[Dragaera] Dzur Quibbles (spoilers)- also, Issola and Taltos Spoilers -- time line issues

[Davdi Silverrock]

On 8/20/06, ND Montague <ndmontague at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
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> Also, I didn't see these issues raised previously, but
> I just found this list, so apologies if this is
> redundant.
>
> Oh, this means that anything that has been revealed
> outside of the books I've missed entirely, if there is
> anything.

There are extensive list achives - which are currently offline.
Perhaps at some point they will be reinstated, but there are several
years' worth, so they would take some time to get through anyway.

> I have some major questions about continuity:
>
> Spoiler Space
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> In Taltos, Morrolan and/or Sethra state,

[snip]

>
> Therefore: How the heck could Kragar have been
> introduced to Mario by Aliera -- trapped in a staff at
> the time -- 90 years ago? (which he states is what
> happened in conversation with Vlad - so is he lying?
> Or is there another explanation?

Well, the most likely interpretation is that Vlad was not being
entirely serious, especially given the implication that Aliera would
consider herself to be Kragar's friend.

The most likely *real* "mutual friend" of Kragar and Mario is Kiera.

>
> Another point:
> Also, in Taltos -- Sethra Lavode stated emphatically -
> several times - that she COULD NOT leave Dzur Mountain
> at that time
>
> And yet, somehow, Kiera the Thief, who as we learned
> in Issola,

Orca

> is Sethra Lavode in disguise, somehow
> managed to procure for Vlad tools appropriate for a
> thief and train him in their use, and I think it is
> safe to assume that this did not happen in Dzur
> Mountain.
>
> So, the simplest explanation is that Sethra lied and
> was able to leave the mountain -- but why did she lie?

The most likely explanation is that she meant that she could not leave
for an extended expedition to the Paths of the Dead. Slipping out for
the few brief minutes it took to find Vlad, drink a shot with him, and
fortify his courage with a pep talk presumably doesn't really count.

There are more tenuous and far-fetched speculations, such as Kiera
being a soulless body that Sethra can animate, possess & control while
remaining in a trance in Dzur Mountain.

> Next: There's the question Mr. Brust raised himself
> about why Darkwand, wielded by Morrolan, didn't
> obliterate Loraan in Taltos. Presumably that will be
> explained. The only 2 possible explanations, based on
> what we have been told about Morganti weapons - is
> that the sword wound in Loraan's body (spotted by Vlad
> when he regained consciousness) wasn't caused by
> Darkwand. Or, that the body was not in fact Loraan's
> -- twin or clone or simulcrum, perhaps - but one that
> came within a hair of defeating Morrolan in battle.

Blackwand, you mean.

Well, one thread of speculation was that Loraan was already undead,
and that being undead protected his soul against Blackwand, but that
seems really tenuous to me.  I mention it only to dismiss it.

Another scenario involves Morrolan being less ruthless than he could
have been.  Perhaps he told Blackwand to not eat Loraan's soul, so she
didn't.  And perhaps, while not eating the soul, she mangled it a bit,
so that Loraan could not be revivified normally.

My preferred scenarios revolve around Loraan being a necromancer.
When he saw Morrolan advancing on him with a Great Weapon, he used his
necromantic skills to fling his soul from his body; thus, when
Blackwand struck, Loraan's soul was no longer in his body.
Unfortunately for him, this meant that he could not be revivified
normally, and therefore was brought back as an undead.

Finally, there's a really convoluted speculation involving an angry
god; or perhaps Loraan was a god, and had an aspect of his deity
removed.  Gods are confusing.