Wintrow/Kennit SPOILERS ALL HOBB BOOKS INCL COD

[Farseer]

Perhaps she simply was the primary memory carrier for her original serpent generation?

Ah, now, there's a thought I didn't think to think.

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One who remembers is gender-neutral. Since dragon queens are in some ways higher on the chain of importance, the fact that Vivacia, had she hatched, would've been a queen, makes her distinct. Add in the fact that she, when in serpent form, was a memory carrier, and it becomes clear.

A male serpent carrying memories would, from that logic, be "less" than a female serpent doing the same. One Who Remembers vs. She Who Remembers.

While I agree that a male serpent carrying memories would be less than a female serpent who did the same (eg maybe Maulkin vs She Who Remembers?), One Who Remembers isn't gender-neutral 'thul. One Who Remembers is the name that the serpents know the dragons by. At least, I'm sure that's the case. Will try and come back to confirm that from the text.

I'd have thought that, through her dragon memories, Vivacia would have had a scent or sense like a One Who Remembers (a dragon) and so not She Who Remembers, who is still in serpent form. It is, as you say though, possible that Vivacia *was* a She Who Remembers...and since she experienced death during her transition phase, she did not actually reached the full 'dragon' phase.