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BattleAxe First Read: Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Bane and the Child
Chapter Twenty-Eight | Table of Contents | Chapter Thirty (Part I)
SCSF: A good day, everyone, and welcome back to BattleAxe! Last time, Jack, Yr, and Faraday went to Fernbrake Lake and left Timozel behind in a magical sleep. Now for the reader post:
Chessy now has Timozel be freed from his sleep and informed.
She further notes that the Sentinels often use “manufactured urgency” with Faraday.
Epistler notes that “hers and Axis’ lifetimes” from the previous chapter is not correct. That should be “her and Axis’ lifetimes”, I think.
PPP: 214
She further notes that the sequence of Faraday catching the Sentinels at spying on her thoughts is quite out of place. I especially think it is so since it comes in the middle of Yr explaining about the Sacred Lakes. Comic relief is fine, Douglass, but please do not put it there.
Tone Soap: 36 (I do think this is warranted)
Well, that is about all I can put in the reader post. Let me go on, then!
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Bane and the Child
It is a somewhat lacklustre title, but not bad, either, so I do have some hope for this chapter. (I am also really quite excited to see it!)
We open on Faraday softly asking who the newcomers are, and Yr shushing her while she and Jack get up. I guess that it may be fair, but it just sounds to me like Yr does not want Faraday to know who they are yet.
Faraday looks back at the Bane and the child, and she goes to describe them in a huge paragraph. (If I were her editor, I would gently guide her hand to the enter key by now.) The man is of “indeterminate age”, a little shorter than Jack (which means he is about as long as Faraday), and he is “very muscular”. He further has “smooth olive skin” and “dark brown hair” that falls to his neck. He is wearing a “short woven tunic” with a pattern at its hem that Faraday cannot quite see, and below it, “brown leggings”.
His face is “broad, open and peculiarly formed with a wide, almost lumpy, forehead above a long aquiline nose, high cheekbones and a thin mobile mouth”. Well, good to know, I guess. His eyes apparently demand the most attention, as they are so dark they are “almost black”. Faraday describes them as “deep liquid pools” that seem both great tragedies and joys. She finds him “one of the most compelling people” she has ever seen, and he has “a wild, alien air about him” that “almost vibrate[s]”.
There we have our first Avar since the prologue, then! I think the description might be shorter, but it is a good first impression. Still, it would just have been nicer to have our protagonists meet one of them earlier than now, if only so we can verify some of the information we are given.
The child is only a toddler, and she is of the same race as the man, though she has “curly brown hair”. She smiles happily at the group before the man stops “some five or six paces” from them. Faraday can now see that the pattern on his tunic is “of leaping deer”.
The man looks at them, “disturbed”. He goes to speak, but Jack and Yr then bow deeply. Um, why did they just get up, again? There was no mention of them not standing…
PPP: 215
They both place the heels of their hands on their foreheads (though we are told Jack can only use one hand, since he is holding the staff with the other). They then greet the man as “Bane” and say they honour “him and his”. They wish for him to “always find shade to rest in”, and to always be able to enter the Sacred Grove. The man is surprised by this greeting, but he “visibly rock[s] with astonishment” when Jack and Yr stand up and let their eyes glow.
He then puts the child on the ground and bows in turn, “his hands over his eyes and forehead”. He greets the Sentinels “with honour”. He gets up again and says he also greets them with “mixed relief and fear”. Their presence here confirms that the Prophecy has awakened, after all. He then looks “questioningly” at Faraday.
Faraday just stares back at him, thinking that she can easily understand what he says, though “his accents were strange”. That should be “his accent was strange”, Douglass.
PPP: 216
Jack immediately tells her telepathically that all three races once lived together, and they “still speak the same language”. That is also literally true, as we can see here, and it still make no sense! Faraday hesitates for a bit longer, Yr shoots her a “sharp glance”, and Faraday realises she is being rude. So she copies the bow of the Sentinels as best she can, and then introduces herself as Faraday, daughter of “Earl Isend of Skarabost”. No mention of Merlion, I see. That would require Faraday to be allowed to be herself, of course.
The man frowns, as she is a “Plains Dweller”, as he calls her, and he is troubled by her presence here. Still, she accompanies the Sentinels, so he greets her and “welcome[s] [her] before the Mother”. I’d think that he’d be a bit more unsettled to find Faraday before the Mother. The child (who is called “girl-child” for some reason), clings to his legs, so he picks her up again. He then gives this introduction:
“The child’s name is Shra,” he said, “and I am Raum, of the GhostTree Clan.”
My, they have sensible names! What a miracle! The clan also has a nice name, though I would like to know where it comes from… I further see that the Avar have clans? I am not exactly surprised by that.
Jack and Yr then introduce themselves and Jack motions at the ground. He asks Raum if they might sit, since they have been climbing for quite a bit, and they want to have “words” with him. Raum agrees, so they sit down in a circle and pull their packs off. Faraday stretches a bit, relieved to be rid of the pack. Raum has sat down “cross-legged” and Shra stands next to him, holding onto one of his knees for support. She looks “immeasurably curious” at the visitors.
Jack gives her a gentle smile (why can he not do that with everyone?) and looks at Raum. He asks if he has already presented Shra to the Mother. Raum looks at Faraday again, and then says he has not. They have only just arrived, and the time will only be right once it is “very early tomorrow morning”.
Jack thinks that is good. Then he says he and Yr brought Faraday here for the “same purpose”. They are honoured Raum is here and “would ask that when [he] present[s] Shra [he] also present[s] Faraday”. I… what!
Raum feels much the same way as I do, and let me just show his reaction here
“She is a woman of the Plains! She does not understand the trees! Only the Avar can tread this path! Sentinel, you cannot mean what you ask!”
Yes, exactly! This is exclusively an Avar ritual and Jack now wants Faraday, who barely knows the Avar, to participate in it? And he did not tell her anything either! I’m mostly baffled why Douglass thought this was a good choice, as it is quite racist!
FYRP: 103 (+10)
This book is clearly supposed to be about Faraday and the Acharites overcoming their racism… so why put in something like this, which goes against that message so much? I guess it is because Douglass wanted to give Faraday something to do, but she really needed to think about it!
Well, Jack says that someone of Raum’s learning should understand the Prophecy. Raum agrees. Jack says that the Prophecy has chosen Faraday to serve, and they are sure she will serve by “serving the trees”. He asks if Raum will test her, and if he does not think Faraday is worthy, they will leave.
Raum then looks “angrily” at Faraday, and his alien air becomes ten times as strong. Abruptly he stands and crosses the circle to squat before her. He grabs her head with both hands and Faraday goes rigid. He leans forward until his “black, hostile eyes” are only inches from “her terrified ones”. Then she “[falls] into blackness”. Great, now it is Faraday’s turn to be bespelled outside of her will again.
Scene break, and we get a single-paragraph vision sequence.
PPP: 216
Faraday is “terrified” and she is running through a huge forest with trees that tower far above her. Something chases her through the trees. It is “appalling, undefinable”, but so dangerous that she knows “it [will] tear her to pieces” if it catches her. The “forest trees” (yes, it really says that)—
PPP: 217
—have “thick and crooked black trunks”. They come up angrily from the “lichen and leaf covered soil” and crowd around her. They reach out to trip her with cunning roots and try to snag her with “their sinister boughs” until her “white skin” is scratched and bleeds. This is actually reasonably well-done, though it is held back by its lack of editing. Also, why do we need to be reminded of Faraday’s “white skin” now??
She cries as she runs, desperately trying to find a way out, but as good as she tries, the forest crowds even thicker around her. Behind her, she can hear “the beast that hate[s] her, that want[s] to kill her”, gain ground without obstruction, while she needs to fight for every step. She calls for help, but the “malicious trees” only try harder to hinder her.
By now, Faraday begins to “lose her temper”, her frustration slowly replacing her fear as she makes her way “between the thick, black forest”.
PPP: 218
She wonders why the trees hinder her and not the on who chases her. She then says “Naughty trees”, and we get an explanation that that was just what Jack said on the Silent Woman Night, and she does not know that. Thank you for explaining and for using that in the middle of a tense scene.
Hand-Holding: 18
Tone Soap: 37
She says the trees should help her, and she thinks they might just tell her where to hide if she asks them. So she stops next to a “massive Whalebone Oak”. That is not how plant names are capitalised, and this also seems to be a “whalebone tree” in later books, so…
PPP: 222 (+4) (for now and another instance)
Well, Faraday slaps the tree in “her all-consuming rage”, then leans against it as tight as she can. For a moment she only feels rage, but then she remembers how Jack told her to listen to the trees at “Silent Woman Wood”.
