Thom Merrilin

[RobertAlexWillis]

I would pick up a gun.

;)

 

 

[Serenla]

I would pick up a gun.

;)

 

 

 

Yeah, A rapid fire machine gun!!!  ;D

[Elgee]

I would pick up a gun.

;)

 

 

Snorted coffee out my nose  ;D

[Kaznen]

The sword.  But if no sword was around you wouldn't say, "well I'm dead, all I have is this knife and I would be better off spitting at the trolloc."  No you would use the knife and all I'm saying is with a little skill that would be a winnable fight.

 

Remember also the fight was on a narrow street.  Six people shoulder to shoulder would be packed and add swinging slashy swords they would get in each other's way.  I would have been better if they did use epee/rapiers.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Guys, they were 7 to 9 hired street thugs versus a former spy/assassin, a royal bodyguard, a Seanchan High Lady who is apparently a martial arts expert, and the man who Thom said has the fastest hands he's ever seen.  And yes, the alleyway definitely helps the knife fighters.

 

Normally, a bunch of guys with swords would have chopped four regular people with knives into tiger food.  But this isn't "normally".  A sufficient difference in skill more than makes up the difference in the weaponry.

 

Edit: corrected estimate of attackers.

[Kaznen]

RAW you forgot to mention that Mat was also Captain Andor.

[RobertAlexWillis]

RAW you forgot to mention that Mat was also Captain Andor.

 

And you're confusing real-life (okay, real fantasy-life) abilities with superpowers.  Or are you saying that natural ability and training doesn't make a huge difference?

[Kaznen]

Being an expert in millitary science and combat because of a deal made with strange mystical demi-godlike fox people is kinda a super power.

 

I bet Mat would be a better swordsman then Lan if he gave it a try.

[RobertAlexWillis]

LOL ... OK, I missed the thrust of your statement Kaznen, I understand now.  I thought you were sarcastically saying that is was unrealistic to expect Mat, Tuon, Selucia, and Thom to win the fight.  I understand your point now.  My bad.

[CUBAREY]

However, Thom also talks about how time changes legends and tales. I can't remember who he's speaking to but it essentially goes, "Who knows, maybe I'll be the hero of the tale in the next Age, I'll really be breathing fire instead of "breathing fire"." -Yes, that's paraphrased.

 

He is speaking to Elayne on the Sea-Folk Ship on the way to Tanchico at the begining of Book 4.

[Mr Ares]

If you had to face a Trolloc would you pick up a sword or a knife?

Flamethrower. Or panzerfaust. More fun.

[Gentled Ben]

 

I don't think it is ever clearly stated, but the only forge that is ever mentioned in the Blight is Thakan'dar. If the trolloc blades come from elsewhere, it would make sense that RJ would have included mention of that in the passage where we see the swords being forged at Thankan'dar. I think he would have been specific about only myrddraal sword being forged here, the trolloc blades coming instead from deep in the passes of the Mountains of Dhoom or whatever.

 

when we get to see in Thakan'dar we also see that myrdraal swords require human sacrifices, and they are dissapointed at the low rate of prisoners.

therefore i think that they can't make enough tainted swords for the trolloc masses but only the myrdraal.

maybe they are created at some other location in thakan'dar a few yards away but not by the same process.

 

There was a myrddraal in Emond's Field, because in addittion to Rand actually seeing him in the opening pages of the book, Narg tells Rand that the myrddraal wants to speak with him. However, if the myrddraal had been present at the farm, why didn't he just deal with Rand directly? Why wasn't the myrddraal right there in the house? Why didn't we have any other mention of the myrddraal at all? We are only told of trollocs busting through the door.

 

maybe he was outside leading the troops instead of doing the dirty work himself as any good squad commander would.

Narg gave me the impression that most trollocs and Myrdraal give up on searching quite quickly when they can't find the victims, and had already moved on to the next target, and Narg was the only one clever enough to stay and wait.

 

i don't have the books with me so when we first see the myrdraal while Rand is walking through the forest, is he going towards or from the house?

Sorry, ROBB. I wandered away form this conversation, then forgot that I had posted in it, and didn't return until just now. It looks like most of this has been resolved, but I had actually forgotten about the horse on the road while Rand was taking Tam through the forest., The myrddraal I was referring to was the one on the road in the opening chapter, when Rand and Tam are on their way to Emond's Field.

[Ava]

thom has been around for years!! the forsaken wernt even free when thom was wandering from village to village!!