[Witchking11]

I am about a third of the way through the book and i dont really understand what soletaken and d'ivers are. I know that they are shapeshifters but thats about all i know. I was just wondering if they are a species or if it was something that could be learned or what. And is rake a soletaken? This may sound realy dumb but i was just wondering if someone could help me to understand?

[End of Disc One]

They're not a species, they're just people who can shapeshift. I'm pretty sure they have to learn how to do it, but I don't really know how. And yes Rake is a Soletaken since he can turn into a dragon.

[Aptorian]

Soletaken are people or creatures who are able to take on an other aspect which most often takes the form of one or more animals.

Soletaken Eleint can turn into dragons

Soletaken D'ivers, unlike regular vanilla soletaken, can take on multiple forms. The most powerfull of which can have thousands of shapes.

They may be a species since you can be born a soletaken, but it is also something you can become through bloodtransfer and magic.

[Salt-Man Z]

 Aptorian, on Jan 21 2009, 02:34 PM, said:

Soletaken are people or creatures who are able to take on an other aspect which most often takes the form of one or more animals.
...
Soletaken D'ivers, unlike regular vanilla soletaken...

I never understood D'ivers to be a specialized form of Soletaken; I was always under the impression that they were two completely separate orders of shapeshifting. Just the name "Soletaken" implies a single (sole) alternate form; "D'ivers" implies multiple (diverse) forms.

Doesn't the Glossary say something like:

MBotF Glossary (paraphrased) said:

Soletaken - An order of shapeshifting
D'ivers - A higher order of shapeshifting

?

[Aptorian]

It does say that but would you for example claim that a bunch of D'iver's monkeys were going to be a match for a soletaken eleint

I understand it as implying the D'ivers is a more complex, more powerfull, form of transformation but still the same.

[Grief]

D'ivers are beings with one soul that can create multiple bodies. The more powerful it becomes, the more of its bodies it can create.
The soletaken can form one body, one soul.

The average soletaken and D'ivers are more or less equal, although with the range being so diverse, it is hard to tell.

The exception is the soletaken eleint, who due to the power of the eleint, are more powerful, even though they have but one body.

Rake is a soletaken eleint.

[End of Disc One]

I don't think a Soletaken can become a D'ivers, at least not just by becoming more powerful. Like Treach. He can become more and more powerful, but I don't think he can ever become two tigers.

[Salt-Man Z]

Speaking of which, is there any name for

Spoiler

what Gruntle and his men became

in MoI?

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 22 January 2009 - 10:38 PM

[D'rek]

No, there isn't, and in fact (s)he is erroneously referred to as being Soletaken by some not-so-well-informed characters...

As for D'ivers vs Soletaken, as D'ivers get more powerful they do tend to make more of themselves, whereas while Soletaken get more powerful they tend to become just a stronger single entity. The eleint are an obvious example, but that's not to say a millenia-old Soletaken-swamp rat can't become powerful enough to challenge an eleint...

Spoiler

And of course there's always Ryllandaras who is said to have mastered the gifts of Soletaken/D'ivers and can change his forms, limitedly...

[Mcflury]

Quote

No, there isn\'t, and in fact (s)he is erroneously referred to as being Soletaken by some not-so-well-informed characters...

As for D\'ivers vs Soletaken, as D\'ivers get more powerful they do tend to make more of themselves, whereas while Soletaken get more powerful they tend to become just a stronger single entity. The eleint are an obvious example, but that\'s not to say a millenia-old Soletaken-swamp rat can\'t become powerful enough to challenge an eleint...

Spoiler

And of course there\'s always Ryllandaras who is said to have mastered the gifts of Soletaken/D\'ivers and can change his forms, limitedly...

Spoilers my man, that\'s not a thing I\'d like to know up front before reading the book away... takes away a bit of the awesomeness

[D'rek]

 Mcflury, on Jan 23 2009, 07:43 AM, said:

Quote

No, there isn\'t, and in fact (s)he is erroneously referred to as being Soletaken by some not-so-well-informed characters...

As for D\'ivers vs Soletaken, as D\'ivers get more powerful they do tend to make more of themselves, whereas while Soletaken get more powerful they tend to become just a stronger single entity. The eleint are an obvious example, but that\'s not to say a millenia-old Soletaken-swamp rat can\'t become powerful enough to challenge an eleint...

Spoiler

And of course there\'s always Ryllandaras who is said to have mastered the gifts of Soletaken/D\'ivers and can change his forms, limitedly...

Spoilers my man, that\'s not a thing I\'d like to know up front before reading the book away... takes away a bit of the awesomeness

It's from DG. A Trell talks to the person that is spoilered early on in the novel and that Trell's companion later reveals how said personage is different from before. (that vague enough for ya?)