(urth) What's So Great About Ushas?

[Dave Tallman]

Roy C. Lackey wrote:
> That leaves no choice but to absolve Typhon of responsibility for the black
> hole and place it squarely on the Hierogrammates, with or without the
> Increate's blessing.
>
> The question then becomes: *Why* did the Hierogrammates condemn Urth's
> peoples during Typhon's era?
>   
I think you present a compelling case that the Hierogrammates are 
responsible for the black hole. The reasons are not spelled out in 
detail, but we do have this: "I tried to tell them how the Hierodules 
feared us because we had spread through the worlds in the ancient times 
of Urth's glory, extinguishing many other races and bringing our cruelty 
and wars everywhere."

Sev could only have learned this from conversations on the Ship, so it's 
a one-sided presentation, but I'll take it as true that humans committed 
multiple genocides against intelligent races. They may not have all 
happened in the reign of Typhon, but Typhon was carrying on the the same 
empire and intent on further genocide.

Placing the black hole makes little sense as a pure act of war. It was 
slow-acting, allowing plenty of time for evacuation for a space-faring 
people, and it only touched one of many worlds humanity owned. I see it 
more as a shot across the bow, telling Typhon, "Look what we can do. 
You'd better back off." The ones who did it probably didn't anticipate 
that millions would remain in jeopardy for centuries.