History Fridge / Dragaera

* Jhereg's colors are grey and black. For Dragaerans, grey is the color of death while black is the color of sorcery. This is a reference to the two major branches of House Jhereg, which are known for their assassins and their sorceresses.

** In ''Taltos'', at a point where Vlad is unwilling to climb Dzur mountain to meet with Sethra, Kiera shows up out of nowhere and gives him a peptalk. Also interesting is her promise that if Morrolan kills Vlad, he will be dead in less than a year. [[spoiler:Sounds a lot different when you realize that the speaker is an insanely powerful sorceress.]]
*** Although given the nature of the mission Vlad is about to embark on, it may be that [[spoiler: she wasn't threatening Morrolan at all, but simply stating a fact: if Morollan kills Vlad, then he'll have to go to the Halls of Judgement all by himself, so Morollan will be dead because he ''won't be coming back''.]]

** ''Orca'': Look at Loiosh's first comment upon meeting Sethra for the first time.

** Also, Spellbreaker's tendency to change length and thickness each time Vlad deploys it is an early indication that [[spoiler: Godslayer will be a MorphWeapon]].

** It may also be a snide reference to House Jhereg's origins, as its founder Doliver was originally from the Tribe of the Dragon. Dragons' colors are black and silver; remove the gleam from silver, the same way Doliver lost the "gleam" of Dragon prestige when he was outcast, and it becomes gray.

** A reread of ''Taltos'' (which was published immediately prior to ''Phoenix'') only reinforces it: the epigraphs go through the steps of Vlad's creation of a witchcraft spell to call an object to him while he's in the Halls. He starts "hearing" a low but powerful beat and recalls how witches back East sometimes used drums as part of a ritual. Aibynn is thus probably practicing a very particular kind of witchcraft that Vlad briefly touched in ''Taltos'', one which allows people and things to move from the living world to the afterlife.

** A reread of ''Taltos'' (which was published immediately prior to ''Phoenix'') only reinforces it: the epigraphs go through the steps of Vlad's creation of a witchcraft spell to call an object to him while he's in the Halls. He starts "hearing" a low but powerful beat and recalls how witches back East sometimes used drums as part of a ritual. Aibynn is thus probably practicing a very particular kind of witchcraft that Vlad briefly touched in ''Taltos'', one which allows people and things to move from the living world to the afterlife.

* ''Issola'': Vlad inspects the Morganti blade given to him by the Jenoine, and notes that it's somewhat blade-heavy for his preferences. This foreshadowes how [[spoiler: Spellbreaker wraps itself around the dagger's hilt when it's transformed into Godslayer/Lady Teldra, thus adding to the grip's weight and balancing out the weapon]].

* Aibynn's use of drumming to open up a pathway to Verra's realm at the end of ''Phoenix'' seems like a complete DeusExMachina at first, given there's no other hint that he's got any magical or psychic talents. But when you consider the nature of the Dragaeran afterlife, and the fact that Aibynn is a ''ritual'' ("surfy") drummer by preference, it makes sense: pure-blooded House members find their way through the Paths of the Dead using information from books unique to their individual House, but the natives of Elde and Greenaere ''have no Houses''. As cross-breeds, they can't navigate the Paths the way House members do, so their culture found an alternative method of getting to the Halls of Judgement, using mystical drumming rites (possibly necromantic?) to open the way for the deceased.

* Not a dislike, but when I read the {{Dragaera}} book ''Orca'' and found out that [[spoiler:Sethra and Kiera are the same person]], I had to go back and see where this was hinted at in earlier books. Then, I noticed in ''Taltos'' how at a point where Vlad is unwilling to climb Dzur mountain to meet with Sethra, Kiera shows up out of nowhere and gives him a peptalk. Also interesting is her promise that if Morrolan kills Vlad, he will be dead in less than a year. [[spoiler:Sounds a lot different when you realize that the speaker is an insanely powerful sorceress.]]

