[Dragaera] Dzur spoilers - 17 thoughts

[Davdi Silverrock]

On 8/12/06, Jon Lincicum wrote:
> Davdi Silverrock wrote:
> > On 8/12/06, Jose Marquez wrote:
> >
> >> Davdi Silverrock wrote:
> >>
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> >> I suspect chronic indigestion is Jhereg code for poison.
> >>
> >
> > Possibly.
> >
> > Kiera asserts that the death was not arranged, but this does not
> > assuage my suspicions.
> >
> Personally, I am inclined to believe her completely on this point, as
> she is in a position to know, and Vlad has her clarify it pretty precisely.
>
> This strikes me as one of the type of things SKZB likes to do to keep
> his stories feeling "real".
>
> In real life, people can die at random times, and for random reasons.
> Not every death of a powerful person is going to be some elaborate
> assassination. Sometimes people just die. Life can be like that.

I would be more inclined to be convinced if her death had been from
something a bit more rapid and certain than "indigestion" (how,
exactly, is that supposed to be fatal, anyway?) and she had not been a
high-powered sorceress.  And if I did not have in mind Master Wag's
book titled /The Sorcerer's Art and the Healing of the Self/.

And finally, I note that after Kiera clarifies the point, Vlad
immediately guesses that the rest of the sorceresses change their
direction, and Kiera confirms this.  Which makes me wonder if perhaps
the tone of the clarification was in a less than entirely believing
tone of voice.  "Hey, this is the official history, and I'm just
reporting it".

If it was the 14th Cycle, it was before Kiera's time anyway, so she
would not know personally what exactly happened.

> To me, this is an example of our author attempting to insert some of
> life's randomness into the story to make it feel more real. I appreciate
> this sort of thing, since it's effective. I suspect the same sort of
> motivation may be behind the death of Curithne, also. No deep, obscure
> conspiracy of powerful figures working shadowy plots in the back rooms
> of seedy inns. Just some poor slob choking to death on a fish-bone,
> because it was his misfortune to order the "surf" and not the "turf".
>

If Curithne wasn't a sorcerer, and had no sorcerer bodyguards, or
bodyguards with physicker training, I might agree.  It might be
suicidally dumb of him, but, hey, stuff happens.