Below is an excerpt from the first chapter of “On the Training and Use of Power Among the Races.” The section on inheritance definitely contains the most science jargon and the largest number of diagrams.
The inheritance of power varies between the races. Because the genes that cause inheritance as mage or seer are on different chromosomes, these traits are not linked. Simple Mendelian inheritance applies for the possession of power, but multiple genes are involved in determining how strong or weak in power a mage or seer becomes.
In the avarii race, both manipulating power and seeing power are dominant traits. This leads to a greater probability of mage-seers being born among the avarii than among the other races (leaving aside the Shado’s race, where external forces play a strong role). Because both traits are dominant, parents who are not shapechangers cannot lay eggs containing offspring with power.
Avarii Mage-Seer Possibilities
With both types of power dominant among avarii, just four potential pairings exist. For the same reason, a homozygous mage-seer must be a second-generation mage-seer.
Parents: heterozygous seer (Ssmm) x heterozygous mage (ssMM)
| Sm | Sm | sm | sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sm | Ssmm | Ssmm | ssmm | ssmm | |
| sm | Ssmm | Ssmm | ssmm | ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 25 percent mage-seers
- 25 percent seers
- 25 percent mages
- 25 percent with no power
Parents: heterozygous seer (Ssmm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| Sm | Sm | sm | sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 50 percent mage-seers
- 50 percent mages
Below is the genotype of the Defender’s parents: Winter Mist (seer) and Sunbright Country (mage). The Defender’s older sister, Forest Reflection, was a seer. His younger sister, Night Yearning, was a mage-seer.
Parents: homozygous seer (SSmm) x heterozygous mage (ssMm)
| Sm | Sm | Sm | Sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sm | Ssmm | Ssmm | Ssmm | Ssmm | |
| sm | Ssmm | Ssmm | Ssmm | Ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 50 percent mage-seers
- 50 percent seers
Parents: homozygous seer (SSmm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| Sm | Sm | Sm | Sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm |
Offspring Phenotype
- 100 percent mage-seer
With the hyarmi, manipulating power is a recessive trait, while seeing power is dominant. What this means is that a hyarmi mage and a hyarmi seer as mates are very likely to bear seers as offspring, but unlikely to bear mages.
Mage-seers have been born among the hyarmi only twice: Hu-Harek and Heruvael. Such an outcome requires that both parents be either a mage or carrying the recessive mage allele, and at least one parent must also be a seer. Because manipulating power is recessive, hyarmi mages are born when both parents are mages, or when one parent is a mage and the other parent carries the recessive mage-trait. It is possible for two heterozygous hyarmi who do not manifest any power to give birth to a mage. However, two hyarmi without power cannot give birth to a seer.
Hyarmi Mage-Seer Possibilities
The first two examples are pairings where a mage-seer birth might be expected, but does not occur.
Parents: heterozygous seer (Ssmm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| Sm | Sm | sm | sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 50 percent seers (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
- 50 percent with no power (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: homozygous seer (SSmm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| Sm | Sm | Sm | Sm | ||
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm | SsMm |
Offspring Phenotype
- 100 percent seers (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: heterozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SsMm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| SM | sM | Sm | sm | ||
| sM | SsMM | ssMM | SsMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMM | ssMM | SsMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMM | ssMM | SsMm | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMM | ssMM | SsMm | ssMm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 25 percent mage-seers (all heterozygous)
- 25 percent mages
- 25 percent seers (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
- 25 percent with no power (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
Below is the genotype of Heruvael’s parents: Hu-Hade (mage) and Henu (seer). Heruvael’s two brothers were seers.
Parents: homozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SSMm) x homozygous mage (ssMM)
| SM | SM | Sm | Sm | ||
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 50 percent mage-seers (all heterozygous)
- 50 percent seers (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: homozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SSMm) x homozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SSMm)
| SM | SM | Sm | Sm | ||
| SM | SSMM | SSMM | SSMm | SSMm | |
| SM | SSMM | SSMM | SSMm | SSMm | |
| Sm | SSMm | SSMm | SSmm | SSmm | |
| Sm | SSMm | SSMm | SSmm | SSmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 25 percent mage-seers (all homozygous)
- 75 percent seers (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: homozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SSMm) x heterozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SsMm)
| SM | SM | Sm | Sm | ||
| SM | SSMM | SSMM | SSMm | SSMm | |
| Sm | SSMm | SSMm | SSmm | SSmm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | Ssmm | Ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 25 percent mage-seers (half homozygous)
- 75 percent seers (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: heterozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SsMm) x heterozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SsMm)
| SM | Sm | sM | sm | ||
| SM | SSMM | SSMm | SsMM | SsMm | |
| Sm | SSMm | SSmm | SsMm | Ssmm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMm | ssMM | ssMm | |
| sm | SsMm | Ssmm | ssMm | ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 18.75 percent mage-seers (one-third homozygous)
- 56.25 percent seers (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
- 6.25 percent mages
- 18.75 percent with no power (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
A mage-seer might also be born if one parent is a seer carrying the recessive mage-trait and the other parent has no power but also has the recessive mage-trait. This is the surprising birth some hoped for in 402 AK, when Princess Hu-Hael-ik forced the Council into a closed session before announcing the census results.
Parents: homozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SSMm) x no power carrying recessive mage-trait (ssMm)
| SM | SM | Sm | Sm | ||
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMM | SsMm | SsMm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | Ssmm | Ssmm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | Ssmm | Ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 25 percent mage-seers (all heterozygous)
- 75 percent seers (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
Parents: heterozygous seer carrying recessive mage-trait (SsMm) x no power carrying recessive mage-trait (ssMm)
| SM | Sm | sM | sm | ||
| sM | SsMM | SsMm | ssMM | ssMm | |
| sM | SsMM | SsMm | ssMM | ssMm | |
| sm | SsMm | Ssmm | ssMm | ssmm | |
| sm | SsMm | Ssmm | ssMm | ssmm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 12.75 percent mage-seers (all heterozygous)
- 37.5 percent seers (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
- 12.5 percent mages
- 37.5 percent with no power (two-thirds carrying recessive mage-trait)
Only one recorded hyarmi birth from a mage-seer:
Heruvael (heterozygous mage-seer, SsMM) x Hu-Havenn (no power, ssmm)
| SM | SM | sM | sM | ||
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm | |
| sm | SsMm | SsMm | ssMm | ssMm |
Offspring Phenotypes
- 50 percent seers (all carrying recessive mage-trait)
- 50 percent with no power (all carrying recessive mage-trait)