PPP: 223
She tells the tree to listen to her now, then “deliberately erase[s] all feelings of anger from her heart”, and tries to feel the tree’s presence. She concentrates for a “long moment”, trying to ignore her pursuer. Finally, just as she begins to despair, the tree sends out “a tremendous sense of peace” and it begins to sing “a Song of love and reassurance”. Faraday begins to cry, and she “humbly apologize[s]” to the tree for striking it. The sense of danger, and her pursuer, are now wholly gone, and the only sound is that of the “Tree Song”.
The forest also does not hinder her any more; instead, it holds and comforts her. She smiles at this, then “laugh[s] delightedly” and opens her eyes. The vision ends there.
That was… relatively good, actually. There were unfortunately quite some spelling errors, and I could have had some more explaining of why Faraday did what she did, but her actions do make sense for her. I especially do like that she breaks out of her fear because of her anger at the forest.
Back with the Mother, Raum slowly lets Faraday go and sits back. Faraday says it was he who chased her in the vision and he agrees, “bewildered at what he [has] witnessed”. He goes to sit at his former place and looks at Jack and Yr. He says she underwent the same test that all of their children who “show the promise” do. And yet they, the Avar, who “live so close to the trees”, lose so many to the test.
So Raum knew that there was quite a chance anyone who underwent it would outright die during the test, and that it was almost certain in her case? And Jack and Yr, who saw this, did not think to intervene? In other words, Raum was willing to kill Faraday, for… being asked to test her? and Jack and Yr were willing to possibly let her die for the sake of a test that is not even necessary! That is a new level of idiocy.
Ill Logic: 156 (+5)
Morals for Thee But Not for Me: 88
Also, Raum, I get that you might be angry at being asked to test Faraday, but do not take it out on her, will you? (I at least got the impression, from how he advanced on her, that he meant to make this test hard for her.)
Morals for Thee But Not for Me: 89
I think that I had better show what is said next:
All that they are required to do to pass the test is simply to think about asking the trees for help from the danger that threatens them. That is all. And yet we lose so many.”
That should read “for protection from the danger that threatens them” or something.
PPP: 219
That aside… well, naturally you will lose so many children. If they are as young as Shra, with the way this is set up (the forest is frightening and they are pursued), I can easily see why only a small part of them thinks to call on the trees for help. Even outside of age… I would think the purpose of the test is to somehow find your way to the Avarinheim, and if you have a talent for being a Bane, you will succeed. Instead, they are supposed to learn that trusting this malicious forest (of which there are none in Tencendor) is supposed to help them… while they are fleeing for their lives. What else do you expect to happen than what you get?
I actually think this would be better suited as a test for Acharites, to see who can set aside their hate for forests. Also, Faraday is probably one of the people best suited to this task, as she has been repeatedly told that the forests she sees as evil are actually not, so she might think of the solution. And if Faraday has considerable difficulty with it, it is simply a much too restrictive test. Naturally, though, Raum cannot connect the dots.
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 40
Ill Logic: 157
Sorrow deepened his voice. “Most die of terror. Most never think about asking the trees for help. Of all that undergo the test in the Avarinheim, only a small number survive to make the trip to the Mother.”
Then why do you not do some kind of non-fatal test? Why not have them be in this “evil forest”, those who get out before a certain time are presented to the Mother, and the others get out unscathed anyway? Yes, there would still be few children who go to the Mother, but that is inherent to the setup. This would still mean that all these people are not dying futilely!
Also… what is this test meant to test for? How does “realises that the evil forest is to be trusted” translate into “makes a good Bane”? I guess this test would select for people who can keep a cool head under stress and for those who can think outside of their beliefs, but I do not see an explicit connection between that and the tasks of a Bane.
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 41
Going further, it sounds like Raum, at least, genuinely does not understand why so many do not survive the test. He talks about it like he finds it a tragedy, and like he would want to do something about it, but has it genuinely not occurred to anyone that you might not want a test where failure equals death?
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 42
If Douglass went for a forest people that “needs to make sacrifices”, which I think she did, she instead got “our children keep dying when they are killed :(” forest people.
Idiocy aside… this does mean they have been killing lots and lots of children. Based on a later number, I think there have been some 42000 Banes over 12000 years (yes, that timescale is ridiculous), so 3,5 Banes per year. Going by that number, let me say the total number of children tested per year is 20. Depending on how long this practice has been going on… let me say conservatively for a thousand years, then that is 16500 dead children. If this has been going on since the beginning (and I honestly think Douglass might write that), then we have 198000 children dead to the test.
So, even if I am conservative, that is still more than ten thousand people dead for absolutely no reason. And no one has bothered to change it?! Douglass did not spend a single thought on this, did she? (At least, I hope she did not think this made sense…)
For another question, how does anyone who fails the test die, then? Raum says they “die of fear”, but how does that manifest in the vision? Given that Faraday felt Raum as a beast that “wanted to tear her to pieces”, do those that fail actually get torn to pieces in the vision? I do think they do, because otherwise I find it hard to see why they would die of fear. (It is at least a great horror scenario?)
More personally… given how fluent Raum was at creating the vision for Faraday, and that he was not noted to be especially young, I am quite certain he has had a number of tests fail. That means that he has killed several children already. And that means that I find it hard to be sympathetic to him here.
I cannot believe that he genuinely does not know why these children die, and he does seem genuinely sad about it, so why does he simply not stop killing people? He does not even say it is “necessary”, as far as I know, so my best guess is that he does it because of tradition, because that is “how it is done”. That is not, in my opinion, any kind of sufficient reason for killing people. So, yes, Raum, it is indeed very sad for the children that they are killed, and that you insist on acting like this.
All right, let me go on.
Jack asks what Faraday did, “immensely relieved that Faraday had passed the test”. So you knew the danger and explicitly asked Raum to do it, no matter that you might well lose Tree Friend forever?
Ill Logic: 158
Morals for Thee But Not for Me: 89
Raum gives an “introspective[]” smile, and says that Faraday stood even as he neared her, and let the trees “sing the danger away”. None of their children has ever done that, and even after a lifetime of training, few of the Banes are “ever privileged” to hear even a “small part of the Tree Song”. He repeats that they sang for her, still amazed. Then he looks over at Faraday with awe, and asks what the trees will do for her “once she has been presented to the Mother”.
Blegh, Douglass clearly set this up so Raum can praise her for being ~more adept~ at this than the Avar themselves, no matter that this happened because of her experiences at the Silent Woman Woods. This is just so racist!
FYRP: 104
Faraday being Tree Friend is naturally also racist, but she certainly is not that because of some “innate ability”, and I just dislike how no one tells Raum just so everyone can wonder at how “great” she is at this.
Well, we now go over to Timozel once again. All he can see is the “ghastly shadow” that shows across the floor of the room. The shadow wavers as the being steps into the light, and it asks who it is and who “comes to disturb [his] rest”. Timozel can feel “hate oozing out of the creature’s mouth along with its words” (really, Douglass?), but he is just so mesmerised by the shadow that he “[has] no heart” to resist. He whispers that he is Timozel and he does not want to be here. Unfortunately, we are told, he does not fall unconscious this time.
(Frankly, I like that better, because I find it more than a little silly how he constantly gets scared into unconsciousness.)
We go back to Faraday and co. Raum gets food from the trees and shares some of it with the others. Faraday recognises some of the “berries and fruits”, but there is also a piece of flat bread, which she finds tastes unusual. She asks what it is made from. Raum explains it is “malfari bread”, not made from grain, but from a tuber called malfari that is gathered in the Avarinheim. I think we did not need to have that exposited to us twice, Douglass.
PPP: 220
They crush and dry the tubers, and then bake it with “herbs and cheese” into bread. It is the “mainstay of [their] diet” during the winter. I would hope they eat some other things, too, because I can easily see them get vitamin deficiencies otherwise.
Faraday is puzzled and asks what “the Avarinheim” is. Wait… let me have a look at that name. I see that “-heim” is a German suffix meaning “home”, and what is “Avarin”? I thought the adjectival form of “Avar” is “Avar”? Yes, it is! So why does this name have an adjectival form that does not exist and a German suffix? Further, why is it called “Avar home”? I guess that could be a genuine name, but it still feels awkward to me.
A Better Commando Name: 36
Shra now comes over to Faraday and “curl[s] up in her lap”. Faraday strokes her head and asks again what the Avarinheim is. Jack “smiles at [Raum] in apology” and says they have not had the time or opportunity to tell her anything, and they have only just found her. You have “only” been with her for thirteen days, so I think you could have told her something about what she was to do, at least. It is “good” to see that Jack has no trouble lying to Raum, either. So he asks Raum if he wants to explain a bit about his people, and about why he and Shra came here specifically.
So… I think I need to do the following page or so in great detail, since I will have quite much to talk about.
“Shra and I are of the Avar people.” Raum’s mouth twisted in a bitter smile. “One of the two races you call the Forbidden.
