The talk about what exactly does a Morganti weapon (whether or not Blackwand is typical) _really_ do with a soul reminds me of one of the questions that hovers in the back of my mind in all the Dragaeran novels. It's the same question in any fantasy world which has reincarnation and/or soul eating: In the specific metaphysics of this world, _are_ souls destructible? Must there therefore also be a source of souls? What are the 'laws' of soul birth, migration, and (possible) death? I imagine that many authors of complex fantasy worlds have those answers, or at least a few guiding thoughts, that they conceal or reveal to readers as they see fit (concealment possibly indicating intended use of the theme/subject, or otherwise a desire to preserve the freedom to work within a loose framing concept). So I have no guarantee that Steve has figured this out in his own head (or that he even finds it of great interest to the story he wants to tell), but it is one of those things an author has gotten one of his readers to wonder about the world he's created. Bizarre Hempen Analog (Noam Raphael Izenberg - pass that clip along, please)