Tales of Malus Darkblade and fluff (no no, don't hit)

Kormin sombracier · Post by **Kormin sombracier** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:45 am

OK,

Yes, i know, another topic about this.

I want to talk about books of Malus Darkblade by BL and the background inside books.

I know that lot of people doesn't considere that these books are references for the fluff, especially about the dark elve language.

I just bought the new Malus book, "Warpsword", and, like everytime for one Malus book, i began by the end, for the background references.

All these references are considere "false" by druchii.net, or not ? Because there are lot of interessants things, about tradition, customs, and druchii's daily life.

Is it just the probleme with "Druhir" of the book, and the "Druck Eltharin" of druchii.net, or are they others differences ? I saw that druchii.net use some word of the book for the fluff now, for example, Drachau, in an article of the Druchii Herald (June 2006 ?)

And finally, maybe a very stupide question, but are administrators tried to contacts the autors for try to be agree about the background ?

Thanks

Kormin

Eldacar · Post by **Eldacar** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:12 am

All these references are considere "false" by druchii.net, or not ?

Take it with a grain of salt.

Is it just the probleme with "Druhir" of the book, and the "Druck Eltharin" of druchii.net

Drukh-Eltharin is how it's spelt. Basically, the Drukh part signifies that it's a dialect of the Eltharin language (which it is - IIRC, he just invented Druhir for the book). The Wood Elves speak Fan-Eltharin, and the High Elves speak Tar-Eltharin. The Asur dialect of the language is the closest to the original Eltharin, which is itself a bastardised form of the language spoken by the Old Ones.

And finally, maybe a very stupide question, but are administrators tried to contacts the autors for try to be agree about the background

Why? The authors don't answer to D.net - they answer to GW and their editors (who are one and the same most of the time anyway).

Sulla · Post by **Sulla** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:47 am

I wouldn't be surprised if GW incorporate the darkblade novels fluff into the next DE armybook if only because Lee and Abnett have filled out the background far more comprehensively than the armybook writers have been prepared/able to. The stuff is out there now... they may as well use it.

Belial · Post by **Belial** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:26 pm

Nah. It'd probably receive an outroar from the gamers...

Executioner_one-fish- · Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:56 pm

I wouldn't be surprised if GW incorporate the darkblade novels fluff into the next DE armybook

With the Cult of Slaanesh taking the forefront with Storm of Chaos, I'd be amazed to epic proportions if Malus had anymore than the small excerpt that Shadowblade had in the last DE book.

My theory is civil war between the Khaine Worshipers and the Slaaneshi cultists, but thats not what this topic is about, so I'll stop there

Sulla · Post by **Sulla** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:34 am

Executioner_One-FISH- wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if GW incorporate the darkblade novels fluff into the next DE armybook

With the Cult of Slaanesh taking the forefront with Storm of Chaos, I'd be amazed to epic proportions if Malus had anymore than the small excerpt that Shadowblade had in the last DE book.

I was thinking more of the fleshing out of the autarii, Har Ganeth and the political structure of the Hag and the temple... These are generally speaking pretty excellent pieces of fluff and much needed. Our ancient history is well developed but there is precious little about modern day druchii. I wouldn't shed a tear if his dark mother and warpsword = sword of khaine stuff was ignored though... :twisted:

Fingol darkwater · Post by **Fingol darkwater** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:53 am

According to... everyone, there is going to be a more comprehensive guide to the elven lands for the new high elf and dark elf books. That means us gamers will know more official fluff about our favorite cities, and have more things to laugh about as we read about the hippies in Avelorn

Pariah mk.231 · Post by **Pariah mk.231** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:45 am

Hmmm, Malus: A Druchii considered to be the chosen of Khaine (as told in warpsword), possessed by a daemon of slaanesh, not having a place in the new rulebook with civil war between the 2 factions looming?
He represents qualities of both factions, although Malus himself is clearly a follower of Khaine (after his own ambition of course), and has exposed the cult of slaanesh in Hag Greaf, so I personally think he'll be sticking around for the next edition.

