Ryan, the annual copper coin is if you have a shrine to Piskor; not the same thing as if you summon her.

I don’t think Hanner will have to worry about her payment.

Hanner’s relationship with Rudhira is an interesting subplot; I’ll be curious to see how it progresses, particularly depending on Mavi’s current status. After all, seventeen years is a long time, and (based on chapter one) Hanner didn’t leave behind a great deal of money with which she could support her family. She could very well be remarried at this point.

It occurs to me that Hanner could very easily find himself in a situation similar to Esmera–rejected by the woman he sees as his spouse through no fault of his own, but simply as the result of a bizarre magical occurrence.

Actually, Vondish Ambassador indicated that failing to put a copper coin in a shrine to Piskor once a year might cause the neighbors to become hostile. I’m guessing it’s not because they would simply be overcome with righteous indignation over the mistreatment of the shrine (which was otherwise pretty run down).

>>He could probably make his cast to the god that he did lots of other things that lent comfort to the needy.

After the night of madness he provided roofs to several who explicitly did not have them, having been driven from their homes, and food to those who would have otherwise gone hungry for a couple nights before Faran was revealed as a warlock, and then instead of driving them out and covering up his (still hideable) warlockry, he took the leap to lead them into a much more tenable position- continuing to feed, shelter, and otherwise care for those who needed it until they could get on their feet… He doesn’t currently have the means- but he’s doing exactly that again to the best of his ability.

Well, there must be a reason why he had to be the last to return.

Maybe it takes two wizards to cast the spell. One plays the flute to open the tunnel and the other one walks through.

Actually, are there any spells which require multiple wizards to cast?

> I don’t think it’s going to matter with Hanner. Looking
> at his behavior, and what he did right after the Night of
> Madness, I assume he’ll pay off that debt in spades
> without ever thinking about it.

Well, it depends on how exact the repayment has to be.

However, the punishment for not keeping to the deal is that the god won’t help you any more. Sometimes this also applies to your immediate family, which seems a little excessive.

He could probably make his cast to the god that he did lots of other things that lent comfort to the needy.

Necromancy means any magic involved with communicating with the dead, and that can sometimes be accomplished by a wizard’s spells, divine assistance, or witchcraft. (Whether a demon can do it or not depends on whether you believe demons; most people assume they’re lying.)

Divination means finding things out by magic; again, it doesn’t specify which variety of magic.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of wizards’ spells; no one wizard knows all of them, so they specialize. Some make a point of collecting animations, some do divinations, etc. Doesn’t mean they can do any magic other than wizardry.

1) I wonder why wizards can also be necromancers/diviners/etc. and where the lines between schools of magic really are. We know that wizards are not allowed to practice non-wizardry magic. Where does the line between specialties and schools begin to blur? Could a wizard be a theurgist? Would the gods ignore them if they knew the right prayers and performed them perfectly? That’s not exactly magic, just praying. Also, wizardry seems to be capable of just about anything, why not opening a communications channel to a god?

2) I wonder if any of the immortal wizards ever took up theurgy as a way to pass the millenia or to try to help them figure out new spells.

raphfrk Says:
>>It seems that Rothiel was the caster. Maybe the spell has the caster go through first to open the fissure and then return last to close it.

I don’t think so, he was walking around doing stuff while the spell continued running. This variation might be *that* much cooler, but it seems unlikely.

>>Interesting that the god wouldn’t help wizards or witches. Clearly there was no problem with (former) warlocks.

I assume it has something to do with the fact that wizards are, in effect, permanently enchanted via the athamization spell, witches and warlocks seem to generate a similar effect when their powers are “on” (ie; always). or it could just be that *having* magic they’re assumed to be “not human.”

>>Presumably, if there were any demonologists, they would have also been excluded.

There was at least one demonologist. I’m interested (now that you reminded me) to know if she was or not.

>>Hanner…giving comfort to another person?

I don’t think it’s going to matter with Hanner. Looking at his behavior, and what he did right after the Night of Madness, I assume he’ll pay off that debt in spades without ever thinking about it. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Piskor was particularly fond of Hanner- his entire demeanor of helping the helpless but not coddling people seems right in step with her.

Could just be me, though. I’m reading the chapter before my caffeine levels max out.

Bill

I never realized I could enjoy watching a novel in progress this much. Given the other novels, this one just seems to have something more in the community about it and the development.

Thanks Lawrence.

Interesting that the god wouldn’t help wizards or witches. Clearly there was no problem with (former) warlocks.

Presumably, if there were any demonologists, they would have also been excluded.

Also, it would be pretty weird if the sorcerers weren’t excluded when that wizards were, given that the gods were on the same side as the wizards in the Great War. OTOH, maybe it is the manipulation of their soul that excludes wizards from divine help.

Were all (active) magicians excluded (except the theurgists), as they should be able to take care of themselves?

Also, the Goddess promised

“The water of the stream will be pure and clean”

This doesn’t seem to be the case, if they are having to purify it. I guess that means that it will be pure when it reaches them, but if they dirty it afterward, then that is their own problem.

Also, when Hanner gave part of his meal to the witch, does that count as giving comfort to another person?

“you will repay this by giving comfort to one who needs it – a blanket to one who has none, a roof to one who needs it for a night, or a meal to one who has not eaten that day. ”

If the witch hadn’t eaten that day then it might count, but 1 food stick probably wouldn’t count as a meal.

His action with the loaves of bread might count depending on when those people last ate.

Also, it depends on what the requirement actually was. Were the 3 options merely suggestions of ways to comfort people, or did the repayment have to be exactly one of those 3?