Vanyel's new Web and Tantras
- In Magic's Price, what was the point of having Tantras (a non-mage Herald) in the room when Vanyel and the last three Herald-Mages reworked the Web so it would be powered by a small Heartstone? Tran even says it could "fry his mind like an egg" if they messed up, but his role in the procedure isn't clear to me.
- Tantras was there to test if the new Web worked or not. That's what Vanyel was asking him about, whether he could feel any difference in sensing Heralds after the spell. They needed a non Herald-Mage to test to make sure that the new Web worked for them.
Iftel
It's weird coming off
By The Sword where Iftel is something Valdemarans struggle to think about and hesitantly say has never caused them trouble, to
Magic's Promise where we hear that Elspeth the Peacemaker took an Iftel noble as her consort to prevent a
war with that other country, and even in Randale's reign peace with it is not a sure thing. That sounds like trouble all right.
- Iftel's God is heavy-handed and unsubtle and applies a Perception Filter that keeps Valdemarans from thinking about the country. Maybe he was less so in Vanyel's time, and after seven hundred years he doesn't care for them to know that there were difficult relations once and that Valdemar's ruling family does in fact have Iftel blood crossed into it.
- Probably Early-Installment Weirdness (Lackey hadn't yet decided that Iftel would be aligned with Vkandis). Queen Elspeth's alliance does get a nod at the end of Storm Warning, where Florian says that Valdemar is traditionally on good terms with Iftel, and that the magical barrier around the country came up only because of Ancar's usurpation. Given that the Kaled'a'in are more traditionally aligned with the Goddess, they may have turned to Vkandis in desperation, or they use an older version of the faith that serves the God and Goddess.
Yfandes
If Vanyel's Gifts hadn't become active how and when they did (by Gate energy backfiring through him), would Yfandes have Chosen Tylendel?
- It's possible. The Mags books have the King's Own Herald dying - breaking his bond to Rolan, who immediately Chooses Amily - and being brought back through CPR, then Chosen by a second, non-Grove Born Companion. That the Death Bell rang for Tylendel means that at least some Companions still considered him a Herald or at least Herald material, and his gifts would have been useful.
