prologue
Thanks, Madness! I knew you wouldn't let me down.
Anyway, it was Alia that proposed that it was Sarl, and she makes a very compelling case
Well. I've read through that thread. Thanks for the link, Madness. But compelling case, even a very compelling case, how so?
I've reread the prologue, and come on, the speech and thought pattern that is revealed from the traveler, do you find that to match Sarl in any shape or form? The evidence given is far from overwhelming, I would hesitate to even call it circumstantial. Alia herself qualifies this idea as 'crazy'.
Let's take one point:
Who's this 'we' then, the traveller is talking about? How does that relate to Sarl? The case made is that 'we' is actually Kosoter and the traveler -- specu-Sarl. How does one infer that from the text? How is that more likely than that the 'we' is referring to a not-the-Skin-Eaters-group or person? This all follows from the idea that the traveler is actually part of the company. Which is an idea *only* brought forward to try to support the traveler = Sarl theory. There is nothing in the text there nor elsewhere to support that reading.
Basically the argument is Sarl is lying and Akka is lying or misled as well. Other characters have more serious ground for misdirection than poor Sarl.
And, what function would Sarl in the prologue as the traveler have? The prologue introduces the Skin-Eaters anyway, no Sarl as the traveler required. It introduces scalping, no Sarl as the traveler required. In that case, there is actually no need for a traveler character at all, is there?
Therefore I claim that the traveler has a different function. Sarl doesn't set anything in motion if he would be the traveler. Others, however:
In that tread there are more interesting and compelling suggestions than Sarl, Kayatus for one. But I stand by Geraus, 'we' refers to the Empire. Or Soma, where 'we' can stand for a few things. As the Skin-Spy is, I am quite sure, originally sent by the Consult to keep track of Cleric. The Erratic King of Ishterebinth.
Those two options for the traveler at least have a narrative payoff. A mystery revealed, albeit indirectly.