I'm noticably salivating at the thought of a Paarfi biography of Sethra. - Attjen
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Of course, if you squeezed 1,000 years of her life into each volume, it would only take about 230 volumes to cover the whole span...and we wouldn't meet Vlad until after volume CCXXIX.
--Majikjon 14:27, 28 Oct 2005 (UTC)
Even just a selected highlights.... mmmm... selected highlights.... - Attjen
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Yeah, we probably don't need to hear about all those years she may have spent as part of the rock of Dzur Mountain, do we?
--Majikjon 14:40, 28 Oct 2005 (UTC)
One wonders if the theory regarding Sethra changing facial house characteristics when a Dzur Hero attacks her could affect other folks as well?
For example, could it be that Fentor e'Mondaar attacked Dzur mountain, and now looks like a Tsalmoth? (Explaining Vlad's identification.)
On the left, Why on Dragaera would Fentor attack Dzur Mountain? Good question, that. Oh well.
--Majikjon 13:43, 29 Oct 2005 (UTC)
It never felt right to me, reading that speculation where it was - because it's really speculation about Sethra Lavode specifically, not about crossbreeds in general
--Davdi 18:42, 29 Oct 2005 (UTC)
Sethra in the Paths of the Dead[]
We know that before Zerika made her famous leap, Sethra Lavode was one of very few - perhaps the only - to enter the Paths of the Dead and return. We don't know why she went, we do know she had a chance to become a god and declined, and that she was undead after the fact.
So, why did she go? Well, being who she is, I imagine she went to have words with the Lords of Judgement - perhaps to coerce them to do more to assist her against the Jenoine. Offering her god-dom was probably an attempt to co-opt her, which failed. Rendering her undead was an attempt to limit her influence.
I speculate that Sethra and Verra have a history, perhaps not entirely friendly, and expect to see Sethra deeply involved in Vlad's future task to destroy Verra - perhaps even being the one who hires him to take The Last Contract.
As far as a Paarfi account of Sethra, I think we have seen as much as we are likely to from him about her in FHYA and TVoA - after all, the last volume of TVoA was titled Sethra Lavode.
- This line of thought has some assumptions I'm not sure are correct. Firstly, I don't think there's any reason to think Sethra was the only (or even the first) person to return from the Halls as an undead person. We haven't seen anyone in the stories that predates her, but when people talk about Sethra as "an undead person" it is implied that she is only one of many, possibly spanning back many hundreds of thousands of years. (And we know that Sethra's undead status only stretches back a thousand years or so.)
- Secondly, Sethra's trip to Deathgate is not established as having been a voluntary one. In fact, in Dzur, Vlad speculates that since she is undead, someone must have succeeded in killing her at some point. (Perhaps one of her former apprentices?) Now, that is not conclusive proof that she did NOT travel to the paths willingly while alive, but it's hardly proof the other way either. Fact is, we just don't know.
- Thirdly, while it may be logical to assume that Sethra's offer of godhood happened during her trip to the Paths that ended with her emerging as an undead person, this is not firmly established, either. She may have been offered godhood at some completely different time or place.
- Issola rather firmly establishes a somewhat strained relationship between Sethra and Verra. Though, the two do seem to share a rather strong common dislike for the Jenoine. So I find it doubtful that Sethra would actively pursue Verra's demise without some strong reservations. --Majikjon 19:00, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
- I don't remember seeing anything definite to say that Sethra returned undead from the Paths, and I do remember Vlad speculating on who must have killed her. But even if she did go to the Paths alive and return undead, I think it would be for the same reason that Morrolan nearly didn't return at all. Live persons aren't permitted to leave alive, without very special exceptions being made. Steve R 10:56, 30 September 2007 (UTC)
- In Taltos (ch 15), Verra says "The living are simply unable to return. Perhaps he can become undead, and leave that way. There are those who have managed this. I believe you know Sethra Lavode, for instance." In Issola (ch 2), Sethra says: "As [the Gods] review the dead, [...] a tiny number are sent out once more, as Undead, because their usefulness in the world has not expired with their lives. I became one of these latter some years ago." --Davdi 20:01, 30 September 2007 (UTC)
Personal Theories[]
My speculation has long been that Sethra is rather more like the inhabitants of Greenaere or Elde Island; without a house, due to the ancientness of her lineage. Consider that those of the Islands are human, yet not of houses; they are neither Teckla nor Jhereg, Phoenix nor Tiassa. Would it not be reasonable that they are the root stock from which the "Imperial" humans, if one may call them that, were experimented upon by the Jenoine? --MrNexx 03:17, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
- Interesting notion. If you can phrase this in a neutral, third-party manner ("It is possible that..." or "Some have suggested" rather than "My speculation" or "My theory is that") it might have a place on the main page. --Majikjon 15:59, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
There is never any mention of sethra drinking blood. Is it possible that she feeds on the souls claimed by iceflame? - NoRAd
the house of sethra[]
We Know that at least one person has fought his way into house Dzur... do we really think anyone could have stopped her from doing that as soon as the rule was established? Perhaps she forced them to accept her, if she is a half breed. -NoRAd