Well, that is a good beginning! I still think that Douglass could have come up with a better term than “Forbidden”, though.
We live in the Avarinheim, the great forest that stretches from the Icescarp Alps to the Fortress Ranges—where your ancestors penned us a thousand years ago in the Wars of the Axe.
Yes, Raum, it was indeed her ancestors. Keep that in mind for soon. I also wonder… why have the Icarii and Avar stayed there? Yes, they could hardly go back into Achar, but what has there been to stop them from going across the Widowmaker Sea to the lands on its east coast, or south to Coroleas? Given that this has been going on for a thousand years, I would expect quite some people to have fled, and I would also expect some kind of Avar/Icarii communities in the surrounding lands. I do not think we ever hear of them, though.
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 43
Going further… given that the Icarii and Avar seem to be mostly left alone here, why did they not just call in the help of other countries? Surely there would have been one whose leaders were willing to help overthrow the Seneschal in exchange for a part of Achar or the like?
I think this goes back to the problem Douglass has with the racism plot: even though it has been a thousand years since the Wars of the Axe, she seems to want to write it like it has only been decades. If that were the case, it makes much more sense that the Avar and Icarii have not undertaken much counter-action yet.
There is also another problem, namely that the Avar are simply not penned in. They have access to the sea, and we have not heard about the Acharites monitoring that, so what is to stop them (or the Icarii) from leaving that way?
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 44
Faraday’s face brightened with embarrassment for her people, but she held Raum’s eyes in a steady gaze.
I think “embarrassment” is somewhat too light for this situation. “Shame” or “guilt” would be better; this was an attempted genocide, after all! I do like that Faraday does not shy away from Raum’s explanation, though.
“You know the Avarinheim as the Shadowsward, and your Brotherhood of the Seneschal have taught your people to hate and fear it and all those who live within it.”
My, acknowledgement that the Seneschal is responsible, and not the common people like Faraday! I do wonder how long this will last…
~~~
Raum looked about the valley of the Fernbrake Lake, beginning to darken in the dusk light. “Here there stand a few remaining remnants of the Avarinheim, and I am told that there still stands a wood around Cauldron Lake.” Jack nodded in confirmation.
That should be just “Fernbrake Lake”, and the second clause should begin with “that was”. Further, “remaining remnants” and Jack “nodding in confirmation” are redundant, and Raum seems to imply that the Avarinheim is gone when it is not.
PPP: 225 (+5) (it really is this badly edited)
For the content… it is nice to have a time indication, as I genuinely did not have an idea of how late in the day it was before now.
Further, I wonder why there is no wood about Fernbrake Lake, as there was around Cauldron Lake. I doubt that the Axe-Wielders would have bothered cutting all the forest here, in the middle of the Bracken Ranges, so was it always this spotty? I also think the Mother would be as strong, if not more so, than Cauldron Lake… It is not a problem, naturally, but I just like thinking about it.
“These are the last remaining stands of trees that once belonged to the Greater Avarinheim which stretched from the Icescarp Alps to Widewall Bay and from the Widowmaker Sea to River Nordra.
Well, here is a map of both the current Avarinheim and the Greater Avarinheim, which I tried to fit to Raum’s description. For who can see it, the Greater Avarinheim is the large spot to the left, and the Avarinheim is the smaller to the right. The Greater Avarinheim then covered a large part of eastern Ichtar, and about all of Skarabost and Arcness. Taken together, I gauge the forest covered about a third of the continent, then.
(Naturally, this map will probably need to be refined based on things we hear later.)
My first question was why we have not heard about the disastrous consequences of destroying such a large forest… but looking at the places the forest once was, I think it might well be that the Avar prevented that trouble. I will reserve my judgment until later.
What I will not reserve judgment on is the sheer amount of forest that the Axe-Wielders would have had to destroy. Yes, they probably did so over several decades (and I will leave the logistics for the redux), but I simply do not see why they would bother. The goal of those Acharites was driving the Avar out of Achar, after all, and they only needed to attack the Avar enough to convince them that staying out of Achar was better.
Of course, it could also have been because the Acharites feared the forest, as we are told… but we have not seen anyone motivated to hack down trees because of that, so I doubt that would have been the reason.
Consequently, I do think… Oh wait, here it says it in chapter one: “Thick stands of trees were always better cut down than left standing to offer shade and shelter to the demons of the Forbidden.” So the Axe-Wielders presumably cut down the Greater Avarinheim to ensure that the Avar and/or Icarii could not live in there. If they wanted to do that, though, they might as well have cut down a strip of trees some miles wide along the Fortress Ranges, and put permanent watch on that, or put traps up in it and such. Then they could search the Greater Avarinheim and kill all the remaining Avar there, and keep up the watch on the Fortress Ranges after that. That would have saved them a huge amount of trouble and would be more effective than what there is now. But no…
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 53 (+10)
I also get that Douglass wanted to have a large forest destroyed for her story, and that is fine, but she should have done it in some better way! Maybe the Acharites are cutting down more and more of the Greater Avarinheim over time and Faraday should stop it? I think that might work better.
Another thing that bothers me, looking at the map, is that the Greater Avarinheim apparently stretched all the way to Widewall Bay, when Nor, which lies just south-west of that, does not seem to have any kind of forests. It just seems like that region would be too dry to support a forest like the Avarinheim… Come to think of it, is the Avarinheim supposed to be the same kind of forest everywhere? And what about the Greater Avarinheim? I get the distinct impression it was supposed to be an extension of the current Avarinheim, even though it simply cannot have been the same everywhere without magic.
It’s Like We’re Smart But We’re Not: 30
It is mostly speculation, true, but Faraday has not said that the trees here are different from those at the Silent Woman Woods, when they should rightly be. Since both once belonged to the Greater Avarinheim, I feel justified in saying Douglass meant that to be the case for the whole forest. As I said above, that implies that the Avar used magic to keep the forest as it was, which kind of goes against their being supposed to be so “in tune with nature”.
IYES: 15 (why is this so hard, Douglass?)
Finally, I see that Widewall Bay is the bay on the east side of the isthmus between Grancendor and Desertia, and according to the glossary it has calm waters which make it good for fishing. Good to know.
You and yours have killed much of our home, Faraday of Skarabost.”
Ah, the way he says this confirms that Skarabost was once part of the Greater Avarinheim. Good to know.
As for what he says… no, Raum, “Faraday and hers” have not killed the Greater Avarinheim, because that happened a thousand years ago! What are you talking about? When has Faraday ever cut down a single tree from the Avarinheim?! This might work if there was some kind of present oppression going on, but it has been a thousand years, and Raum would know this is not true, so what is this??
PPP: 226
Something like “your people have killed much of our home” would work, though.
~~~
Let us see how Faraday replies, then.
“Over these last few weeks I have learned that the past has many different interpretations, Raum,” she said a little dryly.
Oh, you have certainly learned that, but you should know better than the question the account of an Avar Bane about the harm done to his own people. What reason would he have to lie about this, anyway? There is clear evidence for this, and it would only make him look bad. So I quite appreciate that Faraday is shown to be far from over her racism here.
~~~
Raum continued. “The Avar are a peaceful people, Faraday.
I do not exactly see what that has to do with what came before, but not problem.
We live in as great a harmony with the land as we can—unlike your race, which desecrates and scars and rapes the land for what it can give you, and yet give nothing back.
That should be “gives nothing back”.
PPP: 227
I am quite certain Douglass imported a rant from somewhere else and did not bother to fit it to the new context. This simply does not work, since we have not seen the Acharites do all of this. The most we have seen, or that is implied, is mining for gems, so it might be nice to have some examples to support this. I also think that the destruction of the Greater Avarinheim is by far a worse crime than anything the Acharites have done in the meantime, so maybe you could focus on that?
Let me follow my own word, then, and ask some questions that occurred to me in the meantime. First, how did the Axe-Wielders destroy the Greater Avarinheim? I am quite certain they cut it down by axe, given Jayme’s remark that he wants to “take the axe to the Shadowsward as well” and the Axe-Wielders apparently trying to cut down Silent Woman Woods that way. Aside from being horribly inefficient, that would leave them quite vulnerable to attack, as the fate of the group trying to get through Silent Woman Woods shows.
I think they would have been much better off trying to light the forest on fire, since that is much less work, they do not have to expose themselves, and the fire will destroy the forest faster than they can. That would have been nice to see. Instead, we get the axes, because that fits better with the “Way of the Axe and the Plough”, I guess.
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 59 (+6)
Second, what did they do with all this forest? Did they make furniture from it or use it to light fires with? Did they trade it with Coroleas? I think they would have wanted to make use of the cleared land, so I presume they removed it as they cut it down, but what did they do with it? It is simply too large a part of the history to leave unanswered. It would also fit if Raum brought it up here, so he could be indignant at the use to which the forest was put.
