Theme

Theme:



Religion; People need Gods.

The Perfect World

Justice



The Perfect World: Kaihn's dream is to create a perfect world. The entire novel is about the quest to reach for this goal, and the idea of the world being based on a story is central to the novel. However, As the main character (Artaenis) matures during the story, his goals, and way of aiming for this 'perfect world' become more adult. At first, he aims to drive the invading forces of the Imperator from the island where he grew up, but as he matures they change until he reaches breaking point when Kaihn, his father figure, dies in the deserts of Khamhara, an incident which Artaenis blames on the Imperator.

At this point, Artaenis' other goals are dropped by the wayside, and he takes up Kaihn's Gavel, a symbol of the old mans preoccupation with justice.

Artaenis believes that the perfect world can only be achieved by the destruction of corrupt powers like the Imperium of Vortigern, and so he forgets all historical allegiance to the Imperator, and calls for the world to answer his call, leading them north, to fight the Shadow that Consumes in the north, not for the Imperator, or for any personal gain, but for the betterment of all mankind.

Artaenis' crusade northwards begins with his speech in the Imperium-ruled city of Zalakash. The garrison of the city falls apart, some supporting him, others opposing him, and the combat spawned by the unrest in Zalakash sparks the largest civil war that has ever plagued the Imperium of Vortigern, and ultimately, is the beginning of the Imperium's long slide into obscurity and defeat. The destruction of the sick, corrupt powers of the world is the first step on the long path to the perfect world, and Artaenis takes that step when he brings down the Imperium, and when he kills the Consuming Shadow - Hariaat.

The road to the perfect world is long, but Artaenis respects another of the themes of the Story, when he recognizes that the world revolves around a great Story, and he must play his part, not anyone elses.



Religion: Artaenis is vigorously opposed to religion, perhaps because he sees that the Church, and other religious communities use the 'Gods' to control people, rather than using it to help people. Throughout the story, Artaenis challenges Kaihn on the subject of religion, until the night before Kaihn's death in the high desert, where the concept of Gods was born. There, under the vast arch of the star-speckled heavens, the final debate between Artaenis and Kaihn ends with Kaihn saying that some people need gods...not everyone has the willpower to go through life accepting that they are alone in all their endeavours etc. 'Not everyone is as strong as you, Artaenis.'

In Artaenis' opinion, the removal of Religion is another important step on the road to the perfect world, but when he has the chance to destroy it forever, after he kills Hariaat in the obsidian citadel, he considers leaving the God imprisoned in the high, dark chamber, or even to kill him, but he remembers Kaihn's comment on religion, and respects the fact that he must play his part in the great story of the world, and he must leave other parts to other people.

Artaenis' free's the God upon the world, and returns to the plain of Angrynok.



Justice: Kaihn was a member of the Council of Judges in the Imperium of Vortigern, but he left in disgust when he began to see that the Imperium, and the Imperator, and even the Imperial Church that he worked for were corrupt and sick. After Kaihn left, the Council of Judges was dissolved, and eleven of the twelve gavels were melted down, but Kaihn left the Imperium of Vortigern, and boarded a ship bound for the colonies on the sea of Takmut, refusing to give up his Gavel, which he regarded as an important symbol of Justice in an unjust world.

The idea of Justice is bound to two characters during the novel, in the first part, Kaihn is the Judge of the Tribe, and the Gavel is merely a symbol of his position, then it becomes a weapon with which he strikes down those who invade the island...the unjust themselves. From then, when Kaihn explains about his past in the Imperium of Vortigern, Kaihn's Gavel becomes a potent symbol of Justice. At first, when Kaihn is trying to educate Artaenis in justice, Kaihn bears the Gavel, but after Artaenis 'graduation', when he makes his own judgements upon Caspra, and executes him, with no advice from Kaihn, the older man considers him to be mature in his understanding of justice, and passes the Gavel on to him.

The judgements made by Artaenis are important in the novel, for example, when he executes Caspra, even though Caspra was killing Imperial soldiers.