[Rhand]

Finished RotCG last week and wondering why Iron Bars is floating around in the Seeker's Deep/Reacher's Ocean waters.

Last we saw him was in MT sailing away from Letheras and in RG we learn that Shurq dropped him off on the East coast of Jacuruku with his plan to cross from coast to coast.

2 strange things:

- Letheras is to the West of Jacuruku, so if IB was dropped off on the East coast (e.a. the coast furthest away from Letheras) why go coast to coast? That would bring you closer back to Letheras. Besides, as per the latest world map (https://atlasoficean...azan-empire.png) the West coast is blocked off by a massive Jaghut ice field and there are no great empires nearby to presume much trading and travel going on. Maybe Erikson means south to north coast to coast, but then why not use those words rather than east to west?

- To go from Jacuruku to Seeker's Deep/Reacher's Ocean, one has to sail past Stratem or Quon Tali, which is his end destination. It doesn't make sense that he someone passed those continents only then to return to it.

Really confused by this big mix up.

[Coltaine -]

Yes, it doesn't make much sense as a route. The only reason I can think for them trying to reach the west side is that the east side is nearly completely covered in jungle and they are hoping to have better chances to find a ship there.

On the other hand, Iron Bars is on an Odyssey that even puts Ulysses to shame. His whole journey could be described as one step forward two steps back. We could just be missing a few steps in between the times we see him, that would explain everything.

[ArchieVist]

Even worse, Iron Bars actually begins RCG in the southern Rust Ocean, which is east of Genabackis and northwest of Assail. After all the effort to escape Assail and reach Lether alluded to in MT, he practically winds up back where he started. In addition to Coltaine's suggestions above, it's just as likely to be just a big oversight by Esslemont. The two authors have admitted they do very little coordination with each each other for the books, instead relying on their shared memories of the role-playing games that became the skeleton for the novels' storylines. Iron Bars did not originate in those games and was invented by Erikson for MT. So Esslemont might have just missed or forgotten his brief cameo in RG, and the Rust Ocean seemed as likely a place to maroon him as any.

[worry]

There are actually multiple secret ‘warp zones’ all across the ocean.

[Abyss]

Warrens.
They're called warrens and they are the reason for everything.

...yes, even Orfantal.

[Tsundoku]

Abyss, on 17 January 2023 - 02:39 AM, said:

Warrens.
They're called warrens and they are the reason for everything.

...yes, even Orfantal.

But how does one enter the Groin Warren? Or exit?

[Abyss]

Ask the Prince of High House Sex.

[champ]

You won't get much sense from Ublala Pung!

[Abyss]

champ, on 17 January 2023 - 09:00 PM, said:

You won't get much sense from Ublala Pung!

Sense is not what people want from Ublala Pung.