Errors and inconsistencies in the Edge Chronicles
This is a page on things stated in The Edge Chronicles that don't add up due to contradictions in another part of the series.
First Age of Flight
What was Linius Pallitax's job history?
In The Curse of the Gloamglozer, Linius Pallitax is said to have started his education at the Fountain House, joined the School of Mist as a mistgrading apprentice, worked his way up the ranks before becoming the Dean of Mist and later, the Most High Academe of Sanctaphrax. However, in The Winter Knights, Linius was said to have held a high-ranking position in the Knights Academy before joining the School of Mist.
What did the Great Seal Of High Office look like?
The Great Seal of High Office has a varying appearance, both the number of lightning bolts and the number of triangles around the outside.
This cannot be explained with it being remade after it got lost, as in The Curse of the Gloamglozer the number of triangles ranges form 7 to 14.
What did Steg Jambles look like?
In Clash of the Sky Galleons, Steg Jambles is young, thin and of average height. However, in Cloud Wolf he is short and fat with greying hair. This cannot be explained by the passage of time between the books because Cloud Wolf takes places before Clash of the Sky Galleons.
What was the length of time between Cloud Wolf and The Curse of the Gloamglozer?
On the timeline, it shows that Cloud Wolf takes place in 14 ᴇ.ʏ., and that The Curse of the Gloamglozer takes place in 15 ᴇ.ʏ.. Curse starts 10 days before the 15 ᴇ.ʏ. Treasury Day. The earliest possible Treasury Day is approximately February 23 (possibly 1 day before). This leaves a 6 week gap between the end of 14 ᴇ.ʏ. (the latest that Cloud Wolf could be) and the middle of February (the earliest that Curse could be). However, at the end of Cloud Wolf, Sanctaphrax is already visible, meaning they were less than 1 day's travel away.
This could be explained if the lunar cycle in the Edge was different to that of the real world.
How big was the entrance hall of the Palace of Shadows?
The entrance hall is stated to have "a circle of arched windows", implying there were windows on all four walls. This would require the hall to cover the entire ground floor of the palace, having outward-facing windows all round. However, at least two other rooms (Caucus Ante-Chamber and kitchen) are known to be on the ground floor, meaning the windows could not form a full ring.
How many turrets did the Palace of Shadows have?
In the first illustration of the Palace of Shadows in the first chapter of The Curse of the Gloamglozer, the Palace is shown to have only two towers. However, near the end of the book, the Palace is said to have an east, west and central turret.
How many hearts did spindlebugs have?
In Freeglader, when Rook is dreaming in a caterbird cocoon on Lullabee Island, Tweezel appears in his dreams. He dreams that Tweezel has two hearts. In the beginning of The Curse of the Gloamglozer, when Tweezel is walking in the Palace of Shadows (the same scene that Rook had dreamed about), it says that he had six hearts. Which number is correct?
Were Maris' sky-crystals different to those used by sky pirates?
In The Curse of the Gloamglozer, Maris makes a mosaic out of sky crystals her father made in the Ancient Laboratory. They were made during Linius' "preliminary experiments" and there were four different colours: red, yellow, green and purple. It is clear they didn't emit light because Maris says: "The fading light was making it difficult for her to see the exact colours of the sky-crystals."
Sky crystals were also an essential tool for sky pirates. Two crystals would glow when close to each other, and produce sparks when struck together. These were clearly in use before Linius created any, since Storm Weezit was once forced to use his to light an ironwood beacon.
The first kind of crystals were only described in The Curse of the Gloamglozer (2001), and the second kind were first mentioned in The Last of the Sky Pirates (2002), but they also appear in many of the following books. This means that the authors probably just forgot about the first kind, and made up a new kind of more interesting crystals for the later books.
What was the gender of Maris's pet lemkin?
During the events of The Curse of the Gloamglozer, Maris had a pet lemkin named Digit. During the course of that book, Digit was referred to as a "she". However, in Clash of the Sky Galleons, Maris referred to Digit as "he". Presumably, the authors merely forgot Digit's gender, as it was not a very important character.
What was the gender of Quint's pet ratbird?
During the events of The Winter Knights, Quint had a pet ratbird named Nibblick. Nibblick was said to be female in that book, but in Clash of the Sky Galleons, is said to be male.
Which laboratory was the Gloamglozer created in?
