» Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:37 am Well, my copy of Lord of Souls got here roughly 4.5 hours ago. The size is very similar to the previous one, and I can read a book very, VERY quickly when I have time.
My desire to have all the information svcked up ASAP notwithstanding, the plot is much better than the first.
Needless to say, this thread is for those of us who HAVE finished the book (or don't care about spoilers) to freely discuss the information contained within. Be it plotline, small tidbit, etc.
The few I can remember:
1.) The Great Houses of Morrowind are indicated to still exist after some fashion. A group are mentioned to have left House Indoril, indicating that the Houses are trying to maintain themselves. A good bit of info.
2.) Morrowind is not wholly uninhabitable. Marshmerrow is a plant still mentioned to grow there. If it wasn't for the Argonians (who do appear to be very much weakened- from a military perspective, at least), the Dunmer could probably resettle it.
3.) The Elder Council put a Nibenese person named Thules the Gibbering on the throne, because they didn't want a Colovian. As seems to be the case, a Colovian disagreed with the decision... forcefully.
4.) The Empire is indicated to control High Rock and Hammerfell. Skyrim is less clear (though, as we all know, Skyrim is in the Empire 160 or so years later, which means it would make sense if it was currently in the Empire). The Aldmeri Dominion is interfering in both those Provinces,
5.) Orsinium was sacked by Bretons and Redguards. AGAIN.
6.) The Knights of the Thorn are nowadays... actual KNIGHTS.
Now the story spoilers:
Spoiler
The Minister is in 'league' with Vuhon (aka Umbriel), at least to his own ends (he intends to betray Vuhon). The Emperor has suspected him for 10 years, but because the Minister is important to keep Nibenay content under the Medes, he stays. But he planted a servant in Minister Hierem's office, to get proof of conspiracy. She arranged the attack on Attrebus in TIC, but considered herself more important than the Prince, would have warned the Emperor if she could, but was willing to sacrifice Attrebus.
Sul and Attrebus are sent by Malacath (who's realm they ended up in while fleeing from Vuhon) to Solstheim, where they locate the sword in Sathil, led by a breakaway noble of House Indoril. The Noble is a powerful wizard, ever paranoid that Clavicus Vile is coming for the sword (granted, it's stated that many agents of Vile have showed up and have been killed). The Sword is in possession of the horribly possessed and practically dead son, who has been imprisoned deep underground for 10 years because he kills everybody. Umbra causes insanity in everybody who touches it. Sul and Attrebus take the sword, but are imprisoned by the wife, who believes they are agents of Vile (willingly or unwillingly) and doesn't want him to get the sword. So they teleport to Vile's realm using the sword, where they find it greatly diminished, along with Vile (Vile's weakness requires his realm to be smaller to have the total control over it that he normally has). Vile unwillingly makes a bargain with Attrebus and Sul to send them to the Imperial City, where they will be within striking distance of Umbriel- at an undisclosed bargain. He also reveals that the 'spirit' inside Umbra is actually part of him, and the witch who made the sword betrayed him (and may have actually been Sheogorath). Once they return to the City, they are captured by Hierem, who mind-blasts them until they tell him everything. Hierem has a teleporter to Umbriel himself, and they escape with help from Colin and the Emperor's spy in Hierem's office. When Hierem teleports back, they are transferred in his place to Umbriel.
For Annaig and Glim, a contest is to be held between four kitchens to see who gets to cook for Umbriel himself. As Glim and the Skraws slowly start to mess things up on Umbriel to get an alternative to vapors, they play the four kitchens off against themselves. Slyr is neutralized by Annaig when Annaig pins a false attempt to sneak into a rival kitchen on her. Glim starts to fall in love with a Dunmer-looking Umbriellian, and begins to question destroying Umbriel itself. More Argonians are growing, but because that would give the Lords the ability to kill the rest of the Skraws off, he disposes of them. When Toel catches the Skraws in the act of sabotage- he had previously been certain it was a rival kitchen- Annaig kills him to save Glim, and takes his place. They win the contest, because Annaig is a god among cook. Glim begins to realize that the trees are cousins of the Hist, more simple, but still intelligent.
