Catherine Nemeth
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
In the Wot5G, do saints have an ability/duty specific to their god, like the Bastard’s saints being able to remove demons? I vaguely recall the Father’s saints maybe being able to compel truth or discern truth from lies, or did I misremember? And the Mother’s saints involved with healing?? What about the others? Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Making it up as I go, of course. Yes, some Father's saints are canonically able to detect lies, and some Mother's saints to do healing. Other abilities not yet specified. Cazaril, Ista, and Umegat you've met. Cazaril was a full-on saint of the Daughter of Spring, with a boost from the Bastard. Note in this world being a saint, i.e., channeling a god, is a temporary job not necessarily a permanent identity.
That poor shaman who got buried under the rockfall in "Penric and the Shaman" was probably as close to being a saint of the Son of Autumn as it's possible to get.
Ta, L.
Making it up as I go, of course. Yes, some Father's saints are canonically able to detect lies, and some Mother's saints to do healing. Other abilities not yet specified. Cazaril, Ista, and Umegat you've met. Cazaril was a full-on saint of the Daughter of Spring, with a boost from the Bastard. Note in this world being a saint, i.e., channeling a god, is a temporary job not necessarily a permanent identity.
That poor shaman who got buried under the rockfall in "Penric and the Shaman" was probably as close to being a saint of the Son of Autumn as it's possible to get.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Carmen
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
That's fascinating--thanks for answering! So does Barrayaran imperial succession follows similar logic to the inheritance of Countships--in terms of being able to take into consideration things like suitability for the job or other factors, over totally inflexible male primogeniture over all other considerations (along the lines of what we saw with Rene Vorbretten)?
Steve Berliner
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi Lois! In Masquerade in Lodi, thank you for acknowledging the question I previously raised here on Goodreads about the existence of saints of the Son. I was tickled pink to read that comment! Will you perhaps be examining that issue in more detail in a future story, or is this all we get? ;-)
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