On 04/10/2012, at 4:25 PM, drscience3000 wrote:
[discussion with Peter deleted for clarity]
> Well, I was going by the fact that Yelmgatha (who I've heard of) wasn't from Raibanth, the assumption that what really matters is passing the ten tests (though I guess they don't let just anyone attempt them), and that the clans may have relatives in other cities than their "main" city. (And, in fact, the clans are probably somewhat interrelated). So that someone with suitable blood might be in a clan in Yuthuppa, Alkoth, or another city?
Anyone may pass the Ten Tests. A dragon did it once, who wasn't even a human being. But in practice, unless you have enormous magical resources on your side, it is almost impossible, and made more difficult if you are not part of the Raibanth nobility (who have, through access to various secret cult knowledge and items, magics, etc a lot of advantages in passing the tests). In theory, anyone who is able to pass the Ten Tests may become Emperor. In practice, if someone who isn't one of the Dara Happan clans does so, most Dara Happans will take it as an indication that something has gone Terribly Wrong.
> I'm also assuming the dynasties, some of which are thousands of years in the past, may not all exist in present times. And, in fact, unless you count the masks of the Red Emperor, it has been more than 4 generations since the last one? So yeah, if suddenly Darra Happa needs a new emperor, then if you have a close relative of the last Emperor, there you are. But otherwise any of the important clans (who probably all trace Emperors and gods in the past) could have a shot at being allowed to take the tests? I would guess this would be true of he one you mentioned (Assiday) and the one that Jeff mentioned in Yuthuppa (Yuthmesha). (Though are dynasty names correlated with clan names? If a "Bob" of the "Assiday Clan" becomes emperor and starts a dynasty, that is the "Bob" dynasty, not the "Assiday dynasty"?
FWIW, in Dara Happa Stirs the dynasties are named by the name of Emperor, not the clan. I could even imagine a 'dynasty' that had a series of orderly successions by other than patrilineal succession (though that certainly doesn't seem very Dara Happan).
Cheers
David
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