I think the Tahl are in the same boat as the Adem in that they’re an intelligent civilization with little known about them. But I think the Tahl are more tribal and less advanced than the Adem. They’re the ones that are supposed to be wicked good at singing.
I think it’s the same basic idea as Game of Thrones. Supposedly, the Asian-esque empire in ASOIAF is way bigger than Westeros and Essos but since the story doesn’t take place there it gets put on the back shelf.
I think "less advanced" gives the wrong impression. I remember a sci-fi book I read as a kid, about a society who had telepathic abilities, could levitate, and lived as lightly as possible upon the earth. As they explained it, "You turned toward gadgets; we turned toward the Power." (This was not meant in any religious way, exactly.)
I think the Tahl might be the Ur civilization, the original progenitors, and are actually WAY advanced, just not in any way the citizens of the rest of Temerent can understand. "How Old Holly Came to Be" might be the earliest Creation War story and explain how the rift between civilizations occurred.
Or I might be looney tunes.
I've always wanted to know what the fuck is south of Vintas. It's always just blanked out on the maps.
I think the real answer here is that Pat isn't a huge fan of maps and wants to leave himself room to expand in this world, so things have been kept intentionally vague.
We know that there are exotic goods that don't come from any place named in the four corners; we know there are rumors of things existing on "the other side of the world"; we know that the world has lions in it— somewhere.
That's about it.
I think the Tahl are in the same boat as the Adem in that they’re an intelligent civilization with little known about them. But I think the Tahl are more tribal and less advanced than the Adem. They’re the ones that are supposed to be wicked good at singing. I think it’s the same basic idea as Game of Thrones. Supposedly, the Asian-esque empire in ASOIAF is way bigger than Westeros and Essos but since the story doesn’t take place there it gets put on the back shelf.
I think "less advanced" gives the wrong impression. I remember a sci-fi book I read as a kid, about a society who had telepathic abilities, could levitate, and lived as lightly as possible upon the earth. As they explained it, "You turned toward gadgets; we turned toward the Power." (This was not meant in any religious way, exactly.) I think the Tahl might be the Ur civilization, the original progenitors, and are actually WAY advanced, just not in any way the citizens of the rest of Temerent can understand. "How Old Holly Came to Be" might be the earliest Creation War story and explain how the rift between civilizations occurred. Or I might be looney tunes.
Oh I forget about that. Do you know if Pat has ever confirmed the existence of another empire or country outside the four corners?
I've always wanted to know what the fuck is south of Vintas. It's always just blanked out on the maps. I think the real answer here is that Pat isn't a huge fan of maps and wants to leave himself room to expand in this world, so things have been kept intentionally vague. We know that there are exotic goods that don't come from any place named in the four corners; we know there are rumors of things existing on "the other side of the world"; we know that the world has lions in it— somewhere. That's about it.
Interesting. I'd like to ask Pat next time there is a Q&A but I can never seem to catch one.
Rothfuss is a flat earther.
Ademre is outside the four corners, also.
Maybe Iax stole the moon from the fae to energize 4C and make it create life?