LBQ in another light

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:04:06 +0000


Ben Waggoner:
> One MGF thought on all of the above is that the magic of the LBQ
>is that it doesn't always bring back the person you went after.

Come to think of it, the only usually successful quest doing this is Chalana Arroy's Resurrection ritual/quest. Orlanth set off to get his wife back (and she had only retreated into winter's sleep). Making up with Yelm was a necessary step in the process.

Maybe this is where Harmast and his imitation fails? You get "flawed" results because you are on a "flawed" quest. But then even Orlanth didn't just receive sunshine from his quest, but he got Time and was Compromised.

One thing you can do with a LBQ is go to hell and make your chaotic enemy follow you. I think this is what Argrath realized and did (will do) for his second LBQ, as hinted in the Orlanth Argrathi fragment in KoS. Ridding himself of rivals (and allies), too, by letting the Ritual of the Net go somewhat astray.

>Sometimes it might create a new entity based on the questor's
>expectations,

Are you referring to Sartar's Westfaring in order to create the wyter of his kingdom, in the end the Flame of Sartar? That's a story I'd like to see written in some detail.

>or in the case of one on the course of losing their
>individuality, reshapes them in the form the questor anticipates
>(or fears).

Isn't that the mark of the successful heroquester in general?


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