[Dragaera] The Enclouding

[Jon Lincicum]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Philip Hart <philiph at slac.stanford.edu>
> 
> 
> On Thu, 9 Oct 2008, Jon Lincicum wrote:
> 
> > the enclouding has been building up for 240,000 years or so.
> 
> Do we have any reason to think this?  I do have a vague memory of
> a comment about old paintings in Paarfi...

As to whether or not there is any link between the build-up of the enclouding and use of Sorcery at all, I can only point to the non-canon /Dzurlord/ novel introduction as a source. This is certainly something that Steve could still change his mind about.

The number of years is based on the assumption that the debut of the Orb on the scene is somehow critical to the presence of the enclouding. It's certainly possible that Elder Sorcery might have generated the same effect, and that the enclouding may be even older than the Empire itself.

> > A brief period 
> > of 240-odd years with minimal sorcery being used (by people like 
> > Tazendra, Orlaan, and Sethra) is not going to make any significant dent 
> > in that.
> 
> This at least requires the above - but is not in fact a consequence.
> It's trivial to come up with mechanisms that would act otherwise.

Of a certainty. Smog build-up that requires days and days to accumulate can be blown out to sea by one strong gust of wind. This is why this paragraph of my post was presented as my personal opinion, rather than confirmed fact.

Majikjon