Cardboard Worldbuilding: 64 (+5) (I am giving so many points because this is all quite basic!)
Looping this back to what Raum says, I remembered that the Renkins did use peat as fuel (presumably because there are too little trees). I think that certainly falls beneath Raum’s heading of “desecration, scarring and raping”, since the peat will not grow back any time soon. Still, what he says seems to me to apply to people who know (or suspect) they cause harm, and do not care about it. That might apply to someone who wants to dig harvest all the peat to sell it to others, sure… but I do not think it applies to the Renkins.
That is because I highly doubt that the peat harvesting does harm. It presumably comes from quite some distance, and I can easily see why they would not bother to look at the source, so how should they know that? Those digging out the peat are more at fault, but I doubt that even they know the full consequences of their actions or that they would have the means to find out. Further, their current circumstances are not their fault. Their ancestors cut down the Greater Avarinheim, drove away the people who could tell them what harm they did, and presumably refused to pass that on. How can the people who live now be held responsible?
Further, what should the Acharites do, Douglass? Yes, they should “give back” to the land. What is that supposed to be? Could you give something to do? I highly doubt that no Acharite does that, too. Is there truly no one like “Jack Simple”, then, who knows the forest is not evil and lets it stand? Is there no one who plants trees or helps with biodiversity or such? I very much doubt that no Acharite “gives back”.
I would be quite more forgiving of this if it was just Raum, as it would be him letting go on Faraday for a bit, which I can perfectly see, given how the Avar have been treated. Because of the framing, however, I am quite sure this is Douglass preaching at the audience, and she truly should know better. It also does not help that Faraday receives this treatment.
Petty Ain’t the Word for You: 39
Your Way of the Plough is an abomination, Faraday.”
That is certainly not the answer, Raum, and I have already explained in length why forcing the Acharites to abandon their religion is bad. Further, even if they lose their religion, that does not mean that these people will stop seeing forests as bad or will know how to take care of their environment! If you would want them to do so, they need to be taught!
For something else… as we will soon hear, Raum is aware that Azhure and GoldFeather are helping the Avar, and he knows that Faraday apparently has great potential. Should he not keep from saying things that might alienate Faraday, then? Yes, I get that he might want to let loose, but this is an amazing chance for the Avar, so it would suit him to hold back.
Ill Logic: 159
Yr then tells him it is enough, since “[p]oor Faraday” is not strong enough to “carry the guilt for her entire race.” My, is that some sympathy for Faraday? You are also quite right, Yr!
Raum inclines his head, but his “eyes glint[] with anger”. He says that it is sometimes “hard for [them] to watch the land [they] loved and cared for carved up into barrenness under the dreadful ploughshare”. Oh, so the area that was once the Greater Avarinheim has been mostly “carved up into barrenness”? Let me test that, then.
From the north, we first find the Icescarp Barren, which is indeed barren, but given how far north it is, I think it rather became barren because of the conditions there. Further south lie the WildDog Plains, which also does not seem like a great place to farm… I guess that there the farming may have gone wrong?
Past the Nordra lies Skarabost, which is a large grain supplier, so it can hardly be barren. Then there is Arcness, which we have seen is hardly barren and also supports quite some pigs. Finally there is the region along the Widewall Bay, which might just be barren… but we do not know anything about it.
So that does not fit well with his assertion! I could see this happening if people tried to cultivate these lands immediately after they were cleared, but there were clearly no disastrous consequences, so it would not have happened for that reason. Further… if this were an actual thing, how come Skarabost and Arcness are demonstrably not “barren” after a thousand years? This is just ridiculous, and I get the feeling Douglass forgot here timeline again.
It’s Like We’re Smart But We’re Not: 31
It would be so easy to have Raum’s remark make sense, like “Sometimes it is hard for us to watch the land we loved and cared for put to use as grain fields, like its only worth lies in feeding people”. But instead we get this, because I guess Douglass wanted to make the “Plough” part look bad.
Finally, I like to see that he acknowledges he was just venting to Faraday just now… though that does not lessen my impression that he was a mouthpiece for Douglass.
Either way, he takes Yr’s advice as he looks back at Faraday and “moderate[s] his tone somewhat”. He explains further that the Avar “live in harmony” with the land and seasons. They do not “try to change or to warp”, but instead they try to assist the land and seasons. They revere the trees the most, and for them the Avarinheim is a “living being”, that they treasure like their families. Um… the Avarinheim is alive either way; that is not a point of view, that is simply a fact.
PPP: 228 (not sure what else to do with this)
Their “most sacred rituals” are designed to help the seasons turn and let the land and forest regenerate. (That is what I referred to earlier.) Some among them can become Banes, and their duty is to care for the forest with great dedication, and to conduct the rites.
Hmm, this is not bad, but it feels very generic to me. Raum does not give any specifics on the Avar, after all, so it is just flat.
Faraday then asks if they put those children who might become Banes to the test when “very young”. We are told her is tone is “hard enough to leave no-one in doubt about what she [thinks] about putting children through such a frightful experience”. I am fully with Faraday here! I do note, though, that the narration only talks about the test being “frightful”, and does not mention that most of those taking it die, something that Faraday just heard. You are being quite dishonest here, Douglass, and I do not like it.
Raum’s response is this:
“Faraday, life is sometimes cruel. We grieve for those children who are lost, for every one of them is precious to us. But without Banes to conduct the rites, the rites would lapse, and then the seasons would falter and the land would die.”
Would that happen, though? What happened in the time before there were Banes, then? If the seasons were that unstable, I doubt that the Banes would have had the chance to form. I also highly doubt the “seasons would falter”; do the Banes keep Stellaris stable on its axis, then? Further, given some things we learn in Wayfarer Redemption, I highly doubt the land would die.
It just does not work for me, both with the later books moving more toward science-fiction and there being more lands outside of Tencendor.
That aside… I note that Raum does not actually answer Faraday’s question. She wanted to know why these children are put through such a horrible test, and he just answers “we need Banes”. Yes, but what about the test? Yes, a test would certainly be useful to get the children with the most potential, but does it need to be deadly? (No, absolutely not.) He is being dishonest with her, and I get the impression he just cannot justify the test.
Let me take what I said earlier into account now and show this again:
Faraday, life is sometimes cruel. We grieve for those children who are lost, for every one of them is precious to us.
Well, if they are so precious to you, you should stop killing them! As for “life is sometimes cruel”, you cannot abandon responsibility this easily, Raum. These children do not die due to unforeseen circumstances in the test, as it does not have to be dangerous. These children die because the Banes who execute the test decide to continue beyond all reason. They die because the Banes kill them!
I could forgive this somewhat if Raum genuinely thinks it is necessary, but his only justification is “life is sometimes cruel”. I simply cannot see him grieve for those children, since he does not seem to care at all! The way he phrases it makes it even worse. What, is that the epigraph of the tens of thousands of dead? “Oh, you died? Well, too bad; life is sometimes cruel”? You actively kill them, and you want to pretend it “just happens”? I am now quite sure he knows very well what he does and comes up with this nonsense pretend it is alright. He certainly was not bothered about possibly killing Faraday just now, after all.
I am not quite willing to call him a murderer or something like that, but this is absolutely not good and I hate him. (How I wish we had the Hawkchilds plot, but with the Avar…)
Morals for Thee But Not for Me: 90
Naturally Faraday is not allowed to call that out. Instead, she asks why the children need to be so young, as Shra cannot be older than three. Raum explains it is because their talents will not grow right otherwise. Faraday then asks why he calls Fernbrake lake “the Mother”. Raum looks at the lake and says that is it because “it is said that life originated” within it. It is very magical for the Avar, as it begins a “Bane’s true life”.
Um, Raum, why do you say “it is said”? Do your people not believe that life came from within this lake? You are making it sound as if it is some kind of rumour!
PPP: 229
For a while, everyone is silent. Then Faraday frowns and asks Raum how he gets here, and if he comes “across the Seagrass Plains of Skarabost”. Raum nods. Every year they try bringing several children to bathe in the Mother, but they must naturally travel at night and “move as stealthily as they can”. They avoid contact with humans, which is made easier because Skarabost is “sparsely populated” and most people stay inside after dark.
They are also helped by “a women of [Faraday’s] race who lives with the Icarii”. Ah, there we have some follow-up on GoldFeather! In some years, she comes to help them transport the children. As she is Acharite, she can travel openly “with a well-cloaked child or two” without attracting too much attention. Still, it is hard, and they have not been able to bring as much children over as they like. During ideal times they hardly have enough Banes for the rites (why?), but now, “as the seasons begin to fail around [them] and the land dies underneath its unnatural cover of snow and ice”, they do not have anywhere near the number of Banes to “even attempt to halt the rot”.
