Sev's Family Tree

Gerry Quinn · 28 Jan 2011, 19:22 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:22:14 -0000
Subject: (urth) Sev's Family Tree
References: <SNT123-W964209A1750779C29407DCFE10 at phx.gbl>	<4D42F90B.7080009 at gmail.com><C419E5D5A10D44CAA2A5B3DED312117D@jill>
	<4D430525.4070305 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <5C05C299B62247D897FEE85DB7F24C9D@jill>

From: "James Wynn" <crushtv at gmail.com>
>> Gerry-
>> I don't think I would call it a different creature, really, or use the 
>> word 'merger'.  It is still an alzabo, which is using Becan's mind as a 
>> tool. Any parts of Becan's mind that would be unsuited to the alzabo's 
>> purposes are ruthlessly discarded.
>> [...]
>> (I think possession in BotLS is closer to a true merger.)
>
> Hmm...why so? I would have said that possession in the BotLS was the just 
> the opposite. As Kypris Chenille described it, the mind invader can choose 
> to fully take over or ride along quietly.

But parts of the possessor's personality become permanently incorporated in 
the possessee.  As Chenille/Kypris explains: "Really I'm Chenille, with 
something extra".  She also (in reference to Mint) makes an analogy of 
"brandy talking" except that the effect on the personality is permanent.

Admittedly she also says "I feel like someone else is in here with me" so 
she's not completely clear.  All the same, I think there's something new 
which isn't either Chenille or Kypris, though long-term it's more like 
Chenille with some aspects of her personality altered.

> As I understand a Mani-style merger, that would not be possible: the 
> separate spiritual and physical creatures cease to exist and a new  being 
> is created.

Neither the alzabo or possession is a Mani-style merger, IMO - the latter 
creates an essentially new being, and neither of the former do.

> It is true that the merger serves interests of the alzabo body. If it did 
> not, the alzabos would soon cease to exist. But the fact that the alzabo 
> puts his life at genuine peril for Becan's family shows that there are 
> downsides to the merger from the POV of the animal part of Becan Alzabo.

My reasoning here is that the alzabo part is driven the same way by its 
instincts to protect its prospective prey from other predators.  Maybe it 
didn't make the most logical call with regard to its own survival, but hey - 
it's an animal!  Nothing in Becan's actions hit the button that said 
"alzabo-unfriendly behaviour".

- Gerry Quinn

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