I liked that post a lot. Lots of good thoughts in there.
I especially like that you pointed out the "birthing" of new souls. I think that could be important. Especially since I don't believe the Nonman suicided here.
Here is my new interpretation of Nonman:
With those quoted sections, it seems to me that the Nonman, when he says "This is where I die", was referring to some kind of rebirth rather than actually being killed (which would explain his confusion when he ended up actually dieing). Maybe he was planning on doing some kind of soul division, becoming a new 'person'. Casting off his old self, Cleric/Incariol, as he had done before with Nil'.
Quick digression: Cleric/Incariol.
The distinction of names is important. I think that Incariol is the name Nil' either chose or was given, after he shed off his 'life' as the former Last King of the Mansion. Incariol The Wanderer, no longer a King at all, then found the Skin-Eaters (or Kellhus found him and then sent him there, whatever). Once there, he chose a more human sounding name, Cleric. This though, is significantly different than his Old Name. Cleric just a simple nickname for Incariol, rather than some kind of soul division. In a sense, Nil' and Incariol are no more the same person as You and I, as long as you consider the Soul the 'thing' that makes you 'you', but I and Wilshire are simply 2 names for the same person.
Anyway, Incariol now (specifically not Nil'Giccas), chose to "Die" at this spot. But dieing probably has a significantly different meaning to a crazy immortal Nonman than it does to you or I. Incariol had chosen this spot to be the birth of a new persona, a new soul. He was going to allow his former self to "Become" (not sure the importance of that yet).
A: And yet you seek memories!
N: To be! Being is not a choice!
A: But you claim Being is deception!
N: Yes!
A: But that is nonsense! Madness!
N: That is Becoming
By ceasing to
be (BTW, what is synonymous with ceasing to be? How about
Dieing) he could cast off memories and move into whatever 'Becoming' is. But "Being is not a choice" so ex-Incariol must live on. However, this new persona is
Born, insert phoenix analogy. This new No-Incariol would live on, finding his own way, remembering only the suffering of those past lives, that Nil'Giccas, that Incariol, while moving forward making new memories that he would remember until he once again decided to split his soul.
Elju:
With the above in mind, I hold fast to my earlier idea of what an Elju is. Incariol has no need to remember his past lives, but there is obviously some kind of bleeding effect, where those past memories come through into 'now'. The elju's job is not to remember everything that happened, but to keep the Nonman from getting completely lost in his own memories.
Yatwer:
She must really hate the Nonman, who can give birth without any woman at all
How could a proper Elju function w/o a small understanding of Nonmen consciousness?
Is it as simple as understanding how to use memory fulcrums?
If so, how would Kosoter have known how to manipulate Cleric by using Akka and Mimara as memory fulcrums?
Is it knowledge the Zaudyani Captain would have had just from his life experience? Can it be random chance?
Did someone (Kelhus), teach him? How does Kosoter become in possession of Cleric anyways...
To answer how Kosoter did what he did, I tend to mark it all down as Kellhus manipulation. The guy is a complete fanatic, and he tells us he has explicit instruction from Kellhus to keep Mimara alive. He obviously had some dealing with Kell, and is therefore under his influence. Also, there is no way that the Skin-Eaters just
happened to find the most powerful Quya wandering around in the woods. And it didnt just happen that Akka picked the one band of scalpers that had a Nonman. Kellhus manipulated a large portion of that story, and Kosoter more than anything else.