History Headscratchers / KeeperOfTheLostCities

* This leads to another question. In the First Book it is mentioned that the Black Swan had planned to repatriate her to the Lost Cities much later in life, but were forced to accelerate their plans because the [[spoiler:Neverseen]] had discovered her existence and were trying to lure her out. But when she arrives to the Lost Cities, Sophie has a lot to adapt to - the culture, the fact she has no parents anymore, the language... and even discovers a few books later that she was [[spoiler:actually a year behind on her education and thus one year older than all of her classmates and most of her friends, because elves count age from conception]]. This begs the question as to how the Black Swan was planning on getting her adjusted to being an elf as an adult, a full person who would have had a whole life of education to catch up on with no parents to support her and school setting to make friends. An adult who would have to give up not only her family but everything she built up - career, relationships - for a world she didn't know of beforehand. Plus, she wouldn't have had any of the primary education other elves have, and it seems like they didn't care much, as this could have been avoided simply by implanting and hiding under a password everything students learn at Foxfire -- [[spoiler: Mr. Forkle was the literal ''Magnate'' of the school, Leto, so he ''had'' to know the academic program.]] -- incrementally over the year as to not have her stay behind, like they did without her consent for any information they deemed important to them and her mission. It seems highly likely they would have immediately hired her as a member of the Black Swan and, if their current implication in her personal life excluding the missions they give her is anything to go by, would have left her to helplessly figure out the rest, which is kinda cruel, since to a specie than can live for all eternity a 20 years old is still mentally considered a child.
* Why did the Black Swan have to choose elves who had a significant role in Elvin society to donate their DNA for the Moonlark project? It has been shown thorough the books that many elves suffer from the shortcomings of Elvin society and have reasons to join or aid the Black Swan, including [[spoiler: Juline]] who is quite insignificant in their society and could have been a decent candidate. Plus they admitted [[spoiler: they intentionally choose parents who didn't have the Talents they aimed to give to Sophie]], so it isn't like they had restriction [[spoiler:such as specific abilities to seek out]]. So, why did they have to choose such important people to fulfill this role [[spoiler: and knowingly make Sophie Unmatchable]] when they already forced her in a role that entailed risking her life for them?
** The Black Swan is a terrorist organization, and while it gains a better reputation in later books, they still have to keep many things secret so their plans stay safe. I assume one of the reasons they chose [[spoiler: Oralie]] for Project Moonlark is that [[spoiler: since she would get kicked off the council if anyone found out she had children,]] that provides a lot of incentive for her to keep the secret. If she betrayed information about their plans to the Council, she'd be punished much worse than any normal elf who collaborated with a terrorist organization, so the Black Swan can trust that she won't do that. And if safety *is* the reason for the secrecy, the Black Swan probably planned for Sophie's parents to be revealed eventually, when the conflict was over, so Sophie would only be temporarily [[spoiler: Unmatchable]]. The fact that elves live so long could explain why they're so casual about Sophie temporarily suffering. Still really unfair to Sophie though.

* Why did the Black Swan have to choose elves who had a significant role in Elvin society to donate their DNA for the Moonlark project? It has been shown thorough the books that many elves suffer from the shortcomings of Elvin society and have reasons to join or aid the Black Swan, including [[spoiler: Juline]] who is quite insignificant in their society and could have been a decent candidate. Plus they admitted [[spoiler: they intentionally choose parents who didn't have the Talents they aimed to give to Sophie]], so it isn't like they had restriction [[spoiler:such as specific abilities to seek out]]. So, why did they have to choose such important people to fulfill this role [[spoiler: and knowingly make Sophie Unmatchable]] when they already forced her in a role that entailed risking her life for them?