During the events of The Curse of the Gloamglozer, the Great Laboratory was said to be where the Earth-Scholars conducted their studies and the Ancient Laboratory was where the First Scholars attempted to create life. Linius Pallitax attempted to recreate the experiment with ghastly results. However, in The Winter Knights, it was repeatedly stated that Linius attempted to recreate the First Scholars' experiments in the Great Laboratory. This was most likely just an error, either in the writing or the publishing of the book.
Who was the last Knight Academic to set off on a stormchasing voyage before Quint stormed out of the Knights Academy?
During the Caterbird's tale in Stormchaser it is stated by Vilnix Pompolnius that it had been about nine years since 'the last knight academic, Screedius Tollinix set off on a stormchasing voyage.' However, in The Winter Knights we see further knights academic-in-waiting knighted and sent stormchasing after Screedius Tollinix leaves.
What was the time period between The Winter Knights and Quint leaving The Knights Academy?
On the timeline featured in The Lost Barkscrolls, it showed the difference between "The terrible winter freezes Sanctaphrax" and "Quint storms out of the Knights Academy..." as two years. However, in Stormchaser, during the Caterbird's tale of Quint's inauguration ceremony (the point in his life in which he left the Knights Academy), it was mentioned that Screedius Tollinix had set off on his stormchasing voyage about nine years previously, but he was known to have set out during the terrible winter.
Did Vilnix Pompolnius ever know his family?
During the events of The Winter Knights, Vilnix Pompolnius was said to have been abandoned as an infant and raised by a drunken Greywaif in the Undertown sewers, until Vilnix became clever enough to strike out on his own. However, in Stormchaser, Vilnix repeatedly thought of old sayings his grandmother used to say, suggesting that he had known his family. This is presumably a lapse of memory on the part of the authors. Or it's possible that Vilnix may have thought up the sayings on his own, but out of sorrow for himself, pretended he had an evil grandmother.
Which ship did the Winter Knights use to sail out into Open Sky?
In The Winter Knights, the Winter Knights used the Cloudslayer to sail out into Open Sky. However, at one point the book says that Raffix was preparing the Galerider for the voyage. Not only was the Galerider not the ship that they were going to use, it was actually located at Wilderness Lair at the time, so it can't have been the ship that Raffix was preparing.
What was Quint holding on to when dangling with Maris atop the Loftus Observatory in The Winter Knights?
In Freeglader, Rook Barkwater saw Quint rescuing Maris in his cocoon dreams, and Quint was hanging on to a balustrade. However, when this same event occurred during the events of The Winter Knights, Quint was actually holding on to the handle of a door leading from the north gantry of the Loftus Observatory.
When was the Stone Pilot rescued?
During the Twig Trilogy, it was mentioned multiple times that Maugin was rescued during Quint's later years as the sky pirate captain, Cloud Wolf. However, during the events of Clash of the Sky Galleons, she served as the Stone Pilot aboard the Galerider, and it was specifically stated that Quint had rescued her very recently, roughly a few weeks after he had rescued Tem Barkwater. Clash of the Sky Galleons took place nine years before the time that she was supposedly rescued according to the Twig trilogy.
What did Quint do to Maugin's captor?
During the events of The Stone Pilot, Maugin was saved from her owner, Ilmus Pentephraxis, by Quintinius Verginix. Quint punched Ilmus in the stomach and hit him in the jaw with his knee, threw some gold at the leaguesman, and then whisked her away to the Galerider. However, in Stormchaser, it was mentioned that Cloud Wolf bought Maugin from her original slaver, beat him half to death with his own whip, and made her the stone pilot of the Stormchaser.
What was the name of Wind Jackal's wife?
During the Rook trilogy, Wind Jackal's wife was referred to as "Hirmina Verginix". However, during Clash of the Sky Galleons, her name was spelled "Hermina Verginix". It is likely a typo on the part of the latter book. However, this error was repeated in a Facebook post by Paul Stewart [1] on the origin of Quint's name; she was twice referred to as "Hermina" and once as "Hirmina".
How did Thaw Daggerslash make it to the Great Shryke Slave market?
In Clash of the Sky Galleons, Thaw Daggerslash meets Wind Jackal and his crew at the Great Shryke Slave Market and says that his sky ship was stolen by Turbot Smeal. This ship is later found at an abandoned shipwreck - and when Wind Jackal enters it with Thaw, he gets killed by Smeal. However, we learn later that Smeal actually has been dead for years and Thaw himself placed his ship there as part of his plan to assassinate Wind Jackal. But how did he make it to the slave market after this?
