Biography:
Wooden Heart: In 3594, it becomes apparent that CenGov is smuggling apples to make a drug called Prophetix, allowing them to access the power of prophecy. Nau’gshtamine-based prophecy is not a certainty, however, but simply allows the user to access the most likely probabilities for any given course of events. For this reason, Ashtara emanates Wynne Rafferty, his 13th branch. Wynne has the effect of distorting probability remarkably in his favor. Wynne then engages in a series of seemingly random acts impossible for the Terran prophetess to predict, which leads him in a bizarre series of coincidences to the source of the drug. Along the way, he recruits the aid of “Slickweasel Vera” von Dammler and rescues the child prophetess Nan-Zee, who is taken in as Wyrd Elma’s ward.
Wynne’s existence was known to Tara, but as she had expressed dismay at the emanation of the 12th branch, Davy, Ashtara did not allow her to meet Wynne until 3598. This is after the attack which caused the loss of Owen’s branch and the splitting of Whirljack’s branch. Wynne tells Tara that he was emanated to cheer her up, but in reality, Ashtara is gravely concerned at his inability to emanate Whirljack and hopes that Wynne’s probability-distorting effect will solve the problem. Wynne takes Tara to a casino where he plays until he gets Blackjack, which we later learn allows Jack to emanate as a pair of twins.
Wynne is a bad boy who takes drugs, gambles, and aggravates Tara by flirting with all the women; he’s a player, and his aim is to get her jealous. This begins a love-hate relationship which continues for seventeen years.
Wynne’s next emanation is not until 3602, when his preternatural luck is needed to stop a singularity from causing an enormous disaster on Dalgherdia and Volparnu.
Eden Blues: Wynne is called upon to testify to the SongLuminants. The SongLuminants assume that he will use his power to influence their decision, but his testimony is a distraction while Ashtara is preparing the much less obvious strategy of emanating Lucius. Wynne reveals that his ability will be vital in achieving Tara’s Destiny so far in the future. This is his only significant appearance in the novel; in fact, Tara complains that she isn’t being allowed to get to know him.
The Poison Garden: Wynne is serving as a consultant to Tommy, who is opening a casino on Dolparessa. Wynne does not emanate until 3610, when he is needed to fix the crystal in the Staff of the Matriarch and to rescue Lilith. It’s discovered that a quantum interaction with Wynne’s distorted probability field solves the Twist’s particle decay problem, granting them virtual immortality. As a result, they become very reliable allies of the Cu’enashti.
Tara is initially very glad to see Wynne, but the knowledge that Lilith can bond to an AI upsets her, and she provokes a fight with him, causing his emanation to be replaced by Daniel. He emanates again to investigate the problems with the Panic-droids at the opening of the casino. His probability-skewing causes the ice at the party to not melt, ruining the effect of one of Driscoll’s artworks.
It is 3615 when Tara finally confronts her relationship with Wynne as the result of a prophecy. He returns with her to Skarsia when she is called to duel with Venahalee in a defense of her title as Battlequeen of Kyrae. Again they fight, but they reach an understanding.
The Perpetual Rose: Wynne is present at the gala celebrating the admission of humanity to the Combine of Sentients. Tara decides to take amrita with him, which worries him since at that time Ashtara is concealing certain matters of politics from her. While experiencing the effects of the prophetic drug, she asks Wynne what he would like to happen next. When he replies, “Something random,” she strangely asks him to name ten virtues. Unknown to them, the functions and personalities of the Ashvattha emanations will be shaped by these qualities. Wynne’s desire for something random will also be remembered by Suibhne when he plants Canopus.
The emanations finally realize that Wynne is not emanated often because his probability distortion effect is too radical, and Ashtara prefers to keep him for situations of last resort. He is emanated as part of the scam to get the Floatfish to share the teleportation device. At that time, the emanations note that it seems odd for Wynne to emanate for something so trivial, but as it turns out, the teleportation device will be vital to the denouement of Perpetual Rose. It is also noted that Wynne has become very close to his brother, Ace.