** ''Orca'' also has one that is less a dislike than a realization of the author's cleverness. It's been remarked how in one scene in the book, Kiera notes in her narration about an odd expression on Vlad's face. It's been suggested (and I agree) that this was indicating that he and his familiar were telepathically making snarky comments.
** There are other hint moments in the early books about the Orca spoiler. Look at Loiosh's first comment upon meeting Sethra for the first time.

* I didn't really care for Vlad's bullying of humans in ''Dzur'' nor the very bleak tone of ''Jhegaala''. Then, it hit me how the latter shows his development in the books set chronologically later. In the earlier books in the series, Vlad talks a lot about how Dragaerans, even the ones he likes, are scum. Notably, after experiencing cruelty from fellow humans in ''Jhegaala'', he generally stops making such comments and is more willing to judge them by the same standards as humans. This also explains his behavior towards humans in ''Dzur''- for better or worse, Vlad now treats everyone equally.
** Not to mention the title of ''Jhegaala''. Unlike all the other Taltos books, not a single member of the titular house is anywhere to be seen. But that's because as the series has gone on, the titles have begun to be more and more about Vlad and less and less about the circumstances and people around him. And so the book about an animal Dragaerans treat as a symbol of metamorphosis and change is the one where he's forced to reverse half his attitudes completely.
** The observation that humans are a lot ''like'' Jhegaala, in that individuals have the capacity for a huge range of personality traits that evolve over time, almost makes everyone in the novel an honorary "Jhegaala", by Dragaerans' standards.
* FridgeBrilliance: There's a minor digression in ''Phoenix'' in which Vlad notices that Rocza is acting a bit oddly, so asks Loiosh if [[spoiler: she might be pregnant]]. This doesn't seem important, until you go back and re-read it after learning about [[spoiler: Vlad Norathar]], and take note of Loiosh's reply that Rocza is very close to the absent Cawti ... [[spoiler: and you realize that ''she'' must've been pregnant by then]].
* In a very minor example of FridgeBrilliance, in ''Issola'' Vlad inspects the Morganti blade given to him by the Jenoine, and notes that it's somewhat blade-heavy for his preferences. What seems like yet another demonstration of Vlad's weapon-savvy may, in fact, have been Foreshadowing of how [[spoiler: Spellbreaker will wrap itself around the dagger's hilt when it's transformed into Godslayer/Lady Teldra, thus adding to the grip's weight and balancing out the weapon nicely for him!]]

* Fridge Brilliance: Jhereg's colors are grey and black. For Dragaerans, grey is the color of death while black is the color of sorcery. Now, what are the two major branches of House Jhereg and what are they most infamous for trading in?
** It's also a snarky reference to how House Jhereg's original founder was an outcast from the House of the Dragon. Dragons wear black and silver, and what color does silver become when it loses its fancy noble-metal sheen? Grey.
* Aibynn's use of drumming to open up a pathway to Verra's realm at the end of ''Phoenix'' seems like a complete DeusExMachina at first, given there's no other hint that he's got any magical or psychic talents. But when you consider the nature of the Dragaeran afterlife, and the fact that Aibynn is a ''ritual'' ("surfy") drummer by preference, it makes sense: pure-blooded House members find their way through the Paths of the Dead using information from books unique to their individual House, but the natives of Elde and Greenaere ''have no Houses''. As cross-breeds, they can't navigate the Paths the way House members do, so their culture found an alternative method of getting to the Halls of Judgement, using mystical drumming rites (possibly necromantic?) to open the way for the deceased.
* Looking at ''Issola'' and ''Taltos'', I realized that Loraan had both Spellbreaker and a human (you know what I mean) soul. And as a high-level wizard, he undoubtedly had access to powerful Morganti weapons. Now how is Godslayer made?

