[Cain]

What the hell happened to Clawmaster Topper, any ideas?

[Veilside]

Something happened to him in the imperial warren. Either the secret cult in the Claw got rid of him, the Kchain in the warren got him, or he's gone off for some reason of his own.

[Cain]

Now, this is off my own topic, but can anyone make sense of the conversation between Tayschrenn and Shadowthrone at all? Ive re-read and re-read it but I have no clue why Tayschrenn just waited everything out.

[Aptorian]

Without actually rereading the part, the short answer is that Tay is a patient man.

While during the course of the book it was suggested that he was being isolated like the empress supposedly was, by the end of the book, and from what we see in NoK, it is obvious that Tayschren doesn't do anything with out considering the long term consequenses.

Tay doesn't serve the empress, Rel and Dom, or any other institution within or without the empire. He works sorely to secure the empires safety and what is in its future interest.

[caladanbrood]

Yeah, it's just a question of what the hell this future interest was!

[Aptorian]

Laseen seemed weak, if Mallick Rel and Korbolo Dom could do a better job, he would have stood aside.

That is what he did in the struggle between Kel and Dancer and Surly.

[caladanbrood]

I can't believe that Tayschrenn thinks the Jhistal and Dom would be better rulers of the empire than Laseen... Dom as supreme High Fist is stupid enough considering his history, let alone anything higher.

I mean, Mallick Rel, sure, he has the brains for it, but he obviously doesn't have the interests of the empire at heart.

[Aptorian]

Dom is the last surviving "great" high fist of the empire (That we know of) now that Tavore fled. Mallick Rel is the last surviving competent political leader that could replace Laseen (that we have seen)

God knows, Tay has shown he hasn't the talent for either position.

Have we had a POV in BH that shows that Rel is still out to destroy the empire? I think he could settle for king of the hill.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Aptorian;239318 said:

Dom is the last surviving "great" high fist of the empire (That we know of) now that Tavore fled. Mallick Rel is the last surviving competent political leader that could replace Laseen (that we have seen)

That's a really good point.

At this point in the series, there really is no top leadership left in the Empire to replace Laseen. Dujek, Whiskeyjack, Tavore, Coltaine - the great leaders are gone. The only competent military commander still living and loyal to the Empire (that we know of) is Admiral Nok, if we ignore Dom.

I think this makes my "Kallor for Malazan Emperor" crazy theory more likely. The man has experience.

[amphibian]

Hold on, is Greymane dead?

[Mentalist]

Greymane is... ""gone" That's what I gather having not read the K & B novellas... ICE will supposedly have more on the matter...

Either way, him and his army are stuck in Korelri in a war that could very well go on forever (seemingly)

[Cain]

We gather from GotM that Imperial High Mage Tayschrenn is not a very brilliant strategist. If not for this detail in the first book, hell, he would have my vote for New Emporer, why did he not just wipe out Dom, Laseen and Rel and just take it for himself? Do not tell me he is not powerful enough, if he can kill several High Mages, AND deflect Anomander Rakes Sorcery he is powerful enough to wipe out those 3.

[Mentalist]

Bah... Tay's too smart ot just take power himself--makes him too much of a target + too much of a hassle.
He's like head of the Empire's bureacracy--no matter who's in charge, he makes sure that everything runs smoothly...

[Aptorian]

you know, he's sort of the magical triban gnol of the malazan powerstructure.

[wintermute]

Besides, it mentions several times that mages in general don't do well when they take positions of power (kellanved excepted).

[Aptorian]

It's mentioned several times? Really?

Why would there be a reason for mages being worse than "normal" people at leadership?

[Veilside]

Aptorian;239407 said:

It's mentioned several times? Really?

Why would there be a reason for mages being worse than "normal" people at leadership?

Quote

'Mages by nature never commanded loyalty. Fear, yes, and the respect born of fear, but the one thing a mage found difficult to understand or cope with was loyalty. And yet

there had been one mage, long ago, who had commanded loyalty – and that was the Emperor.' (GotM, UK Trade, p.216)

Not several times, but it is mentioned.

[Aptorian]

Whos monologue is that?

It doesn't say anything about leadership. Some people rule by respect and skill, other people rule with power. Power is something Mages have in spades.

Think of the three tyrants mentioned in BH or priestfellowships like the mask council of capustan.

[Zanth13]

Veilside;239429 said:

Not several times, but it is mentioned.

my interpretation of that is the fear most normal people have of magic and of Mages gets in the way of them having any effective leadership in most situations, mages are not use to having people trust them (loyalty), so fear is the only other tool they are most likely to use.

this is just a general statement though, not necessarily the veiw of all leaders and soldiers (BB's for example trusted QB.)

[Veilside]

Aptorian;239430 said:

Whos monologue is that?

It doesn't say anything about leadership. Some people rule by respect and skill, other people rule with power. Power is something Mages have in spades.

Think of the three tyrants mentioned in BH or priestfellowships like the mask council of capustan.

No idea, It's just something I found on the wiki.

I guess what you're saying is true, though Tay seems to leave most people indifferent. Although granted, he is very powerful and could probably rule the empire if he chose to.