[Dragaera] Is Kelly foolish?

[Jerry Friedman]

From: Jon%20Lincicum lincicum at comcast.net

> > From: "Jerry Friedman" <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>
> > Louis Eastman wrote:
> > > [The Empire] has a monopoly on sorcery,
> >
> > I don't think it does.  Easterners and Teckla can do some sorcery
> > (which Paresh makes a point of, as I recall).
>
> One cannot fight against the one holding the Orb directly using sorcery. 
>(Except, perhaps Elder Sorcery.)
> The two examples we have of those fighting against the Orb directly (Adron & 
>Kana) make this pretty clear.

Mario briefly neutralizes the Orb using what seems to be regular sorcery, as far 
as Paarfi tells us.  As I recall--I'm AWB.

If we're still talking about a possible communist revolution, then if the 
revolutionaries got to the point of fighting the Orb directly, they could 
probably just starve the Emperor or Empress out if nothing quicker would work.

> The link with the Orb requires the loyalty from whomever is drawing upon it to 
>whomever is holding it. 
>

Do we have any evidence of that?  I remember no reason to doubt that people in 
Adron's spellwagon, or battlewagon, were using their links to the Orb.

> How many Teckla and Easterners are skilled at Pre-Empire Sorcery? 

Probably none.  Of course, historical inevitability could change that 
situation.  And as I pointed out, it seemed that some Orca supported them.  
Maybe some members of the houses that are good at magic would too, because they 
sympathize or are coerced (like the Dzurlord in /Jhereg/) or tricked.  (I can 
imagine a Hawk or Athyra saying, "Well, the problem was technically sweet, and I 
never thought they'd use it against the Empire...")

> Witchcraft might be an option, but the Empire likely has skilled witches, as 
>well. (Ahem, Brimford)

Wouldn't you like to know what he was doing and feeling during /Phoenix/?

Jerry Friedman