[Dragaera] The Unrecorded Cracks

[Michael Wojcik]

[This is rather late, but I haven't seen anyone else cite this passage, 
so...]

Maximilian Wilson wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:10 +0000 (GMT Standard Time), John Dallman
> <jgd at cix.co.uk> wrote:
>> In article
>> <e6adc2290702121502t35667657i45ed6af8f0704d54 at mail.gmail.com>,
>> davdisil at gmail.com (Davdi Silverrock) wrote:
>>> /Taltos/ & /The Paths of the Dead/: Morrolan states that he was with
>>> Zerika when she descended into the paths to retrieve the Orb; Paarfi
>>> shows him as not being anywhere near there at that time. (but see also
>>> Speculation:Morrolan)
>>
>> Since Paarfi is a "historical novelist", I'm inclined to believe
>> Morrolan on this one.
> 
> Except that Morrolan's memory is obviously bad, since the context of
> the conversation is that he knows sorcery doesn't work near the Falls,
> having been there when Zerika was. But Morrolan grew up during the
> Interregnum and so couldn't have known sorcery then anyway--except,
> wait. Morrolan is known to dabble in Elder Sorcery. I suppose it's
> possible that's what he was talking about.

Except that Elder Sorcery apparently does work near the falls, at least
according to Paarfi:

"Orlaan scowled, and lifted her hand, palm out.  Tazendra, for her part,
matched this gesture by quickly raising the staff that had been hanging
from her saddle.  Orlaan scowled and, evidently not prepared to face a
sorcerous duel with someone who was obviously a wizard, lowered her hand."

(/The Paths of the Dead/, "Battle Above Deathgate", 329; this takes
place at the top of the falls)

It wouldn't be much of a "sorcerous duel" if Elder Sorcery didn't work
there; and while no actual sorcery took place, had Morrolan been there,
presumably he would have come to the same conclusion as Paarfi - that ES
would have worked.  (Though I suppose it's possible he would have
understood the interaction between Orlaan and Tazendra as an indication
that both had tried to use ES at that moment and failed.)

It's an interesting question for magical philosophy.  Deathgate is the
door to another world; is it possible to reach either sea of amorphia
from there?  We have some hints in /Issola/ about the difficulties of
forging a link with either of the seas from other worlds - but Deathgate
seems to be liminal, so it's not quite the same situation as with
Jenoine Central.

-- 
Michael Wojcik