I think I would find it easier to take this seriously if Raum was not so needlessly apocalyptic. No, the seasons are not “failing” around you; the lengths of day and night are not affected, so the weather is broken. Also, I quite doubt that a single bad winter would “kill the land”, Raum.
During the past few years, while “the danger from the north” has increased, they have tried to get as many children as possible to the Mother, but it is very very hard. Well, that sucks, especially since they do not know that others are also trying to oppose Gorgrael!
Faraday tries to ask after the Acharite woman living with the Icarii, but Jack asks instead what “trouble” there is in the Avarinheim. Raum explains. Over the past two years, and especially the last year, there have been more and more Skraelings wandering along the northern border of the Avarinheim. They are no great trouble because they are still afraid of the trees (why?), but it is still worrying. Also, the “weather die[s] around [them]”. Among the Avar and Icarii there “has been talk” that the Prophecy has awoken. No one wanted to believe it, but (and here “despair [shines]” from Raum’s eyes), from the presence and words of the Sentinels, he can tell that Gorgrael has been born and that he plans to “spread his hatred southward”. He finally asks if they have found the StarMan and if he will save them.
I think this would work better if we had not heard nearly all of this at the beginning of the book already. We already know what is going on; now it is time to act on it!
Faraday tries to talk again, but Jack silences her “with a hard look”. He says that Axis is still “trapped within the lies that bind”, and it will take “many long seasons” before he can come to the defence of Tencendor. All they can do is trust in the Prophecy. But Jack, Axis is already going to defend Achar, and he will help against Gorgrael! I would further think that Ogden and Veremund might help release him from his lies, but not, Raum should apparently just trust in the Prophecy.
Yr then speaks up, saying that she fears the Skraelings, driven by Gorgrael, will launch a “major attack through the north of Ichtar” this winter. Oh, that does make sense! I do wonder why we hear about it now, as an offhand mention, though. She “doubt[s] if” the Acharites by themselves can stop them, and she asks if Raum thinks the Icarii will help.
PPP: 230 (that should be “whether”, not “if”)
Raum massages his forehead, and Faraday thinks for a moment that she see “two tiny knobs of bone” in his hair, but she decides she just imagined it. What was the point of this outside of more ~mystery~?
This is What the Mystery: 22
Raum finally asks if the Acharites would accept their help, or if they would “slaughter the Winged Ones” before they could assist.
PPP: 231 (“Winged Ones” only occurs here)
Well, I think it would be the last option, and that the Icarii naturally would not want to be killed. What do you think, Yr?
Ill Logic: 160
What Raum says makes Faraday wonder if she might have multiple roles to play in Gorkenfort. If you want to convince the people there the Icarii are not all bad, I wish you all the luck, Faraday.
We now cut back to Timozel. He repeats his name and that he does not want to be there. Then he closes his eyes as tight as he can, relieved they still obey him, as he does not want to see the being before him. Gorgrael speaks his name slowly, “as if [his] tongue [has] trouble with such a multi-syllabled word”. He says that Timozel is a “pretty boy” and asks what “magical path” he took to find him. Hmmm, this does not sound as threatening as Douglass probably meant it to be. Also, this cannot quite be Gorgrael himself, since he would know how Timozel has come here.
Timozel has no idea what Gorgrael means, and all he knows is that he does not dare look. He wonders if he will be killed where he stands. Gorgrael then asks if Timozel will “be [his] friend”, since he wants an Axe-Wielder for a friend. My, the villain uses persuasion! This is frankly more than we have seen of most of our “heroes”, I think. This is so “unexpected and strange” to Timozel that he opens his eyes. Before him, he sees “the most horrific and disgusting creature” he has ever seen, and he promptly screams himself into unconsciousness. Good for him, though I am somewhat unimpressed by this. The chapter ends here.
That was quite a lot! I am quite pleased with how thorough I managed to be here, too. So, until next time!
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But of course. Why explain anything when you can keep characters (and the readers) in the dark until the last possible moment? Assuming you ever explain it at all.
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The hell is a 'mobile mouth'? I would have said 'an expressive mouth', because the word mobile just makes me think it moves around all over his face, like some kind of living Picasso painting.
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I guess Faraday has never seen brown eyes before. They almost always look black unless you see them up close, or in direct sunlight.
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I know that stories that take place in different worlds often have their own unique ways of saluting, but this just sounds like it would look really stupid.
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And of course, he couldn't have explained any of this before, because...reasons. I know that dramatic reveals at the last moment are a popular literary device, but Douglass does not do it well.
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They totally did that on purpose to make Faraday embarrass herself. You can't convince me otherwise.
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I want to say this is cute, but I don't trust it. Douglass is going to find a way to ruin it somehow, I'm almost positive.
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Suuuure you will, Jackass. Because you've been so trustworthy up until now. You couldn't be trusted to keep an artificial plant alive! This is a blatant lie, and we all know it.
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...I'm starting to think that Douglass has some kind of non-con kink. This happens way too often for it to just be a coincidence. Not only is it a cheap plot device, it also makes me believe that Douglass gets off on it.
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Right, because when I'm having a terrifying nightmare, 'naughty' is the first descriptor that comes to mind. You just killed the tension there, Douglass. Way to go.
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*bursts out laughing* So all Faraday can to in her 'all-consuming rage' is slap a tree? She doesn't scream, or find things to break, or any normal methods of venting? Nope, she has to... *cackles* ...slap a tree!
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This actually doesn't bother me. As it was stated previously, this is supposed to be a strictly Avarii ritual, so bringing an outsider in is a huge deal. They probably wouldn't agree to it unless she proved herself in some way. Plus, if she really was the one spoken of in the prophecy, she would be perfectly safe during the test.
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These people are idiots. You're sending your children to certain death for no reason at all, when you could simply wait a few years until they actually have the chance to understand what you're asking them to do. Do they secretly want their race to go extinct? Because that's where they're heading.
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Hmm, I wonder why... Oh, maybe because THEY'RE CHILDREN! Of course they're not going to think of doing this! You are murdering thousands of children because you're too stupid to realize that maybe it would be a better idea to wait until they're older!
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BULLSHIT! You've had every opportunity to explain any number of things, and you haven't. You've refused to, even when she tries to ask questions! ...I'm about to go on a cactus-swinging rampage again. This is seriously pissing me off.
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Given all of the absolutely stupid and/or nonsensical decisions in this book, I'm starting to think that every single person in this world has an IQ of one digit or less.
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Right. Which is why so many of your children are dead. You might not have killed them with your own hands, but their deaths are still your responsibility. Don't act like you're completely guiltless while telling Faraday how horrible her race is.
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Is it really just venting if the whole thing serves as a massive guilt-trip for someone who hasn't done anything except be born into a race that he hates? I can understand his frustration and anger, but this is out of line and misplaced. Is this just another chance for Douglass to use Faraday as a whipping girl?
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Wait, wait, wait, hold on. Regenerating forests I buy, since magic could speed the growth of trees, help keep them healthy, etc. But changing the seasons? Do they honestly have that much power, or are they just being metaphorical?
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First of all, that isn't 'life being cruel'. That's you being cruel. You are the one putting them through those tests, and it's you who chooses to do it at such a young age. If they're so worried about not having any Banes, then stop killing candidates. Wouldn't it be better to have dozens that begin training a few years later rather than just one or two that survive? Not only are you restricting the number of Banes, you're also decimating your own race! (And yeah, I saw the 'their talent will not grow right' line, but that still doesn't excuse any of this.)
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I would find it easier if they weren't essentially hamstringing themselves by killing their children. I will not let this go. If their race eventually dies, it'll almost certainly be on them.
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FUCK. YOU.
Foreshadowing, maybe? I'm guessing those bumps could potentially be...antlers? I haven't forgotten that creepy-ass deer man wendigo wannabe.
Picklefort returns! Yay!
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But of course. Why explain anything when you can keep characters (and the readers) in the dark until the last possible moment? Assuming you ever explain it at all.
SCSF: Ah, but that is the mystery! I would genuinely not be surprised if Douglass thought that was how to keep things "mysterious", never mind that it makes for a quite bad reading experience...
The hell is a 'mobile mouth'? I would have said 'an expressive mouth', because the word mobile just makes me think it moves around all over his face, like some kind of living Picasso painting.
I guess she means... well, she probably meant "expressive", but she indeed got something closer to what you are saying.
I guess Faraday has never seen brown eyes before. They almost always look black unless you see them up close, or in direct sunlight.
Given how dark it is where they are, that would indeed make sense!
I know that stories that take place in different worlds often have their own unique ways of saluting, but this just sounds like it would look really stupid.
For myself, I think it would not look especially silly, but I would not exactly know.
And of course, he couldn't have explained any of this before, because...reasons. I know that dramatic reveals at the last moment are a popular literary device, but Douglass does not do it well.
