Song of the Mysteries, Preview 2

Wars of Light and Shadow
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Throughout the series, we have been told what would happen if mankind sundered the compact, mankind has no means to flee the destruction that will fall on them, Morriel and her waystone are gone, the town born are not going to be fleeing Athera in space ships. They do not have the knowledge to use one if they could get their hands on one still working. Even if they could unlock the south gate, those worlds are still not habitable, the west gate is also locked, North is dragons only and although we have yet to find out what the east gate is for, if people had been vanishing though it I would think we would have heard of it. It would not be accessible to mankind at the time they need a refuge. Sundering the compact is completely different to issues like black powder that would eventually lead to mass destruction that might endanger the compact. And even when the s’Brydion brothers ran afoul of the Fellowship with that, exile was not an option since South Gate was not working Sundering the compact is a lot different to doing something that might in the future threaten it. Either the Fellowship or the dragons will act to preserve the mysteries.

They fail to preserve the mysteries, Athera will also fail and end up lifeless, one way or another, there would be no peaceful solution to the problem. The Fellowship can restore the planet, they cannot restore the human life lost.

Arithon would have a plan, he is not going to risk mankinds destruction. Janny will likely keep us guessing till almost the end what is going to happen. But the townborn are in no way ready to use the mysteries to leave Athera, the Fellowship is not going to protect them from Lysaers vengeance or a dragons fury, so either the compact stays intact or perhaps they will be protected some other way till the situation is sorted out. But no one will be leaving Athera till it is sorted out.

The Biedar are free to leave when ever they want to, but are waiting for Arithon to do something, Arithon would need to take care of the Mistwraith and Lysaer before doing that it seems.

It is not clear how most of the dragons were convinced to leave Athera, probably yet another prophecy, but if the compact is sundered and Athera and the Paravians endangered, I would think the dragons would return to Athera. If they can be convinced to stay on the other side of North gate, we already have at least one live dragon on Athera, who will not be snoozing when it is time for her to act. There have been mentioned locations that might be useful to hide from a wrathful dragon, but they cannot hide forever.

I would be expecting the Fellowship to leave Athera at the end of the third age/start of the 4th age, probably the Biedar will as well. Mankind was still there during the 7th age. So they do survive the third age, Arithon also survives it. We find out in the Song of the Mysteries how they manage to do it.

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yeah i know, but to not be present for his death feels wrong. I would have liked to hear his final thoughts.

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I’m curious did the Paravians send Chiladis back the same sort of way they Arithon or have they lowered their barrier now that the sky’s are clear and they seem to be stabilised.
Im thinking that Kathtair might be the new home for Mankind given the main continent os actually usually referred to as Paravia or the Paravian Continent.
Im curious to see if Lysaer stayed free of the curse after Arithon returned to this side of fate’s wheel.
I really hope we get to see something special from Seshcozsriel.
I think the 5th lane is mostly in reference to the damn that diverted the river it’s been mentioned many time from even the earliest books.
Please please please restore Traithe.

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But if it was the dam, which has been there for centuries without dimming the fifth lane, why would Laithen s’Idir be behaving like she thinks Arithon is about to go kill someone? The dam is just water, it is not evil, or doing anything bad, how would it dim the fifth lane?

Also I think removing the dam would not need to be a mission viciously guarded from the clans, or something any clan born would be arguing with Arithon about, the clans would want the dam gone. Destroying the dam is not going to be threatening Arithon’s integrity. Why would Arithon be suffering a hideous mass of remorse over a dam? There also seems to be more than one obstruction to be dealt with. Etarra is built on the fifth lane, and is under the control of the True Sect. Any new city built on Daon Ramon would likely need a source of water, Arithon might not even need to destroy the dam, it might already be gone. Any new city built on Daon Ramon, would also be controlled by the True Sect, the clans and Arithon would restore Ithamon, they would not build a new city. It was in Fugitive Prince that Dakar saw the new city as he was trying to find the execution that Jierret had seen. The last scene seen by Dakar, the city, sheeted in fire and burning would possibly be the event they are worrying about in the preview.

And why is Lysaer being dressed up to be put on display? What momentous event will the True Sect be celebrating? Arithon is still alive and free, so it does not concern Arithon, at lreast not directly. Why would Arithon suddenly take it into his head he has to deal with the obstructions dimming the fifth lane? What changed? It would have to be I think something recent, not a serious problem in the books we have read. Only a year has passed since our last visit to Athera, what could the True Sect have done to cause a problem with the fifth lane?

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Hundreds of years have passed since Fugative Prince and both princes have grown in fundamental ways. Cannot see Janny keeping Lysaer around if his story line is not integral to the finale of the series.

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I thought the shock that Sulfen Evend felt with the Beidar knife cut was because his “sight” was finally unleashed and he was shown in that instant the depth of his arcane potential. At that point, he had to fully acknowledge and accept his Clan heritage.

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The damn would have had an effect on the fifth lane because it was built by Ettara (if i recall correctly). The damn has adversely effected the wilds of Daon Ramon. We’ve seen visions of what the Barron’s were like in their full glory before the damn changed it all. Given removal of the damn will likely have a negative effect on the city of Ettara itself i imagine removing it will once again bring the powers that be in Ettara to actively hunt Arithon and be used as more evidence of his ‘danger’ to the town born. Once again showing the ignorance and self interest of the towns thinking (much like the Koriathain) that the natural resources and elements are there to serve their interests and for their profits. When restoring the natural flow of the watercourse would purify the land and increase the flow of the mysteries which is part of the duties of the crown families and their clan allies. Mankind does not have the right to anything on Athera they exist there on sufference. I must admit id’ve run out of patience with their ignorance long ago.

Is anyone else keen to see what happened to Fiark and Faylind’s blood line.
I’d also love to learn more about Verrain i think he’s far to good to be such a side character

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Jlipscombe, have you read the short story “The Gallant”? It tells some of Verrain’s history.

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No I just found the short stories on here. Ive got to see if I can get them on my phone. Ive got a Kindle and I see they aren’t available on that device.

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Hi @Jlipscombe,

There should be two options for each e-book in the Studio Shop. The default is “EPub - for most readers except Kindle”. You can change this dropdown menu to “Mobipocket - for Kindle devices and Mobipocket reader”. Both are the same price. Let me know if you have any troubles purchasing!

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Thanks i’ll have a look when I get paid next week.

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Wasn’t the True Sect recruiting talented priests to work on their behalf? Would their efforts behind Etarra’s walls or in the free wilds around Etarra dim the 5th lane?

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It could, but we had a group of necromancers at work and it did not dim the 5th lane, true it would have if they had been allowed to continue. What are the priests up to, or have they already gone the same way as Lysaer’s original lot of talented priests?

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