[brandondoss]

There was this passage in book 4 when Karsa finishes his sculpture in Raraku and talks to Urugal that made me pause:

Quote

Karsa Orlong. We have waited long for this. Three years, the fashioning of this sacred place.

Three years? Indeed, he leaves his village in 1159, and by the time he's in Raraku it's at least 1164 (since that's the year of the Chain of Dogs). What did he do in that intervening time? Seems like he just traveled to Silver Lake - a matter of weeks or months, was shipped to the mines but somehow ended up in Seven Cities - months, then met Leoman and traveled with him to Raraku - weeks or perhaps months. How does that add up to 3 years?

This post has been edited by brandondoss: 04 September 2018 - 07:23 PM

[Zetubal]

Is it ever mentioned how much time he spends with the original Sha'ik in Raraku?

[brandondoss]

Oh you're right, I guess the first Sha'ik spends a lot of time dicking around before Kalam brings her the book.

[Werthead]

The 1159 date in HoC is wrong, as per Word of Steve. He leaves his village shortly before the battle at Pale in 1163, as mentioned in HoC, and his journey ends a few months later in 1164. He spends only a few months with Sha'ik in Raraku. The "three years to fashion the statues" thing is therefore incorrect as well.

Some fans have suggested that time travel is possible via the Nascent, and Karsa arrived in Seven Cities two-and-a-half years before he ever left his village but that's reaching, I think (and introduces the potential for paradoxes).