[Dragaera] Vlad's Destiny (Was: Re: Lavode - possible spoilers (Dzur))

[Eugene Zaretskiy]

On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:16 AM, Jerry Friedman
<jerry_friedman at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- On Tue, 3/16/10, Howard Brazee <howard at brazee.net> wrote:
>> On 3/16/2010 7:12 AM, Ken Koester wrote:
>> >> Yes, I was thinking of that story when I phrased
>> my statement.   Don't
>> >> >  gods seem to be limited by their
>> natures more so than people in most
>> >> >  literature?
>> >>
>> > They seem that way to the participants.  Who
>> knows how it seems to the
>> > gods themselves?
>> >
>>
>> Steve knows, or at least will know whenever.
>> Vera seems to be resigned to the limitations of fate
>> though.
>
> She is summonable (in principle), after all.
>
>> Other gods, maybe not.
>
> All this reminds me of the remark in one of the first
> three Earthsea books (from Ogion, Sparrowhawk's
> teacher on Gont?) that the more he learns about
> wizardry, the more it seems a matter of doing only
> what he /must/ do.  As far as I remember.
>
> If Vlad becomes or gets the chance to become a god,
> as has been hinted, I really can't see him abiding
> by this wisdom (though I might enjoy it if he did).
> That's one of very few predictions I'm willing to
> make.  I'm hoping for some good surprises.
>
> I will say, though, that in addition to the other
> kinds of destiny people have mentioned, there's
> Marxist historical inevitability.  I kind of
> wonder whether Steve decided the Cycle would
> replace that and then somewhere around Teckla,
> decided to put it back in.

Earlier in this discussion, someone mentioned that if Vlad's destiny
was to become a Lavode, then the Lavodes would have played a larger
part of the story in the early books (I'm paraphrasing; poorly). I
agree strongly with this methodology. Vlad story is that of an
assassin who is slowly coming to terms with the cards he's been dealt,
and in some cases, dealt himself. Vlad's become a rather complex
character, which should be an obvious statement to everyone on this
list. I wonder what role his more recent observations will play in the
conclusion of the series. Specifically, it seems pretty reasonable at
this point to speculate that Vlad will eventually use Godslayer to
kill Verra. This is a reasonable assumption; after all, the last book
is supposed to be called _The Last Contract_, Vlad spent a
considerable amount of time obtaining a weapon called Godslayer, which
is destined to kill Verra. At the same time, Vlad is beginning to
understand the injustice in the methodology by which he lives his
life. Or, perhaps more accurately (thanks, _Iorich_), that maybe there
is justice in assassination, but it's not the sort he expected. It's
not the sort of justice easily wielded.

Vlad has been cockily waving away the moral implications of being an
assassin since _Jhereg_. I shouldn't need textev for this; I think
most people on this list would consider Vlad a good person, because
that's what he considers himself. By allowing himself to be a tool, he
is able to rationalize how people use him as part of a greater
ecosystem. Now, as Scott points out, it seems he is once again part of
a far larger ecosystem. At the same time, he is seeing what it's like
to be a victim of the first ecosystem, thanks to the _Jhereg_. How
will this change his actions when Verra (or Sethra, or whoever) direct
their tool at Verra herself (or the Jenoine, or whoever)?

I think a fitting conclusion to the series would involve Vlad
rejecting being used as a tool. Faced with destiny/Verra/Sethra using
him to save the universe, maybe Vlad will spit in their collective
faces and find salvation on his own terms... or even reject it
outright. He seems to be accepting the Jhereg's desire to kill him,
why not accept the Jenoine desire to leverage control over their
creations? I don't mean succumb to their control, just as Vlad
wouldn't allow himself to be killed by the Jhereg. All the same, he is
willing to risk death if it means saving his friends. Taken to next
degree, maybe he's willing to risk destruction via Jenoine for some
greater good.

Or, perhaps the exact opposite: As Jerry mentioned, Vlad might reject
becoming a god, but maybe he'd be willing to become a god (an even
greater tool of fate) if it meant he could ensure the safety of his
friends.

>
> Jerry Friedman
>
>
>
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-- 
Eugene Z
http://blog.eugenez.net