[Dragaera] not really a spoiler, i don't think...

[Philip Hart]

On Thu, 21 Jan 2010, A. Craig West wrote:

> 2010/1/21 Philip Hart <philiph at slac.stanford.edu>:
>> I've always been skeptical about 17^2 and 17^3 - it would be too easy for
>> this to be a joke by Vlad, or an empirical observation on either end. And I
>> feel strongly that there's only one emperor per Cycle segment, the Teckla
>> perhaps excepted.
>
> In another thread I mentioned a quote in TPG which strongly implies
> that it is possible to have more than one emperor per House reign. The
> quote was referring to the Vallista who originally built the palace,
> and it was noteworthy that his reign encompassed the entirety of the
> Vallista reign of that cycle. The implication seemed pretty clear that
> it was possible, or even common, for this not to be the case.
> -Craig


Sure, we've discussed that quote in the past - search the archives for 
"orb-emperor" and "cycle-emperor" and I think you'll find the relevant 
stuff.  I don't recall my arguments at the time - well, I'll grep my mail.

Ok, see e.g. 
"Multiple emporers in a reign, revisited" [sic], from around 13 Mar 2006.

I had a variety of arguments from grammar, from practicality, and from the 
textev of "The X Emperor of the Y cycle" formulation, also the belief 
that the Dragons would get the orb post-interregnum.  Also:

"We should consider a point about the end of _FHYA_ I was neglecting:
the deal to cover Tortaalik's abdication did not envisage a substitute
Phoenix.  As best I recall, there was no particular need for a Dragon
emperor at the time, just a competent one.  Yet the options discussed
by Aerich and Adron do not include setting a reasonable Phoenix on the
throne.

I'd say the deepest point of the book - the tragedy of Adron forced to
take the throne vs the ambition of Adron recklessly taking the throne -
is premised on the single-e theory.

Also note that it is the fate of [non-great-Cycle] Phoenix emperors to
grow decadent and be replaced by Dragon emperors, no mention of reasoned
substitutes.  I think this view is present in the Vladiad, ditto no
mention."

Also:

'I think the "sink into decay" bit would argue, in a multi-emperor
scheme, for a greater awareness and tradition of handing off the Orb
intraHouse.  Tortaalik starts off determined not to become decadent,
and some discussion of the literature around secondary emperorships
would have been apropos if there were such things.'