[tiam]

I dont think giving the sword to kallor would be that effective. Rhulad was a mediocre youth with a sword whereas kallor is meant to be a legendary swordsmen anyway. So although i like the idea i prefer the idea that hell eventually break the sword himself

[Dolorous Menhir]

I want to note that Hetan's comment on another thread spurred me to write this down, it's something I've mentioned on the site before but not put down in full.

Crazy theory - the Jaghut father of Corporal List's visions was Hood.

Evidence (I'm assuming that Hood is a Jaghut throughout, I've been convinced of that for a long time):

It's noted during the Chain of Dogs that Hood seemed nearby, that he was taking an interest. I think Duiker says this, or maybe Captain Lull. Imminent, intimate death was the overwhelming theme of that whole story thread.

We see the vision Jaghut was a father, and his family was killed by the Imass. It's not stated if they were pre- or post-Ritual. It seems plausible to me that Hood could have such origins - there certainly seemed no love lost between Hood and the Imass of the present (see actions of Hood & Gethol during MoI).
It also makes the Hood-Imass dynamic very interesting. Racial enemies, personal foes, but also opposing forces - the Lord of Death, and an entire race that has forgone death entirely.

List's Jaghut appears before Duiker as he is crucified. After reading Brukhalian's death scene in MoI, and the death of Rellock in HoC, I definitely think we were seeing a similar personal visit for Duiker. If any soul had earned collection by Hood himself, it was Duiker.

Corollary - Duiker has been given a position in HHDeath (Herald or Spinner seem plausible, Herald to spread word of death, or Spinner of tales for the historian) Also, did Rellock and Brukhalian get offered positions too?

In that same scene the Jaghut's face is described as "ravaged" by the dying Duiker. I'm assuming this means physically ravaged, though it's plausible it was ravaged by emotion. Gethol's words upon dismissal from HHDeath are one of the few solid points in favour of Hood=Jaghut, and that passage heavily implies that Hood has a scarred, damaged visage, like Gethol after meeting Brukhalian. So List's Jaghut could be Hood.

This is all circumstantial evidence though.

Counter-evidence:

Duiker's death scene - Duiker speaks to List's Jaghut of Hood, he does not think they are one and the same. I think this can be easily explained away - after all, Duiker states he is about to be blessed by Hood, and who appears before him? List's Jaghut. And yet the Jaghut says nothing, only looks on with the gravest compassion. Perhaps because he knows that Duiker will be resurrected by the stone...and is only paying homage to this man, who has come so far and done so much, and is rewarded with the cruelest betrayal.

The "gravest compassion" part - do we have any other descriptions of Hood as compassionate? Got to say, it's not the first word that comes to mind when considering the King of High House Death.

Timeline - we see List's Jaghut's family killed by Imass. They must have been pre-Ritual Imass, since Raest knew of Hood (the Death Wanderer, he called him) and Raest was imprisoned shortly before the Ritual. This does make sense though, if Hood became famous among Jaghut somehow as "the Death Wanderer" after the death of his family, before later becoming Lord of Death. Maybe Hood was like a Jaghut Rambo/Steven Segal, taking the fight to the Imass who killed his family...

So - Hood is Corporal List's Jaghut. Thoughts?

[bwgan]

Mine too, I think it's got lots going for it and a really nice symmetry! As for the time line 'problem' is there a reason there couldn't have been more than one lord of death?

Compassion ~ I don't see any dichotomy with a lord of death being compassionate. In some circumstances death might be (or at least seem to be) the most compassionate release. (Don't want to start any debates on this mind!)

[Father Light]

Doesn't Raest refer to Hood as the death wanderer and hoary and old? if he is known as such by a jaghut would this imply he is older than them.

the obvious answer would be that hood is merely an older jaghut than raest, but still.

