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pangolin20) wrote2024-02-02 05:51 pm
BattleAxe First Read: Chapter Fourteen: Inside the Silent Woman Keep (Part II)
Chapter Fourteen (Part I) | Table of Contents | Chapter Fifteen (Part I)
NRSG: A good day, everyone, and welcome back to BattleAxe! Last time, we met with Ogden and Veremund, and there was much talk, but we learned little.
Before we begin, Chessy has said quite a lot, so let me show it:
- On the prologue, she notes that the “Prophecy of the Destroyer” is not very much about the Destroyer. Consequently, I will give it this:
A Better Commando Name: 21
- On chapter 1, she notes on the beliefs of the Seneschal “Thought no religious order ever. I'm not going to say no christian sect thinks this way, but the context strongly suggests the Catholic Church and we've never believed that we should destroy the wilderness.”
- She also suggests “plough deeply, harvest richly” as a better formula than “furrow wide, furrow deep”.
- On chapter 2, she notes that “public displays of piety doubled as ways for the noblity to show off how noble they were”.
This Is Not How Things Work: 6
- She also notes that there is only “four to fifteen months” between Rivkah giving birth to Borneheld and getting pregnant with Axis, while the current suggested interval for this is 18 months.
- On the assertion in chapter 4 that the Acharites “hate anything they do not understand” because of the Way of the Axe and the Plough, she says the following: “Just going to note that the Catholic Church freely entertained the possibility of baptizing the dog-faced men of the Antipodes. (And for some reason medieval illustrators often depicted St. Christopher as being a dog-headed man.) I'm not going to pretend all Catholics have lived up to this, but 'made in the image of God' has always referred to having a soul, not being a member of a particular people or species.”
- She notes on chapter 5 that expecting men to cheat on their wives is not very feminist. Indeed, so let me import No-Wave Feminism for this. 1 point for this, 1 for Axis getting annoyed that women are coming along, 5 for Faraday being made to apologise and giving Axis reassurance about his mother because of that, 1 point for the misogynistic shutdown in chapter 12.
And No One Laughed: 8 (for Axis complaining about women going along)
No-Wave Feminism: 8
- On chapter 9, she notes that Axis might be inspired by “‘Manly Man’ romance leads”, which certainly seems likely to me.
- On chapter 10, she points out that “Axis Rivkahson” does not fit in well. In addition, this is only one of two names in this series that has this form, so Douglass ought to have integrated this better.
- She notes that having Axis be a womaniser is not a good look for a supposedly feminist book.
No-Wave Feminism: 9
- On chapter 11, she points out that Axis could have hidden when Faraday knocked on the door.
- She also says that wild boars may have become a “major agricultural pest”, which does make sense.
- On chapter 12, she notes the following life as occurring in grasslands: “Rabbits, hares, assorted ground squirrels, assorted weasels and ferrets, large grazers like horses and cattle, assorted insects, small grazers like goats and sheep, assorted wildflowers, assorted grasses, and, if there's enough water, trees.”
- She also notes that there ought to be growing trees, which raises the question why some forest has not grown back if the Seneschal is not actively destroying it.
This Is Not How Things Work: 7
- I also get the impression that Douglass thought that areas subject to environmental destruction can never recover.
This Is Not How Things Work: 8
- In fact, let me start the count Improve Your Environmental Subplot (IYES), for this. 1 point for the grasslands being “lifeless”, 5 points for the trees not growing back, and 1 point for being unclear about the boars.
IYES: 7
- On chapter 13, she asks how Axis supplies his army, which is indeed not explained very well.
- I have also calculated the area depicted on the map of Achar as 1134600 square miles, or 2938601 km^2, and that on the larger map as ~10.5 million mi^2, or 27.2 million km^2. In addition, I have come up with the name “Stellaris” for this planet.
- On chapter 14, she notes that no monastic order “would tolerate dirty dishes”.
- She also notes the following about “destroying nature”: “As a Catholic, I can safely state that wantonly destroying nature is not good stewardship of God's creation and thus is not promoted by the Catholic Church. Quite the opposite really, all things are part of God's creation so we're supposed to be responsible with them.”
