Jon_Lincicum at stream.com wrote: >A subtle distinction here. Is it more important to the Orb that you are >the heir of a specific House, or that your individual name is at the top >of the list? Is the selection of the emperor the work of the Orb itself, >or of the cycle? Or is it the cycle at work *through* the Orb? > >Majikjon > > One advantage of the cycle is that every house gets its chance. But there are not bastard houses - what happens to cross-breeds? History shows that someone can become genetically part of a house. Do cross-breeds get this chance? Or do their parents decide what is the genetic makeup of their children?