[Mallet]

O.K. so I was know a little bit about what happened, about the bridgeburners going off into Raraku looking for Quick Ben but I'm a little sketchy on the specifics. The 6 (7?) mages that were with Quick Ben, did they die and Ben took over their warrens? Or did they merge with Ben and now share his body. If they just share is it just Ben's sheer will that keeps them at bay and keeps himself in control of his own body? Secondly, how old exactly are the bridgeburners, I heard somewhere that they were around eighty or something but I can't for the life of me remember if that was just the gnomes in my head whispering things to me or if it was something that I actually heard/read. Thirdly, why were the Bridgeburners so special. Lots of people I'm sure have gone into Raraku and come out but have not been altered the same as they have, Felisin, Heboric and Baudin weren't anyways. Why did Dryjhna choose them to be burnt by her magic? Anyways if there's a link or something that can easily (if possible) answer these questions then I'll be glad to know of it.

[Folken]

moved to MoI for obvious reasons

As to your question on Quick Ben - Their souls were transfered into his body. I'll search up the page reference if u need to read it again but it after the conversation where WJ narrates the story of the origins of the Bridgeburners to Rake. As for soul transfer example would be Hairlock a soul was shifted into another vessel. In this case multiple souls were shifted into one vessel

How old? What exactly do you mean by that? If you mean how long have they been around...well sorry can't help you there I actually dont remember any dates. But the 80 you probably get from the number of soldiers that were present on the march through Raraku. As for them being special only the original few taht were present at the chase in Raraku can be considered special, Raraku changed them. As for the entire company as a whole...its the elite fighting force in the empire, the best of the best...first in last out...so naturally.

[Mallet]

Hmmm maybe I was just remembering that when one of the bridgeburners said that it changed them they must have meant mentally, not so much spiritually. That still leaves the one question then, does Ben continually have to struggle to maintain dominion over his own body. If there were seven souls crammed into one body I'd of thought that the other souls would vie for dominance.

[Dolorous Menhir]

QB has 12 souls, including his own. (I think, or it's his + other 12, so 13).

8 is the number of warrens he can use at once. (when fighting Raest).

The other mages clearly submitted to the procedure, and we've seen no evidence that the other personalities really exist within QB. QB only seems to have the magical abilities, not behaviour or any other facet of their personalities.

He's Quick Ben, he's always in control.

Age of the BB's is pretty hotly debated. Fiddler was on the march to Raraku, and GotM prologue puts him only in his twenties, so thirties in main series. But Fid in DG and later books seems like a much older man. The Seven Cities campaign ended about 10 years before main series (around time of GotM prologue) and the BB's were formed during that. But we also need time to have WJ commanding Dujek (which must come after formation of BB's?) before the GotM prologue occurs...

I really can't work out a good number for the age of the BB's.

[Aptorian]

Also it isn't just the trip through Rarakus desert. There were also a mention in a book about them traveling for weeks or months through swampterritory. Hedge had commented that they'd gone and rotted straight through after that. Another hardship for the Bridgeburnes.

[Mallet]

Yeah there is reference by hedge and another sapper I think that they had already been through Mott Forest (that table that people kept stealing) so maybe that was the swampy bit you were talking about. I think that part is in Memories of Ice

[bwgan]

Mallet said:

Lots of people I'm sure have gone into Raraku and come out but have not been altered the same as they have, Felisin, Heboric and Baudin weren't anyways.

They might not have been altered in the same way, but they were sure changed! I think the way changes occur would probably relate to the circumstances and the personality/experiences of the people involved. The BB were a (presumably) reasonably melded group and so 'grew' together. Fel, Heb and Baudy were hardly bossom pals and so they were shaped differently...of course I could be well of track here... I often am!:confused: :wave: :banana: