wolfgang;111619 said:
speaking of quick ben, did anyone else think that he was a little out of character in the bone hunters. normally hes been very collected and friendly and his plans have come off without a hitch. now hes seems angry and scared all the time and his plans are stuffing up all over the place.
This is something people have brought up a couple of times in various threads, how Quick Ben seems flustered and off his game - so I'll address my opinion here.
Quick Ben is very used to being low-key and inconspicuous. Being not just a High Mage, but the
only High Mage for the only coherent (that we know of) Malazan Army, during a series of crucial and dangerous events, has him shook up. He's simply not used to being front-and-center, even he is accustomed to being in the middle of important affairs (like Darujhistan).
And as for his raw power, I don't think he has that much. He doesn't have the combined strength of twelve High Mages, he has the strength of twelve separate Mages (they weren't the most powerful Seven Cities sorcerors, as I recall). He's not strong, he's just very good at using a lot of warrens.
Personally, since he has a Jhag soul, I wonder if he can use Omtose Phellack - which would be an Elder warren, yes? So I wonder why he
couldn't draw on a Hold to counter the Edur? Perhaps underlying the illusion, to give it an appropriate
flavor so to speak, with the illusion just providing a false sense of scale.
Something to consider, in any case.