(urth) Inhumi eyes and names

[David Stockhoff]

Regarding the vision thing:

I've struggled with this question for years. I can think of only two 
possibilities. Either

(1) Krait's vision sees all wavelengths but modulates its reception of 
light that is strong enough to overwhelm its reception of other light 
and is therefore incredibly /sensitive /to what we call visible light, or

(2) it does not see light at all in the visible spectrum. As you say, 
infrared vision. This assumes the sun does not emit evenly across the 
board but rather more light than heat. That is easily checked, but you'd 
need to try wearing night vision goggles during the day to actually test 
it. Would you see the stars at day? I doubt it. The photons are there 
but just too weak, and probably especially in the infrared range.

I suppose therefore a third possibility exists that incorporates both.

On 9/28/2012 1:07 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>
> I just read a passage where Krait is discussing his vision and the vision of all
> inhumi. He says he can see clearly in fog and that the sky always looks black to
> him and the stars are always there.
>
> The fog and black sky elements seem to suggest infrared vision to me. Makes sense
> for a predator of warm blooded creatures. But could infrared be so sensitive as to
> detect heat differences between empty sky and stars? Or does he just mean he
> can detect infrared radiation from stars in the daylight without it being
> masked by the sun's output?
>
> Anyone remember anything else in Short Sun addressing this issue?
>
> Also, from the recent discussion of Quetzal's name I got curious about the other inhumu
> names we are given.  I knew a krait was a cobra relative. I just learned that juganu is
> Hindi for firefly or glow worm. The Hindi connection to krait is interesting. Fava is of
> course a plant/bean name. Used in India but not particularly associated with it or Hindi.
>
> Then there is Jahlee. I can't find a plant named this or any variation of the spelling as
> I expected. I can't find an animal either.
>
> I am more than convinced the name Jahlee was meant to invoke Jahi, the vampiric demoness
> from Dr. Talos' play. This is a character played by Jolenta, who, like Jahlee, is a red-
> haired, busty sex goddess. The connections match up nicely.
>
> But I still wonder why Jahlee's name seems to defy the Vironese naming convention, unlike
> all the other inhumu. Are there any other named inhumu which could help shed light on this
> mystery? 		 	   		
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