[Dragaera] Dragaera Digest, Vol 15, Issue 1

[Jon Lincicum]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: kieronthecontent at gmail.com
> First off, I believe she didn't order the search of the rooms. Directly. I
> think she had to convince Tortaalik. As such, it was the Emperor who would
> have had the blame placed on him.

No disagreement, this seems to be what happened.

> Think about how upset Aliera, and Adron, were that her rooms were searched
> at all. The entire empire would have backed up Adron's claim if they
> wouldn't have found anything. Not only that, but I don't think the guards
> could have searched secretly without Aliera knowing. I doubt that the
> consort would have planted the item either. Where does the consort get such
> an item? I'm sure, as consort, that she could get one if needed. However, I
> find it very unlikely. I think the only obvious explanation is that someone
> tipped her off about it. And to assume that her position as consort would
> protect her from criticism? Hardly. With everything that was going on, chaos
> would have ensued if they hadn't found anything (not that that didn't happen
> anyway). Searching the room without probable cause would just be inviting
> disaster (no pun intended). You make a legitimate point, but considering the
> intrigues at court, the political instability in the empire, and general
> reasoning, I think the only logical conclusion is that someone reliable
> tipped her off.

The only major flaw with your reasoning that I see is that it assumes that Tortaalik and/or Noima are behaving reasonably and considering the long-term repercussions of their actions. 

This assumption seems quite contrary-to-fact.

> In addition, if she wanted to ruin Aliera, I'm sure she could find a better
> way than planting a chaos stone, or assuming that something would be in her
> room that was illegal. It's just too risky. The consort is too smart, and
> too calculating, to risk it all on finding "something suspicious".

Again, assuming Noima is thinking rationally, I would agree. But she's pissed off about Jurabin eyeing Aliera, and likely not thinking too coolly or evenly. She's also gotten used to having her way for the last 500 years or so. So the idea that her actions might generate political fallout she's not able to simply ignore or cover up is likely a foreign one.

> On 9/4/07, Jon Lincicum <lincicum at comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: kieronthecontent at gmail.com
> > > The consort would not be so foolish as to order a search of the Dragon
> > > Heir's daughter's room without absolute proof that she had "something
> > > incriminating". Not only that, but something seriously incriminating.
> >
> >
> > I can think of several scenarios where the consort would have done exactly
> > this:
> >
> > 1) She had the guards search secretly, but if they hadn't found anything,
> > they would have simply covered up any trace that they had done so. Since
> > they DID find something, they then had a valid pretense for doing so.
> >
> > 2) She had the guards search, and in the event they didn't find anything,
> > she gave them some incriminating evidence to plant in the room to justify
> > the search.
> >
> > (In fact, we do not know for sure that this is not actually what happened.
> > Aliera's familiarity with chaos stones notwithstanding. The fact that she
> > did not claim that it was planted cannot be seen as absolute proof that it
> > was not. She may have simply felt it was not worth trying to defend herself
> > from the machinations of the consort, since she knew she could not possibly
> > win such a contest. Not when Tortaalik would be the judge.)
> >
> > 3) She just had them search, and simply relied on her power and position
> > as consort to protect her from criticism. (She's a decadent Phoenix,
> > remember.)
> >
> > > Imagine the results if nothing would have been found.
> >
> > Results that her power and authority as consort would have led her to
> > believe she could handle, perhaps?
> >
> > Majikjon
> >