Dragaera

Two words about two letters etc.

Thu Jan 23 15:42:58 PST 2003

> 
> I'd cite Issola, chapter 3 or so where Sethra says the Serioli hate the
> gods for taking over the world (to the point some factions are pro-J -
> Vlad and Verra have an exchange later on which might amplify this),
> information somewhere that they were displaced by the Empire, and Paarfi's
> allusion (in PG?) to their current near-mythical status.  I'd say
> "massacre" doesn't have evidence but that's not quite implied by
> "annihilated".  I'll substitute "ethnically cleansed" if you prefer.

I've been holding on to this until I had a free evening to check the
refs (which tun out to be Issola, pgs.39-40).  That passage makes it 
clear that the Serioli were unhappy about (and actively tying to resist)
their displacement.  OTOH, while it mentions "battles", it doesn't say
anything which, to me, would imply "massacre".  "Ethnic cleansing" might
or might not be appropriate, I don't think we have quite enough info.

What's most interesting about that passage, however, is that the Serioli
blame the gods for thei misfortunes (with evident cause), and appear to
hold no huge animosity towards the mortal Dragaerans and Easterners.
"In some measure, perhaps they resent [both races], though most of them
recognize that we are not responsible for what has been done to us."
Thus, even if they had been able to mass-produce Morganti weapons,
they might have thought it immoral to use them on "innocent pawns".

Of course, usual caveats about unreliable narrators apply.  This is
Brust's version of Vlad's version of Sethra's version.  Sethra is one
of the more reliable narrators we have, but Serioli could well constitute
a "blind spot" for her for all we know.  And the other two in the chain
are notoriously unreliable :-)

Alexx

Alexx Kay
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