I would wager that young R Scott Bakker, author of The Darkness that Comes Before let something slip in his first book that older RSB of The Unholy Consult worries about.  Perhaps he made a mistake and revealed too much too early?  He seemed to have the whole story thought out from the beginning, so what is in TDTCB that foreshadows all else?

There are two moments that seem especially juicy to me. 

1) The arrival of the Dunyain at Ishual.  The bastard repeats the bardic priest's line about 'if there are no men then there are no crimes/as long as their are men there are crimes.'  The bardic priest is an overt foreshadowing of the Inchoroi/Consult, not just the words, but also the rape.  The dunyain's answer 'there are only crimes so long as men are deceived' - is this going to be the big answer to the Consult at the end of TUC or later?  Some pervasive insight will bring the redemption that the Inchoroi sought but in a way they did not imagine?  Some truth will wipe away sin?

2) Inrau's death scene.  The copper tree and the one and only extended bit about Onkhis seem so out of place that they are perhaps especially significant.  That Onkhis IS the dancer in the dark is just too much.  Perhaps Bakker is revealing a little bit about some kind of darkness that determines the entire story that is specifically mixed up with the nonman and more particularly Cujara Cinmoi, Bakker's own avatar?  Madness seemed especially moved about Ishterebinth!!!

What do you think?  Anything in TDTCB that might be giving away secrets?

Does anybody know what the Imperial Saik were doing during the first 2 holy wars?  It would be strange if they were attacked since they serve the Nansur Empire.  The emperor wouldn't want his school destroyed and the shriah would really damage relationships with the emperor, bad since they have to live so close.

But if the Saik helped the holy fight other schools, there's no mention of it.  Maybe they sat on the sidelines?

Also

Back in that golden age when Bakker was interacting with readers while creating The Prince of Nothing, he gave credit to certain particular persons.

From TWP Acknowledgments:
"Wil Horsley and Jack Brown at [3seas?] for their tremendous and talented support.
Ur-Lord, Mithfanion, and Loosecannon for putting the virus in viral marketing!"

From TTT Acknowledgments:
"But the people I most need to thank are the fans of the series.  This includes everyone at www.three-seas.com and the "other author" forum at sffworld.com.  The names that come immediately to mind are: Jack Brown, Wil Horsely, Gary Wassner, White Lord, Dylanfanatic, Ainulindale, Mithfanion, Leiali, Texmex, and, of course, Saintjon."

So, are you here?  Where are ye?

>went to staples
>got em printed on ivory card stock
>too expensive to laminate
>too expensive to have staples cut them
>go to office chopper

For MG, mobile Twitter header.  Again, let me know if it needs adjustment.

THANK YOU!!!

Some attempts at corny Earwan jokes:

Yo mama so fat, you gotta cross Shigek, the Carathay, and Eummarna just get on her good side!


How many Shrial priests does it take to roof a house?  Depends on how thin you slice 'em!


A: Knock knock.
B: Who's there?
A: What.
B: What who?
A: WHAT WHO YOU SEE?

Hey, hey, just thought I'd start a thread for any Bakker lovers who are also Clarke fiends.  I'm crazy about her stuff, but so sad that no new books are appearing.  The BBC version of Johnathan Strange is coming tho!

Some previous conversation, Kellhus Vs the Raven King:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=467.45

Should I warn of spoilers???

The episode where Psatma is meeting with the other high priestesses at the struck table, not too far into chapter 5, US edition pps 113-5:

"Phoracia claimed to see Eleva touch a Chorae not more than three months previous in Carythusal, during the solstice observances.  That mean the witch had replaced her recently, did it not?" (115)

A few thoughts:

- probably the work of gnostic glamour

- possibly something we won't see again in the series, since this seems like a high risk/desperation move (witches are so valuable and so exposed by their mark)

- riffing off that last thought: there must be a whole class of people throughout Earwa who missed being snatched up by schools when they were young, but they can still see the onta--these people would be invaluable as spies!  every great faction has to have some!

- if we do see it again, who will be unmasked? perhaps someone we already think is marked?
- could be Kellhus' dunyain/neuropuncture/skin spy mess?  The passage reads so much like a skin spy substitution, I gotta think Bakker was trying to communicate that vibe.  Kellhus is worse than the Consluts to Psatma.

- chorae: either it is as the priestesses think in the above passage (Eleva is replaced after the touching a chorae) OR Eleva was handling a fake chorae--which got me thinking, there must be a lot of those around.  If you don't have the ability to discern a fake one from a real tear of god, you could be totally tricked into buying one at a bargain rate in the streets of Momen.

 - the whole thing is a set up--Eleva is replaced, but not by a Kellhus operative.  Eleva replaced to condense Psatma's power.  Who stands to gain from this?