"The gates are no longer guarded."
To me, this suggests that the nonmen were engaged in trying to manufacture a type of" topos" that instead connected to the spaces between the gods.
NG's rumminations on kneeling deep and holy places within the earth and Gin'Yursis' appellation as Holy Siqu seem to hint strongly at this interpretation. Why, after all, would the Quya want to create portals to Hell?
I have always found that line difficult to explain, but thats a pretty good idea.
The storks follow Sranc. They are visible to Yatwer, but are described as 'lies made flesh'.
Also not sure of what to make about "lies made flesh". I forget the context, but maybe she could only see them once she came into Earwa and saw the fields of dead. Likely something akin to what I have talked about recently, she is probably just unable to comprehend her own ignorance even when confronted with it directly.
As for the treatment of Emwama being well treated, I doubt it. Consider the Javreh commanders with their chorae. Also, after eons of slavery, why bother rising up? They probably had any dominant traits bred out of them thousands of years ago. Rebellion against their masters would be akin to murdering a God. You aren't going to be able to incite mass rebellion against with a little ball of iron, not to mention that even the Quya are skilled in material warfare as well. (Nil'Giccas in Cil').
No matter how terrible the treatment was, it was the norm. Millions of years of horrific torment would be a simple day to day life.