The only two possibly relevant things that come to my mind at this point are as follows:
1. The Consult pulled Nin’ciljiras out from somewhere to install him in Ishterebinth as the last Nonman King.
Can you explain this, I don't think I follow. What's the implication?
I'm completely unsure here, but this bothers me. Nin’ciljiras was a direct descendant of Nin'janjin, who joined the Inchoroi during the Cûno-Inchoroi Wars. It's unlikely he was alone (some Sons of Viri rebelled against their King at the sight of the Inchoroi, but only some). And while Nin'janjin died, other Nonmen (like Aporitics) might have worked with the Inchoroi way before any Erratics joined the Consult in search of trauma. So while Aurax and Aurang where the last of the Inchoroi when found by Mangaecca, there might have been Nonmen hidden in the Ark with them. The sudden appearance of a descendant of Nin'janjin, a supreme traitor in the eyes of his own race, seems to correlate with this theory.
There were also, I think, some mentions of Viri's treachery in TUC that might be relevant, but I can't find them without re-reading the book.
Ah ok. I've never thought of that, makes sense though.
Assuming you are right, follow up question, is that of major importance? With the NG and an army of sranc, I'm not sure the Consult really need a school. Or, I guess the real question, do you think this is what Bakker is hinting at that we missed?
I don't think anything is as important as the Whirlwind walking again. Also we were supposed to pick up on whatever we've missed, so it's probably a stroke that complements the whole picture, not significantly changes it.
I guess I just don't see how it complements, either way. Though, if it takes a whole school to boot up the No-God, I don't think a single dunyain, though probably metagnostic, would be able to achieve that.
I'd take some solace in that Bakker said he'd give direct answers to things pertaining to the points he was trying to make more obvious. Whatever this is, its obfuscated on purpose.
I think his cryptic response to my question makes me think that Shae took over the Dunyain and he is playing Kellhus. He needs bodies shorn of passions to occupy and the Dunyain fit that mould perfectly.
I HOPE now that I've thought about it, that is the case.
I'm kind of sick of the Dunyain being the ultimate-at-everything, and was kind of dismayed to find out the Consult were a bunch of paper tigers.
Duunyain supremacy is largely an illusion though. The dunyain suffer as the gods do from their own blindness. Are they some kind of super human race bred over thousands of years, yeah sure. But they still screw up like the rest of us. We haven't seen a single dunyain, full or half, actually succeed - unless you're of the camp that thinks Moenghus, Koringhus, and Kellhus ascended into heaven and now rule gently over us all as the father, son, and holy ghost.
A more reasonable outcome is that they are all dead, they failed because of mistakes they made.
But yeah, dunyain vs. human must end with dunyain winning. Its really the basis of the entire story, and while some humans got close they always lost. I'd be disappointing if random mostly-dead sorcerer guy from X thousand years ago somehow beat 5 super-humans as it doesn't fit particularly well into the worldbuilding (imo).