originally posted by Sophia bibi
Hello I'm new to the board and to WoLaS.
The first book I read was FP, I was particularly stunned by character description, Meanol s'Gannley, Jieret and LYsear were amazing.
I wanted to ask a few questions, addresssed to Janny though anyone is welcome to answer.
I think i have quite a good grasp of how clan succession works, but some things the characters have said have made it unclear.
(1) In FP In his letter to Mearn, Maenol says Ianfar is his heir 'should i die without progeny'. i,m not sure why that phrasing is used, to me it implies that a child of Meanols could displace Ianfar as heir designate if the clan elders wished it, or that Ianfar (in FP) is only heir by defect as there are not many s'Gannleys left. So the question is why does Maenol say Ianfar inherits SHOULD he die without children.
I feel embarrassed a bit by the nit picking but it's just that your entire system of inheritence made a lot of sence to me and then these things came up which confused me.
2)Duke Bransian says Sevrand id his Heir and mothers sisters son. We Know that Bransian took the title from his father so, that must mean his mother is a S'brydion cousin. Am i right?
3)Is there an in-story explanation why paravian names of people are so apt and prophetic, i think it would be strange for seeresses to be present at so many births, as they do among Aethurian shepards.
4) was dame Dawar ever a reining Duchess?
5) why is liesse called Duchess, i thought the title should only apply to an actual weilder of power, is this merely a human error thing by the characters?
6) In FP the Koriani Seeress calls a man a cheiftain because he is the son of a duchess, why is he titled when his mother is in power, and what does the title mean/ is this just Koriani ignorance speaking or would he have any sort of Authority?
7) how long did Diarin live in Hanshire?
Whooo got it all of my chest!!
Hi Sophia, first of all, welcome here!
Second, because you asked - I do answer if someone directs the question, directly.
I am astonished that you started with Fugitive Prince, which is not, in fact, book I! Kudos to you for the midstream plunge, and hopefully you found the other volumes, prior, eventually.
Answer to 1, 2, 5 succession of title on Paravia…there is an appendix on this subject in Stormed Fortress - if you read that, then you know that succession falls into 3 catagories:
Royal lineage, Free Wilds clan, and town rule, and that town rule splits into two catagories: towns which were once Paravian built, and ones that were permitted for settlement under charter law.
For Royal lines, free wild clan, and Paravian fortress: there are shades of responsibility, here. Royal succession is ALWAYS chosen by Fellowship sanction. The crown seat is not always held for life term.
Free wilds clans: chosen by the king, or by clan council - which is a collective of elders and chieftains (plural). Chieftains are electively picked, and head a territory along with elders - Free wilds clans CAN have their succession choice 'upset' by Fellowship Sorcerers in times of threat.
Towns with Paravian origins are ALSO energetic resonance sites - those rulers would be chosen by High Kings, subject, again, to Fellowship authority.
Towns not under Paravian origins are ruled by election - sometimes those elected positions are lifeterm.
Which brings us to Ianfar - he was 'heir designate' which means, chosen by clan council. IF Maenol had progeny, and IF there was a candidate Fellowship power chose to upset the designate heir - then Ianfar's succession could be shifted. The entire clan population in Tysan, at that moment, was under heavy threat, and stayed so, for a long time. Maenol was, therefore, hedging his bets. He foresaw that clan presence in Tysan might be wiped out, or, driven so far into hiding as to be ineffective. Getting Ianfar out, with a clear title to inherit, was a survival move to widen the power base in event everything went wrong.
Sevrand: was the strongest choice for Bransian's heir - didn't matter if it was patrilineal or matrilineal descent. Atheran descent in the clans always went by MERIT, and bloodline, not by family, not by 'oldest to youngest'. Witness: Jeynsa chosen as an infant over two brothers.
Liesse was married as Duchess, she never ruled.
Dawr - didn't carry the title, no; again, she was dowager by marriage.
Question 6) your chieftain would have been elect by a clan council, without regard to descent from a recognized heir…(in case you have not figured it out, the titular posts had to do with Liaison with High Kings/execution of Paravian law. Not secular law - handled by councils and chieftains.
Question 3) In some mythos, it is believed that the soul names the child. I used the Paravian names, originally, so I COULD KEEP THE CHARACTERS straight - it was the brilliant stepchild of my first editor to put the translations in the glossary - and I'd had those names in place, at the time, for two decades.
7) Diarin lived and died in Hanshire.
There you go - anything more?
originally posted by Sophia bibi
Thanks for replying so soon and so thorouhgly, especially since now that i go over the post even i can't make sence of parts of it.
That little snippet about elected cheiftans really increased my appreciation of the clans and the compact.