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SP4 - Nomadic irony


Ixthos

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One of two posts I'm making quickly, this one being the shorter of the pair. 

This is a world that mirrors Nomad perfectly - Nomad has been rendered unable to inflict physical violence deliberately and must always be on the move, while this is a world where most of the people seem to have a strange aversion to killing or fighting in general, and where they always have to move, to avoid danger that relentlessly travels behind them. The second point is one Brandon already made, that this world matches Nomads need to keep moving, but the first I think is relevant also.

Nomad can't force himself to directly harm people, and he always has to keep moving. On this world that behaviour, both parts of it, are the norm.

 

Also, because this post is very short, and the second one is getting longer than I liked, I'll also just say this quickly. I like that we are in a sense seeing that may be a type of "what if?" story for the Cosmere - a "what if" someone from another world had visited Scadrial, and brought there own strange magic to oppose the Lord Ruler. "What if" Kelsier's crew was aided by an Awakener, or a Sand Master, or an Elantrian (with access to the Dor). Or even if Hoid had gotten directly involved. Sigzil has arrived on this world, with a great deal of knowledge about the rest of the Cosmere, and just entered into another people's struggle for survival against what is implied to be a would-be world conqueror (possibly with Scadrian support or an awareness of Scadrial). I think it is very interesting to see the story of someone who is fleeing from a terrible Cosmere-level danger, and stuck now helping a local resistance or refugee group that is struggling against a genuine threat to their own world, a dark lord who turns their own beloved people against them, and who himself is likely going to be annihilated if the Night Brigade reach him. It's like if Keliser's crew was fighting against Rashek, who himself is trying to contain Ruin, only for a Knight Radiant to show up who is on the run from something like Odium (though obviously we don't know the true level of danger the Night Brigade represents beyond the implicit threat they represent in Wit's cryptic statement about worlds dying).

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53 minutes ago, Ixthos said:

This is a world that mirrors Nomad perfectly - Nomad has been rendered unable to inflict physical violence deliberately and must always be on the move, while this is a world where most of the people seem to have a strange aversion to killing or fighting in general, and where they always have to move, to avoid danger that relentlessly travels behind them. The second point is one Brandon already made, that this world matches Nomads need to keep moving, but the first I think is relevant also.

Nomad can't force himself to directly harm people, and he always has to keep moving. On this world that behaviour, both parts of it, are the norm.

I am afraid I need to point that the very first event Sigzil witnessed on that world was a mass execution. That was followed by gladiatorial combat. I have a problem combining that with general nonviolence. There are nonviolent people, but as a general trait?

 

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18 minutes ago, Oltux72 said:

I am afraid I need to point that the very first event Sigzil witnessed on that world was a mass execution. That was followed by gladiatorial combat. I have a problem combining that with general nonviolence. There are nonviolent people, but as a general trait?

 

I refer you to exhibit A, the use of the word "killer" in the story:

Quote

“Maybe?” she said.  “He helped rescue Thomos, who I had missed spotting in the grass.  Tell his family we have him.  But before that, this stranger pretended to be a killer to get me to free him, then wasn’t much use in the fighting.”

[...]

“It is agreeable to me,” Zeal finally said.  “You can trust him to us, Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually.”

“What if he’s dangerous?” the tall man whispered.  “Rebeke said…he might be a killer.”

“Those are frorens on his wrists, Adonalsium-Will-Remember-Our-Plight-Eventually,” Zeal said.  “Presumably, ones that the Cinder King hasn’t yet had chance to reset.  I think we shall be well.”

[...]

“Maybe he’s a killer!” the bearded man said, grabbing his own chair and settling in, leaning forward.  “Our own killer!  Did you see how he glared at me!”

That…was not how Nomad had expected this man to respond to his presence.  The bearded fellow was smiling, eager.

Rebeke shook her head at the bearded man.  “If he was a killer, I think I’d know it, Jeffrey Jeffrey.”

[...]

“Yet, I offer further grim insight: he will never be taken by surprise again in a raid like this one today.  His cinder killers will stand alert, prepared in wisdom against our further antics of malfeasance.  The Cinder King will nary again allow a clever hack of their frozen bands, and his people will nary again let themselves become so distracted by their games that they relax their guard.

Note especially the middle section that is also underlined. Most people on this world can't process committing violence, but those who can seem to be an asset - we were also seeing things in a city under the Cinder King's control. Also consider how the people first reacted when Sigzil tried to resist - they were shocked and called for the ember warriors, and how the people fled in the arena, the warriors not used to people fighting back.

Edited by Ixthos
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