Based on all this, is it safe to assume that Barritt was never linked to a Great Weapon, even though he possessed one? It seems like he was killed off fairly casually, as mentioned in Yendi if memory serves correctly (and wasn't StY involved in that as well?). Plus, I'm not sure why he would disguise Pathfinder, or if in fact, Pathfinder disguised itself. This also brings up the question that if Barritt wasn't in fact linked to Pathfinder, is it possible for a great weapon to reject a claim of ownership for some reason? Aliera mentions in Dragon that she thought that Pathfinder was searching for her, so maybe the personality of the Great Weapon is a bit more sentient than I previously thought. On Oct 19, 2005, at 6:27 PM, J C wrote: > > > It is mentioned that it takes a whole hell of a lot to kill the > bearer of a great weapon--as evidenced in _Issola_. Morrolan was > *dead* but there were still attacks coming from Blackwand--and one > can be fairly sure they weren't meant to tickle the Jenoine into > lowering their guard. > > Of course, that might have been the extent of BW's effect, given > its previous history vs. Jenoine, but that's beside the point. > > I think it entirely likely that the blades themselves will protect > the bearer's soul--it is, after all, the matter of the simplest > necromantic magicks to do so--every necromancer, for whatever > reason (practicality given his work material, as opposed to a > protection against certain Jhereg assassins) protects their soul > "in a box" as we learn in _Athyra_ > > While this may or may be accurate, it's pretty obviously true in > some way or another. However, that box doesn't necessarily protect > against Morganti weapons (which interesting implies that the > weapons can "trace" a soul's echo from the body to the storage > unit, if space is really someting that applies here) because, well, > ghosts can't grab Morganti weapons and stab you with them, or > nothing would protect against it anyway---unless you had a stonger, > sentient Morganti bound to your soul. > > However, if you *do* manage to get yourself killed, is it the > *blade* that fights on, or is it your mind inside the blade > directing the blade's power? > > All of this leads up to my main point: > > If Sethra wanted to liberate a GW from a user who was unsuitable > for whatever purpose, how many armies would she need to bring along? > > How many GWs would be a part of that army? Would Gods form the > unit of irregulars? > > Can GW's be used against one another (is this a plot device? hint > hint)((aside, can Mario kill the wielder of a great weapon? He got > the emperor, but was that fluke or plan? And is the Orb comprable > to a GW? I ask because it seems that the Orb uses Amophia, whereas > it's my pet theory that GWs use Necrophia)) > > Is it in any way wise to pit a GW against another (fire with fire > seemingly the only effective means of pursuing this topic) and is > the sheer folly of inviting portable natural disasters to one up > each other the reason Sethra isn't going after it? > > Anyway, you're welcome for another 1/3 baked set of ideas from > > Jon > > > listinfo/dragaera >