There is no reason Veremund could not have told her when he talked to her earlier. That, at least, would not have driven her away.
I want to say this is cute, but I don't trust it. Douglass is going to find a way to ruin it somehow, I'm almost positive.
Looking at the next chapter... I think the main problem with Shra here is how very much she stays on the background and how calm she is. That does not fit such a young child very well.
Suuuure you will, Jackass. Because you've been so trustworthy up until now. You couldn't be trusted to keep an artificial plant alive! This is a blatant lie, and we all know it.
Yes, they will totally badger him into accepting Faraday either way.
...I'm starting to think that Douglass has some kind of non-con kink. This happens way too often for it to just be a coincidence. Not only is it a cheap plot device, it also makes me believe that Douglass gets off on it.
I have no idea, frankly.
Right, because when I'm having a terrifying nightmare, 'naughty' is the first descriptor that comes to mind. You just killed the tension there, Douglass. Way to go.
I also note just how unlikely it is that she would say the same thing as Jack here.
bursts out laughing So all Faraday can to in her 'all-consuming rage' is slap a tree? She doesn't scream, or find things to break, or any normal methods of venting? Nope, she has to... cackles ...slap a tree!
If this were with an animal or something, I could see it, but this tree simply will not feel anything from it, so it is indeed quite silly.
This actually doesn't bother me. As it was stated previously, this is supposed to be a strictly Avarii ritual, so bringing an outsider in is a huge deal. They probably wouldn't agree to it unless she proved herself in some way. Plus, if she really was the one spoken of in the prophecy, she would be perfectly safe during the test.
Still... Raum does not give any sign that he knows Faraday is Tree Friend, and he also only has the word of the Sentinels that Faraday has any magical talent. Why would he even agree to hold this test in the first place?
Also, given how he acted when he went to test her, it does feel like he is taking out his anger on her by subjecting her to a futile test... which means I should probably also give a Petty point.
These people are idiots. You're sending your children to certain death for no reason at all, when you could simply wait a few years until they actually have the chance to understand what you're asking them to do. Do they secretly want their race to go extinct? Because that's where they're heading.
True, those Banes would not have their talents grow quite right, apparently, but it would be better than this. Further, if they went with the "getting back to the Avarinheim" test I proposed, they could simply tell the children that and pick those that succeed in a certain time!
BULLSHIT! You've had every opportunity to explain any number of things, and you haven't. You've refused to, even when she tries to ask questions! ...I'm about to go on a cactus-swinging rampage again. This is seriously pissing me off.
What do they even think all of this would accomplish? If she is better prepared, she can do what she should better!
Right. Which is why so many of your children are dead. You might not have killed them with your own hands, but their deaths are still your responsibility. Don't act like you're completely guiltless while telling Faraday how horrible her race is.
Exactly!
Is it really just venting if the whole thing serves as a massive guilt-trip for someone who hasn't done anything except be born into a race that he hates? I can understand his frustration and anger, but this is out of line and misplaced. Is this just another chance for Douglass to use Faraday as a whipping girl?
Hmmm, I do think it is for Raum, but Douglass clearly meant it as a guilt-trip. (And yes, I do not doubt it is, at all.)
Wait, wait, wait, hold on. Regenerating forests I buy, since magic could speed the growth of trees, help keep them healthy, etc. But changing the seasons? Do they honestly have that much power, or are they just being metaphorical?
I am quite certain it has to be metaphorical. If I recall correctly, quite a bit of their power is bound to Tencendor, so they cannot exert enough influence to "change the seasons", and I do not think they ever show enough power to do so. (Further, they are on a planet, so they would not need to do anything to help the seasons, since they are caused by Stellaris keeping the same orientation around its star.)
First of all, that isn't 'life being cruel'. That's you being cruel. You are the one putting them through those tests, and it's you who chooses to do it at such a young age. If they're so worried about not having any Banes, then stop killing candidates. Wouldn't it be better to have dozens that begin training a few years later rather than just one or two that survive? Not only are you restricting the number of Banes, you're also decimating your own race! (And yeah, I saw the 'their talent will not grow right' line, but that still doesn't excuse any of this.)
Indeed!
I would find it easier if they weren't essentially hamstringing themselves by killing their children. I will not let this go. If their race eventually dies, it'll almost certainly be on them.
Oh, neither will I. Let me see... I guess the death of their race is on them, because they apparently have no one living outside of Tencendor by the time of Wayfarer Redemption? DarkGlass Mountain does not mention any living Avar, at least.
Foreshadowing, maybe? I'm guessing those bumps could potentially be...antlers? I haven't forgotten that creepy-ass deer man wendigo wannabe.
Well, you guessed right! It just seemed like an odd amount of focus for something that might be expected from him... but I have not read the following books yet, so I might just be off.
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She's absolutely not the first. Robert Jordan did the same thing with his mentor wizard character who refuses to explain jack shit and just makes cryptic remarks in earshot of the protagonists, even when at least one of them is in active distress thanks to her refusing to tell him what's happening to him for no fucking reason. In fact she's what led one critic to coin the term "Jive-Talking Wizard".
I tried it out and it felt like, well, a facepalm. Fitting.
I have nieces and nephews her age and it absolutely does not. Last Christmas one of them burst into tears because we pulled some crackers and the loud noise upset them. She should also be upset because her mother and father aren't there. But Douglass clearly didn't know a goddamn thing about babies and children in general.
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The handling of Shra later gets really REALLY uncomfortable, with sexual overtones. So you are correct. Unfortunately.
There are FAR better ways to make a story exciting than refusing to explain anything. Like raising the stakes by having everything go wrong, or introducing a plot twist.
I have incredibly vivid nightmares but am also a lucid dreamer. When I have fought back against some nightmare figure that's threatening me I sure as hell haven't acted like it was a misbehaving child. I usually yell "FUCK YOU!" until it goes away.
Because women can't ever throw a punch. They must slap ineffectually.
I'm Australian, and a lot of us feel resentful for being asked to feel guilty about what our ancestors did to the indigenous population. Because we didn't personally commit the genocides and the taking of children and such. Our responsibility now isn't to undo all of that because that's impossible; it's to make amends by taking action against the injustices that are being committed now. Which is not the approach here at all. Faraday is being asked to feel ashamed of herself for shit that happened a thousand years ago, when she should instead be having it explained to her how oppression is happening in the present day and how she should help to put a stop to it. Instead of guilt-tripping her (which makes most people resentful) they should be wanting her to help the Avar from a position of compassion rather than shame.
SECONDED. God I hate him. He treats everyone like shit, and especially her.
Since (male) Avar Banes end up with the heads of stags, that's exactly what it's foreshadowing.
Mmm, pickles.
no subject
I remember you mentioning in an earlier chapter that children are sexualized in this series, which is what immediately raised the red flags. How I wish I had been wrong...
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That shit drives me crazy. There's a game series I like, Zero Escape, that relies a lot on this trope. So many of the mysteries could be solved in seconds if the characters would just talk to each other. I absolutely despise the "I can't tell you" plotline. Now, I'm not saying that characters keeping secrets can't be done well; I love a good dark secret, but when it's actively hindering the storytelling, gtfo with that.
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Now, see, that's a more realistic (and better) way to deal with nightmares. Nightmares can be traumatizing, and you don't just shake your finger at and lightly scold the monsters that are trying to violently murder you.
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Oh. Oh no. I didn't even think about it like that, but I bet you're right!
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And that's how you deal with a situation like that. You can't change the past, but you can influence the future to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. I can understand being bitter and resentful of a race that did your own tremendous harm, but taking it out on one person just because she's a convenient punching bag for you is just... Now, maybe if he was called out for it and told that his behavior was wrong, it would be different. I'm okay with flaws like this being present in books, as long as they're depicted as flaws that need to be corrected. That doesn't feel like the case here.
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He might actually be my most hated character in the book right now. Jury's still out for the rest of the series, but holy hell does he make my blood boil.
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...what a strange trait. And still very creepy.
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By now I'm absolutely positive that Douglass had some serious skeletons in her closet.
If you keep refusing to answer someone's questions, and especially if it's with some bullshit excuse like "I just can't" or "it's a secret", that person is going to become resentful very quickly. And subsequently, they will stop trusting you. You cannot demand absolute trust from someone while also deliberately keeping them in the dark.
It's even worse when the woman "scratches with her fingernails" instead.
...racist. She hasn't been a jerk to him or shown any racism of her own, so him making assumptions and ragging on her like this is completely unfair and counter-productive.
We need to see the actual oppression happening today, but other than Raum and Shra being captured and mistreated later in this book it's just not there. Everyone just magically gets over their racism because Axis tells them to and that's the end of that.
And really stupid that it's ONLY the men.
