the archives
dusted off in read-only
dusted off in read-only
What exactly ARE they?Ghouls? Vampires? What else? view post
Well, to my mind, the Sranc are nothing more than cannon fodder, and certainly not endowed with any supernatural power/origin. They are an artificial race, and if my guess is correct, they are the equivalent of Tolkien's orcs, in that, as the Orcs are derived from Elves, so are the Sranc derived from Nonmen twisted by the Tekne (Inchoroi/Consult fleshcraft). view post
They also, as a race, seem to share the same bloodlust, almost ecstasy at inflicting pain and violence, that is a part of the Consult's skin spies. I wonder if it's a trait of all the Consult's creations. view post
I would not be surprised. Although the higher-ups must have some control over their bloodlust as you need quite a bit of cunning to stay hidden from the world for several centuries. Guess that is the greater evil really. One that can coordinate its plan for shedding blood over one that can think of nothing else. view post
I think what differentiates Sranc from Tolkien's Orcs is that your average Sranc appears to be more than a match for your average Man, whereas Orcs were usually somewhat inferior to the Men of Middle-earth. Certainly a lethal foe because of their numbers. And very very fast. If you can't even outrun them on horses, as is mentioned in the books, well that's just scary. view post
In my mind, Sranc are kind of like... werewolves... lycan in the movie "Underworld". Not quite human, not quite nonhuman... a mix... kinda strange and wierd creatures. This would account for thier bloodlust/bloodthirst and thier basic complexion as I see it, plus thier superhuman abilities... fast, quick, deadly. view post
The Sranc remind me the most of Jordans 'Trollocs'. Except not as big and lumbering.
I know it's sad to compare Bakker to Jordan, but... oh well 
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There is a good section on Sranc in the back of [i:lfbhq7nv]The Thousand Fold Thought[/i:lfbhq7nv]. They are orc or goblin equivalents, smaller and weaker than men, although still formidable. They rely on numbers and ferocity and like other Inchoroi creations they enjoy inflicting pain and rapine. Females fight as well as males. And they take slaves. *Shudder* view post
After reading TDTCB I also got the impression the Sranc were werewolf-esque, I think it was the feral like descriptions that lead me to this. view post
Yes I also imagined them as werewolfish, images of the wolves from Underworld always came to mind when I thought of Sranc. view post
After reading DCB and about half of WP, I think I see these creatures as an orc mostly, but not the greenish kind depicted in some fantasy genres, but more of the wolvish type. I can see the similarities to werewolves, but I picture werewolves as much taller than the sranc when they stand on their back legs and more strong. These little buggers do seem to be shorter but still stocky lot, hairy and dog like, but very decidedly humanoid. view post
[quote:2cpmie1o]These little buggers do seem to be shorter but still stocky lot, hairy and dog like, but very decidedly humanoid.[/quote:2cpmie1o] I'm not sure I remember them ever being described as 'hairy', I've always imagined them as hairless and pale like the nonmen. I'd say that calling the sranc dog-like though fits the bill pretty well, as mentioned in the start of tDtCB. [i:2cpmie1o]They thronged for a moment around him—narrow shoulders and dog-shaped chests, stinking leather and necklaces of human teeth.[/i:2cpmie1o] Does anyone know of any specific instances of sranc being characterized as shaggy or hairy? view post
I never really imagined them as shaggy with hair but i never saw them as hairless either. view post
Maybe things that are feral always seem hairy to me. Not shaggy hairy, but definately not clean shaved.
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I think he said they had dog like torso...so if you look at a human toro's width, then a dogs which is narower...placing that doglike torso on humanoid legs, upright...makes for a twisted looking blend. I recognize that animals have their own beauty....but how beautiful of a face are we talking about here? (I think he said the 1st Sranc Kellus killed had a beautiful face)Beautiful in a human female style or beautiful like a tiger or great white shark. Non-human non-sexual beauty. view post
i believe that essentially the sranc are just an instrument of death; a weapon, they were created with the explicit purpose of killing things, and they do this very well view post
That is true Dalmar and they make great fodder to tire out an army before sending in your good troops i.e. bashrags and dragons. view post
I never really thought of sranc as being like a werewolf or trolloc (re:Jordan) at all, i always considered them to be a little like the orcs of tolkien, only a little less cognisant and a little less stupid. Less like dumb humans, more like smart animals or predators (pack hunters: wolves or something). at the same time i never thought of them as being bright green or covered in hair. i thought of them as being almost human but not nearly enough to be confused as one.... (almost as ambiguous as bakker keeps it) view post
i think they are mostly humanoid other than a few key diffrences. and sice they take after the noman, it is plauseable they would inherit their beauty, albeit twisted or strange view post
The sranc get plenty of attention in the appendices of T[i:1igqz8cx]he Thousandfold Thought[/i:1igqz8cx]. They are orc equivalents; fast breeding, vicious, and smaller than men. In contract to Tolkien, the are extremely sexual with their sexuality linked to a desire for violence and genocide as seems to be standard with the Inchoroi Weapon Races. Their inferiority to men individually, but are capable of living off grubs and roots. So, yes they are orc equivalents. view post
The entry for them in the back of TTT says they are indeed hairless. With faces (bone-white if I remember right) beautiful to the point of being repulsive.
