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How did Quick Ben become so powerful

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 7 months ago

 How did Quick Ben become so powerful?

 

 

There are really two questions here.

 

1. Has Quick Ben become more powerful?

 

2. If so, how?

 

 

The answer to the first is almost certainly yes.

 

In MoI, Quick Ben was exhausted by his brief encounters with Bauchelain & Korbal Broach (ref needed).  He seemed to have little ability to resist the Crippled God when he encountered him, and escaped through luck alone (ref needed).  The general impression of Quick Ben throughout the series has been of a mage of extreme skill, intelligence and finesse, but not possessing exceptional strength.  Something of an opposite to Tayschrenn, an extremely powerful mage - as showcased at Pale and Coral - but not noted for his technical ability as far as we know.

 

This impression remained up until BH, even during the encounter between the Malazan and Edur fleets (ref needed). Quick Ben affected an overwhelming display of Hold magic, sufficient to scare the Tiste Edur into thinking the Malazans had a Ceda of their own.  But it was only an illusion until Bottle and the Eres'al backed him up, and didn't reflect Quick Ben's true power.

 

So, how do we explain the battle between Quick Ben and the Tiste Sisters?  He took on three Soletaken Eleint single-handed and won convincingly.  To put it mildly, it's hard to believe the Quick Ben of GotM or MoI could've done that. 

 

The best answer is that Quick Ben's encounter with Icarium (ref needed) has changed him.  That fight pushed Quick Ben far beyond the limit of his powers.  He seems to have been forced into drawing on hidden reserves, reserves he may not have known he had.  Well past any safe limit, he was stretched.  In the description of the Icarium battle, Quick Ben seems to suffer injuries consistent with a overpowered mage - blood bursting from his skin. 

He barely survives that meeting, but survive he does.

 

When we see Quick Ben again in RG, he has changed.  He remarks on this himself (exact words needed).  Facing Icarium has made him grow, made him go further.  It made him into a mage that could take on three Soletaken Eleint and win.

 

 

Back to RG FAQ's.

Comments (6)

UlrikDecado said

at 3:46 pm on Oct 11, 2008

Well, we could put this under discussion in the case of MoI. Ben looks to have his "new" power even here. Korbal and Bauchelain are no mere enemies and as far as I remember, even marines were surprised by his power at Coral. I think, that former Ben´s concept of skullful but normal mage was abandoned after GotM (like many other things;)).
From my experience, I´ve seen him like High Mage in MoI and I´m a little surprised that some see his "ascendecy" in BH/RG.
(hope it doesnt have many grammar faults)

Imperial Historian said

at 4:40 pm on Oct 11, 2008

With regards to quicks power at Coral, it seems he's drawing on hood in that battle from several comments raised in that battle (QB demands help from hood on a future occasion, and in the battle it is remarked that it was as if a god was intervening "As if Quick Ben had known where we were. Somehow. Even more incredible, that damned wizard also managed to control the descent of a third of the mountainside. Maybe if a dozen High Mages had showed up to give him a hand, I might believe it.
Or a god…") and korbal and bauchelain underestimated him.

UlrikDecado said

at 5:07 pm on Oct 11, 2008

OK, for case of Hoods help Ill have to read it again, I only remeber, that I attributed his power to his pre-Bridgeburners history, where I saw source of "new" strenght (exactly from this "if a dozen High Mages ..." sentence). K´n B definetly underestimated him, but I think that they are capable of destroying many ascendents of this world:)
In summary - its not criticism of this article, only idea that these new powers Ben had in MoI and his great battle with Icarium only pushed his already "superHighmage" abilities.

Notelrac said

at 12:44 am on Oct 12, 2008

Korbal was surprised at facing the raw power of six warrens. And then Bauchelain assumed that Ben had used up all his strength, and thus was equally surprised at getting blased by the power of another six...

ApsalarsCant said

at 2:16 am on Oct 12, 2008

The only limit to Quick Ben's power as we, the reader, understand it is knowing how many warren's he commands after Raraku. As Notelrac noted, he has in fact shown use of all his warrens. Aside from that, only assumptions that it is Quick Ben's intellect that gets him by keep us from seeing his full potential. I think we can concur that post-Icarium Quick Ben is seemingly much more powerful. Did that exchange change the nature of his power? Or did it simply erase his hesitation from using it? I think Quick Ben has been tricking us as often and as easily as he outwits Hood in his own warren. I can't wait to find out what else QB is packing.

Silencer said

at 9:07 am on Sep 12, 2009

Some of this is cleared up in Dust of Dreams.
Aside from that, he has always been powerful, he took on Raest - a Jaghut Tyrant on a scale to almost be a threat to Rake - in GotM. He has merely done his best to stay beneath notice and this has meant holding back.
Take MoI. Short of some confirmation, one could assume that his control of the descent of a mountainside was the intervention of Hood. BUT, take the quote "time's now, Talamandas!", and one could assume that it is that point (getting him and the Seer out of Moon's Spawn's path) that he gets a boost from Hood/Tally. Theoretically, Hood only grants Quick the ability to defeat the CG's poison, thus allowing him to use the warrens as normal. He then tries out drawing on Hood's power through the sticksnare while in Capustan. So he knows he can grab that power if he needs it, and thus his remark to Talamandas. Ofc, he could be using Hood's power earlier than that, but then the quote sounds weird, doesn't it?
Regarding his change since Icarium, yes, it had an effect. He stretched himself to the limit in that battle, not necessarily in terms of power - he can do massive unleashings and feats already, but rather in terms of duration. He hammers Icarium repeatedly, using "wave after wave". He hits the sisters with a similar assault. Note the difference. Prior to this, he does things like blasting Raest, Korbal and Baulchelain, and the mountainside - individual, large exertions. But after which he is "used up". He finds a new way to harness his power after fighting Icarium - repeated waves of high power. THAT, imo, is the difference.
-Silencer, finally contributing to the wiki. XD

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