The Portable Grove: Wynne participates in the first experiment, cross-pollination with harsh and Beat. The idea is to see if the trees in the Ashtara Grove can pollinate each other, and as such, one branch each from Atlas, Yggdrasil and Ashvattha are used. The experiment is a success, and during the debriefing session at the Ashvattha Palace, they end up having a foursome. Tara discovers that she has fallen in love with Wynne.
Wynne continues to emanate sporadically through the first half of the novel. Ash is always wary of keeping him manifested in Universe Prime due to his unpredictable and strong effect on probability, but Tara wants to see him. When Tara finds out from Patrick that Wynne was one of the emanations who put the moves on Ellery, she is jealous.
Wynne also takes part in the fourth experiment, which intends to investigate the effects of pollination arousal between brother branches on Atlas and Goliath. To complete the experiment, Tara enters the pleroma to join an orgy featuring Wynne and Ace, Lugh, Owen, Ethan and Barnabas, but Whirljack and Blackjack quarrel and the experience ends in chaos. It is Wynne who realizes that Whirljack is in crisis.
Because Tara is infatuated with Wynne, he and Ace end up in the next experiment as well, as the pollination subjects for Chase and Manasseh. He also participates peripherally in the eighth experiment, where the emanations try to discover what factors are involved when Tara falls in love.
Wynne is part of the third stress test, where he proposes a game of truth or dare. Tara challenges Wynne to kiss everyone blindfolded and choose the best one – he believes that he’s choosing Balin and Ace, but he’s actually chosen Driscoll and Chase. Driscoll’s dare involves Chase blindfolded in the secret passage. When Wynne enters the passage, he accidentally discovers a hidden Stradivarius and a real fake Rembrandt. Wynne re-enters the passage later and discovers two original Garrets – paintings that Driscoll thought he had destroyed because they were too emotionally revealing. Tara and Wynne have a sexual encounter – when they finish, Wynne notes to his dismay that Driscoll and Hurley have been fucking on the billiards table and have messed up the playing surface.
Wynne appears at the final masque, where Quennel finds his powder-blue tux appalling.
Correspondence Chart Entries from The Portable Grove
| Denotation | Wynne Rafferty (Welsh: fair; Gaelic: prosperity). |
| Numeration | 13th Emanation of Ashtara; 13th branch of Atlas; 31 in the correspondence chart. |
| Age | 31 |
| Hotness | 8/10 |
| Vital Statistics | 1.733 meters tall, cock size 16.49 cm when erect. |
| Description | Charismatic and handsome. Medium build, very fit, blond hair, close cropped, sideburns. Stylish, slick, a little flashy. Has a thing for velvet jackets and vlizaard loafers. Gives the impression that he is continually trying to sell something, but he is so likable that no one minds. |
| Skills | Professional gambler. Skews probability in his favor. |
| Sexual Prowess and Kinks | Games. |
| Average Duration of Play | 9 minutes, 34 seconds. |
| Totem Tree | Pachira aquatica, the Malabar chestnut or money tree. |
| Fixed Star | Sadalsuud, luck of lucks (β Aqr). |
| Color |  |
| Esoteric Symbol | The geomantic glyph Fortuna Major, great fortune. |
| Function | Establishing attainment. |
| Official Title | High Lord of Probability and Master of Games. |
| His Prophecy | A pair of loaded dice. |
| Dessert | Cinnamon tortilla chips with dulce du leche and spicy nau’gsh salsa |
Persistence of Weeds Addendum
| Branch Growth Characteristics | Natural branch growth resulting from trauma of Cillian’s injury during the Microbial War. Used as a template for his half-brothers on Goliath, Ace and Stephen. |
| Nul-history | His fortunate appearance caused an unprecedented mass synchronization between the Ashtara entity and a number of smaller Cu’enashti entities, who then merged with Ashtara. |
| Proto-conscious Root Concept | Strange Attraction, designated Luck. |
| Prime Number of Energy Resonance | 127 |
| From Self-Portraits Not-of-Me II: Baby Pictures by Driscoll Garrett |  |