[Veilside]

Bottle;197993 said:

Why didn't they flog crump after Y'ghatan? I never got that... does the Malazan military have any sort of disciplinary body, I wonder?

Probably because they were glad people got out of Y'ghatan alive, It'd have been a bad move to flog one of the survivors of the siege that got out from under the city

[Illuyankas]

Horribly beating Crump would be a glorious morale booster.

[Dark Mac]

Not executing Crump was pretty stupid, I thought. When someone kills several of your troops, you don't let them get off without even a slap on the wrist.

[Kurt Montandon]

Illuyankas;198008 said:

Horribly beating Crump would be a glorious morale booster.

The fact that he likely would have been singing and laughing the whole time would certainly have detracted from the satisfying-punishment aspect, though ...

[Illuyankas]

Assuming no-one did an Iron Bars and dejawed him, of course.

[Gem Windcaster]

I get a feeling Bottle has more power than he knows. He's kinda scared of power too, so it's an explanation why he hasn't found out. Most mages are reluctant with power it seems. Or at least the sane ones are.

[Aptorian]

Murrin;197806 said:

'Cadre' and 'squad' mages are related to the organisational structure, rather than rank. The empire stopped using mage cadres, because it made the mages more vulnerable--they could all be wiped out in one go when they worked in groups. That's why all the mages are spread out, one per squad, now. Same reasoning as for the Sapper regiments--who kept blowing themselves up.

I don't think that it's ever been said magecadres were too vulnerable.

Rather I believe it's because of the lack of quality mages. I think the mages in a cadre are supposed to high mages or very powerfull naturals. All though mages seem to be a plentyfull in the Claw there isn't really much known talent left in the armies. This could be because usefull mages that last a long time also know not to bring attention to themselves or more likely because the Empress has culled the largest source of mages the army had during the bourning of the mouse.

On another note.

What makes a highmage? I thought prviously that High mages were "experts" like a professor in a field, mages that's mastered a warren.

But Sinn seems to be worthy of the tittle as a highmage through sheer power. Beak would qualify as a highmage aswell then. Seems a bit silly when a veteran squad level mage could probably run rings around Sinn...

[Dolorous Menhir]

Aptorian;199464 said:

I don't think that it's ever been said magecadres were too vulnerable.

Rather I believe it's because of the lack of quality mages. I think the mages in a cadre are supposed to high mages or very powerfull naturals. All though mages seem to be a plentyfull in the Claw there isn't really much known talent left in the armies. This could be because usefull mages that last a long time also know not to bring attention to themselves or more likely because the Empress has culled the largest source of mages the army had during the bourning of the mouse.

I agree. There are no more mage units because there are so few mages. The original poster might be confusing the abandoned mage-only units with the abandoned sapper-only units - which were disbanded after the first accident blew up the whole company (can't remember where the reference came from).

Quote

On another note.

What makes a highmage? I thought prviously that High mages were "experts" like a professor in a field, mages that's mastered a warren.

But Sinn seems to be worthy of the tittle as a highmage through sheer power. Beak would qualify as a highmage aswell then. Seems a bit silly when a veteran squad level mage could probably run rings around Sinn...

It seems to be a matter of ceremony rather than just ability. By which I mean, you have to be recognised as a High Mage in some fashion, or prove yourself in a given manner. To borrow an example from Robert Jordan and his swordmasters, you could kill a swordmaster or pass a test administered by other masters to become one yourself. High Mages presumably gain their titles in a similar manner, and I believe some of Quick Ben's dialogue supports this (he alluded to having killing High Mages in the past and not having been recognised for it).

[Nazaar]

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Fundamentally, he's subtle and clever and knowledgeable, but he's no powerhouse thus far.

In Fiddler's opinion it's all about control, or lack of it.

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He saw in Bottle coruscating waves of raw power, a refulgence devoid of all control - but that would come. It will come

Italics theirs. TPB p. 756.

FWIW I think re: the shaman saying that he would kill them all, it was to do with the fact that he was temporarily burnt out. The sentence structure is all wrong otherwise.

Quote

A fluttering wave of one gnarled hand. 'We'en know! Bit the edur! We'en know all'at.' A bent finger stabbed at Bottle. 'Issn this. You. Used dup! An'thas be-ad! We all die! Cuzzin you!'

TPB p. 737.

So unless they're talking about him being used up in a long term sense (possible, but unlikely) I personally don't see any foreshadowing there. The only other possibility is that something would happen unrelated to the mage battle that Bottle would be unable to do that would cause them to do, but he didn't do much really?

[blewin]

I've the feeling that Bottle isn't exactly aware of how much power he has, rather than his controlling it and hiding it like QB.

looks like the old magic will play a huge role in the coming books, aside from the Holds awakening.

warren - holds - old magic: duel it out!

[Flawed]

When Beak enacted his defence magic, hair whitening skills Fiddler was glancing around him. Noting odd details within his company and other soldiers.

When he looked at Bottle didn't he see some awesome well spring of power that will be used in the future? I'm sure it said something like that.

I believe he will be a main character in times to come and probably the main tool for attack or otherwise for the groin fumbling Eres'al.

When all said and done however will Bottle set up a " Just for Men " shop dedicated in memory to Beak?

That is the main hair raising question.