Is this an oversight by Erikson on the entire Rhulad sword plotline?

#1 ColtaineDidNothingWrong

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 01:30 AM

Kinda confused with this whole subplot. It seems overly convoluted for no reason, but I'm probably missing something here.

So, at the end of Midnight Tides, Mael rescues Withal from the Crippled God's island. In The Bonehunters, Tavore recruits Withal. In Reaper's Gale, we find out why: he made the sword, so he can break it too. And he does just that towards the end.

So, my question is....why take Withal off the island in the first place? Why not just have Withal chill on the island, and next time Rhulad dies, just have Withal grab the sword before Rhulad wakes up and then break it? I'm sure Rhulad died at least one other time between the end of MT and the start of RG, so Withal probably wouldn't have had to wait long.

This post has been edited by ColtaineDidNothingWrong: 25 December 2020 - 01:31 AM

#2 Abyss

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 04:11 AM

And the CG is just going to sit there and watch?

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#3 ColtaineDidNothingWrong

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 04:43 AM

Abyss, on 25 December 2020 - 04:11 AM, said:

And the CG is just going to sit there and watch?

Thanks for answering. I thought that too, but I mean...he didn't do anything when Withal came to his realm in the end and took the sword to destroy it. He just cried.

#4 Coltaine -

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 06:50 AM

If I remember correctly it was a One Ring situation. The sword also had to be destroyed where it was created. So sending Withal back was the only option.

Also we have already seen with Mael that the Crippled God is at a huge disadvantage in a physical confrontation ^^

#5 ColtaineDidNothingWrong

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 07:06 AM

- Coltaine -, on 25 December 2020 - 06:50 AM, said:

Thanks! My question there though is why would Mael take Withal off the island if it's so easy to destroy the sword? Why not just have him wait on the island until the next time Rhulad dies and shows up? Then he can grab the sword while Rhulad is having his fit, and destroy it.

The Crippled God didn't seem able to stop Withal at the end of RG from destroying the sword, nor could he stop Mael in MT from coming onto his island and beating him up. It seems like a waste of time to just let Rhulad basically roam free and die/resurrect as many times as he wants, when all they really had to do is wait for his next resurrection, snatch the sword and break it, and then they're done.

This post has been edited by ColtaineDidNothingWrong: 25 December 2020 - 07:07 AM

#6 Aptorian

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 08:21 AM

I think it's part Erikson not planning RG before finishing MT and part rule of cool taking precedent over practical issues like a cursed sword lose in the mortal world.

#7 Coltaine -

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 10:02 AM

ColtaineDidNothingWrong, on 25 December 2020 - 07:06 AM, said:

- Coltaine -, on 25 December 2020 - 06:50 AM, said:

Sorry, I guess I didn't read your question completely ^^. The Sword gets brought back into the realm of the Crippled God by Karsa, after he cut of Rhulads arm. When Rhulads soul comes to the island after being killed, he appears without the sword. So you need to have the sword on the island, Withal and someone who can prevent the Crippled God from interfering.

So the optimal thing for Mael to do would have been to help someone kill Rhulad, say Brys or Silchas, cut his swordhand of as you probably wouldn't get it out of his grip, take it to island and let Withal destroy it. Provided he would have known all the details Posted Image

But SE having RG not fully planned out is probably the most logical explanation. Fits his way of writing. Like Tehol and Bugg being a spontaneous addition to Midnight Tides as an example.

#8 ColtaineDidNothingWrong

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Posted 25 December 2020 - 07:54 PM

- Coltaine -, on 25 December 2020 - 10:02 AM, said:

ColtaineDidNothingWrong, on 25 December 2020 - 07:06 AM, said:

- Coltaine -, on 25 December 2020 - 06:50 AM, said:

But SE having RG not fully planned out is probably the most logical explanation. Fits his way of writing. Like Tehol and Bugg being a spontaneous addition to Midnight Tides as an example.

Thanks!

I totally forgot that the sword does not accompany Rhulad to the island. Seems the Crippled God needs to summon it for him, at least from re-reading MT it seems that way (everytime Rhulad dies, he goes back to the tent and the Crippled God summons the sword). So yeah, I don't think it would be as easy as I thought, Withal can't just wait at the island.

I guess when Karsa brought the sword to the island, outside the Crippled God's tent, that was the only chance they had to destroy the sword. Although, I am still curious why the Crippled God didn't try stopping Withal from breaking the sword. If he can summon the sword anytime he wants, I'd think he'd just retake it back from Withal and keep it in his tent until the next opportunity presents itself. Maybe it's because at that point the sword had no wielder and Withal reclaimed it for himself?