[Dolmen 2.0]

So far I've gathered their existance is one that many would love to get rid of yet they seem to have an allegiance of some kind with the forkrul assail as well as influence over The azath, the gaurdians in it and those trapped within.

I don't really know what to make of the Forkrul Assail either. I know that they are the eldest race as well as the strongest. what they do I have no clue as they seem to deliver "peace" with a bit of a twist.

I want to know exactly how you guys think these groups fit together because I don't understand it nor how they work or what power they have. and how does kettle get a Forkrul Assail soul?

[Tes'thesula]

on the nameless ones and the assail.. how i read it, with the new information form the BH prolouge, is that any race can become a nameless one, they have to be inducted obviously and share their beliefs, but for an Assail this is a simple transition, as the Assail believe absolutely in balance, and this seems to also be a tenat of the Nameless ones

more about the nameless ones, it is unknown whether they can actually communicate with the azath, or have just taken its cause as their own. They lead people to become guardians and for eternal imprisonment, but we don't know whether these plans are instigated by the azath or not

its an interesting story thread, and more will undoubtedly be revealed in BH

[krupke]

The nameless ones were priests of the Azath
The Forkul Assail were one of the 4 elder races. The quit the war in the start *cant remember what war* they are very tough mean things and very very very hard to kill. Only a couple of them sought to get ''peace'' which is just another way of saying excucution. There is very little know only that their Bone structure is differont so they kan bend their knees backwards or bent to anyway with their back. What warren they use is unknown, if they use magic at all. They are massive beasts likely bigger than the Theloman Toblakai

[Abyss]

The key point, regarding Azath, FA and NOs, and perhaps even the Houses and the Deck of Dragons, is the notion of 'balance'.

In MoI, i think it was Paran and Draconus who discuss the Azath and the Houses bringing order to the world as a natural counter to chaos.

The FA are obsessed with order and judgement and killing anyone who messes with that, apparently.

The NOs seem to be Azath cultists, but the cult seems split and not terribly popular with some powers, ie: Shadowthrone trying to wipe them out.

My pet theory (Sit Theory, sit! Good Theory.) is that the notion of balance is so flexible it manifests in different ways in the Malazan world. And the influences of order and chaos twist it even so.

- Abyss, theoretical gymnast.

[Roland]

By the way, I find very appealing the theory that the FA do not posses the ability to use magic or any other unnatural force. But they are also immune to its effects and since they posses almost endless capabilities of regeneration, unimaginable strength and are all twisty and bendy... Just like the notion they have evolved so much, they are now at the possible end of evolution itself. Past magic, natural death and so forth...

[Tiger_sword]

So where are they all? Surely they are not ALL dead. I mean weve seen that there is the odd FA scattered across the world. Are they all dead or did they leave the malazan world or (my personal opinion) their still underground somewhere...

[Trotts]

they simple left, bowed out of the war if you will. as to where they are now, im sure we could get some crazy theories goin

[Tiger_sword]

i wonder if they will be back in force? Same as the dragons.

We could have an uber showdown.....ohhhhhh

MUST CALM DOWN

[Tiste Simeon]

Most of them are certainly dead (Silchas killed loads didn't he?) And the ones who are still around aren't likely to meet up again soon - though having Serenity around (was it serenity that KOed Karsa? or was that calm) would be slightly worrying...

[krupke]

It was Calm who Karsa helped from the stone. But if all these FA were killd then there must be a massive grave. So maybe if some necromances stumble upon it they could make em undead but thats more a Crazy theory. But we saw that happen with seranity she came back from that sacrophagus.

[Trotts]

oh man, bauchlain and broach finding a grave of fa.... *shudders in fear and mild arousal*

[Tiger_sword]

Still, i didn't think that calm was more than your average FA meaning that somewhere there could be a small army of creatures which could all (individually) KO Karsa. Thats the type of army that you dont wanna face

The only problem i see with this is the fact that FA tend to be solitary. Prehaps because they were decimated they chose to scatter like the Jahgut?

[Tiste Simeon]

Trotts said:

oh man, bauchlain and broach finding a grave of fa.... *shudders in fear and mild arousal*

Erm... *raises an eyebrow* I'm worried about you...
I think the FA have a part yet to play. Silchas says something about them being extremely long lived, and very hard to kill. This we know. Which means there are probably more knocking around the place.
@Tiger Sword - I don't think they were solitary in the same way Jaghut were, shunning other company. I think they were solitary in that they were too powerful to live together. And they got killed, cos people like Silchas realised that the only way to actually kill them is to use dragons. So the dragons hunted them down and killed them. So, in some ways similar to Jaghuts, in other ways not so.

[Monoch Ochem]

You know what Tiste: Trotts' remark worries me too. Together we'd make a fantastic wart....err, scratch that (I don't mean the wart).

"Still, i didn't think that calm was more than your average FA meaning that somewhere there could be a small army of creatures which could all (individually) KO Karsa."

@ Tiger Sword: I dunno man....Silchas killed quite a few FA and I think Serenity wasn't killed because she could not be killed...or was too hard to kill. I dare say therefore, that she's probably more than average. I have some vague recollection of her taking on armies....that right?

Now that I have the courage to deal with even part of Trotts' post, I'd venture that I doubt that Korb and Bauch would DARE mess with FA graves containing anything they'd normally use. No specific authority for this but I really doubt they could withstand or overcome the FA influence. I'm assuming that they'd need FA souls for FA remains. Let's remember, FA are Elder. Take the K'Chain Che Malle...only the Matron could have reanimated her dead brood.

[Trotts]

i havent read the broach/bauchalin novella so i cant really comment fully on their character, but i dont believe anything would deter them, elder or not. the t'lan imass are elder, that didnt stop broach from asking and then being smacked

does it say somewhere that the fa are solitary? i seem to remember that they had cities

[Tiste Simeon]

Trotts said:

i havent read the broach/bauchalin novella so i cant really comment fully on their character, but i dont believe anything would deter them, elder or not. the t'lan imass are elder, that didnt stop broach from asking and then being smacked

does it say somewhere that the fa are solitary? i seem to remember that they had cities

The KCCM had cities, but I don't remember anything about a FA city...

[Tiste Simeon]

I knew that... *cough* OK, so FA had cities, but from that quote it doesn't look like they were much more than glorified meeting halls to discuss who they were going to go and kill next...

[Trotts]

Quote

Vast cities were constructed beneath the world's surface...... From these places, where they did not dwell, but simply gathered, they set out to achieve balance.

kinda a conflicting statement. i mean, why would someone build "vast cities" just for gathering?