[Dragaera] Gender imbalance in the Jhereg [No Spoilers]

[Philip Hart]

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007, Will Frank wrote:

> Also Sprach Philip Hart:
>
> > > > That seems pretty conclusive.  I'll have to ponder the implications, like
> > > > what it is that Jhereg do "on land".
> > >
> > > Well, we've seen restauranteers, a sword-maker, and we know some have
> > > been members of the Imperial Guard.
> >
> > We don't know if any of those were Handless, though.
>
> The restauranteer was.

Was there any evidence of that?


> And as I recall, the conversation about Jhereg in the Guard goes:
>
> "There have been Jhereg in the Guard. None from the business end, of
> course--but people who bought Jhereg titles rather than staying
> Houseless."

This seems rather different to me.  Those are Dragaerans of whatever House
(maybe not Teckla though) who are only technically Jhereg - they don't
have the mish-mash Aliera can recognize.


> > My point was, what is it that characterizes Jhereg which most of them
> > channel into legal avenues?  Orca are sailors and capitalists - are Jhereg
> > criminals and venture capitalists?
>
> Remember what Zerika says about the Jhereg? "Your purpose is to feed
> on the Teckla." So, probably, legal gambling (there must be _some_
> people who pay taxes), inns and restaurants, maybe even
> wink-making--anything which represents a vice, evin if it's legal.

This seems like a good take.  The current issue of legal but high-rate
loans to soldiers might be a good example.  Still, I find it odd that
Vlad speaks of a Jhereg money-lender and means "a RH Jhereg money-lender",
and that the distinction never comes up with Kelly's group.