I used to think this too :-/ but its too sad to think about. I suppose if this did happen, if the beasts were happy about it, it wouldn't be so depressing. But still, I don't know how it could be controlled - that all animals die, when all humans do not. Perhaps some sort of biological accident (something that gets tripped when Elspeth is dealing with the BOT/Sentinal)?Another thought I had was that the Freerunning barud is actually death. (depressing, I know, but I think some animals have said that the only way to be truly free is through death.)
Avialle
Min said...Yes, but I think I remember Isobelle saying in one of her interviews that Elspeth would complete both quests. so technically there must be a Freerunning barud in order for Elspeth to complete her second quest.
My other depressing thought on the freerunning is that it doesn't exist at all. That the freerunning barud was devised by the Agyllians, to simply get the beasts onside with a human and do anything and everything in their power to aid her.
'Elspeth's quest ends. She has two tiers to her quest. One is that she has to solve the problem posed by the weapon machines... And the other quest is, it's been foretold that she will find a way to free animals from humans. ... She can't imagine how that can be done, given the way humans are, given the way they work with animals. And even though now they've found a way to live together in a more fair way, that's not her quest. Her quest is not what it seems to be. Not what she thinks it is. It's only a thing that becomes clear at the very end of the story, when you discover what it really is all about.
I'd say you're right that it's not what we think it is either. At least now we KNOW it's a real quest, though! ;D I've been trying to work out how we could only discover the truth at the end. I'm wondering if an aspect of the OTHER quest requires Elf to have the animals with her, and in the process of fulfilling her quest to destroy the weaponmachines, she will inadvertently bring the beasts to a safe refuge. It seems too obvious though. :-/"Her quest is not what it seems to be. Not what she thinks it is. It's only a thing that becomes clear at the very end of the story, when you discover what it really is all about. "
Min
Which means it's not what we think it is either...
And at the end. Presumably this means that it's not as disconnected to her first quest as it sounds, she can't do one without the other sort of thing. So how could Elspeth's solving the weaponmachine issue be tied to the beasts?
There's a whole heap of animals who say Innle will lead them to freedom, but if she's leading them to weaponmachines...maybe there isn't only weapons wherever she's going. Maybe there's...I dunno, time travel devices or something :P I really don't know. But perhaps there's a machine that'll send the beasts 'elsewhere'. Again that's probably too literal a translation of the quest :-/
If the people were changed, then there would be no funaga and the beasts would be free of them.
Sian
I like that idea, but it would have to be a major transformation, and I'm stuck on how it could work - although empaths and coercers can affect how people think and feel, I don't think there's any way that they could change everyone (plus it would be unethical). I can't think of anything else that could do it, but I guess you never know. ;) Either way, it definitely has to be more complete and permanent than the current situation - "And even in a culture where now, they've found a way to live together, humans and animals, in a more fair way, that's not her quest."I do really like your idea Sian, about changing funaga and thus freeing the beasts, but we haven't seen any foreshadowing of this (ways to change large groups of people and turn on hidden abilities as such - you've either got it, or you don't).
Min
Ooh, INES being involved is definitely worth pondering! I do wish Elf had talked to Ines more. :P And I like the posibility that it's not what we think it is, so I ideas have to be turned on their head somehow...[act]ponders[/act] Could INES have something to do with it..? :-/
Min
Min
I do really like your idea Sian, about changing funaga and thus freeing the beasts, but we haven't seen any foreshadowing of this (ways to change large groups of people and turn on hidden abilities as such - you've either got it, or you don't). But the idea certainly turns the quest on it's head and that sounds like the direction we have to take with it.
'Perhaps it is not that beasts must learn to rule, but that humans must cease to do so,' Rasial said.
Elspeth, on her way back from Sador just after the end of TSK, is heading along the mountain path. She stumbles upon an opening path coming from the area of the blacklands behind Ken-Agyllian Eyrie. Coming out of the opening is Darga. Darga and Elf have their reunion, lah di dah. Elspeth, of course, has to return to Obernewtyn, but Darga promises to come to obernewtyn by the next season or some such time period.
Events happen like the trip to LOTRQ, but when elspeth returns to obernewtyn, not just darga is waiting, but the whole pack of dogs she has been promised from way back when! They lead her carefully through the taint and she find weaponmachines, etc.
when her whole weaponmachines quest is over, she finds that there was enough room back where darga came from that was free of taint (all that was needed was for darga to sniff it out!) and she forms the freerunning barud there.
