[Dragaera] comment on Dzurs (and Lyorn)

[Joshua Kronengold]

Philip Hart <philiph at slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
>The Cycle drawing at the front of _Tiassa_ has House Dzur representing 
>heroism and honor.  The Lyorn are tradition and duty.  Judging from the
>
>Paarfiad, I would tend to think that the Lyorn are more concerned with 
>honor - Aerich, I would have said, cares more about honor and
>principles 
>than Tazendra (e.g. in being unwilling to break bread with criminals). 

Honor is personal.  Aerich being unwilling to break bread with criminals is a typical law and order Lyorn position.

There's nothing dishonorable about breaking bread with criminals.

Of course. All of the four friends have their own sense of honor.  Individuals can vary within their house, although each represents very near the best.

>The Dzur are interested in standing alone just for the sake of being 
>different - I would have said "heroism and iconoclasm".  Thus for
>example 
>the number of Dzur hybrids in the Texts, and the suggestion somewhere 
>that Dzur might defend Tecklas or Easterners (in _Dragon_?) - certainly
>
>Tazendra taking Mika as servant is an intentionally iconoclastic
>action.

That's a Glory action, actually, the Dzur would take the side of the Teckla or Easterner because their Honor demands not taking the advantaged side, and Glory is to be gained by joining the weaker one.

They don't join the smaller side because it's unpopular, but because it's weaker and smaller.

>It should also be noted that, as discussed on pg. 406 of the paperback 
>of _FHYA_ and probably slipped in edgewise between courses in _Dzur_, 
>that part of being a Dzur is a sort of zen-like preparation and even 
>meditation on one's goals, a searching for answers - maybe "heroism and
>
>exploration" would be best.  For Lyorn I might say, "knightly virtue" 
>or "nobility", though the latter is often called a Phoenix trait in the
>
>Paarfiad.  (Of course it's dangerous to generalize from one Lyorn.)

Aerich's had a paladin's honor, wrapped in law, order, and tradition.

Lyorn vary, but most care about tradition, continuance, and the law.

>(Aside, the conversation I referred to above is hard to understand
>given 
>that Paarfi knows that Sethra is a Dzur in some sense.)

Sethra is a Unique, and nor even a Dragaeran, certainly not a Hawk, would try to define her by her supposed house.