Talk:Dragaera
Intelligent species
Shouldn't we include Jhereg? Wikibofh(talk) 13:49, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
- I'm not sure there's enough evidence to support jhereg as an intelligent species. Really, we've seen one case -- Loiosh -- and one could argue that he's a special case, being Vlad's familiar. --Pyran 18:38, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
- Actually, we have 2 cases, and the statement that the Jenoine made them intelligent (from Aliera, in ...um....Athyra?) I can dig up book ref if need be. Wikibofh(talk) 23:41, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
spoiler tag?
- what about them? Wikibofh(talk) 23:41, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
- (Spoiler) They are another intelligent species, not listed in the list. The discussion is when Aliera is talking about genetic scanning and talks about the experiments done: Dragaerans are spliced, Easterners are unknown, possibly a control species, and jhereg were an experiment to cram as much intelligence into the size of a walnut. That's a very rough paraphrase as I haven't read it in many years. Incidentally, Loiosh's mother was sentient (at least could carry a psionic conversation), and she was a wild jhereg. 71.58.60.115 01:25, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
Magic as Technology
A fairly novel (or at least distinctive) aspect to Dragaera is that magic has no spiritual attachment to it. It is treated as technology, with a bit of philosophical musing at times, but never in a religious or spiritual manner. Unless somebody can cite otherwise? Certainly the predominant treatment in the novels is magic as a functional trade rather than a mystical one. 71.58.60.115 01:25, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
- Well, the Overview section of the Dragaeran Empire mentions that magic serves as a replacement for technology. Also, I don't think that magic being separate from religion or deities is very novel for a fantasy series. As I recall, arguably the two most popular fantasy series out right now, Wheel of Time and Sword of Truth, contain magic that doesn't have anything to do with gods or religion. Also, Dragaeran magic is mixed up a bit in divinity. Witchcraft has something to do with worship of deities, as seen by Vlad and Morrolan's devotion to Verra being an aspect of their witchcraft. Sorcery and the Orb are also entwined somewhat with the Jenoine and the gods. On the whole I don't think it's safe to start claiming that Dragaera's magic is somehow unique in any particular regard. That kind of assertion would have to be cited anyway, and I don't expect to find that citation. -Captain Crawdad 06:35, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
The Overview mentions that "The sky over the Empire is permanently overcast with reddish clouds due to millennia of magic usage." Do we have a reference for this? I know about the Enclouding, but my impression is that it's more a deliberate effect than a side effect of magic use. As I recall it is confined very sharply to the physical territory of the Empire, with little or no "leakage" into neighboring lands. That suggests that it is/was produced for some deliberate purpose that Brust has yet to explain. Any thoughts/references on this? Psuliin (talk) 19:26, 28 November 2007 (UTC)
- It's taken from the "Small, Invisible Lights" essay that the article references several times. In it, Brust writes, "The overcast may, if you are so inclined, be considered pollution. It is the result of sorcerers casually using magic for war, pleasure, and taking out the garbage for something like two hundred thousand years." -Captain Crawdad (talk) 01:41, 24 February 2008 (UTC)
Cracks and Shards URL
I've changed the URL for Cracks and Shards, in accordance with the text on the home page there at the end of the first section ("Welcome"):
- When citing or linking to this site, please use the URL http://www.cracksandshards.com. It resolves to the page's current location at my server ISP, but while that may change, the domain should remain constant. (It was, alas, misprinted in the Acknowledgements of Paths of the Dead.)
Besides, it's my website. :-)