When Annaig meats Umbriel, he is supicious because the meal she prepared for him featured Morrowind fare (Attrebus tells her via Coo that he was once a Dunmer), but she plays it away. Umbriel knows the Skraws are behind it (some younger Skraws betray themselves in an attempt to get the vapors replaced) and orders her to kill Glim by poisoning the Sump. She does, but takes a crystal from his mouth that the poison produces. (mysterious!) She also decides to poison the trees to destroy Umbriel. Since everything is connected, killing them will kill everything.
When confronted by Glim's not-lover Fhenna, Annaig reveals that the poison put Glim's soul in a Soul Gem, which she has put in a new Protoform, preserving Glim. When Glim wakes up, he is not calm, and freaks out (he's no longer an Argonian, he's an Umbriellian in everything). Attrebus and Sul arrive at this time. Umbra is not effective against Vuhon, but Annaig poisons the trees (which Glim, after he calms down, realizes something and goes to stop her... he's not angry at her anymore). That weakens Vuhon, and they all go down below. Annaig tells Attrebus and Sul that Vuhon's soul, and Clavicus Vile's power, is in the Ingenium itself. So Glim leads Attrebus to stab the sword with Umbra. Afterwards, as the City falls, Glim realizes the not-Hist changed him when he was being remade, and he can teleport Umbriel 'home'. So he and Annaig say goodbye. Sul is dead (of course), but Attrebus and Annaig escape as Glim saves the Imperial City from being crushed by the city.
However, for Colin, the agent (who he loved) was out for herself, and stabs Colin and goes to obtain Ultimate Arcane Power using a scheme of Hierem's involving necromantic arts siphoning souls from Umbriel. Colin craws up and throws the dagger in his chest through her eye, killing her. He dies himself.
Sul, dead, Colin, dead, Letine, dead. Attrebus and Annaig are still not openly lovers. Glim is with the Trees in a different place (not Vile's realm), all the while the still-living inhabitants of Umbriel beneath them are happily murdering each other for power- but the Skraws and such are free. Attrebus doesn't take credit for saving Tamriel, because his father needs the support of the Synod and College of Whispers, both of whom are trying to take credit.
Also included is a storyline about a group of soldiers helping evacuate Cheydinhal before Umbriel kills them all, and fighting for the Imperial City. Their storyline is not relevant to the overall plot, but seems to be a mechanic for Keyes to gently remind us of "things you already know." I especially loved the part about "General Slaughter's Comely Daughter".
The Minister is in 'league' with Vuhon (aka Umbriel), at least to his own ends (he intends to betray Vuhon). The Emperor has suspected him for 10 years, but because the Minister is important to keep Nibenay content under the Medes, he stays. But he planted a servant in Minister Hierem's office, to get proof of conspiracy. She arranged the attack on Attrebus in TIC, but considered herself more important than the Prince, would have warned the Emperor if she could, but was willing to sacrifice Attrebus.
Sul and Attrebus are sent by Malacath (who's realm they ended up in while fleeing from Vuhon) to Solstheim, where they locate the sword in Sathil, led by a breakaway noble of House Indoril. The Noble is a powerful wizard, ever paranoid that Clavicus Vile is coming for the sword (granted, it's stated that many agents of Vile have showed up and have been killed). The Sword is in possession of the horribly possessed and practically dead son, who has been imprisoned deep underground for 10 years because he kills everybody. Umbra causes insanity in everybody who touches it. Sul and Attrebus take the sword, but are imprisoned by the wife, who believes they are agents of Vile (willingly or unwillingly) and doesn't want him to get the sword. So they teleport to Vile's realm using the sword, where they find it greatly diminished, along with Vile (Vile's weakness requires his realm to be smaller to have the total control over it that he normally has). Vile unwillingly makes a bargain with Attrebus and Sul to send them to the Imperial City, where they will be within striking distance of Umbriel- at an undisclosed bargain. He also reveals that the 'spirit' inside Umbra is actually part of him, and the witch who made the sword betrayed him (and may have actually been Sheogorath). Once they return to the City, they are captured by Hierem, who mind-blasts them until they tell him everything. Hierem has a teleporter to Umbriel himself, and they escape with help from Colin and the Emperor's spy in Hierem's office. When Hierem teleports back, they are transferred in his place to Umbriel.
