Spirit Walker - Spoilers - Chapters 1 through part of 14

[zzzMonster]

i really do hope that killing shot is going to mis clover, it'd better, knowing fel's characters, kyven'd stop loving dana pretty soon if she managed to shoot the kindest person he knew.

offcourse, fel has been known to pull our leg.

just as a thought, there are perhaps a million arcans in haven, governed by about 1000 shamans, since arcans are stronger then the average human, and shamans command incredible power, couldn't the arcans win an all-out war?

Problems with an all out war are yeah, arcans have shamans, but they don't have a lot of crystals, they don't have a lot of lightning tubes fire tubes, death boxes etc; the humans do. So where as you have 1000 really super soldiers, and the rest of the foot soldiers are stronger and faster than the humans, they still aren't faster or stronger than thousands of fire tubes or lightning tubes (which the army of humans would have*). It also comes down to numbers, just like in many fantasy/sci-fi stories, Fel has set up this world where there is an imbalance of numbers, there are lot more than just a million humans. And the east coast, where the humans are and where the arcans are slaves, is the place with all the crystals. Sure the shamans can make crystals, and now with kyven they might be able to cut them also, but there is only so much that the limited number can do, and kyven can only cut so many crystals. The industrial might of the loremasters/loreguard and their alchemists is just too strong, it would kind of be like the american civil war with the industrial north and the southern blockade runners. Ever crystal that the arcans wanted to get would have to be mined and shipped in from/through enemy territory, or made with some effort by the shaman.

It all comes down to numbers, and the arcan don't have them.

~Michael

Hmm...nothing is impossible in the world of Fel. Maybe the spirits can turn all the loremasters into Arcans...

[kabalman2000]

Problems with an all out war are yeah, arcans have shamans, but they don't have a lot of crystals, they don't have a lot of lightning tubes fire tubes, death boxes etc; the humans do. So where as you have 1000 really super soldiers, and the rest of the foot soldiers are stronger and faster than the humans, they still aren't faster or stronger than thousands of fire tubes or lightning tubes (which the army of humans would have*)...

Hmmm ... I'm not sure about that. Since at least some shaman can make crystals and at least some arcans have worked with alchemists (and at least one alchemist is friends with the masked), the arcans of haven could very will have arms the equivalent or better (better crystals) than the humans.

As to quantity of warriors, that probably depends on who attacks whom. I can't really see the loremasters mustering even half a million. And the real problem is, as always, feeding the army as it moves.

At a guess, the worst thing the loremasters could do would be to conscript most of the arcan slaves and collar them with a collar that makes them attack their brothers and sisters.

I wonder if an alchemical device could be made that drains all cut crystals in a certain area, depower all the collars at once (and all the weapons that would keep the newly freed slaves in check. Imagine loosing that device in Alamar.

[Quindo Ma]

Hmm...nothing is impossible in the world of Fel. Maybe the spirits can turn all the loremasters into Arcans...

That.... is impossible.
As Fel stated, the spirits cannot do something like that against the wishes of someone. Unless of course, the shaman summoning them gives them a blank check to do so.

[Elsh]

The most important factor in a war between the arcans and the humans are the spirits and their willingness to help the Arcans or lend the Arcan shamans their powers. Think what would happen to a human army that was attacked by shadow foxes (the monsters not the spirit) in the middle of the night, especially if they were instructed to go after loreguard/leadership first. Even further, if this war took place in 8-10 years (book 2) a fleet of shadow fox arcans would totally decimate a human army if they attacked at night. A silent and invisible enemy, that can travel through shadows and kill in a single hit versus humans with human limitations.

I believe that arcans have the advantage where alchemical weapons are concerned, not in quantity but in power and quality. Shamans can make not only the best crystals 'flawless' but also the biggest crystals. I'm gonna take a leap of faith and assume that arcans have a solid understanding of alchemy between the number of them that work in human alchemy shops and their familiarity with crystals, they must have picked up more than a few things. The key would be to craft a few super powered alchemical weapons and use them guerilla war style, instead of in a direct confrontation. For example, making a few HUGE death boxes and dropping them onto the human army while they rest or sleep, kill thousands or tens of thousands at once. I think a war that employed guile and deceit would easily overtake a human army.

[IdiotPaste]

Now that Kyven knows that there is more to being a shadow fox then just the disapearing in shadows trick, I'm curious to know how he expands that power.

I think it would be great if he happend apon a real shadow fox and observed/learned from it. Would a real shadow fox recognize what and who Kyven is? And would there be a connection between the two? Kyven is the spirit shadow fox's shaman (and a shadow fox, at least temporarily) and the real shadow fox are sort of her children. Maybe it's like with Tarrin and regular cats, they respect him and will often do what he asks of them. Maybe Kyven befriends one (sort of like Eron and Sandy), which when/if he becomes human and looses his shadow fox power still gives him a nearly invisible friend to help him during his walk/quest/mission.

[Ledsmith]

Now that Kyven knows that there is more to being a shadow fox then just the disapearing in shadows trick, I'm curious to know how he expands that power.

Remember what the spirit said "you are the shadow". Sounds eerily like the fact that Tarrin can "be the fire" when he was a demi-god. So that begs the question...can Kyven move through shadows like Tarrin could "teleport" through fire. This could be even more useful then the disapearing trick.

[boballab]

Now that Kyven knows that there is more to being a shadow fox then just the disapearing in shadows trick, I'm curious to know how he expands that power.

