[Murrin]

Thought I'd try put together the information we have about the House of War, and what it might mean.
The information we have comes from Fiddler, both in his description of the cards and in his commentary during the game - at which time I'm inclined to believe his statements more accurate than they were earlier.

To begin with:
"...there's something called the House of War, showing as its ranked card a bone throne, unnoccupied, flanked by two wolves..."
Straightforward so far: Togg and Fanderay. But a bone throne always carries connotations, such as the possible link to the First Throne of the Imass.
Further description:
"The Lords of War. Two wolves, one male, one female. Suggests to me the name for this one is wrong. But it's the plural that counts, meaning the unoccupied throne isn't that important."
He says the name seems wrong, but then claims that the plural is more important - then, during the game:
"Lord of Wolves, the throne card of High House War, and my aren't they looking baleful."
Judging from his other statements during the game, I think we can believe that he doean't make mistakes. So I think we have here the true name of the card: Lord of Wolves. The plural remains, but the dynamic is shifted. Attention returns to the unoccupied throne. Will the wolves gain a ruler?
The context of Fiddler's words relates to Fist Keneb and Grub - I suspect only in prediction rather than in any relation to the gods, the card representing Grub's future position as First Sword.

Second card, and this one has the least details:
"And in that House there's a card called the Mercenary..."
Fid doesn't mention this card again, even when asked to show the full House to the others one by one.

Probably the most popular round here:
"...and another that I think is named Guardians of the Dead, and it shows ghostly soldiers standing in the middle of a burning bridge..."
The identity of the soldiers is fairly clear, but what matters is their role. Another point on their name:
"Guardians of the Road, or Dead - title's uncertain so take your pick."
Seems to me both names are valid - Hedge spoke a lot of the Bridgeburners knowing there was a road ahead of them, a long one they would have to take. The term 'Guardians' is interesting, they are not dead guardians but guardians of the dead, and they don't just travel a road, they guard it. Purpose is ambiguous at the minute.

Next:
"The Hunter, and aye, that's Treach-"
"What's with the striped corpse in the foreground? That old man with no hands?"
Treach as the House's Hunter seems fairly normal. The inclusion of Heboric's corpse in the card is the telling part. It adds to the suggestion that Heboric is more important to Treach in death than in life - Hood released Heboric's soul to deal with the Jade, but we don't know what'll happen with it after that.

"The Army and the Soldier - I don't know - two names for this, which may be determined by context or something."
Army and Soldier suggests a few thing things: A general, a D'ivers, Gruntle's Legion, or a one-man army (like Karsa). Gruntle's Legion is tempting, but he's a Mortal Sword, so unlikely to have his own card. I think the one-man army idea is the most appealing.

Only the two most surprising cards left:
"Life Slayer is Icarium. And his protector, Mappo Runt, is nowhere in sight."
Icarium as Life Slayer is worrying, as it carries a clear suggestion that he will not get better as soon as we might like. He shows a better outlook at the end of the book, a glimpse of hope, but the position makes me feel his darker side will be the most important in times to come.

"Icarium's counterpoint, of sorts. Death Slayer."
"Squalid hut of skins and sticks, brazier coughing out smoke, a hooded thing inside the hut, broken limbed, shackles sunk into the earth. Now, who might that be?"
If Life Slayer is the destroyer of nations, then what does this title tell us about the Chained One? Death Slayer. Is it more prophecy - the possibility of Hood dying is hinted at a few times in obscure ways. Is it something about his purpose in this war? His actions to date do not seem to show any kind of drive towards ending death.

The comment the CG being two things at once is a bit of a red herring, since the Crippled God only holds one position we know of - this card. The House of Chains does not feature him at all, and has as its ruler "sitting on a throne. The scene is very dark, swallowed in shadows, except I'd swear that poor bastard was screaming. And the look in his eyes...". As if the screaming isn't enough, the shadows provide the link with Emurlahn that finally shows us that Rhulad is King in Chains. This leaves the Crippled God with only one card, so the "why not" comment, I suspect, is there referring to some other possibility. Since the entire House is pretty much Unaligned, I would suspect the House of War to be the one containing such (I personally favour Soldier or Mercenary as a two-role ascendant).