- And it seems I pulled a Douglass, and confused “blasphemy” and “heresy”, because obviously thinking that the Forbidden are not evil would be heresy to Gilbert, not “blasphemy”. Thank you, Chessy!
Well, with that out of the way, let us resume with this chapter! Veremund has just gone to pick up records of the “Forbidden”. As soon as he disappears from view, Axis “[feels] a premonition crawl down his spine”, and he reaches for his axe, but it has disappeared beneath the Woods, of course. He then notes that his “sword [stands] propped out of his reach against the wall of the Keep”. He looks over at Arne and Timozel, who are just as nervous. “How had they let their swords be placed out of their immediate reach?”
Yes, how indeed? The Brothers must be either very good at distracting them, or they have used magic, for there certainly has been no mention of it in the meantime. Or Douglass had this take place in the hour we skipped over, which certainly lessens the effect she was trying to go for.
Ogden notes their tensions, and he says that there is no danger, and Veremund has simply gone to fetch an “Icarii book[]”. And then we cut to Veremund coming down the stairs. Because why would they be suspicious of this? Here comes Ill Logic.
Ill Logic: 1
Well, Veremund has left his lamp behind, and he has “a large leather volume” that he holds with both arms. He almost drops it when he reaches the table, because of how heavy it is. Ogden opens the book, and leaves through the pages. The others can see the pages are “made of vellum”, which are covered in “an unfamiliar handwritten script” (um, what would it be but handwritten?) and “illuminations of incredible beauty.” The inks have “vivid hues”, and “gold and silver paints glitter[] among the rainbow enamels of the script.” Pretty, but impractical, I would say.
Ogden finds the right page, and he explains that the Icarii and the Avar, “often so dissimilar in nature”, had a “shared prophecy” that went back “many thousands of years”. They used to pray that it would not “[come] to fruition” during their lifetime. He goes to read it, and it is indeed the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
He does not come past the second line, however, as he complains about the firelight, and says that Veremund should have brought the lamp with him. Then… get it? And if you and Veremund do not want to, there are four other people. And if we discount Gilbert, because you do not trust him around the records, and Axis, because you want him to read it, there is still Timozel and Arne.
Ill Logic: 2
He asks Veremund, but his eyes are weaker than Ogden’s, so they call over Axis. Axis is startled, but Ogden says that “[t]he words won’t bite [him]”, and his eyes are younger. Ogden used to know the poem by heart, but he has forgotten it in the meantime. He taps on the Prophecy to indicate where Axis should begin.
Can we please stop with this charade already? It is very clear that Ogden and Veremund are not who they pretend to be, and the sooner this is over, the sooner we can get on with the plot.
Axis looks at the page for a moment, but “the writing is so strange and alien” that he cannot make out the words. He tells Ogden that he cannot read it, but Ogden says it is nonsense, and that he just has to look and concentrate. Axis does so, noting that the page feels “slightly warm”. He looks at the writing, whose letters are “strange, curved and exotic”, and whose words seem to blend together. He is distracted by the “vivid colors”. In short, it is “impossible”. He leans in some closer, and then a “wave of dizziness” passes over him, and when he blinks, “the writing [has] somehow come into focus.”
Yes, this is clearly magic. I assume one of the Brothers used a translation spell? Axis says he can read it, though it is “very strange”. He can hear a “strange melody” running through his mind, but he ignores it. Hmmm, I think he is under the influence of a spell. Ogden tells Axis to read it, and he does, his voice taking on “a low-timbred musical quality, almost as if he were singing to himself.” And then we get the first verse of the Prophecy.
While I cannot be bothered to reproduce it, I want to ask why we get the Prophecy in front of the book, without any context. It surely would be better to keep it at the back, with the glossary, would it not?
PPP: 13
I will give points for the ambiguous sentence about which brother hates the StarMan and for the ridiculous exclamation mark after “Destroyer”.
PPP: 15
Also, this:
Revive Tencendor, fast and sure
Forget the ancient war,
I do not think forgetting the Wars of the Axe will be much good.
FYRP: 39
Well, after the first verse, Axis asks what “Tencendor” means. Ogden says he will explain soon, while putting a hand on Axis’s shoulder, and asks him to finish. So Axis goes on with the second verse. And there go two points for “ere” with an apostrophe, and “’til power corrupt their hearts”.