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To be strictly fair, we don't know the average age kids 'show promise' at or what kind of preparation they do. Shra could be unusually young (and it might be necessary to handle being presented to the Mother). That said, there's also no reason to believe they have to go through that test as soon as possible. Couldn't they wait until a more reasonable age?
I'm thinking Faraday felt a bit stung by the accusation that she cut down any trees.
Okay, Raum is upset at the state his ancestral homeland is in. Fair enough. However, he should really say what activities he's upset by! I mean, if say all the Christians got chased out of the Holy Sepulchre so it could be used as a barn we'd be pretty dang upset for possibly ever, and we'd say 'and then they used it as a barn!'.
But of course, if Doughlass' wrote that she might have to face up to how she's dissing her own food source.
Oh, they are tested at size very small. I get that they think it's necessary, but somehow I doubt it actually is. (Cultures can get really messed up, so I'm not blaming Raum much for that.)
That whole sequence is... Problematic, to say the least.
"Only the Avar can tread this path!"
"Then I won't," Faraday said. Her voice sounded strange and farway, but still hers.
"You must," Jack asserted. "You are the Tree Friend."
Faraday felt almost like she should be scared. She pressed her hand to her chest above the bone pendant and felt her head clear. "How can I befriend them if I intrude where I am not wanted?" she asked. It was not her true reason, but she felt very pleased for coming up with it. In truth, she did not want to imperil her faith further.
"She speaks truly," the stranger said. "You should listen to her."
The resulting argument got so heated Faraday worried Jack and Yr might carry her to this Mother by force, but in the end they reluctantly agreed that she would witness Shra being presented to the Mother but no more.
Faraday resolved to stand well back.
***
"Why do you hate the Sentinels so strongly?" Timozel asked Ceolmund.
Ceolmund was silent for a moment and sighed. "It is not an easy story," he said. "Not to tell and not to hear. Are you sure you desire it?"
"Yes," Timozel said. "I want to hear it. If you don't said telling it," he added hastily.
"I do not," Ceolmund said. "In truth, I weary of bearing it alone."
He took a deep breath. "Before either ax or plough, I was the guardian of a small clan. We worked small fields with hoes and gathered fallen wood, and settled by the side of a small river.
"When the plough came, we took quickly to its use. Our fields were larger and worked more easily, and because we ploughed the old crop under they produced better. Soon enough I had more under my care then I ever had before.
"But the Talon did not like the plough or ax, and banned their use," Ceolmund said, eyes distant. "I knew I could not guard against his forces by myself, so I sought out the Sentinels and bargained for their aid in protecting my people from attack, trading help for help."
"And then they didn't help you?" Timozel ventured.
"For a time they did," Ceolmund said. "Many times the Talon's forces ventured near my home, and many times they helped me conceal us. It was not until afterward that they betrayed us. Tell me, what do you know of the Heretic War?"
"It was the second of the Wars of the Ax," Timozel said, "Waged against the heretics of what is now the Skarabost- Oh," he said, feeling guilty. "Your people were among those heretics, weren't they."
"It was not your doing, your father's, or your grandfather's," Ceolmund said softly. "I and the Sentinels are the last of those involved.
"My people had by that point adopted the ax," he continued, "but we did not apply it with the abandon the Way of Ax and Plough prescribed. We coppiced our willow stand and felt no need to fell the ones across the river, nor did we have any quarrel with the Avar whom the Seneschal had deemed forbidden and often passed through the far stand. For this I feared the Acharite forces.
"But this time, when I called on the Sentinels for aid they refused me, saying that 'the Prophecy' required that humans not be forgiven until 'the time of the StarMan'," Ceolmund spat bitterly.
"And so we destroyed your people," Timozel said.
"The Acharites forces," Ceolmund corrected. "I have never blamed your entire people, and those who actually carried it out have long since died. But the Sentinels have never apologized or atoned."
"It was the Brotherhood of the Ax, wasn't it?" Timozel said. "And we haven't apologized either." He stood up and bowed deeply. "On behalf of my brethren, I am deeply sorry for our actions against your people."
"I accept your apology," Ceolmund said, "and extend my forgiveness."
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Yeah, putting Faraday through an Avar rite without permission isn't right. For all we know there's preparation beforehand, ritual cleansing or instruction or both that's required to fully participate. (And Catholics are forbidden to participate in non-Catholic religion rituals like this because it gives worship to someone other than the Lord. Faraday should not be okay with this!)
SCSF: It would have been so much easier if they had said something like "this is Faraday; she is the Tree Friend from the Prophecy". I would think Raum would be quite a bit more willing, and he should also just know who he is dealing with! (I am so sick of their lying and manipulations!)
And yes, Faraday indeed should not be so wiling to be "presented to the Mother". Good catch!
I'm thinking Faraday felt a bit stung by the accusation that she cut down any trees.
As she well might... Raum should know that she would not be likely to have done so!
Yes, indeed! And, if I recall correctly, she actually does this with the Icarii later in the book, so why could she not do so here.
It also bothers me that Raum seems more upset about the Acharites supposedly destroying the former site of the Greater Avarinheim than he is about it being destroyed in the first place and the attempted genocide. Like, Douglass, I get the Avar are supposed to be "nature people" and that you want him to deliver a speech, but you should not forget they were genocide targets!
Oh, they are tested at size very small. I get that they think it's necessary, but somehow I doubt it actually is. (Cultures can get really messed up, so I'm not blaming Raum much for that.)
I also do not yet know how it affects their development, so I will not complain either.
For the fic... yes, you have done quite well on what should be done, without it feeling forced. What I further like is the presence of an "inciting incident", so to say, for the Wars of the Axe. It just fits neatly, as does Ceolmund's very long lifespan. (And, naturally, good on Faraday for sticking with what she believes!)
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She clearly doesn't know shit about what it's actually like to live a hunter gatherer lifestyle, because she ignorantly idealises the hell out of it.
*applause for this and both fics*
"Forgiveness is the thing required to save Tencendor's soul" my arse. Forgiveness is the exact opposite of a theme in this trilogy. Raum isn't telling Faraday it wasn't her fault. The Avar never forgive the Acharites. The Icarii don't explicitly forgive them either. They just kind of wander back in and start seducing every woman in sight (but none of the men). Axis, the central figure in the fucking stupid Prophecy, sure as hell never forgives anyone. Even when he has someone at his mercy he doesn't relent and let them live. He just kills them, usually in the most horrible way possible.
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I'm pretty sure Douglass doesn't understand what forgiveness actually is. She certainly doesn't write like she does.
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... Which is honestly creepier then 'torture and murder those you consider to have wronged you'.
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It's pretty sad that he gets all this description which makes it seem like he's going to be a very deep, cool, complex and mysterious character given that in fact he is never going to get any development or do anything all that important. Mostly he just kind of shows up to provide Sue praise and really annoying hand-holding. And then explodes.
Just as racist as Faraday the rich white woman being appointed leader of the Avar instead of them being led by themselves. And she never even lives among them or gets to know any of them. Like if that's supposed to be her role she should have just gone with Raum and never mind the whole forced marriage to Borneheld nonsense which ultimately doesn't go anywhere anyway.
Yeah, this is 100% bullshit. Douglass isn't even trying.
Back in the 90s when this was written, this kind of crap probably wasn't even considered racist to begin with. There's a LOT of blithely ignored racism in this trilogy.
Because the author thinks "white skin" is beautiful. That's why every single one of her attractive characters is "porcelain-skinned" and other such racist nonsense. Even Shra when she grows up is considered beautiful because she's "unusually tall and fair-skinned" for an Avar. Which is of course also racist as fuck.
I've said this several times in my own spork, but why children? Well hell, they're not even children. They're BABIES. Shra is only a toddler! Why can't this wait until they're older? The Avar are essentially sacrificing god knows how many of the kids they're later said to treasure so dearly that all the men have multiple wives in order to sire as many of them as possible! How does a kid as young as Shra even understand the concept? And a kid that young, faced with a scenario like that, would panic and cry!
Also good luck with finding out whatever the hell "show the promise" means because this will never be explained. We never even find out what Banes even do, come to that. Raum for example is said to be one of the most powerful Banes ever yet he never does anything with his supposed powers, and we never find out what they even are.
It might have made sense if we knew what Banes actually do, but we don't and never will.
Or not, because she's in the stupid Prophecy and therefore cannot fail because then the story would be over.
It's also blatant Mary Sueism. Faraday didn't have to learn anything or change as a person in order to be good enough to pass the test. She just has to... exist.
There's quite a few Norse placenames that end in "heim", as you're probably aware. Which just makes it even more jarring and out of place. Like, the Avar aren't a Nordic people. Nobody in this setting is.
Or indeed any action at all.
Come to that, why don't any of the other forests eat axes?
