> Anyway, Zerika having returned from the Paths seems like sufficient > arising for anything more to seem de trop. Which is why it may, in fact, be a red herring metaphysically speaking. While admirable and certainly a wonderful metaphor for death and rebirth, Zerika's feat had a reasonably good chance of success. Vlad's trip through the Paths proved that any strong-willed person with proper training can arrive in the Halls of Judgement. The trick is getting back out again. Zerika knew the Orb was there and she knew it was hers by divine right. The only way she might have failed in the end is if she was cowed by the Lords of Judgement. In other words, while an amazing feat, it doesn't represent the death and rebirth of House Phoenix, though it certainly represents the death and rebirth of the Empire. However, we've already seen that the Cycle will go on its merry way regardless of the Empire. We don't really know what effect the loss of one of its component Houses might have. > And, unless she's got a > magically perfect genome, anything less than a flock of Phoenix isn't > going to provide a self-sustainingly diverse genetic population. Indeed. Hence, the theory that Zerika's death is, in fact, neccesary in order to trigger the birth of this new "flock of Phoenix". The Phoenix must actually die before it can be reborn. That's its nature.