[TUC Spoilers]The effects of Chorae

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Wolfdrop

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« on: July 28, 2017, 09:43:45 pm »
As far as I'm aware this has been the first book where we've seen "partial" salting. Where a limb or part of one, usually arms of legs is salted from contact instead of killing them.

Yes, we've seen "rinds" or skin damage from proximity to Chorae but not from direct hits.

Serwa survives a direct hit and only loses the arm? But before we've seen cases with those have especially deep Marks to start salting from just proximity. Surely a Mark like Serwa's should have left her dead after a direct hit to the arm rather than losing the limb?

In fact, in the first chapter of TDTCB, Achamian is essentially held at gunpoint by a Chorae above his palm. Now, at 44 years of age at the start his Mark must have been pretty deep.

I made Chorae feel less dangerous seeing people survive them. Was there any explanation for this?

Following Serwa's example shouldn't
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« Last Edit: July 28, 2017, 11:53:43 pm by H »

Purrball

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« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2017, 11:31:36 pm »
I suspect it might have to do with contact time. Serwe was moving when she was hit, perhaps the chorae was only in contact for fractions of a second. With kelhus, the chorae was held to his leg, maybe for over a second.

Other possibility, is some effect of Serwe's magical sword limits the effectiveness of chorae.

I think we've seen burns or scarring from close proximity to a chorae before, I could be wrong, been a while since I've read the series.

TLEILAXU

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« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2017, 12:39:56 am »
The way I remember/interpret it, Serwa doesn't take a direct hit to her skin.

codebread

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« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2017, 04:03:19 am »
It certainly reads like it actually hit her, but perhaps it's just an editing issue. The sword theory is an interesting one.

Wolfdrop

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« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2017, 10:33:35 am »
You might be onto something with the Cindersword.

Didn't it render Mirshoa immune to Skuthula's fire, hence why it went in with the jaws?

Madness

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« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2017, 01:29:43 pm »
Lol, I can't wait to read the canon version of Serwa's Dance. And really everything leading up to fucking Skuthula!

Don't Chorae Bowmen refer to the direct hit as a "spank?"

The Cindersword no doubt has interesting properties attributed to it (is there a Glossary entry?). And in TGO the Boy used Mimara's knife pilfered from the Coffers to "make light" scraping a Chorae so Emidilis was able to fashion sorcerous weapons that counteract the effects of Chorae in some way.

I don't think we'll ever get a clear elucidation regarding the Sorcerous Spectrum of Salting ;).
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SmilerLoki

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« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2017, 02:10:00 pm »
And in TGO the Boy used Mimara's knife pilfered from the Coffers to "make light" scraping a Chorae so Emidilis was able to fashion sorcerous weapons that counteract the effects of Chorae in some way.
Actually, all sorcerous artifacts created by Emilidis are immune to Chorae. It's in the glossary.

Somnambulist

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« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2017, 02:33:55 pm »
I think it said something like it merely grazed her knuckle, but it was enough to salt her hand and forearm (paraphrasing badly).
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Wolfdrop

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« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2017, 03:48:55 pm »
I missed have missed the part in the glossary about his stuff being immune to Chorae.

And nope, no entry on Cinderswords.

themerchant

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« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2017, 05:13:23 pm »
And in TGO the Boy used Mimara's knife pilfered from the Coffers to "make light" scraping a Chorae so Emidilis was able to fashion sorcerous weapons that counteract the effects of Chorae in some way.
Actually, all sorcerous artifacts created by Emilidis are immune to Chorae. It's in the glossary.

Indeed and his quest to make an object indistinguishable from god's creation.

Cinderswords are covered by the sword's name in the glossary i believe I can't recall what it is called now, but there were 6 of them, and they rendered their bearers immune to dragonfire.

I noticed that Chrorae seemed to work differently. Or worked a bit different from how i thought they did.

The Serwe part is "The quarrel barely stubbed her knuckle and yet it was enough-more than enough."


Madness

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« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2017, 02:43:58 pm »
And in TGO the Boy used Mimara's knife pilfered from the Coffers to "make light" scraping a Chorae so Emidilis was able to fashion sorcerous weapons that counteract the effects of Chorae in some way.
Actually, all sorcerous artifacts created by Emilidis are immune to Chorae. It's in the glossary.

I missed have missed the part in the glossary about his stuff being immune to Chorae.

And nope, no entry on Cinderswords.

Thank you :).

And in TGO the Boy used Mimara's knife pilfered from the Coffers to "make light" scraping a Chorae so Emidilis was able to fashion sorcerous weapons that counteract the effects of Chorae in some way.
Actually, all sorcerous artifacts created by Emilidis are immune to Chorae. It's in the glossary.

Indeed and his quest to make an object indistinguishable from god's creation.

Cinderswords are covered by the sword's name in the glossary i believe I can't recall what it is called now, but there were 6 of them, and they rendered their bearers immune to dragonfire.

I noticed that Chrorae seemed to work differently. Or worked a bit different from how i thought they did.

The Serwe part is "The quarrel barely stubbed her knuckle and yet it was enough-more than enough."

And thank you, Captain Slogger ;).
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Cynical Cat

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« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2017, 11:15:46 am »
Remember that the Witch Most Holy is young.  Her Mark isn't as deep as middle aged Akka because she hasn't as much time to pile up all that black ink.  Both Moenghus and Inrau, who were comparatively small fry as sorcerers go, were not instantly slain when they were directly touched with Chorae.  So the hit to an extremity is merely a mortal wound to Serwa instead of instant death.

I love how Serwa's Dance is both awesome and an inversion of the "beautiful woman fights naked with a sword" trope.

SmilerLoki

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« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2017, 11:34:27 am »
Remember that the Witch Most Holy is young.  Her Mark isn't as deep as middle aged Akka
Pretty sure she has one of the most severe Marks in the series. It's supported by Mimara seeing her as "slender Ciphrang", and Mimara never referenced Achamian in such strong terms. I seem to remember there was a passage somewhere (probably around the Last Whelming) stating that Serwa's Mark is deeper than that of Cleric. Not 100% certain, though. [edit] Couldn't find any such passage, so the quote in my post below is a more accurate assessment of Serwa's Mark.

My guess is it has something to do with her Metagnostic proficiency.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2017, 12:29:51 pm by SmilerLoki »

Cynical Cat

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« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2017, 11:38:19 am »
Being damned isn't the same as having the Mark.  Just ask the Scylvendi.  I'm rereading the book now and I'll keep an eye open to references how deep her Mark is.  My first read through was almost too fast. 

SmilerLoki

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« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2017, 11:41:44 am »
Being damned isn't the same as having the Mark.
As far as I remember Mimara always strongly connected a sorcerer's damnation with their Mark. At least that was my reading of her judgments. It always seemed very interesting to me.

Got a quote from "The Last Whelming":
Quote from: R. Scott Bakker, "The Unholy Consult"
She glares up into Serwa’s face, struck yet again by the heinous profundity of the witch’s Mark—as deep as any sorcerer of rank despite her tender years.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2017, 11:48:17 am by SmilerLoki »