A problem with the R=U theory.

[Christmas]

True... but even people at their prime die of illnesses. And don't forget, if we assume that the world of FF VIII went through history just like earth, quite a BIG part of history had LOW life expectancy, no modern medicine, no sanitation, etc. etc. So even while 'pepretually young' with an excellent immune system, you still can catch your death from disease relatively easily.

There's bandits, rampaging soldiers, natural disasters. of course, a Sorceress COULD use her power to resist that, but then she has the problem that she'll be sought as a weapon.

And then of course, there's just Sorceresses that, after the fifth century, just plain old had ENOUGH of life.

Well, most youngsters that died from illness are mainly those that caught infectious diseases or a plague in the past. But plague dun happen often. And also in the past, it is mostly elderly or those weak ones that become victims of illness and it is still usually those that die from it. And like I stated before, who know if their magic make them immune to those illness.

And also as I mentioned the before, the chances of a random young person catching a diseases is not quite big but a sorceress catching the diseases make the chances smaller. Since out of 100 people, among them, how many sorceress will there be?

Edea did. She could probably have reached three hunderd or something. But even if she had spend her timetaking care of children of an oprhanage, never using her powers no matter what horrors happened, sooner or later laws of probability are going to nail you.

It is pretty true that Edea will be spending the rest of her time taking care of those children until the Ultimecia's incident. Maybe this is the horror you are talking about. But like many sorceress, she hide her power and live in seclusion, so I doubt people will just go look for her and kill her just for the sake of killing her. Then what of those sorceress living in hiding? Must they go use their powers to do something good or bad to survive in the world?

Yeah, I think I see what you mean. It IS a possibility, and I like the image, but I also like the one of the battered and ruined body straining and screaming in agony, the soul itself trying to get out of the body that became a prison rather than a home, but Hyne's curse keeping everything going, not allowing death before it is granted its next victim. That's kinda the image I got from Ultimecia. Which would explain why Edea took pity on her. Then again, Edea might feel even Ultimecia doesn't deserve getting stuck with the curse for all eternity.

Not really, if they can't die without passing on their powers, then how do those sorceress you fought during time compression die? True if Rinoa absorbed them. But what if Rinoa isn't in the party when you fight them?

Yep, but sometimes 'wanting desperately'just isn't enough. 'Magically forced to' on the other hand... might just mean that if you have to be in constant dying agony for a hunderd years before you find a suitable replacement, you WILL pass on the power.

No? When you are on a verge of death, just look for a suitable replacement or someone that is willing to be the replacement and pass on to the replacement.

But I reckon they will still die regardless of this but just might not be able to rest in peace.

Might be.... remember. There are less and less sorceresses over time, as you can't 'divide' the Power but you can 'merge' them. Good Sorceresses would try to absord the Sorceress power of other dying sorceresses to keep others'safe,

But how will the good sorceress know when or where is there a dying sorceress since everyone is hiding themselves from the world. The chances are very slim.

while evil Sorceresses would hunt other Sorceresses to acquire more power (Highlander anyone?) (Also, yet ANOTHER cause of death for Sorceresses. Hunted down by other Sorceresses. Plenty of 'immortals' die in Highlander, no?) It is POSSIBLE there are others.... but also possible they're near extinction. (And as powerful as Ulti is, it's not that hard to believe she got 'the whole set'. Any that lived after Squall's age might have been hunted down by Ulti)

You mean they hunt each other down to absorb each other powers? I dun think they will deliberately do it but might do it if they have a chance. Remember most sorceress live in hiding how much of a trouble to find them all. So why didn't Adel go look for other sorceress to absorb their power to turn the tables around after the first sorceress war ended? She can absorb all their powers and took on the Galbadian on her own.Instead she go look for a successor instead.

If Adel is not possessed by Ultimecia at the point of the successor searching events, it is possible that she is also interested in using Time Compression to absorb all the other sorceress powers after Odine told her of his foundings.

Adel absorbed Rinoa cause she is just in front of her. But seeking each other out will take centuries since the good sorceress will know the evil sorceress will be after her and constantly be on the run or go into hiding.

Ultimecia tried to get the whole set by using time compression which will absorb all sorceress' power into one instead of seeking them out one by one. If she had the whole set, she is just another or might be a "Hyne" which will question why will she use time compression?

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Heheh... A good attitiude, but I allow myself some luxuries for things like games So I'm rooting for 'they DO grow very old'

I personally feel like they do grow old but I am not rooting for anything.

If Ultimicia is the only Sorceress in her time, and Rinoa the only known one in hers, chances are that Rinoa's powers make up a lot of Ultimicia's.

There is a time in the game which Rinoa said that her power will sooner or later be passed on the Ultimecia. I believe it is in the Ragnarok.