Post by **Drainial** » Thu May 10, 2007 5:53 pm

I doubt they will get rid of him and I think he will probobly be unchanged when we get a new book but I doubt either he or the ideas from his book will be much expanded upon.

Urial · Post by **Urial** » Fri May 11, 2007 12:23 pm

is there any rules for Malus as he is in the books

Pariah mk.231 · Post by **Pariah mk.231** » Fri May 11, 2007 12:45 pm

If you'd actually looked at the army book, you wouldn't have to ask that. There's only 3 characters in there and Malus is one of them.

Sirist · Post by **Sirist** » Fri May 11, 2007 12:46 pm

Well, the 6th Ed Army Book is just about as close as it's going to get. In all likelihood, Abnett threw a character concept at Gav Thorpe, saying something along the lines of, "omg lawl putz my char in ur book & peepl will <3 u". And for whatever unfathomable reason, he did.

I'm sure that there will be a tricked-out Malus Darkblade for 7th. And I'm sure he'll be our best special character, as they try to pander to Abnett's simpering fan-base.

/bitter rant

Post by **Drainial** » Fri May 11, 2007 3:03 pm

So I take it your not a big fan of the books then?

Fingol darkwater · Post by **Fingol darkwater** » Sat May 12, 2007 5:38 am

Well, painting Druchii as one dimensional sadistic creeps who shouldn't be able to hold a society together has that effect on people

But seriously, Abnett's interpretation of Druchii society was just that, an interpretation. We all have our different views, and we have to remember that just because BL published on particular interpretation, our army book basically trumps a lot of the stuff in there.

Sulla · Post by **Sulla** » Sat May 12, 2007 3:47 pm

Fingol Darkwater wrote:Well, painting Druchii as one dimensional sadistic creeps who shouldn't be able to hold a society together has that effect on people But seriously, Abnett's interpretation of Druchii society was just that, an interpretation. We all have our different views, and we have to remember that just because BL published on particular interpretation, our army book basically trumps a lot of the stuff in there.

It's Malus who's the sadistic creep, not the whole DE race.

It's hardly like the books are about a day in the life of a normal elf either. They're about the trials of a guy with a daemon inside him. Furthermore, he's a spoilt little rich kid from a very screwed up family (would there be any more screwed up family in the whole of Naggaroth?). There's nothing 'normal' about the circles Malus moves in so trying to draw a lot of useful information about druchi society in general from the books is a little risky.

Post by **Drainial** » Sat May 12, 2007 3:53 pm

There are mentions of other Druchii in the books. Numerus times both Malus and several other Druchii pass the time by torturing some thing they happend to come accross, thats not normal even for a race that is suposed to be "evil".

Pariah mk.231 · Post by **Pariah mk.231** » Sat May 12, 2007 9:11 pm

Not evil? Sacrifices, slaves, torture,? Face it, we're evil ... and we love it!

Consider the quote: "We are the most civilised race in the world. We have more exquisite ways to kill than any other."

A nation that prides itself as civilised by the ways they kill? And there's doubt we're evil?! What is the world coming to?

Fingol darkwater · Post by **Fingol darkwater** » Sun May 13, 2007 12:09 am

Definitions of evil are different for different people. I personally think Druchii are evil, but there's a big difference between evil and stupid. If the entire nation just killed each other openly for fun, then there would be no Druchii. Delve a little deeper into that quote: there are more ways to kill someone than to end their life. Triumphing over them in the courts could be considered one of them.

Post by **Drainial** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:13 pm

Were the Aztecs evil, they sacrificed to their Gods and kept slaves. Were the Romans evil, they enslaved people and tortuerd them (though not for fun). No race can be considerd evil, thats painting them all with one brush, its like saying that all Muslims are terrorists when its just not true. It might be a harsh culture and the leaders of it may be evil but the rest is just tradition and the way things had allways been done. The Britch had slaves once, so did the Americans and pretty much all of the first world.

