[Dragaera] Breaking the Cycle.

[Philip Hart]

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006, Scott Schultz wrote:

> >> According to the Cycle, Phoenix was still at the top of the karma chain,
>
> >Maybe.
>
> I don't see much room for doubt on this particular fact. Paarfi reports it
> on two separate occasions.

No, it's "What I tell you _three_ times is true".

> Even if Paarfi made up the debate of the Gods out of whole cloth, Zerika is
> very much able to say whether she saw that or not. It would likely be a
> matter of some historical record, such that Paarfi wouldn't even need to
> interview Zerika herself to find out about it. Certainly, if it was wrong,
> then she'd be in a position to criticize him for lying.

Well, you're using an argument that I favor for suggesting Paarfi is
accurate - that Khaavren et al. could bear witness, that Aliera &c
haven't killed him - but I don't think Zerika is going to sully her
office by complaining about historical works about her.  And you
might consider whether Zerika has an incentive to have disseminated
a version of events in which her reign is Cycle-blessed.

Further, there are quibbles about when the Cycle says what.  I certainly
expect Zerika to have been the Cycle-emperor when she becomes the
Orb-emperor (I think that's a requirement) - that doesn't say much about
the situation leading up to that point.  Maybe the cycle was on the line
between Phoenix and Dragon before, maybe it can turn backwards, maybe it
turned straight from late-Phoenix to early-Phoenix, maybe its states are
more complex than we know.