Hell on earth under a manifested Ajokli (that one seems like an easy call, but what becomes of the metaphysics of souls under a God manifested in the Inward?)?

For all we know, maybe if Ajokli rules the World and brings his Hells with him, that might leave the Outside full of only Heavens?

Esmenet did say that Serwa was capable of love but then she was whisked away to the Swayali so she missed out on that

Yes, but I think it's pretty clear Esmenet is a bad judge of character when it comes to her children.

I like this a lot. They're only the Absolute as a system. Individually, each is moving/manipulating/hunting the other. Intellect and hunger. Taken as a single entity though, the system is moving itself. It bootstraps itself into existence and gives itself power from nothing.

It's very Michael Kirkbride / Elder Scrolls, isn't it?

Thanks Duskweaver! Thanks for destroying my theories. I love you!

If it helps, I did feel bad about it.

ETA: in all seriousness, you may well be right, but, we're given no other definition of daimos.

Read the passage in TGO where 'elhusioli' is mentioned. It's clearly not referring to sorcery:

Only on the hunt and in the subsequent feast did the Viroi yield to elhusioli, the Nonman daimos of excess. Their expeditions were things of song and legend, so much so that Hûsyelt, the Dark Hunter, was said to hunt them from time to time. The Hoar-Pelt, the great white bear-skin the Nonmen Kings of Viri wore in a crown’s stead, was held to be a gift of the jealous and mercurial God.

Quote

elhusioli—The daimos of excess. As per standard Kiünnat metaphysics, souls directly move other souls, impart the imprint of daimos upon another daimos. Some, such as terror or enthusiasm, are set apart for the dramatic nature of their effects.

I'm not sure that means what you think it means. It's not talking about the (capital-D) Daimos, as in the branch of sorcery. It's talking about an emotion or principle that the Nonmen termed 'elhusioli' and which we would call 'excess'. There's a passage in TGO stating that the Nonmen of Viri only indulged in the daimos of 'elhusioli' during and after a hunt (and that this attracted the attention of Husyelt). The Nonmen seem to use (small-d) 'daimos' in the same way the Greeks did, to refer to a concept that can move one's soul (which in the Outside would be personified as an Agency) such as 'love', 'rage', 'sorrow' or whatever.

Incidentally, 'elhysioloi' means 'attractants' (for example, pheromones) in Greek.

They were already that big upon landing though.

Yes. I should have said "Maybe Sil remained larger..."

I suppose that's possible (that she was replaced only recently).

Anyway, the degree to which skin-spies can alter their bodies (rather than just their faces) is still an unknown quantity. Several passages suggest they only change their faces. But that makes their supposedly high success rate as infiltrators completely implausible.

The skin-spies sex is also confused. Hermaphrodites maybe?

Skin-spy sex is one of the things in this series I still have less than zero idea about. I still don't get how Ikurei Xerius could be having sex with Istriya-spy for years without ever noticing she had a penis.

But it certainly seems like the Inchoroi just like sticking penises on everything.