On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Alexx S Kay wrote: I wrote: > > And at the end of _FHYA_ we see Aliera claim the Orb - > > but if the emperor's death doesn't necessarily mean anything, this > > action seems a bit odd, or at least might well be discussed later. > > But Aliera is with Adron's party, who believe (falsely, as it turns out) > that the Cycle is about to turn. Had the Disaster not occurred when it > did, no doubt there would have been some "discussion" of this matter :-) I'm not entirely convinced the Cycle wasn't about to turn, or whether in fact it didn't. I think there wouldn't have been a discussion under a one-bite-at-the-Orb rule. > > And we likely would have known who the designated Phoenix Heir > > at the time was, as in this scenario it would actually matter. > > On page 266 of _FHYA_, we learn that Princess Loudin (Zerika's mother) > is the Phoenix Heir, and Khaavren advises that she flee the city. Ok, you're right, and I therefore have to acknowledge this as further evidence of the (to my view) vile multi-bite rule. Even more so: I now see that, since the earlier assassination attempt on Tortaalik (the White Goblet Affair, _FHYA_ pg 6) involved his sister (who I've speculated is the non-Zerika Phoenix), who would be unlikely to have done her brother in if her House would be thereby disenfranchised, I might have to consider the multi-bite rule as a real possibility. > I suppose that, technically, she *was* Empress for the last year or so > of her life. Perhaps, if she had not died of a plague so soon, there > might have been a Kana-like proto-empire formed around her. I'd say that she was the Cycle-emperor-elect or -apparent, but not the Orb-emperor. It would be hard to say whether Zerika or the sister (or whoever Phoenix #2 is) took this role upon Loudin's death, as Zerika was a minor, though clearly she had a better claim upon reaching her majority.