Remember what the spirit said "you are the shadow". Sounds eerily like the fact that Tarrin can "be the fire" when he was a demi-god. So that begs the question...can Kyven move through shadows like Tarrin could "teleport" through fire. This could be even more useful then the disapearing trick.

I was thinking the same thing when the Shadowfox said that. Then I got another thought when you remember the fight between the Shadowfox and Kyven: Kyven couldn't grab the Shadowfox. At first I just blew it off as her being a spirit, but then the thought struck me: You can't grab a hold of a shadow either. What if the reason Kyven couldn't grab her was not that she was a spirit but because she was a Shadowfox? If the Shadowfox meant in a literal sense that Kyven becomes a shadow then he might be able to turn himself insubstantial. If he can Shadow travel like Tarrin did with fire; and be insubstantial he could sneak up on anyone, anywhere a person casted a shadow. They would stand no chance against him.

[Elsh]

That's interesting Bob. I wonder how important size would be to shadow travel if such a thing were possible.

Can big ol' Kyven appear out of the shadow below someone's chin or hand, or would he need a large and substantial shadow to appear from?

[boballab]

That's interesting Bob. I wonder how important size would be to shadow travel if such a thing were possible.

Can big ol' Kyven appear out of the shadow below someone's chin or hand, or would he need a large and substantial shadow to appear from?

If what I postulated is what Fel intends, I believe that he would probably put some restrictions in place dealing with size.

[Elsh]

However it works, I'm excited to see it play out.

That and I hope that if Dana kills Clover, Toby double-crosses Dana and kills her, so that Kyven can kill Toby.

[sOmeone]

That and I hope that if Dana kills Clover, Toby double-crosses Dana and kills her, so that Kyven can kill Toby.

I dont think danna is going to be killed quite yet.

[michaelsuave]

Fel, if you would be willing, would love to find the answers out to any of these questions.

1. Disappear in darkness (we already know this one).
2. Shadow doesn't have weight; the shadow fox can walk on top of water, maybe kyven can also? On the other hand, this may just be an aspect of how the shadow fox reacts to the real world. Though we know that the shadowfox can interact with the real world in a tangible way (she attacked kyven with her teeth and claws*) We also know that shadow fox does not leave tracks. The only time Kyven saw his track was when he was by the stream during the daylight in chapter 9. Its possible that he does not leave tracks when he is merged with the darkness.
3. Shadow does not have definitive boundaries. Perhaps kyven will be able to squeeze through tight spots, or maybe even phase out of the way from physical or tangible attacks. Might have problems with attacks that also cause light...
4. Shadow does not give off a smell. Arcan's can smell each other with scent. Dogs and animals are present in this world, so dogs might be able to track a loose arcan. However darkness does not give off a scent. It could be possible that when Kyven merges with the darkness, he is not leaving a scent trail.
5. Shadow(s) is/are everywhere. We know/believe that the shadow fox can travel through shadows. Perhaps kyven can do the same? There are always shadows, even in the brightest of days. This would be a big help to kyven.

And finally, the big questions are, when kyven becomes a human again (assumption I know*) will he keep his shadow abilities given to him by the shadow fox? And, will he be able to transform himself into a shadow arcan and back again (transmutation, something fel likes*).

Ok, so I still think this is the heart of a lot of questions we need answered. There are a lot of things shadows can do, or people using shadow magic can do. I also think we should look at the shadow dragon in the sennadar series to get a basic idea of what kyven might be able to do. He won't have the breath weapon, he won't be able to blanket out an area in darkness (well maybe he will? ) but these are still the questions I'd like answered.

~Michael

[Elsh]

so uhhhmmm....is there any chance that I could study for you or take your finals for you and free you up to write?

I have plenty of time on my hands, and I've already finished the internet.

[alkiera]

That and I hope that if Dana kills Clover, Toby double-crosses Dana and kills her, so that Kyven can kill Toby.

I dont think danna is going to be killed quite yet.

I agree. I figure that if she so much as threatens Clover, Kyven is gonna jump in the way. It's also possible that Clover doesn't need defending... She handled Toby fairly effectively. Consider the scene where the wolf guy is teaching Kyven to throw lightning; he says he can't be hurt by it. Why, then, would an alchemy-based death effect necessarily be able to kill a Shaman?

I see something more like Danna threatens Clover, Kyven gets in way, and Toby threatens Danna over hurting/killing Kyven. If the situation comes up at all. I'd prefer the case where Danna meets them before knowing which of the several Arcans is the shaman (unfortunately, Toby knows), and then is surprised that the Shaman is the 'sweetness and light' Arcan. Perhaps lead to some growth on the part of Danna.

Somehow, I see Toby not surviving this trip. I'm not clear on why he's there (guile and deceit, indeed) Shadow Fox is too trixy for me.

[D.F. Thompson]

Or it could be that Danna just might get a first hand experience of actually meeting the shadow fox. And possibly suffer the same fate as Kyven.

The shadow fox watched the human woman with calm, mildly curious eyes. She watched her as the woman looked down at her bloody hands, then carefully cleaned the blood into a handkerchief and tucked it into a pocket. She had more blood on her, on her wrists, on the insides of her thighs in bloody streaks from shimmying up the rope, on her boots, on her surcoat, in her hair.
And in her body.
The shadow fox nodded to herself, unwrapping her tail and standing up, then padding on silent feet into the forest.
The seeds were all planted. Now came the patience of waiting for the harvest.

Seems like something is in the works. And only Fel knows.