** Since they heavily rely on their Special Abilities, most elves, including the main character, are unskilled in the use of telekinesis and need a massive amount of concentration and energy in order to even move the lightest object. So in a situation of panic where they have to think fast and have very little room to empty their mind and concentrate, as it is often the case when they have to fight Psionipaths, it is likely they would be unable to use telekinesis. Plus, it is mentioned in the book that most elves, aside from those who lived with Talentless parents, attended Exilium or are Talentless themselves -- such as Dex --, forget they are even able to use telekinesis in their everyday life. It is unlikely they would remember while panicking. Sophie even addresses this several times and forgets it herself, even though she is one of the strongest telekinesists and rather relies on telepathy. Plus, since light can't go through force fields it is likely telekinesis cannot either, and it could be considered as a force that emanate from their bodies and is tangible, and as such has the same limitation as any solid intervention?
* Why did the Black Swan have to choose elves who had a significant role in Elvin society to donate their DNA for the Moonlark project? It has been shown thorough the books that many elves suffer from the shortcomings of Elvin society and have reasons to join or aid the Black Swan, including [[spoiler: Juline]] who is quite insignificant in their society and could have been a decent candidate. Plus they admitted [[spoiler: they intentionally choose parents who didn't have the Talents they aimed to give to Sophie]], so it isn't like they had restriction [[spoiler:such as specific abilities to seek out]]. So, why did they have to choose such important people to fulfill this role [[spoiler: and knowingly make Sophie Unmatchable]] when they already forced her in a role that entailed risking her life for them?

* This leads to another question. In the First Book it is mentioned that the Black Swan had planned to repatriate her to the Lost Cities much later in life, but were forced to accelerate their plans because the [[spoiler:Neverseen]] had discovered her existence and were trying to lure her out. But when she arrives to the Lost Cities, Sophie has a lot to adapt to - the culture, the fact she has no parents anymore, the language... and even discovers a few books later that she was [[spoiler:actually a year behind on her education and thus one year older than all of her classmates and most of her friends, because elves count age from conception]]. This begs the question as to how the Black Swan was planning on getting her adjusted to being an elf as an adult, a full person who would have had a whole life of education to catch up on with no parents to support her and school setting to make friends. An adult who would have to give up not only her family but everything she built up - career, relationships - for a world she didn't know of beforehand. Plus, she wouldn't have had any of the primary education other elves have, and it seems like they didn't care much, as this could have been avoided simply by implanting and hiding under a password everything students learn at Foxfire -- [[spoiler: Mr. Forkle was the literal ''Magnate'' of the school, Leto, so he ''had'' to know the academic program.]] -- incrementally over the year as to not have her stay behind, like they did without her consent for any information they deemed important to them and her mission. It seems highly likely they would have immediately hired her as a member of the Black Swan and, if their current implication in her personal life excluding the missions they give her is anything to go by, would have left her to helplessly figure out the rest, which is kinda cruel, since to a specie than can live for all eternity a 20 years old is still mentally considered a child.

** Sophie is actually able to read elven runes, but there are two versions: a formal and a simplified version. The formal, ancient version is the version Sophie can't read. It's rarely used, but it has been seen on some signs and Sophie's nexus, and possibly her schedule, as she never reads it herself in the first book. To Sophie, the formal, ancient script looks like a random string of letters. She can read the simplified version, which is what is used most of the time. Her inability to read the formal runes doesn't seem to present too much of an obstacle to her functioning in Elven society, but with her photographic memory it shouldn't be too hard for her to learn. Why she hasn't tried isn't explained, however.

* Why did the Black Swan have to choose elves who had a significant role in Elvin society to donate their DNA for the Moonlark project? It has been shown thorough the books that many elves suffer from the shortcomings of Elvin society and have reasons to join or aid the Black Swan, including [[spoiler: Juline]] who is quite insignificant in their society and could have been a decent candidate. Plus they admitted [[spoiler: they intentionally choose parents who didn't have the Talents they aimed to give to Sophie]], so it isn't like they had restriction [[spoiler:such as specific abilities to seek out]]. So, why did they have to choose such important people to fulfill this role [[spoiler: and knowingly make Sophie Unmatchable]] when they already forced her in a role that entailed risking her life for them?

* Why doesn't anyone use telekinesis on objects outside a force field to defeat Psionipaths? If it's because the force field stops telekinesis, how does a force field not let telekinesis, which doesn't rely on touch, go through it?

* Why doesn't anyone use telekinesis on objects outside a force field to defeat Psionipaths? If it's because the force field stops telekinesis, how does a force field not let telekinesis, which doesn't rely on touch, to go through it?