* Not a dislike, but when I read the {{Dragaera}} book ''Orca'' and found out that [[spoiler:Sethra and Kiera are the same person]], I had to go back and see where this was hinted at in earlier books. Then, I noticed in ''Taltos'' how at a point where Vlad is unwilling to climb Dzur mountain to meet with Sethra, Kiera shows up out of nowhere and gives him a peptalk. Also interesting is her promise that if Morrolan kills Vlad, he will be dead in less than a year. [[spoiler:Sounds a lot different when you realize that the speaker is an insanely powerful sorceress.]]

* I didn't really care for Vlad's bullying of humans in ''Dzur'' nor the very bleak tone of the most recent book ''Jhegaala''. Then, it hit me how the latter shows his development in the books set chronologically later. In the earlier books in the series, Vlad talks a lot about how Dragaerans, even the ones he likes, are scum. Notably, after experiencing cruelty from fellow humans in ''Jhegaala'', he generally stops making such comments and is more willing to judge them by the same standards as humans. This also explains his behavior towards humans in ''Dzur''- for better or worse, Vlad now treats everyone equally.

** That revelation also makes Kiera's observation that [[spoiler: whomever the man she's investigating might be, he ''isn't'' Sethra Lavode]] a MomentOfFunny.

* Aibynn's use of drumming to open up a pathway to Verra's realm at the end of ''Phoenix'' seems like a complete DeusExMachina at first, given there's no other hint that he's got any magical or psychic talents. But when you consider the nature of the Dragaeran afterlife, and the fact that Aibynn is a ''ritual'' ("surfy") drummer by preference, it makes sense: pure-blooded House members find their way through the Paths of the Dead using information from books unique to their individual House, but the natives of Elde and Greenaere ''have no Houses''. As cross-breeds, they can't navigate the Paths the way House members do, so their culture found an alternative method of getting to the Halls of Judgement, using mystical drumming rites (possibly necromantic?) to open the way for the deceased.

** Not to mention the title of ''Jhegaala''. Unlike all the other {{Taltos}} books, not a single member of the titular house is anywhere to be seen. But that's because as the series has gone on, the titles have begun to be more and more about Vlad and less and less about the circumstances and people around him. And so the book about an animal Dragaerans treat as a symbol of metamorphosis and change is the one where he's forced to reverse half his attitudes completely.

* Aibynn's use of drumming to open up a pathway to Verra's realm at the end of ''Phoenix'' seems like a complete DeusExMachina at first, given there's no other hint that he's got any magical or psychic talents. But when you consider the nature of the Dragaeran afterlife, and the fact that Aibynn is a ''ritual'' ("surfy") drummer by training, it makes sense: pure-blooded House members find their way through the Paths of the Dead using information from books unique to their individual House, but the natives of Elde and Greenaere ''have no Houses''. As cross-breeds, they can't navigate the Paths the way House members do, so their culture found an alternative method of getting to the Halls of Judgement, using mystical drumming rites (possibly necromantic?) to open the way for the deceased.

** It's also a snarky reference to how House Jhereg's original founder was an outcast from the House of the Dragon. Dragons wear black and silver, and what color does silver become when it loses its fancy sheen? Grey.

* Aibynn's use of drumming to open up a pathway to Verra's realm at the end of ''Phoenix'' seems like a complete DeusExMachina at first, given there's no other hint that he's got any magical or psychic talents. But when you consider the nature of the Dragaeran afterlife, and the fact that Aibynn is a ''ritual'' drummer by training, it makes sense: pure-blooded House members find their way through the Paths of the Dead using information from books unique to their individual House, but the natives of Elde and Greenaere ''have no Houses''. As cross-breeds, they can't navigate the Paths the way House members do, so their culture found an alternative method of getting to the Halls of Judgement, using mystical drumming rites (possibly necromantic?) to open the way for the deceased.

* Fridge Brilliance: Jhereg's colors are grey and black. For Dragaerans, grey is the color of death while black is the color of sorcery. Now, what are the two major branches of House Jhereg and what are they most infamous for trading in?