[b:mnvammt0][i:mnvammt0]"And very very fast. If you can't even outrun them on horses, as is mentioned in the books, well that's just scary."[/i:mnvammt0][/b:mnvammt0]
That is pretty scary...
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I wonder how well they would fare against disciplined ranks of heavy infantry like the Nansur have? view post
They are pretty scary as they don't fit the stereotype. The description reminds me of the evil spirit in Japanese film the Grudge. Very pale and moves like an animal but very fast. Kind of like the possessed girl from the Exorcist. They are perhaps the most vile creatures ever described in fantasy as they are supposedly beautiful, but rape and eat humans. That they dominate the entire north is pretty scary. What kind of world is this? And the Humans are busy slaughtering each other? view post
The Orcs are capable of moving really fast in Tolkien too and have great endurance, although that's often overlooked. Since Tolkien's maps have distance scales and there is an appendix that tells on what day anything important happened, it should be possible to calculate exactly how fast the Orcs had to run to get from Rauros to Fangorn in time. We know that the Orcs breed extremely fast but Tolkien is a lot more squeamish about such things than Bakker. (We know however that Orcs are born the normal way and not like presented in the movies.) We can only speculate whether Orc females are hidden away somewhere or if the heroes were simply unable to tell the difference. Similarly the frequency of Orc rape is left entirely to imagination. They could be like Sranc or they could find humans unarousing, being a different species after all. (Humans and Orcs cannot interbreed without magic.) view post
They're also described as having exquisitly beutiful faces, but in a stark kind of way - like a manequin, I suppose. Basically they sound like their designed for shock and awe, as well as everything else. view post
I picture the Sranc as tall and thin. In the prologue of DCB, it's said that they have narrow shoulders and dog-shaped chests. They have horns, but I always pictured them as sleek, unobtrusive horns, contouring the head, instead of the big curly sheep kind. It also states that Khellus nailed one of them to a tree with his sword, indicating that not only should they be light enough for a Dunyain to lift (of course, that's not necesarrily saying much), but that it should be able to stay stuck to a tree with only the support of a thin piece of steel. They use predomanantely (perhaps even SOLELY) arrows as weapons, so they don't appear as brutish to me.
I believe that the Sranc were created by one of two means:
1: Naturally, through evolution. (A wonderful proccess, really. Heard of it? (jk) )
2: Artificially, by another race, equivalent to the creation of the Orcs in LotR.(Likley by the Nonmen, given the response to the death of the Sranc in DCB's prologue by the Nonman. Or the Consult, because.... well, just because.)
The problem with the latter theory, though, is the fact that the Sranc don't collectively DO anything. The most they really do is raid Scylvendi tribelands and kill, capture and/or enslave travellers. If someone intentionallly created the Sranc, then what was the purpose of doing so?
I think I'll stop right now, as many have likely stoppped reading this, and I may be at risk of being deemed a sranc sympathizer.
Ciro
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I don't think they have horns. I can't recall mention of sranc horns, other than horns used for signaling (much like a trumpet is a horn, if you take my meaning), and I never picture them as overly hairy. As for weaponry, they use hammers, as well, so they are not solely restricted to arrows. Celmomas was crushed by a sranc hammer, remember. In fact, I can't recall a scene where they use arrows at all, so that lends weight to the brutish side of things. I like that idea, as these beings, en masse, with advanced technology like war bows, would be nigh unstoppable (moreso than they were during the Apocalypse). I see them as slightly shorter than the average human, rather hunched over their chest, with heavy, almost Neanderthal faces. Wild, unruly hair, but only over their heads. For some reason, I picture them with double-jointed legs, as well, like a dog's or a horse's. view post
Oh yes, the hammers. I'd forgotten. I don't know about the horns, but I think I heard something about them somewhere in the book, but like you say,Almighty Tallest, it could be referring to a sound-making horn. Aroows [i:2zopblib]were[/i:2zopblib] indeed mentioned, in prologue of DCB. "He turned as the Sranc broke from the bush, howling as they loped across the snow. ... So clear, this place. Arrows hissed by him. He picked one from the air and studied it. Warm, as though it had been pressed against skin." (pg 27) Although it never occurred to me, I can definitely see the Sranc as having double jointed legs. view post
Ah, thanks for the quote. Though I'm re-reading the series again, I'm nearly done of TTT, and couldn't remember that 
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I always imagined the Sranc as looking like the Reavers from the Serenity movie (spinoff of the Firefly television series). view post
Sranc = el chupacabras. Hairless, greyish, dog-like creatures that if they stood on their hind legs would be about 4-5 feet tall. They are supposedly viscous and relentless in nature. The name alone means "goatsucker/goateater". They attack livestock, mainly goats, and drink their blood with a side order of goat steak. I suspect that's where Scott got the influence. Well, that's how I see the Sranc as: genetically enhanced albino chupacabras http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/chupa/chupacabras.dwt http://www.crystalinks.com/chupacabras.html view post
I think they are being ascribed some capacities here they just don't have in the book. In the glossary I believe it even mentions they are inferior to a swordsman. What Scotts probably gotten across very well is their shock and awe element of their construction - that's exactly what shock and awe is supposed to do, start making the enemy build up fearful fabrications of your own capacities. view post