** Spoiler Alert**
The cycle of light and dark is an element of huge importance to the Myth series. The Age of Darkness ended with the death of Sorengath, thus bringing in the Age of Reason. In turn, the Age of Reason ended with the death of Moagim and entrance of the Myrkridia into the world (the Wind Age). And of course, Myth III is all about how the Wind Age was ended by Connacht, thus beginning the Wolf Age.
Now of course, the Wolf Age should have ended to another age of darkness. And it almost did, as was shown in TFL: the Cath Bruig empire collapsed as did the majority of cities in the province.
But in the end...it did not. Alric triumphed over Balor, thus continuing the years of light. But why did the light triumph again?
This is something...that really needed to be investigated.
My thoughts on the matter:
1) Soulblighter's attacks in Myth II had no consequence on the cycle. It was already "broken" by the time he ressurected the Myrkridia.
2) The presence of the Head may have had an impact on the cycle; By having two levellers (Mjarin and Balor) active at the same time, something may have gone wrong.
3) It seems that the Leveller is always defeated before the change from light to dark. Sorangath dies just before the Age of Reason, Moagim dies just before the Wind Age (dark) begins. And Balor also dies....it is quite possible that the cycle is not broken and the age just after Alrics victory may become one of darkness after all. (We only know what happens up to about 100 years after Balors defeat...Muirthemne has been abandoned once again and the Province is where nearly all of humanity lives...in the 100 year prior to that, the continent was torn by war thanks to soulblighter).
4) At the end of Myth III, Connacht reveals to Damas that it is written in the Total Codex that he will one day usher in a new age of darkness. By its nature, the Total Codex can never be wrong, yet it seems to be in this case because Balor fails to destroy civilization.
5) Alric did not do anything that unusual. Like the other "heroes" of ages past, he simply rallied his forces and triumped over the leveller. This alone should not be enough to break the cycle.
Any ideas...?
