[Sparkimus]

Well here's a quote from HoC (for those that don't want to go to the RG forum for spoilers...I think it just about says it all.


Ch. 15

"He called himself Traveller."

"I know him," she whispered, then shuddered. "Not my memories. Dancer's. Dancer knew him. Knew him well. They were...three. It was never just the two of them--did you know that? Never just Dancer and Kellanved. No, he was three. Almost from the very beginning. Before Tayschrenn, before Dujek, before even Surly."

[Aptorian]

Sparkimus;279420 said:

Ch. 15

"He called himself Traveller."

"I know him," she whispered, then shuddered. "Not my memories. Dancer's. Dancer knew him. Knew him well. They were...three. It was never just the two of them--did you know that? Never just Dancer and Kellanved. No, he was three. Almost from the very beginning. Before Tayschrenn, before Dujek, before even Surly."

The fact that Apsalar leaves out Dassem on that list, would seem an indication that it is Dassem she means when she talks about Traveller.

[Sparkimus]

Yeah that seems the obvious answer... Gods! I'm learning so much with my re-reads!!!

[Battalion]

I have a theory (ducks) that Dassem, Traveller and Dessembrae are all alter-egos of Dessimbelackis, veering master of the first empire.
I have little to back up this theory (ducks again) other than SE's tendancy to use similar names, slightly altered, for the same people.
If Traveller changes into seven giant Mules during the Final Battle, I'll take a bow and say I told you so.

[Aptorian]

Sadly, Erikson denied that Dassem/Dessembrae and Dessimbelakis are the same person in an interview years ago...

[Skywalker]

Aptorian;280488 said:

Sadly, Erikson denied that Dassem/Dessembrae and Dessimbelakis are the same person in an interview years ago...

Quotes or it didn't happen!


(SMIRKS)

[Aptorian]

O'rly?

http://encylopaediamalazica.pbwiki.com/Q+a...No+1+%282003%29

Quote

The deragoth mystery will be revealed in due course. Thus far, all that's been revealed (maybe) is that the two hounds Rake killed who escaped the sword ended up conjoined with the Deragoth in those statues. Either that or the Hounds of Shadow and those of Darkness are diametrically opposed -- if one's around its opposite can't be. The secret lies in Dessimbelackis (no connection to Dassem, btw).

[Skywalker]

Aptorian;280504 said:

O'rly?

http://encylopaediamalazica.pbwiki.com/Q+a...No+1+%282003%29

Hehe... Made you look!

[Aptorian]

No Wai!

[Sparkimus]

Was glancing through NoK last night and it would seem that the name Traveller itself fits Dassem given his parting ways to (what seems like) wander around for a while.

Oh! gracias for the rep B.

[CatKillerJoe]

In the back of the book doesn't Erikson list Dassem as the Knight of High House Death?

[Thelomen Toblerone]

In a way- it says "High House Death - Knight - (Formerly Dassem Ultor).

Basically, Dassem was the Knight of HHD, but Hood f*cked him over with his daughter, which led him to break free of his position as Knight and become Dassembrae/Traveller.

[paran falcon]

In MoI, don't Coll and Murillio interact with the Knight of Death on the Mhybe's behalf in Capustan? At the time, I assumed that was still Dassem Ultor in that role. I think the Knight even mentions having been guardian to a woman/girl/female. (? My short term memory is turning to crap these days!) But Baudin is named as the "new" Knight of Death in the glossary of HoC, I believe. And after some thought, Baudin also was a guardian to Felisin and so the same could apply to him, I suppose. So is Baudin already the Knight when Coll and Murillio meet him or does Dassem somehow get relieved of the duty after that scene in Capustan, allowing him to then be Traveller? I'm on my 1st reading of the series and am in MT now so the answers may yet be forthcoming.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

It is without doubt Baudin who interacts with Coll and Murillio in Capustan.

[paran falcon]

Thanks for the clarification SS. I should probably go back and read that part again, now. I have to assume we get more backstory later on Dassem Ultor and how he was released from being the Knight of High House Death? I don't recall any detail on that to this point.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

He's described in that scene as being burned or having burns and maybe even its mentioned that he looks guilded, much the same way that Stormy, Gesler and Truth were, via their trip through the Tellan warren. It's not blatantly obvious, but combined with his House of Chains listing in the Dramatis personae, it's most certainly Baudin.

As to the second part, that's RAFO.

This post has been edited by Spoilsport Stonny: 15 May 2013 - 02:48 PM

[Abyss]

In MoI, at the chat between Krul and Envy iirc, it's stated that Dassem is no longer Knight of Death.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

I guess its not RAFO then.

[paran falcon]

It seems I didn't note that at the time I was reading it either. Now I just have more questions. I'm curious as to how the "replacement" went. Does Dassem "escape" the position somehow or does Hood release him freely? From what my sieve of a memory recalls of what I've read so far, Dassem and Hood had an antagonistic relationship, to say the least, up until now. And what's the reasoning behind the choice of Baudin? I can certainly see that he'd be qualified, being a Talon etc, just curious as to how it came about. I'm guessing those are all probably rafo questions also. Thanks SS and Abyss.

[Abyss]

I'm blanking on where/when we get info on why Baudin becomes Knight. I think it was MoI but am unsure so i don't want to spoil but it is explained somewhere.

As of Hoc what we know is that Dassem was Knight of Hood, something happened at a Chaining that might have been Envy's fault, and Dassem's daughter ended up dying, leading to Dassem's break from Hood's service.

As for the why and how, as of HoC what we know is that a god or ascendent can invest a portion of their power in a person and use that person as a form of champion (Mortal Sword, Destriant, SA, Knight, Champion, Soldier, etc etc). The title isn't as important as the nature of the investment, and it comes with certain vulnerabilities for the god, such as QB seizing Hood through Talamanadas in MoI, the damage to Fener when his Grey Swords are wiped out, and how Karsa more or less does whatever he wants and the Rock Faces and the CG are pretty much dragged along for the ride, similarly for Gruntle and Trake's dealings. What we know of Dassem from MoI and Karsa's storyline on HoC suggests that a god/ascendent cannot break off this relationship once it's started, but the invested champion can chose to keep the power and more or less ignore the god if they're strong enough. It's unclear whether the champion can just 'break' from the god entirely.

There's more on this sort of relationship in later books so RAFO.