Earwa > The Almanac: TAE Edition

The Slog TJE - Chapters 15 & 16 [Spoilers]

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Bolivar:
As The Judging Eye comes to an end, The Aspect Emperor calls a gathering of potentates in the Umbilicus, and the horrors of Cil-Aujas come to the fore.

Chapter 15:


--- Quote ---He sat on one of the lower tiers, and rather than descend, the Aspect-Emperor simply tilted in his floating posture to study him. The rings of light about his head and hands gilded the man’s face and shoulders with a patina of gold. The caste-noble’s dark eyes glittered with tears.
--- End quote ---

Do Kellhus' halos now cast light? Are they no longer the light of delusion?

When I first read TAE, I thought the irony of this series is a man who comes to deceive everyone and actually becomes a messiah. After our first stretch of the slog, I now agree with Achamian that all of it is a lie. To me Kellhus is now enhancing his deception with sorcery and the Men of the Circumfix simply don't stand a chance. That could explain why his halos now cast light, as we see sorcery do the same for the Skin Eaters  in Cil-Aujas.

Chapter 16:


--- Quote --- She has read enough to know these are not just any Men. They are the original Men of Eärwa, the Emwama, the slaves exterminated by her ancestors in the earliest days of the Tusk.
--- End quote ---

Along with the previous discussion about their guttural language, I think the Emwama might have been another species of hominids and not actually Men. Anthropology teaches us that the primitive cavemen like the neanderthaals were not our evolutionary forefathers but actually contemporaries of early homo sapiens. And the reason humans are the only hominids remaining is because we wiped all the others off the face of the planet.

MSJ:
See, I don't know. The last we get from Kellhus is the Moe convo. And, he certainly seemed to be showing weaknesses there. His love for Esme, the twig and not wanting to let Moe join with the Consult. And, that's all we really have to go on. I believe he is still deceiving the Men of Earwa, but I believe his intentions are for the best of humanity. That's why I don't believe it's all a lie. Like, what's the difference between Kellhus and Inri Sejenus? How did Inri ascend?  Its all Viramsata, IMHO.

profgrape:
1.  The tail end of Akka's final dream, conversation between Seswatha and Celmomas:


--- Quote ---Achamian placed the scroll-case on the table before him, so that it seemed the prize of the pieces arrayed on the benjuka plate beyond it.  He looked up to meeting his chieftain's pensive gaze, found himself pondering the archaic script. "Doom," it read, "should you find me broken."
[Seswatha speaking]"The inscription ... what does it mean?"
"Keep it, old friend.  Make it your deepest secret."
"These dreams you have been having ... You must tell me more!"

--- End quote ---

"Doom" for whom, Celmomas?  Can you through us a friggin' bone here?  I agree with Seswatha: you must tell us more!  Seriously, though, this suggests that Celmomas' dreams are what led him to believe that "an Anasurimbor would return..."  It stands to reason that the last thing he told Seswatha was the primary takeaway from his dreams.

As an aside, consider this: Akka is compelled by his dreams to find the map to Ishual.  And here, he dreams that Celmomas' was compelled to build Ishual... by dreams!  There's been a lot of speculation who (or what) is behind Akka's dreams.  But now I also wonder if there wasn't someone (or something) behind Celmomas' dreams as well?

2. As Cleric is overtaken by the Wight-in-the-Mountain:


--- Quote ---"I dream," Cleric's voice booms through the wind howling black, "that I am a God."
--- End quote ---

Assuming that this is Gin'Yursis speaking through Akka, and assuming that he's experiencing eternal damnation in the Outside, it's interesting that he describes the experience as dreaming that he's a God.  Especially as signs point toward the Gods being Ciphrang.

3. Mimara, as she repels the Wight:


--- Quote ---I guard them! she weeps, standing frail beneath the white-bleached Seal. "I hold the Gates!"
--- End quote ---

Assuming (a common theme for this post) that the "Gates" are the series of fortified passes through the Great Kayarsus, why is Mimara able to convince the Wight that she holds them?  One of many awesome-but-confusing moments in TSA.

4. After escaping Cil-Aujas, Akka contemplates the implications of his earlier dream:


--- Quote ---"Bury it," the ancient High-King had said. "Bury it in the Coffers ..."
In Marrow, Acamian had mentioned the Coffers the way a trapper baits his snare, as a crude goad meant to drive crude men.  But now...
His lie.  Fate was making his lie true.
--- End quote ---

The last sentence is a doozy.  For one, it's describing Viramsata more or less exactly.  And it also references "fate", and by association, Anagke.  Finally, the fact that he considers it to be his lie at all.  Consider the conversation he has with Kosoter and co. in Marrow:


--- Quote ---Achamian could feel himself wilt.  Wild-limbed imaginings flickered through his soul, hot with screams and blood.  He could feel tremors knock through his knees.
"Go easy now, friend," Sarl murmured in what seemed genuine conciliation. "The Captain here can piss halfway cross the world, if need be.  Just answer his question."
Achamian swallowed, blinked. "The Coffers," some traitor with his voice said.

--- End quote ---

I'd always thought that the "traitor with his voice" was a metaphor.  But what if he's literally compelled to say this, the lie that the future dream makes true?

H:
Sorry guys, been battling whatever this sickness is, so I've been largely in bed.

Chapter 15:


--- Quote ---And short of heaven how could such an intellect be? Eskeles had claimed that his soul was the God's soul in small, that divinity was the cipher. If a man were to think the thoughts of a god, would not Men be as children before him?
--- End quote ---

This is the crux of it all, right here, the question of Kellhus' nature, now.  Thing is, nothing has really changed has it?  Sorweel hears of Akka's account, which we know is true.  We know what the nature of TTT is, how it is a lie made to direct the course of culture and history.  Yet, we still find ourselves drawn to "good-guy" Kellhus as if he hasn't deceived us as he has everyone else.

We know that Kellhus spins lies.  We know he manipulates those around him.  So, the question is really, "to what end?"  What does Kellhus want with all this?  Is it really all for the greater good?  What would that even be?

No, I think Kellhus is a false as ever.  His "divine" mantle as false as the halos around his head and hands.  Nothing but the trappings of delusion, a delusion in action, lies made real, even if they are still untrue.

I think Moe might have given us a clue, back in TTT:

--- Quote ---“The God sleeps … It has ever been thus. Only by striving for the Absolute may we awaken Him. Meaning. Purpose. These words name not something given … no, they name our task.”
--- End quote ---

Is this what Kellhus is after?  Achieving the Absolute?  What would that mean?  Is that the point where he would ascend to true God-hood? 

MSJ:
Great points H, and all you said is true. Again, I'm just drawn back to those things in the meeting with Moe and leading up to it. His feelings for Esme, Serwe, hell the Circumfix in general. I think something has changed in Kellhus, and his goals might be tad bit different than what one would expect from a Dunyain. Does he still deceive? Yes. Is everything Mission, and he'll do whatever needs doing to achieve his goals? Yes. Is he ruthless in achieving those goals? Of course. But, I tend to think that everything he dealt with in PoN, changed him, made him a little bit more Man than Dunyain. He might sacrifice nations, but I still believe his interests lie with mankind.

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