So there you have it - the House of War.

[Valgard]

Very nice an excellent compilation of it. Just a few things to add to the disscussion firstly the Bone throne is this not reminiscient of the bone perch from the beasthold which fits the fact that Togg and Fandaray are the rulers.

The Death slayer seemed to indicate that rather than kill death he is trying to replace it with a new afterlife (e.g. the salvation card) and so destroy hoods realm and replace it with something new and under his control to do with as he pleases. It is a religion based on reward in the afterlife for punishment in this life.

(this is all my brain will allow me to think at this time of night)

[Murrin]

Ah, yes, the throne is the Bone Perch. I was just clumsily pointing out the connection. If I'd thought it through more, I'd have said that the Bone Perch is such because it's related to the old Imass religions, and the First Throne, being Imass, is built on the same principles, meaning there's no actual power link between the two.

(And I think best around midnight, heh)

[spiralx]

Good post, nicely clarified, thanks

[aminal]

Murrin said:

Second card, and this one has the least details:
"And in that House there's a card called the Mercenary..."
Fid doesn't mention this card again, even when asked to show the full House to the others one by one.

Something about this card made me think of Skinner of the Crimson Guard, mentioned in 'Tides' as thier best fighter, and again mentioned by the Soilder of Death in Bonehunters.

*shrug*

[aminal]

Valgard said:

The Death slayer seemed to indicate that rather than kill death he is trying to replace it with a new afterlife (e.g. the salvation card) and so destroy hoods realm and replace it with something new and under his control to do with as he pleases. It is a religion based on reward in the afterlife for punishment in this life.

Hence the 'Guardians of the Dead' I guess.

[Blind]

As for The CG as the Death Slayer, I thought that it was because he prevented Rhulad from dying... But Valgard's explanation is a good one too. Both could even be true at the same time.

[Sirhas]

I don't know why, but I thought Gruntle was The Mercenary. After all, isn't he the Mortal Sword of Treach ? And wasn't he some kind of mercenary captain (a litle bit far-fetched...) ?

[Murrin]

Old title. Lord of War, Boar/Tiger of Summer.

[Dinivan]

Murrin said:

Boar/Tiger of Summer.

and we have the worm of autumn, who has something to do with death / decay iirc... could be in the house, too (mercenary ?)

and btw, is there someone related to the spring to complete the year?

[Morgoth]

D'rek is eitehr unaligned or in a house of its own I would imagine. Consider how old and seemingly powerful it is, I doubt it would take a lesser position in a house.

[Estelindis]

Blind said:

As for The CG as the Death Slayer, I thought that it was because he prevented Rhulad from dying... But Valgard's explanation is a good one too. Both could even be true at the same time.

Personally, I agree about Rhulad. I would even think that the Death Slayer card is oriented towards the Tiste Edur emperor rather than the Crippled God, as such.

[Murrin]

New thoughts on Heboric's cameo with the Hunter: In DG we are told that Heboric's soul belongs to whichever god holds his hands, and this is backed up by the death of Rath'Trake in MoI. In tBH, Hood took Heboric's soul on his death, even though it seems he should have gone to Treach (or perhaps the Jade giants). Hood however released Heboric at the end, and Heboric dealt with the Jade souls - this could mean that, released from Hood's realm, Heboric's soul went to his god, Treach, as it should have; and this would explain his appearence on Treach's card.

[Morgoth]

but isn't toc the mortal sword of the wolf gods? I thought that was the position he was awarded at the end of MoI..

Ofc, I spose it has never been confirmed that a mortal sword cannot occupy another position

[Illuyankas]

Mercenary could be Gruntle?