[polishgenius]

What about the gender switching dragons? Can we scrutinise those?

To be fair, I think most of the problems could be solved in edited rereleases. Dates should just be ignored for now, except as a general guide. Timeline problems only come into play if they directly contradict something else someone said elsewhere in the text - like Karsa's 'years' in Raraku seemingly contradicting his arriving there some time after the seige of Pale. And I don't think we've had one yet where a few lines of canny editing couldn't fix that.

The thought of time-travelling Barghast is going to haunt my nightmares until SE reveals that there's another batch though... *trembles*

[Apsalar Shadowdancer]

I think QB "Favorite Stone" had a lot more to do with his performance than people have mentioned in this thread. We know from multiple sources that preparing before the fight can drastically enhance your power. The Ceda for example, while his preparations were far more drastic, would not have had near the power without his preparation.

I think the only reason that QB pwned those dragons was the stone he slipped into Menandore's pocket. While I don't know what it did, I'm sure that it had the same sort of effect as the Ceda's ritual.

[Gem Windcaster]

Apsalar Shadowdancer;186299 said:

I think QB "Favorite Stone" had a lot more to do with his performance than people have mentioned in this thread. We know from multiple sources that preparing before the fight can drastically enhance your power. The Ceda for example, while his preparations were far more drastic, would not have had near the power without his preparation.

I think the only reason that QB pwned those dragons was the stone he slipped into Menandore's pocket. While I don't know what it did, I'm sure that it had the same sort of effect as the Ceda's ritual.

I think it is as simple as him knowing exactly when they were coming. That way he could start drawing on his power in time and prepare. so, it was a tracking device.

[Trotts]

I never thought about it that way. Quick did have some time to prepare a ritual, and we've seen prepared rituals rock the casbah before.

[Urb]

Quote

(page 408, hardback)
Onrack has a conversation with QB, and at one point says:
'One day you must become the wolf'

Now you might say this has nothing to do with QB's soletaken form (most likely it does not), but maybe SE is having some fun, eh? Never know...

[tiam]

A wolf would kinda make sense aswell from possibly that scene in Bh with his sister

[snake]

I thought maybe Quick had some help from ST.

After Hedge cleans up with a cusser and gets knocked out with a chunk of spine. Quick is on his hands and knees laughing "Higher-pitched than usual" (pg797). This made me think of ST as he likes a high pitched cackle from time to time.

And considering it was our 2 fav shadow residents that sent them on the journey in the first place.

Nothing else really backs this up just thought it was weird he would add in the higher pitched bit.

[Dolorous Menhir]

snake;191098 said:

I thought maybe Quick had some help from ST.

After Hedge cleans up with a cusser and gets knocked out with a chunk of spine. Quick is on his hands and knees laughing "Higher-pitched than usual" (pg797). This made me think of ST as he likes a high pitched cackle from time to time.

And considering it was our 2 fav shadow residents that sent them on the journey in the first place.

Nothing else really backs this up just thought it was weird he would add in the higher pitched bit.

So you think Shadowthrone was possessing Quick Ben? I don't think QB would be ok with that, given the pair's history of betrayal.

[Imperial Historian]

I think it's more likely that the higher pitched laugh is due to Quick being hysterical with relief, I don't think even he is accustomed to dispatching 3 ascendants from the dawn of time like that...

[Urb]

tiam;191087 said:

A wolf would kinda make sense aswell from possibly that scene in Bh with his sister

A yes, that was a great flashback. I wonder if he still took pleasure in such evil before the merging of souls in Raraku. A most complex and interesting character this Quick Ben

[Talamadas]

I really want to see more of QB/ST story. They seem to have a long history which seems to start before the ascension of ST.
I always wondered if QB wasn't much older than we thought but after BH where we meet his sister he seems within a normal life span. I mean Tattersail was 219 years and didn't look old. So the possibility is there that QB is older than expected. Under the circumstances that his sister (who seems to be a mage of some sort) is using something for life prolonging as well.

Discuss ..

[Dark Mac]

When was Rule the Rude around?

[mmdw45]

fan_83;185085 said:

my reasoning is that the maximum power required to wack all 3 sisters is way higher than the mortal human flesh limitations... remember that it doesn;t matter if qb has 10000 mage souls.. its the amount of power that his human flesh can channel safely thats important.. and until hes ascended or aspected/aligned to any other factions that can provide a boost to him..
he wouldn;t be able to ascend to the league required to wack the 3 sisters in one battle..

perhaps it owuld be possible if he has a couple of hundred years to grow.. but not now

Well, he *is* a Bridgeburner. One possible explanation is that QB is ascending. Everybody else seems to be doing it, after all. Hedge and Apsalar and Paran and who knows? maybe Kalam. Given the huge increase in QB's potency, the Tanno song and Paran's blessing become relevant data points. (Didn't Fiddler get funny feelings too, pre-Raraku II? Did he mention feeling "stretched"? Or was he just weirded out from carrying the Tanno song?)

