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Book 4

Page history last edited by Tim 14 years, 7 months ago

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The Elemenstor Cycle, Book 4: Curse of the Doombane

 

Dust Jacket Notes

Many years have passed since the events of The Rubion Sword and Gavment Rayling is now a middle aged man. Having become a wealthy man from the lecture circuit, he has little to do with his time except drink, sleep and blow things up.

 

However the world is once again in danger. The evil Evilnors are not as defeated as once thought and Yoxor Xxar, son of the slain Xoxor Xxar, has found the mythical Doomblade. Yoxar marches forth in another effort to destroy the Elemenstors.

 

It's up to Gavment and his precocious niece Steppy to save the world. If only Steppy can get Gavment out of the Tavern.

 

Notes

The Curse of the Doombane is often thought of by fans as the least loved book of the main series.

 

This book received dismal reviews from critics as the first half of the book is largely devoted to Gavment playing drinking games in the Nikbix Nushka Tavern while Steppy, with her Furniliar Colonel McAllister, attempts to rekindle his fighting spirit. Eventually however she does succeed by reminding him of his dear lost friend, Dthr'nex of Dwarfsdown, who was slain by Xoxar in The Rubion Sword.

 

The latter portion of the book however more than makes up for the first half. Splitting off into two running stories after an adult scene with Sotar Olderndirt, the tale leads Steppy and Gavment through many wondrous locales, introducing the race of two headed weasel men (and women) known as the Ssskssenek and their magical sandstone kingdom of Ssskssenekland, while Sotar and his furniliar Bom race to the Wang Mountains to stop a critical piece of Yoxar's plot. The book climaxes with an epic duel between Yoxar and Gavment atop the Mount Which-Cannot-Move-But-Does, while Sotar stands against the forces of Kapybara the Dark Elemenstrix and a reborn legion of War Men atop Wang's Peak.

 

In the final chapter, brief mention is made of an ill-fated misadventure of the Four Underdogs (referred to by name, but not this appellation,) as they challenge but fail to defeat Char Reyarteb. This has led to much confusion because the actual confrontation in which they defeat Char Reyarteb and MooMaa is chronicled in the mini-serial Elemenstor Radio Dramas.

 

Copies of this book can still be found for somewhat inflated prices at most used book retailers and are a must have for most ELotH:TES fans.

 

Excerpts

 

The following excerpts are from the controversial final chapter of the book, quoted from the 2001 paperback omnibus. The narrator is Gavment, who is telling Steppy the story of the Four Underdogs and their battle with Char Reyarteb.

 

 

"It seemed the Four would be victorious. Phoenixsong pummeled Reyarteb, opening the ground beneath him and crushing his bones with the dirt - but in an instant, the mage healed. Fantasmaphila lifted Reyarteb into the skies and caught him in a whirlwind, tearing his earthly form to shreds - but in an instant, the mage re-formed his body. Blunder sent waves of fire at Reyarteb, searing his flesh until he was reduced to a pile of ashes on the ground - but in an instant, the mage rose from the ashes. Breakwind swamped Reyarteb with rain, making his magik hair wet and unruly - but in an instant, the mage shook his head and his hair was dry."

 

The battle continues for several hours, as the Underdogs continue to attack but cannot weaken Char Reyarteb.

 

 

"Indeed, it was they that weakened, tiring from continually deploying their power, and at last Char Reyarteb had an opportunity to strike. He summoned demons of Earth, huge creatures that could strike blows with fists harder than diamond. He summoned demons of Air, terrible beings that could travel faster than the eye could see. He summoned demons of Fire, abominable monsters that could make their touch hotter than the sun. And he summoned demons of Water, nasty imps that could talk to fish."

 

The Underdogs are driven back and badly beaten while Char Reyarteb prepares for a final attack.

 

 

"Finally, a pitch black beam of darkness exploded out of Reyarteb's mouth. Even as it first emerged, the Four could feel a bone-chilling coldness permeate the air. This was the coldness of death - the freezing, fatal coldness of death; the wintry, mortal, icy, terminal, frostbitten, life-ending coldness of death. And the Four knew that they had failed; that Char Reyarteb would rule over the world, until the day came, very soon, that he destroyed all goodness, all love and all life."