* Not a dislike, but when I read the {{Dragaera}} book ''Orca'' and found out that [[spoiler:Sethra and Kiera are the same person]], I had to go back and see where this was hinted at in earlier books. Then, I noticed in ''Taltos'' how at a point where Vlad is unwilling to climb Dzur mountain to meet with Sethra, Kiera shows up out of nowhere and gives him a peptalk. Also interesting is her promise that if Morrolan kills Vlad, he will be dead in less than a year. [[spoiler:Sounds a lot different when you realize that the speaker is an insanely powerful sorceress.]] -- {{Jordan}}
** ''Orca'' also has one that is less a dislike than a realization of the author's cleverness. It's been remarked how in one scene in the book, Kiera notes in her narration about an odd expression on Vlad's face. It's been suggested (and I agree) that this was indicating that he and his familiar were telepathically making snarky comments.--{{Jordan}}

* I didn't really care for Vlad's bullying of humans in ''Dzur'' nor the very bleak tone of the most recent book ''Jhegaala''. Then, it hit me how the latter shows his development in the books set chronologically later. In the earlier books in the series, Vlad talks a lot about how Dragaerans, even the ones he likes, are scum. Notably, after experiencing cruelty from fellow humans in ''Jhegaala'', he generally stops making such comments and is more willing to judge them by the same standards as humans. This also explains his behavior towards humans in ''Dzur''- for better or worse, Vlad now treats everyone equally.-- {{Jordan}}
** Not to mention the title of ''Jhegaala''. Unlike all the other {{Taltos}} books, not a single member of the titular house is anywhere to be seen. But that's because as the series has gone on, the titles have begun to be more and more about Vlad and less and less about the circumstances and people around him. And so the book about an animal Dragaerans treat as a symbol of metamorphosis and change is the one where he's forced to reverse half his attitudes completely.-- PhoenixFire

* FridgeBrilliance: There's a minor digression in (I think) ''Teckla'' in which Vlad notices that Rocza is acting a bit oddly, so asks Loiosh if [[spoiler: she might be pregnant]]. This doesn't seem important, until you go back and re-read it after learning about [[spoiler: Vlad Norathar]], and take note of Loiosh's reply that Rocza is very close to the absent Cawti ... [[spoiler: and you realize that ''she'' must've been pregnant by then]].

* FridgeBrilliance: There's a minor digression in (I think) ''Teckla'' in which Vlad notices that Rocza is acting a bit oddly, so asks Loiosh if [[spoiler: she might be pregnant]]. This doesn't seem important, until you go back and re-read it after learning about [[spoiler: Vlad Norathar]], and realize that Loiosh's reply that Rocza is very close to the absent Cawti ... [[spoiler: and that ''she'' must've been pregnant by then]].

*** I didn't really care for Vlad's bullying of humans in ''Dzur'' nor the very bleak tone of the most recent book ''Jhegaala''. Then, it hit me how the latter shows his development in the books set chronologically later. In the earlier books in the series, Vlad talks a lot about how Dragaerans, even the ones he likes, are scum. Notably, after experiencing cruelty from fellow humans in ''Jhegaala'', he generally stops making such comments and is more willing to judge them by the same standards as humans. This also explains his behavior towards humans in ''Dzur''- for better or worse, Vlad now treats everyone equally.-- {{Jordan}}
*** Not to mention the title of ''Jhegaala''. Unlike all the other {{Taltos}} books, not a single member of the titular house is anywhere to be seen. But that's because as the series has gone on, the titles have begun to be more and more about Vlad and less and less about the circumstances and people around him. And so the book about an animal Dragaerans treat as a symbol of metamorphosis and change is the one where he's forced to reverse half his attitudes completely.-- PhoenixFire
**** The observation that humans are a lot ''like'' Jhegaala, in that individuals have the capacity for a huge range of personality traits that evolve over time, almost makes everyone in the novel an honorary "Jhegaala", by Dragaerans' standards.

**** The observation that humans are most ''like'' Jhegaala, in that individuals have the capacity for a huge range of personality traits that evolve over time, almost makes everyone in the novel an honorary "Jhegaala", by Dragaerans' standards.