We know that, in some way or another, Steve's literary history has an effect on his writing of the Vladiad. So while we know it's definitely not canon, we still should ask: To what degree did _TRIH_ and the ideas therein influence Steve's inspiration for and production of Dragaera? Illiaster seems rather like sorcery, and flux is too close to Chaos to be considered coincidental. Just not canon, that's all. So do you guys think that, in the back of Steve's mind as he was writing the Dragaeran novels, he had a race of angels with the ability to manipulate channeled flux, and one line (the most powerful of a weak and numerous generation of "angels") the ability to actually create it? Perhaps even as a means of producing some kind of universal balance that will allow for greater entropy? I mean, think of it. One of the least of the angels, if they had the ability to create raw flux, could literally take out god, providing all of the Jenoine-attacking conditions are in place: One has to shoot when they're not ready, when their attention is diverted, where they're vulnerable, and with that which they are vulnerable to, and also rely a great deal on luck. Only for god, you'd think it would be a lot more difficult. But perhaps Lucifer. And here is why I love Steve's books: Not necessarily because they advocate God-slaying, but they examine without being a philosophy paper the consequences and implications of a race of beings who are not equal, but are still a threat to, their own gods, ie, us. Jon ----Original Message Follows---- From: Grady Brandt <gbrandt at tampabayfcu.org> To: "'Jeff G.'" <Log0n5150 at hotmail.com>, dragaera at dragaera.info Subject: Chaos and RE: Necromancy Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 16:17:32 -0500 > -----Original Message----- > From: Jeff G. [mailto:Log0n5150 at hotmail.com] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jose Marquez" <jhereg69 at earthlink.net> > > > Some of these questions make me think that the Jenoine experiments > > involved genetic manipulation, but also limited evolution by letting > > their experiments breed. Going back to chaos, this means that either the > > Jenoine deliberately built-in chaos-creation abilities in three (or > > more) lab rats, or these lab rats gained these abilities through > > mutation (possibly Verra-aided mutation?), which in my mind takes > > parents that are not Jenoine. > > > > Thoughts? > > > > Jose > > > Remember, the Sea of Chaos was not created until the event that removed > the > Jenoine from Dragerea. We have insufficent information as to the presence > of > Chaos on Dragerea prior to then. I would think that your last theory is > true, that chaos creation was a Verra aided mutation, as it is linked to > the > soul rather than the body. Also, if the Jenoine added it, there would be > more than one genetic line that could do it. Manipulation of it seems to > be > an inherent learned skill, as any sorcerer can do it, including the > various > deities and the Jenoine, so that may have been a Jenoine added option. > > Jeff G. Perhaps chaos manipulation is just a function of having a soul. It doesn't make sense to me that a genetic modification could create an ability to control something when the ability to create that thing is linked to the soul. I suppose it's possible, but how or why would the Jenoine have bred in that ability unless they knew of its existence and think it will be necessary. Which raises the question of what exactly were the Jenoine experimenting for. Were they trying to create a being capable of creating chaos, and all the other genetic tinkering was simply tangential to that purpose? Or is that answered somewhere in the text that I missed?