On Tue, 2003-10-21 at 18:06, David Dyer-Bennet wrote: > David Silberstein <davids at kithrup.com> writes: > > > Elsewhere, it is stated that Sethra created the Lavodes, which > > certainly implies to *me* that they were recruited somehow. > > > > The quote from the booksearch is (FHYA, chapter 25): > > > > They seem to be of no one House, though many appear to be > > Dzurlords, and one or two are without doubt Dragonlords. > > And it makes sense that those two houses would predominate in a > fighting force. However, given what the Lavodes have been described > as I'd kinda expect more wizards to be involved. I seem to recall that what made the Lavodes special is that they are both fighters *and* wizards. From what we've seen, it seems more likely to have a Dzur or Dragon that has studied wizardry than it is to find an Athyra that has learned non-magical fighting. As for the House or non-House of the Lavodes, there is also the fact that Gyorg Lavode was mentioned specifically as being a Dzur. There is a scene in FHYA where Sethra is in one a room in the palace thinking of Gyorg and talking about him to one of our heros.