: Ermm, I don't think this is correct. The 'zerk cousins
: who were enamored of themselves and chose immortality
: never died, as I understand it.
Yes, they seemed to go straight from life to undeath without spending any time as a corpse.
: Regarding shades <=== avatara, I *think* Mazzarin was
: the only member of the most recent Nine to have been
: turned into a shade, but that doesn't mean other
: shades weren't avatara from a previous age.
Mazzarin wasn't a member of the recent Nine; he was a founding member of the Avatara, and he died over a thousand years before TFL. There were no Avatara before him.
: GURPs may have info. on Turquine and Phelot. GURPs
: owners?
Nothing is known of Phelot's origin. Turquine was almost certainly not an Avatara, as he was apparently an evil sorcerer-king while still alive.
According to GURPS, shades are simply undead archmages. Rarely, if ever, would they be Avatara; it seems that you have to be an evil bastard who actively seeks out Shadehood. Then you bargain with a more powerful Dark Lord and he converts you in exchange for your loyalty.
The statement that "Shades are undead Avatara" in TFL seems to be outdated, due to Avatara being redefined purely as members of the group founded by Mazzarin (instead of being powerful sorcerers in general).
--SiliconDream
