Greg stated: > It's pretty common in fantasy for wizards to live much longer than > non-wizards. When the non-wizard base lifespan is 2,000 years, as in the > case of Dragaeran elves, "much longer" can be tens of thousands of years, I > suppose. Note similarly the extended lives of Arra and Noish-Pa. > > Alternately, people who hang out with Sethra Lavode acquire her habit of > living an unusually long life. Bodes well for Vlad, who's got both > witchcraft and the Sethra Lavode Effect to keep him tottering along perhaps > as much as a tenth of a Dragaeran lifetime. Well, yes. However, Dragaera is filled with sorcerors and not a small number of wizards, whereas Arra's long lifespan is directly attributed to her relationship with Verra, and Noish-Pa and Vlad's last name *is* Taltos, so I'd assume a little Magic Finger-Waggling in regard to their futures. But is it the case that most, if not all, wizards (as opposed to sorcerors) are longer-lived than other Dragaerans? Or is it a branch of sorcery, similar to Necromancy, that allow certain wizards to extend their lifespans beyond that of mortal Dragaerans? As for the Sethra Lavode equation, I suspect the majority of people who have had dealings with Sethra do not, in fact, lead very long lives. The number of Dzur Heroes alone who've been in her presence long enough for a "I come to battle the famed Enchan..." have probably been legion. Though it is an interesting theory: if one hangs around her long enough, their lives are lengthened. However, if we assume that Sethra's long life is due in no small part to her relationship with Dzur Mountain, we would need to assume that part of the Mountain siphons off to those she surrounds herself with. Which, I think, is a rather frightening thought. <grin> Chris (Who's in a mood for discussion on magical theory in the Dragaeran world)