Rashan, The Path of Darkness
Steven Erikson: Rashan and Meanas. The names are strangely interchangeable depending on where you are. Seven Cities, for example, has a different take than Quon Tali. Darkness and Shadow are obviously linked, and besides, humans are bad at settling semantic distinctions (cf world religions). (Q and A with malazanempire No 2 (2003))
The art of Rashan is found in the tension that binds the
games of light, yet its aspect is one of dissipation—
the creation of shadow and of dark, although in this
case the dark is not absolute, such as is the aspect of
the ancient warren, Kurald Galain. No, this dark is
particular, for it exists, not through an absence of
light, but by virtue of being seen.
The Mysteries of Rashan – a madman’s discourse
Untural of Lato Revae
(HoC, UK Trade, p.376)
Tattersail and Quick Ben on Rashan:
‘hasn’t there always been an accessible Warren of Shadow? Rashan, the Warren of Illusions?’
‘Rashan is a false Warren, Sorceress. A shadow of what it claims to represent, if you’ll excuse my wording. It is itself an illusion. The gods alone know where it came from, or who created it in the first place, or even why...'(GotM, UK Trade, p.97)
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