Fate of Druss (Spoilers!)

[Sytkan]

ok so i found an anomaly about druss. At the end of white wolf, Ustarte shows Weldi the funeral pyre of druss, and then Skilgannon coming in and asking Ulric for the hair and bone, then shows skilgannon riding off with Snaga on his back. At the end of legend, when Druss really dies (the end of white wolf was merely a vision of this future), Skilgannons coming was not mentioned at all, and after the moment when druss finally died, nor was the axe. So what went on there, why wasnt Skillgannon mentioned at the end of Legend? Is this merely a mistake, or is there something I have missed?

 

[Count Belisarius]

You have to remember that Legend was Mr. Gemmell's first (published) book. Published in 1984, Legend was around at a time when many of Mr. Gemmell's readers (including me) were still in short pants. Since then, the popularity of his work has skyrocketed, and the Drenai Saga has become (IMO) the most beloved of his various series. When he wrote Legend, there is no way that he could have anticipated just how popular this series of books would become. Similarly, there is no way that Mr. Gemmell twenty-plus years ago could have anticipated every nuance of a multi-novel integrated story line.

Thus, you have not missed anything, though I certainly would not characterize this discrepancy as a "mistake" per se. Legend, when read in a vacuum, does not mention the possibility of Druss's return. Skilgannon's request of Ulric for a fragment of Druss's bone and hair, along with Snaga, is merely a literary device Mr. Gemmell contrived in an effort to get more "mileage" out of Druss, his best-loved character. The author wanted to write another book involving Druss, so he invented an excuse to do so.

So, I am willing to live and let live. I, for one, want more Drenai books (Druss-themed or otherwise), and I am willing to put up with minor inconsistencies to that end.

 

[Sytkan]

thx for clearing that up for me, and i think the books wid druss are the best too

 

[Chase_2200]

I was under the impression that druss died in legend then was brought bk then died again in white wolf then he was brought bk again in Swords of night and day. I mean the poor guy doesnt have much of a peacefull after life does he. lol

 

[sanityassassin]

peace is not something druss would enjoy he was always restless when he wasn't fighting in battles so I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming back for one last battle again(and again)

 

[Iona]

You can't bring Druss back from the dead often enough for me - but I believe he was always alive in White Wolf, when he first meets Skilgannon.

 

[bendoran]

legend doesnt mention very much about druss's death. the scene with skilgannon could of happened at anytime. Gemmell obviously hadnt envisaged skilgannon or those thinks way back then

Plus doesnt druss possess someone or some such? its a long time since i read them. i remember in white wolf it was before legend, then in swords night and day it was as if they had rebuilt his body but couldnt find his soul. then at some point he returns to inhabit the body of his recreated self temporarily.

 

[Iona]

Yes bendoran - Your memory serves you well - both Druss and Skilgannon are cloned in Swords of Night and Day and they bring back Skilgannon's soul, but cannot find Druss who is on the 'other side' protecting the soul that was banished from Skilgannon's new body to make way for him.

But he does inhabit his clone's body for a short while (to fight of course) so he does 'possess' his clone, but being Druss and honourable to a fault he will not stay there and gives back the body when he is no longer needed.

 

[Menion]

ok so i found an anomaly about druss. At the end of white wolf, Ustarte shows Weldi the funeral pyre of druss, and then Skilgannon coming in and asking Ulric for the hair and bone, then shows skilgannon riding off with Snaga on his back. At the end of legend, when Druss really dies (the end of white wolf was merely a vision of this future), Skilgannons coming was not mentioned at all, and after the moment when druss finally died, nor was the axe. So what went on there, why wasnt Skillgannon mentioned at the end of Legend? Is this merely a mistake, or is there something I have missed?

Obviously David Gemmell hadnt thought of Skilgannon coz Legend was his first book.

 

[Conor]

I was under the impression that druss died in legend then was brought bk then died again in white wolf then he was brought bk again in Swords of night and day. I mean the poor guy doesnt have much of a peacefull after life does he. lol

Although White Wolf was written well after Legend, it takes place probably at least ten years before Legend.

 

[biodroid]

Think of it as a history that we generally accept and then all of a sudden more info gets dug up and explains why White Wolf exists, thats why it's called a Legend, it could have included Skilgannon in the book Legend but no one really knows for sure and then the chronicler of all chroniclers finds out and decides oh there must have been this really awesome warrior that supported Druss sometime ago but his name is not as well known therefore the legend of Druss over shadowed him. Feels kinda cool to think like that.

 

[Waylander1]

Mr Gemmell didnt go into all that much detail about Druss' funeral in Legend, and it was probably well that he didnt. Also, there would have been no point in introducng a character such as Skilgannon that early in the series when we hadn't even met him yet. I would also like to point out that White Wolf was in the time between the battle of Skeln Pass when Druss almost single-handedly defeated Gorben's Immortals, and the holding of Dos Delnoch. The Swords of Night and Day took place centuries after Druss and Skilgannon both had died, and they were indeed brought back as clones in order to defeat The Eternal. Who was actually Jianna, Skilgannons first and only love. I think Mr Gemmell did a marvelous job in incorporating all the events and characters that he could. The only discrepancy that i found was in Quest For Lost Heroes when Beltzer was carrying an axe that was described to be almost an exact of Druss' axe Snaga. And if that was the case, then that would certainly put a blight on Mr Gemmels story of Skilgannon taking snaga from Druss' funeral. But it was never confirmed that Beltzer's axe and Snaga were one and the same. So Mr Gemmels story is still yet untarnished. It would have been an amazing few Drenai novels concerning the war of The Twins of which Quest For Lost Heroes ends off and is mentioned in Winter Warriors and Swords of Night and Day, but alas, Mr Gemmels death was too soon in coming. So it falls to us readers to just use our imaginations!

 

[tyrant Lizard]

Druss was only brought back from the dead once - in the Swords of Night and Day, whixch is set about a 1000 years after Legend. I believe the chronoligy goes as follows; the first 3 quarters of Druss the Legend sees him from a 17 year old to around 25, then in Deathwalker he is 30, then in the final quarter of Druss the Legend he is 45, and then in White Wolf he is 50, followed by Legend when he is 60.

The death scene is just something that when read in cronological order makes sense... a bit like when Druss meets Ulrich before the walls of Dross Delnoch

My biggest gripe with the Swords of Night and Day is that he didnt reintroduce Waylander. He had the crossbow all prepped up and ready. Can you imagine a book with Druss, Skilgannon AND Waylander?

 

[Conor]

Druss, Skilgannan AND Waylander?? That would have been amazing, only have to get Connavar from the Rigante world and it would be completely unbeatable!

I am just finishing up my second reading of the Waylander series!
Its great.

 

[Colbey Frost]

David Gimmels words keep Druss alive and there for he can never die.

 

[Vaprak]

Druss was only brought back from the dead once - in the Swords of Night and Day, whixch is set about a 1000 years after Legend. I believe the chronoligy goes as follows; the first 3 quarters of Druss the Legend sees him from a 17 year old to around 25, then in Deathwalker he is 30, then in the final quarter of Druss the Legend he is 45, and then in White Wolf he is 50, followed by Legend when he is 60.

The death scene is just something that when read in cronological order makes sense... a bit like when Druss meets Ulrich before the walls of Dross Delnoch

My biggest gripe with the Swords of Night and Day is that he didnt reintroduce Waylander. He had the crossbow all prepped up and ready. Can you imagine a book with Druss, Skilgannon AND Waylander?

Druss, Skilgannon and Waylander in one book.... you, sir, just blew my mind.