> So the latest thing I don't understand about _TPotD_ is: what's Sethra's > reasoning behind her decisions? If I understand the timing, she sent > Sethra the Younger to pick up Zivra, then a few days later sent Kytraan to > pick up Piro - why not send one expedition, except to have the advantage > of a separation and a reunion scene? Could this be the heavy hand of > Paarfi? > > I could be misremembering, but didn't Sethra state that Piro was > specifically there at Zerika's request? In other words, Sethra didn't > know, when she sent for Zerika, that Zerika would ask for Piro shortly > after she arrived. I believe this is correct. And, even if not, I can see Sethra not knowing what or whom she'd need until getting Zerika and talking to her. > Then Sethra sends Zerika et al. off to get the Orb - but if we believe > Paarfi, the gods had at the time (whatever that means in this context) > hardly decided whether or not to relinquish it. In fact, they were > then supposedly calling up the Necromancer, who only appears several > months later. Is there any reason why Sethra picks this moment - Piro's > old enough? Tazendra has blown up her guest room again? - and why > she doesn't coordinate with the Gods? I don't believe Sethra is in on the Gods plans. She probably didn't know that the Gods were debating whether to relinquish the Orb, and so would go about with her own plans. As to the rest, she probably chose a moment when Zerika could be found and was old enough to take on the responsabilities of leadership, not to mention heading into the Paths for a little chat with the Gods. > As an aside, we get another typical Paarfian intro to Sennya's region - > settled in the 8th Cycle. We ought to be able to track Dragaeran > expansion - 100k years seems a long time to settle a continent... Yes and no. From what we've read, it seems Dragaerans don't do things in a hurry. If that's the case, and they've also got Easterners, Serioli, and wild dzurs and dragons running around, I'm not too surprised it's taken awhile to civilize (heh) a continent as large as Europe. Peeking from over my desk, Chris "Life is the nightmare that leaves its mark upon you in order to prove that it is, in fact, real." -Thomas Ligotti- 'The Sect of the Idiot'