Jon Carey <greyw01f at hotmail.com> wrote: <By the way, I was always curious about the House of the Phoenix. It says <that a Phoenix is only recognized as a True Phoenix if a phoenix is seen to <fly overhead at the time of the child's birth. <1) What time frame are we looking at? From beginning of labour to end? <From the complete extraction of the child from the mother? Anywhere within <a week of birth? <2) What happens to those who do not have a phoenix do a fly-by? Do they <join the Jhereg, or do they become Houseless, or what? Here are my reflections on this. 1. I would assume it would be during or immediately following labor. A week following probably wouldn't count. I assume it’s a magical (?) process and the phoenix is called by the labor and comes to examine its new cousin. Perhaps the connection isn't magical at all. Maybe there is some sort of species wide network of linked minds. We know that the Athyra can use its abilities to mentally attract prey so this isn't that farfetched. On another note if you knew your son or daughter wouldn't be a member of your house if a phoenix didn't pass overhead wouldn't you expend all effort, magical or otherwise to make sure that a phoenix passed overhead? So I think the actual number of times a new child is houseless is relatively low. Or maybe it happens a lot, that would explain the low phoenix population. (It had to be low for adron's disaster to kill all but two of them given the high population of the other houses.) But I wouldn't think it occurred very often because Aliera maintains that the greatest number of castoffs are dragonlords because they have the highest standards. Question 2 is much more interesting. Of course originally they would be clanless. They could buy their way into the Jhereg or joined the Teckla, if they survived. Think about this: a newborn that takes about 100 years to mature is not accepted by its parents. There would be a very low probability of survival unless the parents defied their house and raised the child. Phoenix has always seemed to me like the elite (maybe because its always been the Phoenix reign). The parents wouldn't want the constant reminder that their offspring and by association they were impure. It would also certainly lower their standing in the house. So they would probably dump the child. Because the child was technically not a phoenix they could probably do this relatively guilt free and it might not even be put in the house records. Just one of those things that’s not talked about. So the child would be raised as a teckla family or a Jhereg family that wasn't connected to the Organization. In the Jhereg a difference wouldn't be very notable. As a teckla it would be difficult to hide the nobles point. (Unless the child truly wasn't really a phoenix and therefore had no phoenix genes, which would be exceedingly interesting.) I find it surprising that given a Phoenix needs a phoenix to be born; no enemies of the house have slaughtered all phoenixes thus eliminating the house. Of course the house is pretty much gone anyway. This can be explained in two ways. 1, we haven't seen any reason to hate the house as a whole so maybe they don't have enemies. (I find this doubtful given that if I was clanless because some stupid bird didn't fly over my head as an infant I'd be pretty pissed off at the house) 2. People have tried but the attempt was inherently destined to fail because to succeed would be to destroy the cycle and the orb and the gods and not to mention the house of the Phoenix would make sure that no one would be able to accomplish this. Now question 4. How will the cycle persist given only 2 females remain and there needs to be a phoenix reign. My theories. The 2 phoenixes live forever alternating reigns then going into some sort of suspended animation. This would even work because the mysterious other phoenix would be decadent and Zerika would be rising. Fits in well, except I'm not sure if a person can be empress twice or if someone would be continually allowed to fuck up the empire every time it was her reign just because that’s what’s supposed to happen. Now here is my personal theory that I've been harboring for a while. Zerika and her eastern lover are able to successfully mate and produce offspring. A phoenix flies over and validates said offspring thus the house is restarted. To avoid inbreeding they would continue to breed with easterners. Although this is technically impossible (or so it seems considering its never happened and they are two separate species.) she has the gods the cycle and the orb on her side. It could happen. They wouldn't even be crossbreeds because houses weren't mixed. The phoenix genes would always be dominant. This would tie into the whole rebirth thing too. Now there is option 3. It’s probably the most correct one but not nearly as fun (Well at least not to me) or original. The two current phoenixes hook up with gods and so do their decedents. Until the house is back. We've seen from Aliera that the descendants would be considered purebreds of the house. Maybe this theory is the most fun, what would it be like to have sex with a god? (note to self: seduce a goddess. *This could be difficult.) There now someone please at least make a comment so I don't feel stupid for writing a lot. There now I can forget about not having the new book for another week. P.S sorry about the misspellings or wrong names. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software