----- Original Message ----- From: <Jon_Lincicum at stream.com> To: "Maximilian Wilson" <wilson.max at gmail.com> Cc: "SKZB List" <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 9:39 AM Subject: Re: (Orca spoiler) > Maximilian Wilson wrote on 01/04/2006 10:06:08 PM: > > > On 1/4/06, Jon Lincicum <lincicum at comcast.net> wrote: > > > At the same time, I'm not sure I can conceive of Sethra being in any > way > > > shape or form interested in secretly being Paarfi... Not that there's > > > anything not to like about Paarfi, understand, he just doesn't strike > me > > > as the type of person that Sethra would be willing to put with. > > > > This begs the question [wicked look]: what aspects of being Kiera does > > Sethra most enjoy? Having friendships, breaking the law, the challenge > > of high-tech (magic) theft, not killing people? > > > > Max > > I could only say it's for the reasons she gives at the end of Orca, in > response to Vlad's question of "Why Kiera? Or rather, Sethra, why Kiera?" > > I somehow doubt it's the lawbreaking aspect. She's had plenty of > opportunities to do that as Sethra. > > Having friendships certainly isn't a problem for Sethra, either (see > Morrolan, Aliera, StY (pre-Yendi), Tazendra, and most notably Tukko). > > I think challenge is the key. > > When you've lived 200,000+ years and are a neigh-unto invincible sorceress > and general who can defeat any army on the battlefield, and contemptuously > annihilate the greatest Dzur Heroes who come charging up your mountain, > you probably are looking for ways to relieve your ennui. Being Kiera, and > limiting herself to that persona, gives her challenges in ways she > probably hasn't experienced as Sethra for the better part of the life of > the Empire. (I'm still dying to know what Sethra was like in the really > early days of the Empire. Was she always this badass? Or did she start out > as a naieve little sister to some important Dragonlord who helped found > the Empire?) > > BTW: Did Sethra say that Kiera never killed people at all? Or just that > she wouldn't kill people in order to keep her true identity a secret? I > forget the exact phrasing she used... (Which could be important, > considering the first time Vlad met her (in /Taltos/) she was > participating in an assassination...) > > Majikjon I don't believe that she was participating, IIRC correctly she was at another table and saw what was going on (the assassin intimidating Vlad, and came over to interfere. Jeff