My turn to go a little off-topic here. Did you read the
Rose of the Prophet trilogy by Weis and Hickman, Gol (or any of the rest of you good folk, for that matter!)? I should know better than to ask, but....
If not, it's light-hearted and (in my opinion), unique among their work. It's not as crafted as
Deathgate, but a very enjoyable read, all the same, if one likes W&H...
OK, returning thread to its regularly-scheduled Barristan assistance!