Eldacar · Post by **Eldacar** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:17 pm

Judging the Druchii by a moral code designed by humans is kind of pointless, because there's no real frame of reference you can use. However, they are stated as being Elves who were once bright but are now dark, twisted, hateful (and so on and so forth), so by that criteria, you can mark them down on the 'evil' list, since those descriptions are generally associated with the average 'evil' stereotype.

Post by **Drainial** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:10 pm

If it is considering how the humans will see them (which considering that we are human we are) a human moral code is the only way to go. As for them being twisted, dark and hatefull, who's point of veiw is that from? Most Druchii only hate Ulthan because they were brought up to, many probobly wouldnt be slavers if they were left alone from birth. A Druchii cheild brought up in Ulthan would be indistiguishable from the other children. The race isnt evil and all of the individuals are not evil, they just do evil things (from our point of veiw) thinking that that is the right thing to do.

Sirist · Post by **Sirist** » Tue May 15, 2007 4:47 pm

I think that point can be contended.

While physically the descendants of Nagarythe are somewhat telling, they could be bred out. The truly telling thing that sets Druchii apart from Asur is something that Eldacar brought forward in another thread from -- I believe -- the WHFRPG.

Druchii don't necessarily hate the Asur because they lost the Sundering, though there certainly is that. It's more that -- deep down -- they know that what they did is wrong. They can feel the taint of their decision, and of their soul, and know that what they did to themselves, the Elven race, and the world as a whole is absolutely unjustifiable. It's because of this unconcious guilt and shame that feeds their illusions that they hate the Asur, whom are living examples of what they once were.

Post by **Drainial** » Wed May 16, 2007 2:58 pm

Most of these elves were in no way part of the sundering, all most all of them are many generations from the grandparents that may have fought in it. I think that the enslavment of Africans by British slavers was wrong but it doesnt have any effect on me. Of course we are talking about a differant race here so it could well be differant if you happen to be an elf (if you are please correct me

) But the main reason that they hate the High elves is that there parents, grandparants, uncles, auties, older cousons and siblings, teacher, role models ect hate the high elves and it is burned into them from an early age. I would be willing to bet that most Druchii children would tell you that they hated the Asur before they even heard about the sundering.

Sirist · Post by **Sirist** » Wed May 16, 2007 4:13 pm

I would certainly agree with your last point, but your observation that Elves are not Humans is very true. Elves are connected to the 'other world' as much as they are the physical one. I would imagine racial memory could even play a part in it, but again, how could any of us come to such a conclusion when we have nothing to base it on save (yes, I'm about to come full circle) the mediocre writing of Dan Abnett?

Eldacar · Post by **Eldacar** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:05 am

As for them being twisted, dark and hatefull, who's point of veiw is that from?

Word of God, so to speak, so it isn't a point-of-view thing.

If it is considering how the humans will see them (which considering that we are human we are) a human moral code is the only way to go.

It's still a flawed viewpoint to judge them by a human code, though, which was the original idea.

A Druchii cheild brought up in Ulthan would be indistiguishable from the other children.

This is something that I think can be contended, but I'm not going to go into it now.

The truly telling thing that sets Druchii apart from Asur is something that Eldacar brought forward in another thread from -- I believe -- the WHFRPG.

I actually got it from one of the 5th edition ABs. Here's the quote:

"The Dark Elves hate their kinsfolk with an intensity borne of their own self-loathing. Deep in his elven soul every Dark Elf despises the twisted, black-hearted creature that he is. His hatred for his untainted High Elf brother burns all the stronger because there could be no more poignant reminder of his own failings. Dark Elves are desperate and self-destructive creatures, and for this reason their hatred is met with the pity of the High Elves.

High Elves do not hate their kin, for hatred would debase and corrupt them as surely as it brought low the Dark Elves themselves. Hatred is what separates the two races. Dark Elves embrace it whilst High Elves reject it, cultivating instead the high and noble ideals that are their race's greatest achievements."

There are also exerpts from the Giantslayer novel where Teclis is fighting against Orcs. He feels a powerful battle rage, and muses on how thin the barrier between High Elf and Dark Elf really is, as well as how simple it could be for somebody to fall if they gave in to that anger (Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete!

).