Okay, I've been reading the entire Vladiad, and I'm on Athyra, which puts the relevent information a couple books behind me. Vlad's family were _not_ citizens with any link to the orb until Vlad's dad bought into House Jhereg. Easterners are regarded as less than peasants. In _Phoenix_ it was *specifically* Easterners who were conscripted by the press gangs. Easterners cannot join the Guard. Easterners and Dragaerans have a genetic link, but whether that link is remote enough to cause sufficient special (that's spee-see-el) differentiation, and therefore prevent cross-breeding is unknown. Perhaps they may be able to cross-breed, but cannot produce viable offspring, like Horses and Mules can produce Donkeys, which are congenitally sterile. Jon _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus