[Dancer+]

Xander;264855 said:

I'm eager to see Topper again as well. I wonder if he has true allegiance to Surly or just suckling at the power teat.

Topper seems like quite a loyal member of the empire, and to the empress, if you analyse his comments in GotM in particular. I trust Topper will stick fairly close to Surly unless he would die otherwise.

[Optimus Prime]

Ahhh...but therein lies the quandary. Is he like Tay and loyal to the ideal of "The Empire" or to the actual Empress?

[caladanbrood]

I'm fairly sure he sees himself as loyal to Laseen, as head of the Claw, with Surly's links to said organisation. Not as obtuse as Tays.

[Dancer+]

caladanbrood;264863 said:

I'm fairly sure he sees himself as loyal to Laseen, as head of the Claw, with Surly's links to said organisation. Not as obtuse as Tays.

Exactly, it was what I was looking to say. Topper is almost certainly loyal to Laseen as long as she remains in power that is to say.

[Hoods Balls]

cloud strife;264844 said:

I'm probably the only person going around who actually likes korbolo dom. I like him because he is someone who actually beat the malazans even though the bs which happened with the ghost's and stuff at the end. I'm just sick of seeing malazan's win all the time he makes the story seem more real. just thought i would post that here lol not that it has anything to do with the thread

Well, in DG he actually gets his nose blodied over and over again when meeting Coltain but of course one could argue that in the end, the betrayal of the 7th by Pormqual and the Jhistal Priest is a victory for Korbolo.

A good point though; there arent that many Malazan defeats come to think about it. The battle outside Coral and the loss of WJ, the Bridgeburners etc is as close to a loss as possible I think. Mott wood wasnt that cool either.

[Mentalist]

Malazans lost in Darujhista
Malazans got largely wiped from 7C during the Whirlwind
Malazans lost the 7th during the Chain of Dogs
They lost Pormqual's 10k
They got owned at Pale (a ruined city at a price of an army, most BBs and 4 mages)
They got decimated at Black Coral...(Malazans specifically)
They lost the assault of G'danisban vs Poliel.

[Aptorian]

[rant] Arrrhhh... STOP USING THE WORD DECIMATE THE WRONG WAY!!!

It's used at random everywhere and by everyone. People know what it means and they still just throw it in here there and everywhere. There's 20 different english words for being destroyed or slaughtered and yet people keep choosing the word decimation! If I lead an army into battle and my men were "decimated", I'd be happy and consider it a superior victory SINCE I'D ONLY LOST ONE TENTH OF MY ENTIRE FORCE!!!!

Decimation was a form of punishment in the roman legion when the army had disgraced themselves and their commander. one tenth of a legion or cohort was singled out and the other soldiers were forced to beat their bretheren to death to wash away the shame with blood.

I understand that words can take on new meanings but that's just bullshit. It irritates me to no end! FOOLS!!!
[/rant]

[caladanbrood]

Apt. Shut up, you're not a roman, words evolve:p


Most of the malazan defeats occur off-screen, certainly, but they're certainly there. And as was mentioned, they also often end up losing a lot of soldiers even if they win eventually.

[Mentalist]

I concur
I heard "decimate" in the context of "took heavy losses", and since English is my third language, I don't posess encyclopedic knowledge in word origins.

[Aptorian]

Even Erikson uses the word wrong, so I guess I'm doomed to an eternity of frustration... I'm probably going to get hives.

[Zanth13]

Aptorian;265270 said:

Even Erikson uses the word wrong, so I guess I'm, doomed to an eternity of frustration... I'm probably going to get hives.

and aids....

wait..


I forgot all about that word actually meaning that... I haven't heard that Roman Deffinition sence I was in middle school (probably 13-14ish)

[Skywalker]

Aptorian;265260 said:

[rant] Arrrhhh... STOP USING THE WORD DECIMATE THE WRONG WAY!!!

It's used at random everywhere and by everyone. People know what it means and they still just throw it in here there and everywhere. There's 20 different english words for being destroyed or slaughtered and yet people keep choosing the word decimation! If I lead an army into battle and my men were "decimated", I'd be happy and consider it a superior victory SINCE I'D ONLY LOST ONE TENTH OF MY ENTIRE FORCE!!!!

Decimation was a form of punishment in the roman legion when the army had disgraced themselves and their commander. one tenth of a legion or cohort was singled out and the other soldiers were forced to beat their bretheren to death to wash away the shame with blood.

I understand that words can take on new meanings but that's just bullshit. It irritates me to no end! FOOLS!!!
[/rant]

Quoting Dictionary.com:

dec·i·mate /ˈdɛsəˌmeɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[des-uh-meyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -mat·ed, -mat·ing. 1. to destroy a great number or proportion of: The population was decimated by a plague.
2. to select by lot and kill every tenth person of.
3. Obsolete. to take a tenth of or from.

[Origin: 1590–1600;

[Aptorian]

Emphasis on "correct".

[Optimus Prime]

Emphasis on "stupid argument"

[Mentalist]

you're both wrong

Emphasis on "THE"

[caladanbrood]

Aptorian;265348 said:

Emphasis on "correct".

Emphasis on "obsolete"... it's like saying "dick" is only short for Richard, and not slang for penis

Anyway, this is all rather off topic:o Do people think Laseen will be able to rid herself of Rel and Dom, or even that she wants to?

[Mentalist]

I think she might be able to. If she steps back and leaves them in charge... and then someone (Topper?) takes them out...

[Optimus Prime]

I think she's using them (or attempting to) and it's just a question of whether she can get rid of them.

They may end up being her downfall...

[Mentalist]

I can believe that she's not actually. I can believe that Rel managed to create Phantom glove without her knowing about it.
but now she knows. and she'll deal with them

[caladanbrood]

It does all hinge on Topper, I think, wether she can take Rel out or not (Dom shouldn't be much trouble) - I mean, we haven't seen him for a while, so what's he been up to? She did basically give Pearl the Claw in BH, after all...