In a message dated 6/17/2002 10:15:39 PM Mountain Daylight Time, dd-b at dd-b.net writes: > But is that as simple, perhaps, as the members of that house feeling > the greatest call to defend it? Does it say that this is *enforced* > or *required*, or does it only observe that it *is*? Well, if a certain Dragon Heir is any indication, it would seem most find it onerous and offensive - but then, this could be because it's the reign of the Phoenix and because she things it's beneath the Heir to do such things. Or it could be a remnant of her Jhereg years..... Certainly, I agree with you that one of the reasons one will find numerous Chreotha in the Imperial Guard during the Chreotha reign, and Issola in the Guard in the Issola reign, is from a sense of duty - a desire to preserve the reign/power of their House. I don't know whether the rules for the Empire (if there is such a document) would actually make it a regulation that a certain percentage of the Imperial Guard be from the House in power. I doubt it, because the poor Phoenix House would be....well, screwed. Remember, they've NEVER been a big house and have probably ALWAYS had to rely on other Houses to make up the vast majority of the Imperial Guard during their reign. Which then makes one wonder how big the Imperial Guard is - whether it remains static, as in "always 100/1000/10000/whatever" or whether it's fluid, with certain Houses preferring (maybe needing??) larger Guards and others preferring smaller Guards. Stacy > > > > I find the use of the word "wizard" interesting. We are told that > bandits > > and highwaymen sometimes "brave the wizards of the Athyra Guard, just > lately > > retired..." which indicates to me that they have become something akin to > > > bounty hunters? Did anyone else get that impression? > > > > And does this really tell us what the heck a "wizard" really is, or what > > exactly the branch of magic called "wizardry" entails? > > I was wondering about this too; since it was discussed in connection > with Dragon or Issola or something, too. > > Of course, the terms could have changed over time, too. Particularly > since we're pre-Interregnum in TPG, and we know sorcery changed a LOT > over that gap. >