Just mean the narrative arc was a bit lacking. If the two had stayed as intended as one (massive) book, it would have been amazing.

I'd say that's possible. Any idea how the Absolute ties into this? He clearly demonstrates through the previous chapters that the Dunyain were wrong; But is that about the ingetoetst of the Absolute, or something else?

From my last read, I got the impression that the Absolute and the Zero - God are the same thing. The Dunyain were wrong in their definition of the Absolute, which is why they couldn't grasp it, and why they thought this was a fault of the mind and body rather than the target.

I'm intrigued by the theory that the Nonmen inadvertently created the Hundred (the whole "99 sons" thing from TGO) but we need more information on that.

I'm definitely of this camp as well. I keep thinking of the opening quote from the prologue of TGO, and can't think what it's related to, or how it ties in with the hundred (other than the obvious, literal manner).

And naught was known or unknown, and there was no hunger.
All was One in silence, and it was as Death.
Then the Word was spoken, and One became Many.
Doing was struck from the hip of Being.
And the Solitary God said, 'Let there be Deceit. Let there be Desire.'

- The Book of Fane

Was the Word actually sorcery? Did the Quya somehow create the hundred? I guess the obvious thing would be that the One spoke the Word to create the many. But I can't help but feel the Nonmen are involved. I also think that it being the very first quote in the book gives it particular thematic weight.

By the way, Wert - love your history series. I shared it with a friend a few months back and she said she couldn't breathe while she was reading it Turned out she hadn't read the glossary closely enough and didn't know the Inchoroi arrived from space!

Some theories came about when we got the TGO chapter excerpt that the dreams are a method for Seswatha to escape damnation like Shae and his circle of amputees, i think considering that Kellhus allegedly spoke to Seswatha way back in PoN. Maybe those theories are that old.

This has never crossed my mind before. Interesting idea!

PS in response to MSJ - the thing about Akka seeing himself in the mirror rather than Seswatha... I don't think this is particularly important to be honest. I always thought this was just the dreamer seeing through the dream for a moment - we know that the dreamers look like themselves while they are dreaming (eg when Akka intrudes on Nautzera in TTT (or was it TWP?), he sees him as Nautzera, not as Seswatha). They are themselves, they just *think* they are Seswatha.

Bakker confirmed that the head is not Onkis... However he didn't say that it wasn't related to Onkis in some way. So I think the theories are fair game.

Also, something that came to mind recently: the Onkis idol is said to look like a beautiful woman, but somehow also common (or a similar word, sorry can't remember exactly).

Serwe?

God damn it, that thread is kicking my arse. A scrap of Gnosis that Inrau clung to? Wtf?

ETA gah. Misreading it, with the run-on sentences. I'm  going to shut up and take the time to read it properly.

Right, where is this said? I think I've missed that interview. Quick!

@H... Just a quick point - I think you're reading too much into the definition of cypher. Literature is filled with cypher characters, and I think the link to the concept of zero is coincidental.