PPP: 17
Axis say there is a break, and then another verse begins. He says he feels very strange, “almost as if he were in the grip of a dream”, and the melody that runs through his mind “[has] become louder, more insistent.” Is this truly necessary? Did Ogden and/or Veremund truly need to cast a spell like this on Axis? As long as I do not know any more, I will give it this:
Look Away: 1
Well, Axis is thankful for Ogden’s hand on his shoulder, and he does not “notice it tighten in shock” when he keeps reading. He then reads the third verse, and I just want to pull this out:
Forgiveness is the thing assured
To save Tencendor’s soul.
Once he is finished, there is silence for a bit. Then Axis looks away from “the beautiful page”. He notes that the melody has “disappeared as strangely as it [has] come.”
Timozel says he does not understand, and he says he was not very good at “book learning”, as he preferred to “spend time with [his] weapon instructor.” Oh, not to worry, Timozel, it simply is hard to understand. Gilbert says quietly that Axis must have been very good at his own book learning. He sat next to Axis while he was reading the Prophecy, but he could not decipher the writing, and he has had more training than Axis. “How had Axis managed to read what he could not?” Good to see that the only character who is suspicious about this is the “evil” one.
Veremund explains that Tencendor was the “ancient name of Achar when all three races lived together in harmony.” The Prophecy refers to a time when Gorgrael will come to conquer “Tencendor, ah, Achar.” Axis then asks if the wraiths are the “Ghostmen” and the ice creatures that attacked Gorkenfort and -town were ice creatures of Gorgrael. Ogden nods. Well, good to know that, but can we please get more information than this, and faster, too?!
Gilbert says it is “completely ridiculous”, “amazed that Axis [can] be taking these lines seriously.” He says it is a “heretical book”, and he cannot listen to those words. Axis turns on Gilbert and says that “[he doesn’t] care if [they] listen to the words of a pox-ridden whore whose brain is riddles with the diseases of her trade”, as long as they make some sense.
No-Wave Feminism: 9 (that was completely unnecessary!)
Also, it does matter whose words you are listening to, Axis! Who is to say that this not a false prophecy, and that the Brothers did not just fabricate it from whole cloth, and used magic to let you read it? Because that is certainly what all this is looking like!
Ill Logic: 3
He turns back to Ogden and Veremund, saying he understands the bit about the trouble in the north, but the rest is a riddle to him. Then one of the Brothers (who it is, is not clear) speaks up.
PPP: 18
He says that he is afraid that prophecies are a little like riddles, and they are easy to interpret when you know what they mean, “almost impossible when you don’t.” He thinks that it is dangerous when you “misinterpret them”. Timozel then speaks, saying that the Prophecy also referred to a “StarMan”. Vermund frowns, and says that he is tied by blood to the Destroyer, so he just might be a brother. Oh, come on! They are so clearly playing coy here.
Then Gilbert comes with this:
Gilbert laughed incredulously, his pimply face scornful as he looked at the two elderly Brothers. “Oh? So you now tell us that we not only face some mythical Destroyer, a legend of the Forbidden, but that we have to put our trust in his brother? If the Destroyer is born of Wing and Horn then he is one of the Forbidden himself. His brother can only be of the Forbidden too. My friends, I think you have been too long closeted with your books. The Seneschal will not allow the Forbidden back into Achar. Never.”
Oh my, how evil Gilbert is! He is actually quite reasonable within his framework of thought. Why should they ally themselves with the brother, who they have never heard of before, of the person who wants to conquer Tencendor? And, since Gilbert thinks the “Forbidden” are evil, why would he want to ally himself with one of them? And yet, we are supposed to see him as especially intolerant for this.
At this, Veremund stands up and clears the table. He puts his hands briefly on Arne and Timozel’s shoulders, thinking that “[t]hey [have] heard enough for one night.” He says that everyone is tired after the long ride, it is late, and they need to “sleep on this”. “All will seem clearer in the light of the morning.”
Timozel and Arne both yawn and stretch. Veremund then “touche[s] Axis lightly on the arm and brushe[s] Gilbert’s back with his fingers as he walk[s] past.” Um… He says he will prepare a “sleeping chamber” for them higher up, and “[a]ll will be well in the morning”. Axis finally feels very tired, and realises that he cannot “think clearly” anymore, and Veremund speaks sense.
