[Dragaera] Gender imbalance in the Jhereg [_Dzur_ Spoiler]

[Philip Hart]

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007, Jon Lincicum wrote:

> From: Philip Hart <philiph at slac.stanford.edu>

> I would also imagine that a large number of the non-criminal Jhereg
> probably go to great lengths to avoid drawing excessive attention to
> themselves (or at least their House affiliation) due to the stigma
> created by the Organization.

Then Vlad or Paarfi ought to have mentioned this.  In particular
Aerich or someone says that the only people whose House cannot
be identified are Yendi (and Teckla?), doesn't he?


> It's possible that a number of the "He looked kinda like a Tsalmoth"
> folks that Vlad has run into may have been Jhereg who were shy about
> their House afiliation.

Then Vlad might have gotten around to mentioning that possibility.
E.g. I seem to recall that Nielar gave up his territory - Vlad might
have said he might have dropped out of the Jhereg entirely.


> It would think it would be even odder for a non-criminal Jhereg to have
> done something that got him an Imperial Title... Since they are without
> money, power, or influence within their House.

The whispers weren't, I think, for the oddness, but the impropriety.
And surely there are capable people in the supposed Handless Jhereg,
people whose interests might often be better aligned with the Empire
than the House.


> But really, being or not being a criminal member of the Jhereg doesn't
> really affect the "shock value" of Vlad getting an Imperial Title--it's
> not a matter of how well the bear waltzes, it's that he waltzes at all.

Seems like question-begging to me.


> > I strongly suspect that whenever a male Jhereg shows up in the Vladiad
> > or Paarfiad it is assumed that he is RH.
>
> Since these are the only ones important (or influential) enough to rate
> a mention in an adventure story, this makes a great deal of sense.

Dunno - Vlad (and Paarfi) are interested in the odd and the general and
the bystander.  One might not be surprised to find an innkeeper in a
brigand-beset area to be a Look-Ma-No-Hand Jhereg and notable as an
honest man.