What was Garlinius Gernix's prowlgrin named?
In almost every mention, the prowlgrin is called Vinchix, however in the first image in which he appears, in Stormchaser, his bridle has "Vichix" written on it.
What is the reason for slaughterer's red complexion and hair colour?
Many Deepwoods people mistakenly believed that the red skin and hair of the Slaughterers were the result of "generations of spilt blood [that] had seeped though their pores and down into the follicles of their hair"[2]. In truth, however, it was the crimson smoke of redoak chips used for curing tilder ham that stained the slaughterers' skin a deep, dark red[3].
However, slaughterers like Tendon Hammelherd still had red skin, even though they lived in Undertown and did not engage in the traditional activities of the slaughterers. Keris Barkwater, the daughter of a fourthling and a slaughterer, had pale skin and black hair[4], even though she grew up and lived in a traditional slaughterer camp in the Deepwoods and was exposed to the smokes of curing meat.
It is therefore impossible for the red complexion and hair of the slaughterers to be only caused by the redoak smoke. More likely is that their distinctive complexion was a genetic trait, but since the people of the Edge had no understanding of genetics, they came up with their own explanations.
How many toes did gnokgoblins have?
In Stormchaser, Mim the gnokgoblin has two toes[5]. However, in The Last of the Sky Pirates, some gnokgoblins have four toes[6].
Sky-firing was impossible
Sky-firing, as it appeared in Midnight Over Sanctaphrax, as well as several other books, was physically impossible. The buoyant end of the log was the one on fire, yet, in the books, the flaming end was always trailing behind the heavier, cooler end. Also, logs that are sky-fired shoot off at an angle, not vertically (although some trees go straight up). If the heat just makes the wood buoyant, then there should be no horizontal velocity, meaning the log should simply float up.
Why the change in direction of the Gloamglozer rock between Clash of the Sky Galleons and Freeglader?
In Clash of the Sky Galleons, the first chronological appearance of the rock, as depicted by one of Riddell's illustrations, sees it facing over the edge. Yet by the time of Freeglader, when Rook is being blown towards the Edge by the sepia storm, he sees the rock's face rearing up before him as he approaches.
Did Rook really discover and name snickets?
During the events of The Last of the Sky Pirates, Rook supposedly discovered a new species of creature in the Deepwoods. He named these creatures, "snickets", and he was supposedly the first to classify them. However, during Clash of the Sky Galleons, which took place over seventy years before Rook's journey to the Free Glades, Wind Jackal made a brief reference to Snickets. Additionally, in Clash of the Sky Galleons, Quint encounters a famous sky pirate named Sleet Snicket. Also, during Vox, there is a snicket-shaped tile in the flood of the Palace of Statues, which was built long before Rook's supposed discovery. This indicates that Rook was not the first to discover this species.
What is the actual name of the Bringer of Doom?
When the Bringer of Doom initially appears in Clash of the Sky Galleons, it is called The Bringer of Doom, with "the" in italics, as part of its name. "The" appears as part of its name on its prow in the picture of it too. However, slightly later on in the same chapter it is referred to as the Bringer of Doom, with "the" not in italics. So which is its true name?
Indestructible Fogscythe
The Fogscythe, a sky galleon which appeared for several times was a heavy two-master ship from the First Age of Flight. It was mentioned in Clash of the Sky Galleons that the Bringer of Doom attacked this ship first, and it “exploded into flames”. But later, in Freeglader we see the Fogscythe in the Mire, where the Armada of the Dead takes place. And the Fogscythe even had a crew – captain Henkel , quartermaster Quillet Pleeme, also Stegrewl, Myzewell, Brazerigg and four more persons. But if the ship exploded, how did it happened to remain unharmed and even have a new crew? Sure, in the time of Clash of the Sky Galleons the crew must be another because many years are between these events.
What damage did the scrapewort berry cause to those who ingest it?
Scrapewort berries are known to be poisonous, but there are inconsistencies about what effect they have on their victims. In Beyond the Deepwoods, the Scrapewort Berry was said to bring those who eat it out in a warty blue rash that never goes away. It was implied there that the berry is not a fatal poison. However, in Vox, it was stated that half a dozen scrapewort berries contained enough poison to kill a fully grown Hammelhorn, and this fact was used in such a way as to suggest that the berries were even more harmful to smaller creatures.