Gilbert tries to say that he really thinks they should… but then he yawns, too. He decides that Veremund is right, and Veremund leads them all to bed.
So let me see… Going by how everyone began to feel tired immediately after Veremund touched them, I can say quite clearly that put a spell on them to make them feel sleepy. And there is no good reason for this, other than that he wants himself and Ogden to be able to look in their minds, as we will find out next chapter.
Look Away: 5 (one point for Gilbert, Axis, Arne, and Timozel each)
A scene break, and we pick up a quarter of an hour later, when the four men are sleeping in the designated room. They only paused long enough to “remove their outer clothes” and pull off their boots, before crawling “into their blankets”. Veremund waits until they are sleeping, and then he walks down the stairs. Ogden still sits at the table, his hand “resting lovingly” on the Prophecy. Veremund slowly sits down at the table, Ogden asking if they have “waited [their] time out”.
Veremund says that no Acharite “has been able to read those words for almost a thousand years.” I… am not sure that that is the case, given that StarDrifter had Axis with Rivkah, so who is to say that he did not have children with other Acharites? He says that no one can read them, “lest he or she be of Icarii blood”. Well, good to hear it spelled out. I do wonder how Axis and the people around him will react to this… (Also, just use “they” already, Douglass.) Veremund notes that he did not tell the entire truth to Gilbert earlier, as while the three races do speak a common language, “the Icarii also [speak] a sacred language reserved only for the most holy or important occasions.” And the Prophecy has been composed in that language.
Well, that explains why Gilbert could not read it. And good to see that only the Icarii have such a different language; I do not recall the Avar having this. It is not worth a point now, but this does point toward a quite large problem: Douglass favours the Icarii over the Avar.
Ogden says that Axis must also be “of the Icarii line of Enchanters”, as the final verse was “heavily warded” (why?), and they had not even heard it until now. They stare into each other’s eyes for a moment, then Ogden whispers that it is “[their] task to be heedful”, and Veremund says “[w]atchful”.
Neither of them speaks the thought that they has when Axis spoke the last verse. That verse was “meant for the eyes of one person only.” It has been unread since the ink and the spells were “still wet on the page”. And now the Prophecy is “awake and walking the ancient land of Tencendor”, and by the look of Axis, “it [has] been doing so for some thirty years.” Oh my! That is certainly momentous news!
And here the chapter ends.
Well, that could have been much more than it was, except that the flow of information is restricted to a trickle. How are we supposed to grasp the momentousness of these revelations if we do not have the proper information? Oh well, at least next chapter will be more… interesting. Until then!
no subject
I find this pretty hilarious, because forgiveness is very much NOT a theme in this trilogy. Just the opposite. Not one single character designated "Evil" ever gets redeemed, even when they had justified reasons to have turned evil or were coerced in some way or in DragonStar's case was FAR too young to be held responsible for his actions. Nor do Axis or Azhure ever forgive anyone who goes against them in any way. Nope, petty revenge all round.
NRSG: Well, little wonder then that Tencendor ends up as it does eventually. I also think this is a terrible position to hold in general, and I doubt that it will solve much in this series...
Because it's so poorly written.
And because they literally cannot know what all the sub-prophecies refer to, and the Sentinels refuse to explain.
Christ the dialogue in this thing is awful. It's full of clunky as hell overwritten lines like this one and sounds absolutely nothing like an actual person talking.
Oh, certainly.
Not that having them be brothers actually matters in any way shape or form.
And Axis already has an "evil" brother. Does he really need to have two of them?
It's UNLESS, you moron.
I will put that in!
no subject
Ha, good point.
Same. There is a time when it's best to be ruthless, and there are times when it's better to exercise basic human compassion. Even when the other person 100% deserves to die that doesn't necessarily mean you should kill them, or that doing it would be justified.
It really pisses me off how this trilogy misuses the word "compassion". We're constantly told that our trio of Sues are incredibly compassionate but... they're not. They're heartless assholes who don't even care about other peoples' feelings as far as exercising basic good manners.
And at least his being Borneheld's brother is relevant to the plot!