[Hume]

being and Ascendant dont necessarilly mean you have to hold a position in House in the Deck of Dragons.

[Kage-za]

Just because Apsalar has no obligations to Shadow doesn't mean she won't decide voluntarily to keep working for/with them after some soul-searching (similar to how Paran has ended up back in the army). There is probably no one else with a clearer understanding of the ascended ST and C. Moreover, her skills seem to be shadow-aspected... which would make a continued alliance with Shadow very prudent, especially once she finds out that Cutter/Crokus is still alive.

[Aptorian]

HUME said:

being and Ascendant dont necessarilly mean you have to hold a position in House in the Deck of Dragons.

Yeah, I would think Apsalar-imass was unalligned.

A patron of thieves doesn't really seem to fit with any of the houses. All though assassin of shadow doesn't either, in my oppinion... so maybe, while we're reaching for straws, the thief could be a high house shadow position.

That said, I don't think she's likely to serve any house, after she's freed from her servitude to shadow. When the war in the pantheon is over and the CG is re-chained/evicted/destroyed/sent back/roshambo'd, I think she'll disappear from the scene. Like Whiskeyjack said to Paran, the thing is to not get noticed, if you don't want to recieve unwanted attention from gods and ascendants alike.

[Abyss]

I've said this elsewhere, but i figure she is too powerful to just drop out of sight. We may not see her for a book or two, but ultimately she's gained too much power to just sit around and drink herself silly.

At a minimum, someone other than Shadow will try to recruit or use her.

The Imapssalar question is interesting (love the footprints bit)... Imapsalar was a theif, Sorry/Apsalar is an assassin, and a shadow-dancer assassin at that. Seems as tho her aspect is not the same as her namesake.

Plus, if Imapsalar was an Imass, chances are good she was a pre-ritual Ascendant - just a hunch on my part, can't picture an undead post Ritual Imass havingany reason to be a theif - which means she's pre-existance of High House Shadow, at least in its 'modern' sense with the Virgin and Rope seats.

- Abyss, figures being known as the 'Virgin' of any High House is just not cool.

[Aptorian]

Hetan said:

that's a bit of a contradiction there... assassin of shadow doesn't fit any of the houses

s'ok.. I think I know what you mean.. there is (apparently) no assassin in any of the other houses ?

Yeah I knew I was contradicting myself there And no there isn't any more assassin positions in the deck.

I was refering to the fact that I would think an assassin just as fitting in the House of death or the House of darkness. But yes it seems that shadows in Wu seem a better position for assassins. House of dark might be a bit to old fashioned and "noble" to support the assassin...

And then I go contradicting myself again, since the Tiste ninjas (yes, that's right, ninja's of darkness) in GotM, are indeed kind of working as assassins.

[Wry]

I kinda like this idea... i think apsalar the imass has been mentioned enough that it could be true.

And just to point out that the deck is pretty fluid... new places can be made.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Only if the Master OK's it...and I think Ganoes would endorse a position for his buddy Apsalar. Perhaps an unaligned Assassin card, if there could be such a thing co-existing with Rope, the Patron.

[Wry]

True... But i don't think the master is needed to approve minor changes. E.G Virgin to lady or whatever.

[Wry]

Good points. In fact what the hell do they need a master for? Just to decide whether to have a house of chains?

Or maybe there's loads Paran should be doing, just hasn't.

Maybe i should start a thread on that....


EDIT: Actually i won't... there's six billion threads on it already.

[polishgenius]

I think Paran is there to force or stop change as it's needed, but the deck changes anyway without him helping it. Like, iirc, he blessed Felisin jnr's new card thing.

[Wry]

So he's there to change or not change it, even though it'll do that on it's own anyway... sounds like a sweet job!

[polishgenius]

I'd take it anyday.
But without the regular threatened disembowelling/death/eternal suffering, and responsibility of the fate of the world. That would be a bit much.

[Dark Mac]

Hetan said:

I'm not sure that Ganoes is needed to approve any changes within a house , apart from the sanctioning of a new house.. we've seen positions come and go and change. Master of the Deck appears to mean that he can move freely within it and call upon whomsoever he chooses or their power. Admittedly he's still learning, but he wasn't required to sanction Baudin, and the House of War has just appeared. Did he sanction that by his unknowing blessing of the BB?

I think that he created Salvation, didn't he? And don't forget that the Deck of Dragons extends beyond the positions themselves...Ganoes's responsibilites seem to include more than just managing the Deck.