On Sat, 16 Aug 2003, Matthew Hunter wrote: > On Fri, Aug 15, 2003 at 10:53:14PM -0700, Philip Hart <philiph at SLAC.Stanford.EDU> wrote: > > On Sat, 16 Aug 2003, Matthew Hunter wrote: > > > ... > > > normal experience with a Great Weapon. In particular we know > > > that Pathfinder was concealed in one way, such that it was > > > rendered less efficious and perhaps in some way less active. > > > Thus we have two examples from which to generalize, which indeed > > > upon this list is in fact two more than required. > > We don't know much about Pathfinder pre-Aliera, but it should be noted > > that Baritt got a mountain named after him, being suspiciously powerful > > (see _Dragon_). > > IIRC, it was speculated by the characters that Baritt may not > have known he had a Great Weapon. Even if he did, it strikes me > that if anything could cause a Great Weapon to return to a > quiescent state, the death of it's wielder would certainly > qualify. My point was that PF was active enough for B to hold off an army/defy the Empire all by himself. B being assassinated isn't consistent with him being bonded with PF, it's true, but he isn't an idiot either. > > This point is rather a sore one for me - it seems to me > > he should have had more visible effects in the Vladiad and Paarfiad. > > Vlad would have no way to know much about Baritt -- he doesn't > travel in those circles. Paarfi has said little, but then there > are many subjects and events concerning which he has said little. > Note the little nitpick about the second Jhereg-Dragon war in > PotD. Vlad knows something about history. And he's curious. And he has a personal grudge with the guy. And he's buddies with a bunch of chatty Dragons, one of whom worships B in a way that is hardly consistent with a low-profile kind of guy. > > > none of them have made any special note of their weaponry. In > > > particular, we do not know what became of that blade. > > We know that Adron received it. Adron would notice he was holding a GW, > > or a potential GW. I suspect that he wouldn't have needed to blast the > > Orb if he had a GW, and certainly Sethra would have noticed if he had one > > (presumably he wouldn't have left it at home) therefore... > > ... success or failure in his attempt; their powers seem to be > orthogonal to sorcery (Elder or otherwise), rather than > complementary. There are many counterexamples. > > > On the subject, I would like to once again assert that Morrolan's taking > > Blackwand into the Paths, when he fully expects to be staying, is an > > annoying flaw in _Taltos_, which if anyone can explain away I'd be > > grateful. > > I see several possibilities, of which one or more may be > sufficient: > > 1) Morrolan didn't think of it (*very* likely given his attitude > in LoCB). That's fine, but S would have insisted he be responsible. > 2) Sethra knew Vlad could get him out. She couldn't. Vlad nearly kills himself with his spell, and barely thinks to do it. > 3) The Gods would see that the weapon made its way to some useful > soul. I agree on this point, but I think the logistics wouldn't be as simple as you present it, and who knows when the J will show up? > I confess that I am still puzzled as to why Aliera's soul was > sufficiently valuable to be retrieved from the Paths by such > extreme and unprecedently measures. This seems explicable - she's one of the handful of leading souls from the dawn of the Empire. Being the Dragon Heir doesn't matter much, surely, but perhaps being Sethra's friend (and representing a rare failure) does. > > Also on the subject, in _Issola_, when M and A are kidnapped, BW and PF > > come along for the ride, though presumably there was no physical contact - > > the J could have grabbed them when they were both in the shower or the > > sack, say, if it mattered. A GW is like a shadow, Enclouding be damned. > > They also came fully clothed, you'll note. This is often a > convenient aspect of fictional means of teleportation. ;) I think they didn't come clothed. I think they told Vlad that if he mentioned the truth they'd filet him. Note the Jenoine provided a chamber pot - nice touch on their part.