[Dragaera] Verra and the Paths of the Dead

[Jon Lincicum]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Alain Feeny <feeny at sympatico.ca>
> >
> > A theory I've been pondering recently is this:
> >
> > Verra might be a double-agent, who is still working FOR the Jenoine.
> >
> > I've still got to work some of the kinks out of the idea (Why does  
> > she appear to work so hard against them in /Issola/? Why do the  
> > Jenoine appear to want to kill her? Wouldn't the other gods have  
> > some clue as to her treachery? etc.)
> >
> > But it might explain a number of other nagging questions.
> >
> > Thoughts?
> 
> My first thought is where did you dig up such a fanciful notion?  What  
> tidbit of verbage is leading you to believe Vera is a double agent?

Well, I'm not sure I buy the theory myself. It's just one of those "what if?" questions in my attempt to sort out Verra's (extremely fuzzy) motivations.

But it does seem in /Issola/, that she is remarkably reluctant to step in and go to the Jenoine's Place to help Aliera and Morrolan. She's supposed to be a powerful goddess, and her excuses aside, her reluctance to go to the aid of Morrolan (her devoted follower) and Aliera (her daughter) seems a bit odd.

Once she does show up, it almost seems like a staged confrontation between her and the Jenoine there. Then, Vlad buts in, screws everything up by unleashing raw amorphia, and afterwards it's remarkably easy for Verra to get everybody the hell out of dodge in short order. (Which two great weapons, a god, and a number of very powerful wizards hadn't been able to manage to do up to that point in the story.) Seems a little, well, /convenient/. 

It might also play into why she was messing with Vlad's mind, as we see evidence of in /Dzur/. And could play into why the Jenoine keep managing to get past all of Sethra's defenses. (As in the case of the Jenoine who showed up unexpectedly at Dzur Mountain.)

As I say, there's not really a lot of firm evidence for this theory, it's just a line of speculation I've been pondering.

Majikjon