Agreed, and it would be a far better explanation as to where people are getting wood from other than "a few plantations" we never see.
I mean that's basically what was happening to the elven forest in Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. The elves were in peril because the villain's underlings were cutting their forest down, moving further and further in and executing anyone who tried to stop them. Which added a sense of urgency to the situation which is completely absent here. The Avar are completely safe as long as they don't leave the forest, and the Seneschal is making no attempt to finish what they started. And this is never explained.
Because every member of a race is the same. There are no Acharites who love animals or plant gardens or shun violence.
Also, Raum? your people raise and slaughter livestock. THAT'S FARMING. It's also harming animals for your own benefit. How exactly are you giving anything back to the goats and sheep you kill, skin and eat? And then wear the skins and use them to make tents and such?
Hypocrite.
No they aren't. They routinely murder half their children for stupid reasons. And Raum clearly has a whole lot of rage and violence going on.
Case in point. He's full of rage and it shows through all the time.
That must have been a shitload of lumber, seriously.
I don't know about you, but I've seen ploughed land being used for farming and this might sound crazy but it's the exact opposite of "barren". I've seen vast fields of corn and wheat, lavender, brassicas and other crops and guess what? THEY WERE LUSH AND GREEN AND GROWING. Douglass seems to be suggesting here that converting an area into farmland turns it into a freaking desert. Which, yes, if this was at all realistic, could have happened as a result of all that deforestation. But clearly it hasn't. Nobody's starving. The Acharites are clearly rich and prosperous.
And stop saying "dreadful". Also, stop saying "frightful". I feel like I should do a count for those words too.
What, that's it? That's all they do? How exactly does being "powerful" in some unspecified magic tie into this? We see Banes conducting the ceremonies, yes, but that's literally it.
Even more so when you actively work to make it so, you moron.
Yeah, exactly. I hate it when a narrative is this cavalier about mass deaths. Life is precious, and if you're a good person you should be doing all you can to preserve it.
And this still doesn't remotely fit with the Avar being "a peaceful people", I mean Jesus Christ.
WHAT talents?? I already covered how preposterous it is that a freaking toddler would stand a snowball's chance of passing this ridiculous test.
And Faraday asks no follow-up questions. Naturally
FATHER! THE SLEEPER HAS AWAKENED!
Yeah, this basically never comes up again.
It's so utterly ridiculous that Gorge's only motivation is "he hates". Like why is he so angry and hateful? So much so that he was BORN that way? Is he after revenge? And if so, why? And on who? After all, Axis is constantly shown to be full of irrational anger and resentment, far more so than Gorge, yet he's the hero! Allegedly.
I just don't get it. I do not get why Douglass' (not actually her real surname, by the way) villains are always motivated by "hate" that comes out of nowhere.
👩🎤🎶Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me. And after all, you're my wonderwall🎶
Asshole.
Oh please, the Icarii have MAGIC and can fly. Regular lame old hoomins wouldn't stand a chance... unless the Icarii were so screamingly incompetent they couldn't even figure out how to use their wings in hand to hand combat and need to have that spelled out to them by Axis.
Cut to later on in the trilogy, when he's now magically able to say things like "though I am afraid I will not be able to use the ice spears again, though they were such a pretty creation". Given that the guy has a beak and huge tongue you'd think he'd have a speech impediment, but nope.
Apparently Timozel is a parrot. Who's a pretty boy? Timmy wanna cracker?
Also the homoeroticism here just makes this even funnier.
You did a fantastic job!
Two more things before I finally post this comment.
Why did Faraday even need to be the Tree Friend anyway? Why choose some random ignorant noblewoman instead of oh, I don't know, AN AVAR? Why not have the secondary POV be with an Avar guy or gal or enby pal, so we actually get to learn about their culture from the inside? Instead of which we NEVER get an Avar POV. We get Icarii POVs, but the Avar are forever viewed through the lens of an ignorant outsider. One who is invariably high-handed and judgemental towards them. Even Faraday ultimately abandons them in favour of going off to help Axis and Azhure. The Avar don't get their own heroic figure. They're ultimately rendered completely unimportant, and don't get any representation beyond Raum signing off on a document. It's just so goddamn patronising.
And secondly...
BattleAxe
Frightful - 8
Dreadful - 36
Enchanter
Frightful - 2
Dreadful - 13
StarMan
Frightful - 5
Dreadful - 19
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It's pretty sad that he gets all this description which makes it seem like he's going to be a very deep, cool, complex and mysterious character given that in fact he is never going to get any development or do anything all that important. Mostly he just kind of shows up to provide Sue praise and really annoying hand-holding. And then explodes.
SCSF: And then becomes the White Stag, because he has such a ""pure heart"". Try me, Douglass. Indeed, he should rightly have a larger role than that.
Just as racist as Faraday the rich white woman being appointed leader of the Avar instead of them being led by themselves. And she never even lives among them or gets to know any of them. Like if that's supposed to be her role she should have just gone with Raum and never mind the whole forced marriage to Borneheld nonsense which ultimately doesn't go anywhere anyway.
That certainly is a big problem with this trilogy, I think: the sheer amount of plotlines Douglass put in (and then did not resolve, I presume in part because there were just too many).
Back in the 90s when this was written, this kind of crap probably wasn't even considered racist to begin with. There's a LOT of blithely ignored racism in this trilogy.
Then it is a good thing I am not from that period, I would think.
Because the author thinks "white skin" is beautiful. That's why every single one of her attractive characters is "porcelain-skinned" and other such racist nonsense. Even Shra when she grows up is considered beautiful because she's "unusually tall and fair-skinned" for an Avar. Which is of course also racist as fuck.
I... I did not even think Douglass would have gone that far, but I should not be surprised.
It's also blatant Mary Sueism. Faraday didn't have to learn anything or change as a person in order to be good enough to pass the test. She just has to... exist.
Eh, it follows logically, so here I cannot complain.
There's quite a few Norse placenames that end in "heim", as you're probably aware. Which just makes it even more jarring and out of place. Like, the Avar aren't a Nordic people. Nobody in this setting is.
I was rather more aware of German placenames ending in "heim", so...
Come to that, why don't any of the other forests eat axes?
Because they are not next to one of the Sacred Lakes, maybe? I think that is why Silent Woman Woods can do what it can, after all.
I do not think that is what he means, per se. I rather think he means that they give back by caring for the Avarinheim and "helping the seasons turn", rather than "giving back" to who/what they take.
(Given that I know where Douglass is going... I am trying to be careful in what I say. I can hardly complain about her handling of the Avar and then go down the same path, after all.)
I don't know about you, but I've seen ploughed land being used for farming and this might sound crazy but it's the exact opposite of "barren". I've seen vast fields of corn and wheat, lavender, brassicas and other crops and guess what? THEY WERE LUSH AND GREEN AND GROWING. Douglass seems to be suggesting here that converting an area into farmland turns it into a freaking desert. Which, yes, if this was at all realistic, could have happened as a result of all that deforestation. But clearly it hasn't. Nobody's starving. The Acharites are clearly rich and prosperous.
Yep, it is just so obviously wrong that I found little to say to it.
And Faraday asks no follow-up questions. Naturally
No, that would mean acknowledging that there is something wrong with this.
Well, then they do not need any depth, and they can be completely evil, so the heroes can destroy them without qualms. And so Gorgrael attacks because of "hate", not because of the influence of the Skraelings or of WolfStar (why would you even think that?).
At least she had the sense to have the villains motivated by hate be actual demons next trilogy...
Cut to later on in the trilogy, when he's now magically able to say things like "though I am afraid I will not be able to use the ice spears again, though they were such a pretty creation". Given that the guy has a beak and huge tongue you'd think he'd have a speech impediment, but nope.
And, if I recall correctly, the SkraeBolds also had trouble speaking... I think it would work if Gorgrael or WolfStar helped him out with this, but I doubt there will be anything about that.
Also the homoeroticism here just makes this even funnier.
And it is bound to become even more obvious...
The treatment of the Avar is indeed quite bad (did Isfrael, our primary culturally Avar character in Wayfarer Redemption, really need to kill the Sacred Groves, for example?) and naturally, they are not even there in DarkGlass Mountain.
You did a fantastic job!
Why, thank you!
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And he isn't "pure of heart". He's an aggressive jerk.
I think she lost interest in Faraday's storyline when she decided she hated the character for some reason.
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Or Heinlein in general, man had some questionable ideas. Or... science fiction in general, I'm told it's not uncommon enough in there.
Or maybe she got to reading the sort of person who writes that he (paraphrased) 'can't find the source of this distaste', which tracks with some of her stereotypes.
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Oh? (I have not read any of his books).
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And also that the specialization which arises from agriculture was a bad thing, but that's honestly small potatoes.
And to think some folks believe he wrote profound wisdom...
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