+- RepairmanJack.com Forums (https://repairmanjack.com/forum)
+-- Forum: F. Paul Wilson Related (https://repairmanjack.com/forum/forum-8.html)
+--- Forum: F. Paul Wilson Main Forum (https://repairmanjack.com/forum/forum-3.html)
+--- Thread: Hypothetical on Rasalom (/thread-4623.html)
Hypothetical on Rasalom - richardhill - 06-05-2012
Going off of Crimson King's post - I think the Otherness would have no more use for Rasalom, were Earth to be completely overrun and taken over by the Otherness. Both Rasalom and Glaeken have served on this planet (no mention of them fighting on other planets), as proxies to the Otherness and the Ally, respectively, and as the battle would have been won by a singular side, the forces would no longer have a use for their proxied representatives.
Would Rasalom be stripped of his powers, and be allowed to "live out his days as a mortal" (as was Glaeken, when the Ally perceived Rasalom was gone)?
The Otherness, it seems, cares nothing for those it uses (as does the Ally), so why would Rasalom think he had a position when the Change was completed? I feel that Rasalom, would the Otherness win, be treated much as Rasalom has treated those like Ernst Drexler (The Order's Actuary) - used until no longer needed, then tossed aside without a second thought.
Rasalom's hubris has been his downfall on multiple occasions, so this, I can expect, would be the ultimate irony.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - Crimson King - 06-05-2012
richardhill Wrote:Going off of Crimson King's post - I think the Otherness would have no more use for Rasalom, were Earth to be completely overrun and taken over by the Otherness. Both Rasalom and Glaeken have served on this planet (no mention of them fighting on other planets), as proxies to the Otherness and the Ally, respectively, and as the battle would have been won by a singular side, the forces would no longer have a use for their proxied representatives.
Would Rasalom be stripped of his powers, and be allowed to "live out his days as a mortal" (as was Glaeken, when the Ally perceived Rasalom was gone)?
The Otherness, it seems, cares nothing for those it uses (as does the Ally), so why would Rasalom think he had a position when the Change was completed? I feel that Rasalom, would the Otherness win, be treated much as Rasalom has treated those like Ernst Drexler (The Order's Actuary) - used until no longer needed, then tossed aside without a second thought.
Rasalom's hubris has been his downfall on multiple occasions, so this, I can expect, would be the ultimate irony.
This is my stance.
Conspiracies saw Rasalom uncertain about his favor with The Otherness because he wasn't returning to power fast enough. I think it's indicative of his character to forget that doubt.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - A-dono - 06-05-2012
I think the Otherness relied on Rasalom for so long because he was the most experienced at wielding the dark powers and manipulating the dark forces needed to bring about the Change. Similarly, this is probably why the Ally chose Glaeken to be the Sentinel yet again at the end of Nightworld instead of empowering Jack, who was the Heir. Glaeken has more experience than anyone else wielding the Ally's power and fighting the war.
However, once the last human died out the Otherness would've had no more use for Earth since there was no more suffering or fear to nourish it. The Ally would also have disregarded it since it doesn't care for realms without sentient life. It's likely that the Otherness would've abandonded Rasalom then since he would've no longer served any purpose.
On the other hand, it's very possible the Otherness would've kept Rasalom empowered to run the place while it moved on to other affairs. But with no more humans left for him to corrupt or ruin, he'd no longer have any fear or pain to feed off ever again. In some ways, that might've been a fate worse than death for him.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - Jebur27 - 06-05-2012
I say again, the Otherness, as with the Ally, does not care who rules, just that the Earth is in its collection. After the change, it would move most of its Earthly attention elsewhere (as did the Ally before). As long as the Ally is not active in this area, why would it care?
Hypothetical on Rasalom - Dave618 - 06-05-2012
I'm confused here--would the Otherness want all humanity wiped out? Or would it just allow Rasalom to rule the world in a dictator-like fashion. I was under the impression that was the Otherness' ultimate goal--to have Rasalom create worldwide misery but still more or less allow a sizeable population to exist, only under his rule. If the Otherness' intention all along was to depopulate the Earth to zero, what's in it for Rasalom? Will he be transported into the "other realm" that was shown at the end of Conspiracies? Or would the Otherness just destroy Rasalom as the final vindictive act against humanity--remember, at one time Rasalom was human.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - richardhill - 06-06-2012
I don't think the Otherness's goal is to wipe humanity out - much as our goal isn't to deplete the planet of resources completely while we feed ourselves, though cultures have in the past completely depleted regions of it's resources. Were the Otherness to completely infest the planet, it would only be a matter of time until the human population became extinct. It wants to feed off of the population, and when that resource is depleted, it will move on without a thought.