-Max

[tiam]

Dark Mac;191282 said:

When was Rule the Rude around?

That was in Mott wood so only after 7 cities.

i reckon QB is an EG. No proof just a thought. Someones who completely embraced the game of mortality

[Talamadas]

mmdw45;192439 said:

Well, he *is* a Bridgeburner. One possible explanation is that QB is ascending. Everybody else seems to be doing it, after all. Hedge and Apsalar and Paran and who knows? maybe Kalam.

Hedge ascended thorugh the tanno song( which needed his death)
Apsalar was possessed by Cotillion which is most likely the reason for her ascension
Paran is the Master of the Deck

We can't say if the living Bridgeburners get any benefits from the tanno song. Kalam is still sleeping but if he wakes up there will still be no telling because a stay in an Azath normal has some positive side effects. Until we have read TtH and seen what has happened to the other Bridgeburners we can only guess. I hope Krul's Bar has more guests then.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Well TtH is set in Darujhistan (partially), so I think it's pretty definite we get to see some action in Krul's bar. Hopefully with a massiv BB piss-up as all the ascended ghosts find a new home.

[mmdw45]

Talamadas;192480 said:

Hedge ascended thorugh the tanno song( which needed his death)
Apsalar was possessed by Cotillion which is most likely the reason for her ascension
Paran is the Master of the Deck

It's that assumption about the Tanno song that I'm trying to question. The song was about Bridgeburners, Paran blessed the Bridgeburners, the Bridgeburners are IIRC members of the new House of War, Quick Ben is a Bridgeburner, Quick Ben displays an increase in potency that some people find implausible... While I think the main benefit came from the millions of experience points he got from holding off Icarium , if you need an extra reason not to scoff QB's Bridgeburner status may explain some of the boost.

I admit, I underestimated him. Just a few days ago, before reading RG, I rated QB as a "strong mage... but not on the scale of ascendants." Then he whips the Sisters and plays a major role in taking down Silchas Ruin. "Oh, my," says I. "You've never been this overt before."

-Max

[panic]

"it still doesn;t negate the fact that he has to ambush the duo who was just there to talk to one another.. add in the fact that the warrens for teh duo is effected by the poison while qb isn;t

qb is a young guy compared to tays.. remember silverfox who called him a chimera and his assumed name is a name not long used.. also remember that silverfox has the memories of a 300+ sorceress..
qb is a young mage who absorbed the soul of 12 other mages.. the other mages may be physically older than him but when they merged.. its his souls thats in countrol...

tays may be kicked out of d'rel order but in the end of bonehunters its said that he came to an understanding with d'rek and that he still has her blessing.

or looking at another way.. once you are gifted power it can;t be taken away.. tay has been given power but qb hasn;t"


Against the necromancers, qb was attacked by the mute one first. He'd already been using magic all day to boot. He just freed the demon so it is not like he was fresh fighting them.



Btw, I wonder what the significance of him being called Delat again means. In the beginning of RG it tlaks about him going back to his old name.

[L'oric]

1. As just mentioned he is a bridgeburner.
1A) The Tanno song has Bridgeburner's ascending.
1B) The Bridgeburners were blessed by Ganoes Paran. While this mainly goes for those interred in Moon Spawn he was thinking of the Company at the time I seem to remember.
1C) The experience behind the countless campaigns and fights that the BB have been in can not be discounted when it comes to warfare.

2. Knowledge is power.
2A) Tattersail remarks on his ability as a mage being remarkable. Coming from a High Mage we know his ability to manipulate his warren is first rate. He has access to 12 warrens.
2B) He has outsmarted ST more than once and ST is smart enough to have assumed a throne unknown to most mortal man.
2C) He outsmarts and outfights everyone he attacks. They are all weakened like the Tyrant, Silchas, or unsuspecting as the 2 NEcromancers, CG, or the 3 Elients. No one has been able to just go to to toe with him because he is just too damn smart for them.

I do not see the problem with his battles in RG. Can he just come up to Rake and slap him? No I would think not, but is he capable of attacking Rake at the same time that another ascendant is and thius ensure victory? I think thats a definate yes. I would put him on par with Tay and I would think he is a lot smarter than him. Tay was capable of "killing" and Elder god (Nightchill). It is the age of mortals and everyone is capable of losing a fight. QB knows this and Steven Erickson makes sure we know it with every book.

[Silencer]

Nightchill was cursed.
I think that, if QB ascended he would have to be the Patron God of Mages, lol.
But he is more than powerful enough to take on Rake - it took two Elder Gods to kill Bloodeye and QB wasted Menandore and co. Also - and i'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Fighting Icarium obviously weakened QB - in fact SE going on about him being 'shaky' all the time and making Bottle and the new mage that incinerated himself have lots of warrens too made me really upset - QB is one of my fav. characters in the whole series, but now I am happy - it is obvious that he has become stronger and now owns - showing why cotillion said "We can't control him anymore. Why? He is too powerful" Well now he is practically a god - I think the reason he tries to hide all the time is so a coalition of gods doesn't come down on him.