Wait I think we do know and I think it does close the world.
It starts that process, yes. It doesn't complete it instantly. Just like you said, the Inchoroi didn't immediately kill themselves the moment the No-God was operational.
We do know what the No God does to birth.
I believe you misunderstood my point. We know the evident effect of the No-God on birth, that was never in question. We don't know
how that effect is achieved. Is it purely a Tekne thing? Is it a metaphysical thing? TUC makes a strong case of it being a disruption of the Great Cycle of Souls (whatever that is), but what kind of disruption? Achieved by what means?
This is what I meant by saying we don't know what the No-God does to birth. The point is, we don't know the metaphysical significance of the No-God and its effect, we merely assume the significance exists. The Consult thinks the No-God will help them achieve their goals, but we have no idea
how, from their perspective, it's going to do that, not to mention whether they are right to believe so (though so far they seem to be the best at predicting the No-God and its actions).
I don't know that sorcery is contingent on the outside the way souls being born or leaving is. I think sorcerers convince "the ground", not the gods. Not exactly what the difference is but they aren't identical.
I believe sorcery is absolutely contingent on the Outside, because its timeless nature allows what comes after determine what comes before. This ties into the Survivor's revelations. Also, just to be clear, the Gods and the Outside are in no way synonymous. Sorcery has nothing to do with the Gods (unlike Psatma and the White-Luck Warrior's abilities).
And yes, so far the Outside seems to be more than sorcery and the Great Cycle of Souls.
Can they? They are briefly perceived I think but I seem to remember a lot of talk of the Gods being abnormally distant, almost unreachable. And I don't think we have any references to Ciphrang in the first apocalypse
Concerning Ciphrang, I was speculating. But the way I understand things, nothing should prevent them from being summoned.
Concerning the Gods, I can offer, for example, this quote of Bakker's as evidence:
http://www.second-apocalypse.com/index.php?topic=2278.msg36488#msg36488In essence, the Gods are impaired by their blindness, but they are not immediately rendered powerless by the Resumption. For that, the System must run its course completely, it appears.
I think there was something in the series itself about the Gods hearing their followers fine during the First Apocalypse, but not being able to understand what's happening due to being blind to the No-God (important, specifically the No-God, not the world around it, even when the System is active). Alas, I'm going to be hard-pressed to find it at the moment.
What about all the references to the No God blocking out the gods. Or being the "bone to choke them". I think he closes the basic soul i/o gate. But to fully close them off forever they need the 144k thing.
It's exactly what I meant, the process is started, but not (yet) completed.