With regards to keeping one's soul in a box, as per the Teckla: We know that in the field of necromancy, there is one demon who reigns above them all. That would, of course, be, The Necromancer. And she is skilled beyond belief because she has Mastered x of the y gates or planes (where x= 6 and y=7, I think). The point is, necromancy deals with more than death and the unliving, though it's a major component. Necromancy is more a study of existence on other planes. A necromancer's box, then, is likely a spell that transports the soul to a different plane, but leaves a nice little doorway back to the one in which the body exists. However, it won't help the body from being killed--but it will allow the awareness from that body to traverse along the pathways between the planes to get to where the soul is. Home is where the heart is, until it gets hit with a broadsword. Then it's anybody's guess. Further proof for this theory is seen rather unequivocably in _Issola_ which deals almost entirely with traversing the planes between the worlds. Note how the Necromancer is the key player in the endgame scenario. So it's a question of how many gates Loraan has mastered. I would imagine that it was just the one, or maybe even two. This is in itself a very impressive feat. I don't know if even Sethra's done that, though she probably has. At the very least, she has a working understanding of necromancy. We know that one of these planes is where the soul goes after the body dies (usually as a result of non-morganti, non-necromantically-protected deaths). In fact, there could be many of these planes where the soul goes after bodydeath. (side note: I love fantasy/science fiction because it allows for such cool new terms as "bodydeath".) We know that Dragaeran souls are fettered to the Halls of Judgement, which fettering grants the gods a good portion of their power. This may be a direct or indirect result of the fact that these souls recycle to Dragaera whereon lies a vast sea of Chaos, and thus grant the Lords of Judgement some control (heh) over the Sea. Other power providers can be gotten from the natives of the world; the Easterners and the Serioli. Well, we know the Easterners aren't native, but I think they've been there long enough to have their souls fettered to the planet itself, as opposed to the soul of Judgement, assuming they're fettered at all. Sorry for using Wraith: The Oblivion terminology, but it seems to be fitting here. However, we know the Serioli to be rather reluctant worshippers of the gods, and one might call them the makers of the party jokes that go horribly horribly wrong (though maybe not by accident). Serioli: Hey cool party! Gods: Thanks! Serioli Smith: Hey guys wanna see a cool trick? Gods et al: Sure! Dragaeran: This isn't another of the kill the Gods and watch them get back up tricks, is it? Serioli Smith: Damnit! Stop ruining my tricks! Gods et al: (divinely bored) Show us anyway! Serioli Smith: In my land, we call this a "Remover of the aspects of Divinity" God of Hard-hearing or God of Misfortune: What was that last bi---ARRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH Serioli Smith: Oh my god I thought the name was a joke!! *chuckles inwardly* Other Gods: Man, that was seriously not cool. Well, maybe a little.... Anyway... So anyway, my point was somewhere back in the above letter. I think. But in summary, the necromantic planes are alternative means of reality. Not sources or places of reality, but means to reality. Some of them seem to act rather like the fourth dimension might, for instance. But I'll leave you guys to read Stephen Hawking while you ponder replies to this. Jon