Who was holding the wheel on the Stormchaser during the Great Storm?
In chapter 9 of Stormchaser, it states that Hubble was holding the wheel while Cloud Wolf adjusted the levers, but the illustration shows Cloud Wolf holding the wheel.
How old was Cowlquape in Midnight Over Sanctaphrax?
During chapter five, Cowlquape's first appearance, he is described as being "barely fifteen years old", but according to the timeline, Cowlquape was born in 23 ᴇ.ʏ., which would make him only thirteen during the events of Midnight Over Sanctaphrax. Whether the error rests in the timeline or the novel is debatable, but it could be that the writers decided after Midnight Over Sanctaphrax was written, that Twig treating Cowlquape so much younger - repeatedly calling him "lad", and generally acting as a worldly-wise older brother - was not justified with just one year of difference in age between them.
What happened to the Skyraider after Twig's mutiny?
During the events of Midnight Over Sanctaphrax, Twig seized control of the sky ship, the Skyraider, from Thunderbolt Vulpoon, arranged for the slaves onboard to sail back to Undertown, and, at the end of the book, sailed away in the Skyraider to relocate his crew at Riverrise. Later, during The Last of the Sky Pirates, Twig was said to have left the Skyraider at Wilderness Lair. Many years after that, Twig and Rook used the Skyraider to attack the Tower of Night, and the ship was destroyed in the process. However, during Freeglader, the Skyraider was shown to be in the possession of Thunderbolt Vulpoon's son, Deadbolt Vulpoon, grounded in the Armada of the Dead with a rotten flight-rock. It is possible that Deadbolt Vulpoon simply named his ship after his father's ship, but it has never been explained.
Several inconsistencies between Twig leaving New Sanctaphrax for Riverrise and him leaving the Skyraider at Wilderness Lair
In The Lost Barkscrolls, it says Twig stayed with the slaughterers for 4 years (45-49 ᴇ.ʏ.) However, in The Last of the Sky Pirates, there is no mention of Keris, or Twig's stay with them. Instead, he says he sailed for 16 years. There isn't a 16-year gap in the timeline that fits this, before or after his stay in the slaughterer village. Also, Twig claims he was present for the deaths of all 7 of his crew members.
According to The Slaughterer's Quest, Twig's crew continue on, leaving him with the slaughterers because he is ill. They returned several times, but he repeatedly told them he'd catch up, delaying his departure. So how did he find them again, after staying with the slaughterers for 4 years?
How did the crew of the Skyraider cope without a captain for such a long amount of time? There were only 4-7 of them, smaller than a usual crew, and Twig himself said "Flying the sky ship without a stone pilot had been difficult." So it would've been almost impossible to fly with so few hands, as well as no stone pilot or captain.
All of these can easily be explained by the fact that The Slaughterer's Quest was written in 2006, 4 years after The Last of the Sky Pirates, so the authors only thought of Keris and the slaughterers after The Last of the Sky Pirates was finished.
Second Age of Flight
How many arms did Rogg have?
In Freeglader, the Flat-Head Rogg is described as being "one-armed" during the Battle of Lufwood Mount. However, later on in the same passage, it is told of how the same Rogg (a former Undertowner) carried a "Lugtroll under one arm, and a portly gabtroll and her babe-daughter under the other" up Lufwood Mount.
Were Heeb and Rumpel wearing boots?
In Freeglader, Heeb and Rumpel, two low-belly goblins, are described to be walking through "thick, claggy mud that clung to their tattered boots." However, an illustration further down the same page depicts them without any boots at all.
What was Xanth Filantine's position?
In The Blooding of Rufus Filatine, Xanth has become the High Master of Lake Landing. In Doombringer, where he is mentioned on a plaque for a phraxfire globe, he is the High Master of the Knights Academy. This is most likely just an error because the Knights Academy disappeared when the Anchor chain was cut and Sanctaphrax blown into Open Sky until its rediscovery about 500 years later.
Third Age of Flight
When was the Sumpwood Bridge of Hive built?
On page 74 of The Immortals, it says "the bridge had been constructed almost two hundred years earlier." However, on page 314 of the same book, The Professor says "It was built three hundred years ago." One (or both) of these dates is incorrect.
What was the name of Friston Drew's partner?
