The Synthese/V. Bird

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« on: June 01, 2013, 07:37:58 pm »
Quote from: Madness
So the excerpt from TUC and subsequent discussion on Westeros has me thinking about personal agency and human assumptions regarding it. It's something that the excerpt and the responses to it suggest Bakker is going to explore.

For now, I'll funnel this into the idea that we've misled ourselves concerning the nature of the Synthese.

Perhaps, it is but one name for many objects. After all, the bird is what was needed to skulk, to intrigue, to spy. It was an Avatar, a conduit for enough of Aurang's sorcery to accomplish what was needed.

How likely is a specialized Battle Synthese as well :D?

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« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:05 pm »
Quote from: Wilshire
Perhaps, like I've mentioned elsewhere, the soul splitting while maintaining 'selfness' could be employed to make choruses of shrieking magi controlled by one intellect/soul but with the intensity amplification of the many mouths utter the cants. Kinda falls in line with battle synthese, an army of possessed 'things' whos death was largely irreverent as long as the one controlling the masses remains alive to make new avatars. Also, what about the possession, who says it can only be done to one person at a time like that TTT scene. Regardless, even if only one person could be possessed at a time, such a think could slowly destroy an army, if people kept getting possessed and killing their friends.

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« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:11 pm »
Quote from: lockesnow
Quote from: Wilshire
Kinda falls in line with battle synthese, an army of possessed 'things' whos death was largely irreverent as long as the one controlling the masses remains alive to make new avatars.
ooh a battle synthese!

Here's what I imagine,

Priority one is protection Make a big metal sarcophagus 'core' made of mithril or steel or nimil or whatever. 

Embed a bunch of chorae in it to make it immune to magic.

Put a kickass technology to give it locomotive force, so that it can fly.

Maybe if it flies via some harrier jet type technology the battle synthese's movement would kick up an enormous whirl of wind that would be useful in battle as well.

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« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:18 pm »
Quote from: Wilshire
haha and power the whole thing with some kind of quasi-nuclear reactor

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« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:25 pm »
Quote from: Madness
Oh you guys. I was so thinking Iron Man meets Second Apocalypse :P.

Are you really reducing the awesome possibilities of a unique No-God entity to Sheonanra's Avatar?

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« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:32 pm »
Quote from: Wilshire
haha no just having a bit of fun.

though this makes me think that there is much more the consult could have to throw at the great ordeal. they will be sorely pressed to make it to the ship.

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« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:38 pm »
Quote from: KRST IS
Hmmm...Not sure if it's going down this route, but...

http://wanderling.tripod.com/ally.html

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« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:45 pm »
Quote from: Borric
I don’t get who the character that raped Esmi was.
It can’t be some random person Aurang possessed, because there was "black seed".

The only option i can see, is Aurang can inhabit his skin spys?
(or was that obvious from the start, and I’m being dumb?)

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« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:51 pm »
Quote from: Madness
For my money, it was a Glamour cast by Aurang the Bird Synthese - a Glamour that extends to corporeal form:

"He was tall, even statuesque, wearing a coal black coat over a silvered brigandine and a black tunic of crushed damask" (TDTCB, p276).

On Westeros, we entertained theories extending from this to Aurang on a Skin-Spy's shoulder to Aurang the Inchoroi being in Sumna.

However, no one ever brings up the other instance, pre-Esmenet's compulsion:

"'Walking between Wards is easy," a voice hummed, 'when their author practises other arcana.'

She awoke suddenly, if not completely, and through blinking eyes watched yet another man walk to the side of her bed... He was tall, dressed in a black cloak over a silvered brigandine. With relief she realized he was quite handsome. There was compensation of a different sort in-

His shadow had hooked wings" (TTT, p301).

My bet is still this third class of sorcery providing the explanation - our ignorance of Cants, Wards, & Glamours.

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« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2013, 07:38:58 pm »
Quote from: Callan S.
There was some sort of flash when he* left, as well. And IIRC a flutter of wings. It may indeed be a solid glamour.

Though how does a bird carry that much seman? lol!


* Assuming the last two inchies were "he's" to begin with. But that's another thread...

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« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2013, 07:39:04 pm »
Quote from: Triskele
I was always confused by the dark figure that coupled w/ Esmenet, but I suspect the glamour is the answer now.  We know almost for certain that Aurang uses glamours as Akka told Kellhus to expect as much.

lol @ battle synthese. 

Do we know if the bird synthese bares the mark?  I don't recall.  It would be really interesting if it didn't because that would be like a cloaking device for a sorcerer.  You can fly around and use cants without being revealed by your mark.  Hmmm...

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« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2013, 07:39:11 pm »
Quote from: Madness
"He saw nothing of Kellhus, though he spied something, a point of fluttering black, hanging over the distant network of streets and alleyways that rose up into the haze. He blinked, frowning... Was that the Mark he sensed?

A sorcerous bird?" (TTT, p257)

EDIT: Clarifying, Achamian's perspective before Kellhus gives a speech at old Herod... I mean, Shikol's Palace.

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« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2013, 07:39:17 pm »
Quote from: Callan S.
I guess that maybe lends some credence to the 'It wasn't Moe that got stabbed, it was just a hologram' idea.

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« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2013, 07:39:24 pm »
Quote from: Wilshire
Also from the either TDTCB or WP (I can't remember which), the synthese is talking to the Sarcellus-Skin-Spy who says something like 'You shouldn't be here, someone will see your mark, there are sorcerers around'
to which the synthese replies "One mark does not stand out among many"

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« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2013, 07:39:31 pm »
Quote from: Madness
"One bruise does not show among many." There was a flutter of wings and a dry click as a crow alighted on the table. A bald human head rolled on its neck, as though working out kinks. "Any who sense me," the palm-sized face explained, "will dismiss my mark. The Scarlet Schoolmen are everywhere" (TDTCB, p353).