 

When Steppy points out that the world in fact has not been destroyed, Gavment says that the Underdogs survived and beat Char Reyarteb later. When Steppy asks how this happened, Gavment tells her to "go buy a talking disc and find out for yourself" (a product placement for the CD version of the Elemenstor Radio Dramas.)

 

See Also: S'yrf'yl the Immortal. Marx. Lander Phoenixsong. Grimm Shado. Annelida. Fantasmaphila. Obsidian Spur. Bom. Castle Ominousness. Book 3. Answers finally cleared up here. The Elemenstor Cycle. Ssskssenekland. The Confusion. Doomblade. Bothorians. The Wizbits Translation Notes. Amberberry. Availability. Excerpts from the cycle that are recounted here. Canon or non-canon. Doomenor. WTH !. Remember that One Thing Archive. The Mighty and Merciless Magical Monkey King Staff. Mau'de. Gorg Stinkrot. Peeps. Myrtle Breakwind. Grand Sage Timmothy's Fantastic Book of Bug's n'Stuff. Gavment. Battal Crabs. Quotable Quotes. Ssskssenek. Attack of the Bacon Golems. Battle of the Rebuilt Kingdom. Xoxor Xxar. The Parchment Cylinder. Need to Replace Arrows. Second Great Elemenstation War. Wang's Peak. Four Underdogs. McAllister. Yoxor Xxar. Steppy. Wendell Blunder. Book 5. RealLifeTimeLine. Something Wicker This Way Comes. Elemenstor Cycle Timeline. Kapybara. Ablongox the Particularly Unusually Long Lived. Sotar Olderndirt. Plague Mother Spore. Lyta A'lon. The All-Inclusionists. Scrooble. Dogus Brankorking.

 

 

Discussion

 

 

Wait, I thought the fourth book is about the four underedogs (the wizzbits) fighting Reyarteb and MooMaa! I'm a wizzbits fan trying to get into the novels thing, so I'd really be grateful if someone can calrigy this, cause I don't know if I should look for this book to tread about their battle with Rayerteb or if it has nothing to do with him.

It's a little more complicated than that. There are two running plots in the book, the epic battles of Gavment and Steppy atop the Mount, and the perhaps equally epic struggle of Sotar Olderndirt atop the completely different mountain of Wang's Peak. Of the main characters, really only Steppy is one of the Four Underdogs, so the book shows IMO admirable restraint in introducing Wizbits material. Of course, the fact that Steppy probably is a Wizbit makes her adult behavior with Sotar in chapter 23 all the more disturbing.

But what about Char Reyarteb? Look a what it say in Four Underdogs. I think it's probably that the page on the Four Underdogs is wrong, because everythign points out that Rayertab belongs to a much earlier period in the histroy os the saga world the the ones the books take place in.

I think people are getting confused - the activities in Book 4 surrounding the Four Underdogs are clearly their adult selves, whereas the activities in The Wizbits are indeed their adventures as young Elemenstors learning the fantastic secrets of Elemenstration. While the periods of the Books do take place substantially later, it is established in the Final Epsiode The Ambulatory Dresser that Shouted I at the Heart of the World that the Four Underdogs transcend the boundaries of time and space.

I think the brief but memorable appearance of the Dark Elemenstrix Kapybara on Wang's Peak deserved a mention here. Despite being a minor character, she has always been a big favorite among many of the readers.

About the Nikbix Nushka Tavern, Has anyone read the short story called "The Flying Tavern?" The Nikbix Nushka Tavern was the tavern that could fly, Was this story Canon or Non-canon? It would really help me figure out a problem me and my friends are argueing about!

Nikbix Nushka is one of the most common tavern names in Battal (Darv for "Without Drinking Water", so its pretty likely that "The Flying Tavern" would have picked that name for its tavern.. as for if it is canon or non-canon, not sure..

Ahh thank you. My friend said their was only one tavern and I said there was many named Nikbix Nushka. So anyone know if its Canon?

 

 

Comments (3)

Anonymous said

at 5:59 am on May 22, 2006

About the Nikbix Nushka Tavern, Has anyone read the Fan-fic called "The Flying Tavern?" the Nikbix Nushka Tavern was the tavern that could fly, Was this Fan-fic Cannon or Non-canon? It would really help me figure out a problem.

Anonymous said

at 6:10 am on May 22, 2006

Comments are out of character, usually. In character comments can go at the bottom of the page.

Anonymous said

at 6:32 am on May 22, 2006

oh my bad >.< I shall add it then.

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