In The Immortals, the name Glemlop appears 6 times, and the name Gremlop appears 6 times (once in an image and five times in the text). All the mentions of Gremlop are after those of Glemlop.
Which colour were the uniforms of the Cloddertrog Constabulary?
In chapter 23 of The Immortals, the "blue-uniformed Cloddertrog Constabulary" formed a phalanx around the Thunderer with the other groupings of the Great Glade Guard. However, in chapter 69, a cloddertrog wearing "the low peaked cap and sapgreen topcoat of a cloddertrog constable" arrested Felftis Brack.
What was the Tusked Goblin Clan Chief's name?
In The Immortals, the Clan Chief of the Tusked Goblins was called Ragg Yellowtooth, but on page 192, he is mistakenly called Ragg Yellowtusk.
What happened during the Glorious Revolution?
In The Immortals, the revolutionaries amass outside the Clash Hall, before Firemane Clawhand opens the door and holds up Kulltuft Warhammer's severed head. However, in Doombringer, Thorne remembers the doors being broken down. This could be explained by saying that Thorne is remembering incorrectly.
When did Cade see snagtooths for the first time?
In Chapter 1 of Doombringer, it is said that Cade had never seen a snagtooth before, but that Thorne warned him of them. However, in Chapter 19 of The Nameless One, Cade already saw a snagtooth. Both books feature an illustration of the creatures.
When did Nate return from his fourth descent?
Nate's return from his longest descent is the catalyst at the start of The Nameless One, causing Quove Lentis to purge the academy and murder Cade's father. However, on the timeline in The Descenders, the events of The Nameless One are shown to take place before Nate returns.
Which fingers was Brod missing?
In chapter 6 of The Nameless One, it says that Brod's right index and middle fingers were missing, however in the accompanying image, it shows those fingers intact, but his right little and ring fingers missing.
How many horns did the tilder in Doombringer have?
There are at least two varieties of tilder, with three or four horns/antlers. On page 165 of Doombringer, a herd of "thousands of triple-horn tilder" was eaten by a group of several hundred logworms. However, in the illustration on the same page, the tilder are shown to have four horns each. Which subspecies of tilder are these then?
What happened to Blatch Helmstoft's hanging tree-cabin?
In Doombringer, Blatch Helmstoft's hanging mansion is destroyed by the mirepearlers. It is set on fire and soars up in the sky.
- "[...] the magnificent hanging-cabin turned into a buoyant ball of flame before their eyes. It broke the chains and soared up in the night sky, taking all their hopes and dreams with it "
- —Doombringer, Chapter 33
But in The Descenders, Cade galopps past the cabin where Celestia and her father live. As The Descenders takes place only six weeks after Doombringer, Blatch can't have rebuilt the house it took him ten years to build. It could be a new one, but it's more likely that the authors just forgot that they had burned down the mansion in the last book already.
Incorrect date for the beginning of the Third Age of Flight
On page 1 of The Descenders, it is claimed that Sanctaphrax returned to The Edge "five hundred years" after the anchor chain was cut, "at the beginning of the Third Age of Flight." While it is true that Sanctaphrax returned c. 500 years after the chain was cut, this wasn't at the beginning of the Third Age of Flight. The Third Age actually began in 102 ᴇ.ʏ., 400 years before the date stated here.[7]
What was Sentafuce's name/race?
In the original drafts of The Descenders, there was a blue waif named Sentafruice.[8] However, in the final release, the name was changed to Sentafuce. In her first appearance, she was mentioned as being a blue waif,[9] however later appearances referred to her as a nightwaif instead.[10][11]
References
- ↑ Paul Stewart on the Edge Chronicles facebook account on the 17th of August 2020, https://www.facebook.com/EdgeChronicles/posts/1788956561247287?__tn__=-R
- ↑ Beyond the Deepwoods, Chapter 2
- ↑ "It was this smoke, rather than blood, which had stained the slaughterers' skin" in Beyond the Deepwoods, Chapter 3: The Slaughterers
- ↑ The Slaughterer's Quest, Chapter 1: Supper at Dawn
- ↑ See this image
- ↑ See this image
- ↑ Timeline of the Quint, Twig and Rook sagas
- ↑ See this image.
- ↑ The Descenders, Chapter 16
- ↑ The Descenders, Chapter 18
- ↑ The Descenders, Chapter 20