It has been stated that Rasalom is still a human, albeit he has powers/abilities, given to him by the Otherness. He is, as he exists, on this planet solely to allow the Otherness access - Since Demonsong, Rasalom has been embarking on many different 'projects' to allow the door to open completely, though Rasalom's own suspicions about being a tool himself give merit to the inanity of the Otherness. It is/was never promised to him that he will rule, or that he will have any sort of place after The Change has completed. He assumes that, from the beginning of it all, that he is somehow entitled/promised.
Rasalom feeds from misery and pain, and i think he is given that ability because that gives him motivation to accomplish this for the Otherness - If all of the humans finally die off as the Otherness's creatures consume them - He will probably end up being the last thing eaten, before the Otherness moves on to another planet.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - Dave618 - 06-06-2012
OK, that makes sense, Richard. So in other words Rasalom is definitely operating under the idea he will be given some sort of reward after the Otherness is in total control of this planet. The reward most likely being he will be the de facto ruler of this planet. And here we must remember that, unless I'm wrong, Rasalom feeds off of misery and pain, not neccessarily death. So there could still be a huge population of humans allowed to live, but just under his rules.
Yet he doesn't realize the Otherness will likely just consume the planet of all sentient life and then finally just off him as well.
Yet there is another theory that Rasalom knows entirely well that Earth as we know it will cease to exist. Entirely. And he will be given his "reward" in some other dimension/plane. I guess, as I stated earlier, the realm first introduced in the last part of Conspiracies. In that realm, however, he may find out too late the Otherness has no intention of giving him an exhalted place at the dinner table, and he will then be tortured/killed himself.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - A-dono - 06-07-2012
The second theory definitely makes the most sense to me.
The Otherness doesn't strike me as something that values loyalty or honors debts, so I doubt it has any intention of 'rewarding' anyone, even Rasalom.
It's implied that Earth is very small potatoes in the grand scheme of things: an infintesimally small and insignificant portion of the greater cosmos. If there are larger and more important realms being fought over by the Ally and the Otherness, it's very possible that the latter has more valuable and far more powerful champions fighting for it in those realms. I don't see the Otherness having any use for Rasalom beyond the Earth realm. After all, Rasalom was orginally human and, like every other human, only knows of the Earth realm. Therefore, it would be impractical for the Otherness to bring Rasalom to another universe of which he as no knowledge of and would serve no purpose in.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - Dave618 - 06-07-2012
A-dono Wrote:The second theory definitely makes the most sense to me.
The Otherness doesn't strike me as something that values loyalty or honors debts, so I doubt it has any intention of 'rewarding' anyone, even Rasalom.
It's implied that Earth is very small potatoes in the grand scheme of things: an infintesimally small and insignificant portion of the greater cosmos. If there are larger and more important realms being fought over by the Ally and the Otherness, it's very possible that the latter has more valuable and far more powerful champions fighting for it in those realms. I don't see the Otherness having any use for Rasalom beyond the Earth realm. After all, Rasalom was orginally human and, like every other human, only knows of the Earth realm. Therefore, it would be impractical for the Otherness to bring Rasalom to another universe of which he as no knowledge of and would serve no purpose in.
I think I agree with you, A-Dono. It's hard to imagine the Otherness honoring any pacts or deals. You brought up something in your post I found fascinating--the idea there are other champions or sentinels on other worlds fighting the same battle as Glaeken and Rasalom. I don't know why I never gave that idea much thought before--it intrigues me to no end. That would have been something for FPW to explore, if he hadn't made the decision to put the Adversary Cycle/Secret History to bed.
Hypothetical on Rasalom - richardhill - 06-08-2012
FPW is such a phenomenal writer that I think he could easily pull the Adversary Cycle off the shelf and bring it back to life. I, personally, would be exuberant to read a book/series dedicated to the First Age, were he to write one (In the time around Demonsong). After you read Demonsong, you are left wishing that there were 230 more pages!!
Reading about the roots of the battle beginning 15,000 years ago, the life and times, the magic/sorcery that was performed.....It would be stunning.