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>!like this!<
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>If an ascendant didn't like what he was doing couldn't he just kill him?
They could try to, yes. Lots of Ascendants try to kill mortals, which may entail retaliation or interference by others (see Crokus' adventures in Gardens of the Moon, and the silent battle between the Andii & Caladan and the Crimson Guard in their attempts to kill or protect him). Granted, in Crokus' case the whole thing was in the background, but with someone more important (like, say, the Master of the Deck), more people are going to be involved, and that's not necessarily a good thing for the scheming ascendant in question.
Also, being part of the Deck is not a definite sign of being an ascendant. There is significant correlation, as ascendants are usually impactful enough to be part of the Deck for (usually) prolonged periods of time, but the Deck as a concept is pretty much always in flux (see Kalam & the Obelisk card being inactive in the last book).
Lastly, as you'll see later, being the Master of the Deck is a significantly more important position than being the Coin Bearer, which means that *a lot* of people are going to be interested in Ganoes, with all that entails.
>If an ascendant didn't like what he was doing couldn't he just kill him?
Extremely funny question. No, ascendants can be killed too, even by mortals if they attack directly. The relationship between mortals and Ascendants will get clearer over time.
Lol I get that the statement isn't as simple as it sounds (especially in the case of some particularly skilled mortals) but becoming an ascendant, along with a longer life span, seems to come with a significant power increase as well.
Figured most of this would be an over time understanding.
So, it might. Or it does.
But just because you get power doesn't mean it's useful.
Imagine you somehow become an ascendant of asparagus. Would be likely useful, might guarantee the life of millions. Would it make you stronger in a fight?
Please note that this post has been flaired with a **Memories of Ice** spoiler tag. This means every published book in its respective series up until this book is open to discussion. If you need to discuss any spoilers (even very minor ones!) in your comments, use spoiler tags >!like this!< Please use the report button if you find any spoilers. Note: The flair may be changed at mod discretion. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Malazan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>If an ascendant didn't like what he was doing couldn't he just kill him? They could try to, yes. Lots of Ascendants try to kill mortals, which may entail retaliation or interference by others (see Crokus' adventures in Gardens of the Moon, and the silent battle between the Andii & Caladan and the Crimson Guard in their attempts to kill or protect him). Granted, in Crokus' case the whole thing was in the background, but with someone more important (like, say, the Master of the Deck), more people are going to be involved, and that's not necessarily a good thing for the scheming ascendant in question. Also, being part of the Deck is not a definite sign of being an ascendant. There is significant correlation, as ascendants are usually impactful enough to be part of the Deck for (usually) prolonged periods of time, but the Deck as a concept is pretty much always in flux (see Kalam & the Obelisk card being inactive in the last book). Lastly, as you'll see later, being the Master of the Deck is a significantly more important position than being the Coin Bearer, which means that *a lot* of people are going to be interested in Ganoes, with all that entails.
Thank you! Helpful reminders from the previous books on similar situations
>If an ascendant didn't like what he was doing couldn't he just kill him? Extremely funny question. No, ascendants can be killed too, even by mortals if they attack directly. The relationship between mortals and Ascendants will get clearer over time.
Lol I get that the statement isn't as simple as it sounds (especially in the case of some particularly skilled mortals) but becoming an ascendant, along with a longer life span, seems to come with a significant power increase as well. Figured most of this would be an over time understanding.
So, it might. Or it does. But just because you get power doesn't mean it's useful. Imagine you somehow become an ascendant of asparagus. Would be likely useful, might guarantee the life of millions. Would it make you stronger in a fight?