>We have textev that there can be more than one emperor per reign; we just >have not got any clear instances of where that is actually the case. And as I recall in Jhereg Vlad informs us that the longest a House can hold the throne at a time is 17 to the 17th power. That puts it way outside the lifetime of a single emperor. Extending a life that long would require necromancy, and I don't believe that's possible through the orb. >I would also argue that a Teckla reign can be any and all of the possible >governments which pollute the world nowadays-- I have to disagree. In Teckla, Verra tells Vlad that the books the revolutionaries were working from came from Earth and were not appropriate for Dragaera, at least not yet. That means that communism and socialism at least have not been seen in a Teckla Republic. I suppose I have always seen something along the lines of the Roman Senate, where regions send representatives, who elect from amongst themselves a Consul to hold executive power. The Consul would get the Orb for his turn of service, which of course is at the pleasure of the Senate. The Orb would go along with this because it's the Teckla's turn. I also don't think we've ever heard of a Teckla Heir, which leads me to believe there isn't one, which makes the transfer of the Orb from Consul to Consul easier. ><snip>... tyrannical slaughter that was the French Revolution. However, >these governments can be fleeting; <snip>... due to political infighting >caused by conflicting claims on the orb, or a joint-ownership or >oligarchical government, etc... Again, I disagree. The Gods would not allow the Empire to fall into such chaos. Remember, the primary purpose of the Empire (in the eyes of the Gods) is to keep order so that people will be ready to fight the Jenoine at a moment's notice. Baronial squabbles are acceptable and give people a chance to hone their skills. Wholesale anarchy or the slaughter of the noble classes are a different matter. If social order started to break-down, it would be a clear indication that the Cycle had turned, and most Teckla would turn against their rabble-rousing, former leaders because they would want an immediate return to security and stability. --Mark