MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2123 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) how do i make the list a digest? by "Silver wing" 2) Mages in Valdemar by "Abigail Laughlin" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 01:24:56 GMT From: "Silver wing" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: how do i make the list a digest? Message-ID: <19991031012456.24260.qmail-+AT+-hotmail.com> i asked how to switch the list to a digest. unfortunately, i added a nice little ?, and everyone anwsered that, but no one knew how to digest the list HELP??? helpful sheep to all out of curiosity, is it possible to request divinity again? wind to thy wings, Silverwing (a.k.a. Free Bard Meadowlark, the persona-in-progress) (hopeful) Goddess of Insanity and Stick People Shepherdess of the Aminals Loyal Member of the Great Spork Empire ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 18:37:45 PDT From: "Abigail Laughlin" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Mages in Valdemar Message-ID: <19991031013746.28941.qmail-+AT+-hotmail.com> It seems a little suspicious to me that in all those years not one member of the royal family has ever discovered their power; it's not as if they never poked foot out of Valdemar. If anyone can come up with an explanation other than "it doesn't fit the plot", I'd appreciate hearing it.>> I can think of a few. First: the time wasn't right. It's already been demonstrated that people with certain Gifts and non-magical talents are born/find their way into Valdemar when they're going to be needed. Magic wasn't needed in Valdemar until Ancar started being a--hem--so it stands to reason that mage-gift didn't develop nearly as much as it might have. Second: Quenten notes that, since Valdemarans have developed mind-gifts to a science, they probably taught Elspeth that her Gift was another form of Sight, and trained her accordingly. It stands to reason that Heralds with mage-gift were trained, by chance and accident, to simply use it to feed their mental gifts--which I believe Van did on occasion. Third: As someone else mentioned, people in Valdemar didn't believe in magic. They couldn't even think about it. That level of not just ignorance but steadfast *disbelief* is a power all its own and could quite possibly force a mage-gift into dormancy. Fourth: It's entirely probably that no Monarchs ever did set foot outside of Valdemar. The only one we ever hear about leaving the country is Roald, and that might have been entirely before he was crowned. Neither Elspeth the Peacemaker or Randale ever left Valdemar that we were told; they sent powerful Heralds as emissaries. No do we ever hear about Selenay leaving the country; she sends Talia most of the time. Fifth: The Companions obviously knew about magic--they use node-energy, so. Quite probably they helped their Chosen unconsciously balance and suppress any Mage-gifts and kept Problems from cropping up. Zha'hai'allav'a, Raven Darkblade and Mor the raven, Holy Hand of the Goddess of Elves, Member of the Mistic Circle, Webmaster of the Circle of Stone, Knight and Founding Member of the Order of Unsung Heroes, Advocator of Eldan, Champion of Kethra and Hyllarr, Devotee of Maclyn, and Worshipper of Tal Rufen; http://www.angelfire.com/ky/Ashke/ - The Labyrinth ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2123 **********************************