[Lister of Smeg]

Hood is known for occasional compassion, or at least acts of mercy. Coll reflects in MoI that Hood must be being merciful to take away Baudin's memories when he made him knight. He also worked with Quick Ben to remove the memories of Pannion's sister at the end.

I really like this theory. It has a lot of merit.

[Illuyankas]

Whiskeyjack.

Unless you allow him to be kind and compassionate as well as incredibly petty and vengeful.

Besides, Hood lives in his warren most of the time, and often sends minions out to collect souls, whereas the father has been at the site of his family's graves so long all the spirits have been driven away by his grief. Aren was only a small journey away from there.

Nice idea, I just doubt it.

[Dolorous Menhir]

That's true, I should've thought of that one for the counterevidence part. I don't think it's fatal to the theory though, you could argue around it and say that particular part of Seven Cities is close to Hood's Warren in some way, which you point out is so desolate even the earth spirits have been driven away.

Also possible to cast doubt on the "Hood never leaving his warren" objection, that doesn't preclude him from maintaining a presence at the burial mounds of his family in some way.

[Trotts]

Well, we don't really know the exact ins and outs of warrens. It always seems like warrens are accessible everywhere, and for a power ancient god like Hood he might be able to stay in his warren and interact as a ghost.


Hoods matted, sweat-soaked balls on an anvil!

[Illuyankas]

We know warrens cover large areas of land - there was no warren coverage in Lether, suggesting that there is everywhere else in Wu - so Hood could wander around inside his warren, and collects souls from the world without leaving his warren. Although, I never said he stayed in it permanently, just that he stays there most of the time. We know he leaves occasionally (Brukhalian, Aps' dad).

Also, explain the millions of abandoned souls Hood left alone, seen during Paran, Ganath and the Trygalle's escape from the Nascent. Or, if that place was Hood's version of Hell, the fact that Hood abandons EVERY soul he takes, from Envy's talk with Toc. I think Hood is as callous and indifferent as every god, save Cotillion.

[Father Light]

Surely hoods warren is everywhere, as death is everywhere? hence wandering. also i can remember no ref to hood being bound to his warren.

[Illuyankas]

Bad things happen to gods outside their warren.

[tiam]

im sorry but we see Hood leave his warren moreso than any other god bar cotillion. he leaves for rellock baudin and brukhalian. the QOD never gets off her ass. Also about Raest calling Hood death wanderer maybe when he was young he did what heboric did and travelled round getting souls. Also i believe that Hood is older than Raest however there is an incositency here as in HOC when the imass and trull are walking it states that Hood was not around at this point. So hes older than raest who was before the imass yet not around when the imass were dominant in their (raests also) empire

[majander]

Hetan said:

If he doesn't leave his warren, why is he known as the death wanderer?

I always took this reference, in combination with Raest's "hoary" and "old" comments to mean that Hood predated Houses and Holds and was part of the original "wandering" system that predated the Holds. Of course that might be Death itself rather than Hood specifically.

[tiam]

This also adds veracity to the whole Hood equals Jaghut theory as who else could of Raest known at the time when he was in Pre eminence other than a jaghut or maybe an imass but its likeley not an imass due to the MOI incident with Gethol

[Dolorous Menhir]

majander said:

I always took this reference, in combination with Raest's "hoary" and "old" comments to mean that Hood predated Houses and Holds and was part of the original "wandering" system that predated the Holds. Of course that might be Death itself rather than Hood specifically.

It's stated in the series that Hood is not an Elder God, someone definitely says "this was a time before Hood" or something along those lines, maybe it was more "this was before Hood sat the Throne of Death".

Someone back me up with a page reference here?

I'm convinced Hood is a Jaghut.

[tiam]

The reference (havnt got a page number sorry) but its in HOC when Trull and the imass are walking to the first throne. When talking about these barriers of death they say it was before Hood.

[Demon X]

Arkmam said:

Read and find out.
Read the spoiler beneath I mean

Spoiler

Distant cousin

Do you not get the feeling that he is lying and that it could be more?