For Annaig and Glim, a contest is to be held between four kitchens to see who gets to cook for Umbriel himself. As Glim and the Skraws slowly start to mess things up on Umbriel to get an alternative to vapors, they play the four kitchens off against themselves. Slyr is neutralized by Annaig when Annaig pins a false attempt to sneak into a rival kitchen on her. Glim starts to fall in love with a Dunmer-looking Umbriellian, and begins to question destroying Umbriel itself. More Argonians are growing, but because that would give the Lords the ability to kill the rest of the Skraws off, he disposes of them. When Toel catches the Skraws in the act of sabotage- he had previously been certain it was a rival kitchen- Annaig kills him to save Glim, and takes his place. They win the contest, because Annaig is a god among cook. Glim begins to realize that the trees are cousins of the Hist, more simple, but still intelligent.
When Annaig meats Umbriel, he is supicious because the meal she prepared for him featured Morrowind fare (Attrebus tells her via Coo that he was once a Dunmer), but she plays it away. Umbriel knows the Skraws are behind it (some younger Skraws betray themselves in an attempt to get the vapors replaced) and orders her to kill Glim by poisoning the Sump. She does, but takes a crystal from his mouth that the poison produces. (mysterious!) She also decides to poison the trees to destroy Umbriel. Since everything is connected, killing them will kill everything.
When confronted by Glim's not-lover Fhenna, Annaig reveals that the poison put Glim's soul in a Soul Gem, which she has put in a new Protoform, preserving Glim. When Glim wakes up, he is not calm, and freaks out (he's no longer an Argonian, he's an Umbriellian in everything). Attrebus and Sul arrive at this time. Umbra is not effective against Vuhon, but Annaig poisons the trees (which Glim, after he calms down, realizes something and goes to stop her... he's not angry at her anymore). That weakens Vuhon, and they all go down below. Annaig tells Attrebus and Sul that Vuhon's soul, and Clavicus Vile's power, is in the Ingenium itself. So Glim leads Attrebus to stab the sword with Umbra. Afterwards, as the City falls, Glim realizes the not-Hist changed him when he was being remade, and he can teleport Umbriel 'home'. So he and Annaig say goodbye. Sul is dead (of course), but Attrebus and Annaig escape as Glim saves the Imperial City from being crushed by the city.
However, for Colin, the agent (who he loved) was out for herself, and stabs Colin and goes to obtain Ultimate Arcane Power using a scheme of Hierem's involving necromantic arts siphoning souls from Umbriel. Colin craws up and throws the dagger in his chest through her eye, killing her. He dies himself.
Sul, dead, Colin, dead, Letine, dead. Attrebus and Annaig are still not openly lovers. Glim is with the Trees in a different place (not Vile's realm), all the while the still-living inhabitants of Umbriel beneath them are happily murdering each other for power- but the Skraws and such are free. Attrebus doesn't take credit for saving Tamriel, because his father needs the support of the Synod and College of Whispers, both of whom are trying to take credit.
Also included is a storyline about a group of soldiers helping evacuate Cheydinhal before Umbriel kills them all, and fighting for the Imperial City. Their storyline is not relevant to the overall plot, but seems to be a mechanic for Keyes to gently remind us of "things you already know." I especially loved the part about "General Slaughter's Comely Daughter".
Overall, the storyline is very good, especially if you're a fan of TES and can locate all the hidden gems (such as Horkers, marshmerrow, and Barnabus, Vile's dog, who is hinted strongly to be who Creeper was). I am impressed by Keyes's mastery of TES Lore, and the little hints he drop. Also impressed by his willingness to use six quite frequently (seriously, is there a woman Attrebus WON'T sleep with?)
What are all your thoughts?
