). So it's doomed to fail.
But the CG goal is not impossible at all. They can fulfill their oath with a little clever contracting that hurts nobody.

This post has been edited by gandrin: 14 March 2015 - 01:52 AM

[Esa1996]

gandrin, on 14 March 2015 - 01:51 AM, said:

I think the new emperor could get rid of the Crimson Guard really fast if he wanted to. I might be wrong in this but I think it works.

1. They are bound until they recapture the land of D'Vore from the Empire, reinstating K'azz as it's ruler
2. They cannot die until that happens.

but...
3. If that happens, then the Vow is fulfilled.
4. Then K'azz will die, and all other Avowed released

So...If I'm the new emperor, I make a contract with K'azz. He names me the successor to him, and I give him possession of D'vore until his death. The instant K'azz signs the note, he gets the land, he dies, all the Avowed die (or start to age normally) and the Emperor regains the land. It would literally be an instant.

The problem with the T'lan Imass is they have to somehow exterminate an entire planet, and probably that includes several ascendant Jaghut they cannot access (Hood, Gothos, the Huntress). So it's doomed to fail.
But the CG goal is not impossible at all. They can fulfill their oath with a little clever contracting that hurts nobody.

Clever plan, but there's a but. As far as I can remember, the Crimson Guards wow was to live until the Malazan Empire is destroyed. That was Skinner's plan in RotCG. Conquer the Empire, rule it, and thus, live forever. He'd become an immortal emperor with some immortal "friends" to help out whenever needed.

[Saitama]

Honestly, I don't think that Mallick considers the Crimson Guard a serious threat. It's been a while since I read the books, so correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at it from the emperor's view, the CG aren't really that big of a deal: only a handful of them are somewhat immortal, they don't have any major power backing them and they aren't really players themselves. Out of the bunch, maybe Cowl has the potential for a subtle play, and even then, he is full of openings. The rest are just superpowered mercenaries scattered around the world.

Seeing how Mallick deals with players of the highest caliber and still manages to come out on top, it doesn't make any sense for him to make peace with the CG, not when he has an empire's worth of resources at his disposal. Not only that, making any sort of deals with a mortal enemy would make him look weak.

What's more, the CG are kinda useful for him running free around the world. It makes sense for him to have some external threat (that is not really that dangerous, but is percieved as such) so that he can unify his people/justify some less popular political moves as a necessary to protect the empire from the big bad CG.

[Nevyn]

To be honest, I don't think the vow is relevant. Having accidentally invoked the Ritual of Tellann, to me the CG is stuck even if somehow the whole empire is done away with,

That's how I read it anyway. I don't recall a specific notation that the Imass would be freed of the ritual even if they managed to fulfil its purpose. They need the summoner.

And when Silverfox told K'azz she was not the "Red Clan's" summoner, he basically said, "we will wait for our own" (summoner).

Plus the whole realization that you are T'lan CG would probably not be so crushing if you were still in the same "destroy the empire and the vow is fulfilled" boat.

[Shadow Knight]

With the "reveal" that the CG are now T'lan it pretty much makes them, as a hole, completely irrelevant, in my opinion.

Given the fact they evoked a part of the ritual of Tellan it seems to me there vow is now impossible to fulfill.

I imagine that a number of gods/ascendents and even the T'lan imass would have a severe problem with undead avowed ruling over an empire, where they cant die (kinda like tyrants) and same applies for destroying said empire, I dont see them standing aside while the undead slaughter the living on a scale to destroy an empire.

Just my take on it