(urth) Resurrections

[Ryan Dunn]

On Jul 30, 2010, at 12:58 PM, John Watkins wrote:

> My understanding.
>  
> Severian's superpowers come from the White Fountain.  In Yesod, another universe entirely, the Autarch Severian is deemed worthy of linkage with the Fountain.  The Fountain, which was always already linked with Severian in Yesod time, enters Briah sufficiently early so that its light reaches Urth at or around the time of Apu Punchau.  The Autarch Severian, on the other hand, is returned to Briah during Typhon's time.
>  
> Severian always has some measure of superpowers when he is within the "broadcast range" of the influence of the Fountain, which coincides with the light of the Fountain.
>  
> Thus young Severian, who has not yet become the Autarch in his personal timeline, has superpowers--the light is hitting him, and with it whatever influence gives him personal powers.  He is limited in using those powers because he doesn't know about them.
>  
> Late in Citadel, the superpowered Severian cuts himself on a thorn.  His blood transmits some measure of his power to the thorn.  He keeps it as a memorial of the Claw, a similar-looking thorn he once carried.
>  
> After travelling to Yesod and being bound to the Fountain in his personal timeline, he becomes aware of his powers and is far more adept with them, even to the degree that his is more apt to use them unconsciously.
>  
> Super Severian gives someone his bled-on thorn in Typhon's era.  It is a treasured relic that becomes the Claw.  Later on in Briah's timeline, but earlier in Sev's personal timeline, he acquires the Claw, only powerful because of its linkage to the Sev who exists in Sev's future and Briah's past.  Because the Claw has some measure of power on its own, and because Sev has superpowers, it acts as a channel or focus for his powers--he doesn't know he has powers but he believes it does.  So he sometimes tries to use its powers, which is really him using his powers and incidentally making the Claw glow, but he's not quite sure of how it works.


Heheh. I think I somehow followed all of that, which is saying a lot about your articulateness, believe me.

So yes, the power was inside him (him being the Severian we are reading about). You traced its origins much better than I did, though to the same end.

...ryan