The Second Apocalypse

Earwa => The Great Ordeal => The Aspect-Emperor => TGO ARC Discussion => Topic started by: H on May 12, 2016, 02:24:37 pm

Title: [TGO SPOILERS] Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 12, 2016, 02:24:37 pm
OK, doing a reread in places and I am pretty confused about the interplay between Ajokli and Kelmomas, or the seeming interplay between the two.  The "ultimate," or seemingly, scene Kelmomas certainly seems to be convinced that he possess a White-Luck of his (Ajolki's) own.  That the Narindar is his co-conspirator.  That the aim he and the Voice have been working toward is the death of Kellhus.

None of that is true though.

Kelmomas' call to Esmenet and Kellhus save them.  It actually disentangles the Narindar.

There would seem to be two options.  Either Ajolki's intentions are at total odds to Yatwer's, or there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajolki.

There is the further complication of the Voice, insisting that Kelmomas has "ruined everything."  Kelmomas "Ruined everything" by allowing Theli to die, or causing her to die?  It is only after Esment holds he body weeping that the voice says that.  Well, it is also after Kelmomas has a vision of Inrilatas.  Does the voice mean that Kel ruined everything by involving Inrilatas?

Off-the-wall theory: Kel was a Narindar for Ajolki, but disentangled himself?  Kellhus was supposed to die, but not Esmenet.  The plan got jacked up and so the Voice scrapped it, saving Esmenet, but inadvertently saving Kellhus too?

I have a further thought, but I think that is best for another thread.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Blackstone on May 12, 2016, 04:29:42 pm
OK, doing a reread in places and I am pretty confused about the interplay between Ajokli and Kelmomas, or the seeming interplay between the two.  The "ultimate," or seemingly, scene Kelmomas certainly seems to be convinced that he possess a White-Luck of his (Ajolki's) own.  That the Narindar is his co-conspirator.  That the aim he and the Voice have been working toward is the death of Kellhus.

None of that is true though.

Kelmomas' call to Esmenet and Kellhus save them.  It actually disentangles the Narindar.

There would seem to be two options.  Either Ajolki's intentions are at total odds to Yatwer's, or there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajolki.

There is the further complication of the Voice, insisting that Kelmomas has "ruined everything."  Kelmomas "Ruined everything" by allowing Theli to die, or causing her to die?  It is only after Esment holds he body weeping that the voice says that.  Well, it is also after Kelmomas has a vision of Inrilatas.  Does the voice mean that Kel ruined everything by involving Inrilatas?

Off-the-wall theory: Kel was a Narindar for Ajolki, but disentangled himself?  Kellhus was supposed to die, but not Esmenet.  The plan got jacked up and so the Voice scrapped it, saving Esmenet, but inadvertently saving Kellhus too?

I have a further thought, but I think that is best for another thread.

I'm sure you know, I am of the opinion that there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajokli. What I am not sure of is why Kelmoma's call save Kellhus, but I also read it differently than you. I did think that Kelmoma's call somehow took the WLW out of the circuit of his seeing, but I am of the opinion that cheating death was entirely on Kellhus, ie he would have avoided it regardless.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 12, 2016, 04:45:14 pm
I'm sure you know, I am of the opinion that there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajokli. What I am not sure of is why Kelmoma's call save Kellhus, but I also read it differently than you. I did think that Kelmoma's call somehow took the WLW out of the circuit of his seeing, but I am of the opinion that cheating death was entirely on Kellhus, ie he would have avoided it regardless.

Yeah, that is definitely an option, that Kellhus was never really in danger, in fact, it was Esmenet perhaps who really was, hence why Kellhus returned?  Then, perhaps Kel really did save her...

But yeah, I feel pretty sure though that he somehow disentangled the Narindar.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: mrganondorf on May 12, 2016, 04:48:35 pm
I'm sure you know, I am of the opinion that there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajokli. What I am not sure of is why Kelmoma's call save Kellhus, but I also read it differently than you. I did think that Kelmoma's call somehow took the WLW out of the circuit of his seeing, but I am of the opinion that cheating death was entirely on Kellhus, ie he would have avoided it regardless.

Yeah, that is definitely an option, that Kellhus was never really in danger, in fact, it was Esmenet perhaps who really was, hence why Kellhus returned?  Then, perhaps Kel really did save her...

But yeah, I feel pretty sure though that he somehow disentangled the Narindar.

i'm not sure that Kellhus was really in the driver's seat for all of this.  i was thinking--at some point he knew he needed to be with the GO 24/7 for whatever the Consult might throw their way and that he would have to stick until something was done about the Hoard.  the moment the Hoard is done, he takes off.  so, it could be that he really does value the New Empire (as in has further purposes for it) and really does aim to keep it together, he just could not return any sooner than when he did
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Madness on May 13, 2016, 02:26:00 pm
Lol - I can't believe I'd forgotten that it's the differences in our interpretation of the same piece of code (text) that make Second Apocalypse such a rewarding place.

Blackstone and I had a great conversation last night - he continues to be an exceedingly interesting person and conversationalist - but I am firmly in the camp that Kelmomas is a true Narindar, in the sense that only Ajokli's devotees can be.

Kelmomas the character is, obviously, a crux of so many different happenings in the book so he can be difficult to parse. But anything we think we understand about Ajokli's Narindar has come from our interaction with The White-Luck Warrior who is actually Yatwer's - which means, aside the Warrior's interaction with the OG Assassin who tells us that Ajokli sees that which the other Gods do not, we know nothing about the true Narindari. This is why I think it's so important to distinguish the "Unerring Grace" from the "White-Luck" and that - I find - it seems like Unerring Grace trumps the White-Luck.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 13, 2016, 02:32:33 pm
Kelmomas the character is, obviously, a crux of so many different happenings in the book so he can be difficult to parse.

Well, I think it is more than that though.  We see Kelmomas, seemingly, caught between the movements of his "own" soul, the Voice, his belief in Ajolki and possibly Kellhus...
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Blackstone on May 13, 2016, 03:24:15 pm
And as I told Madness, my interpretation is that Unerring Grace is the same thing as the White Luck. Did anyone else think that, or am I on crack?
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 13, 2016, 03:32:57 pm
And as I told Madness, my interpretation is that Unerring Grace is the same thing as the White Luck. Did anyone else think that, or am I on crack?

I don't know, it's really not clear at all.  It would seem that both are basically the same, but I think that there probably is some kind of difference, because the White-Luck shows the Narindar exactly what is, at all times.  Kel never sees anything like that...
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Madness on May 14, 2016, 02:55:36 pm
H, when you have a digital release you can go back and check for me but I feel like, especially in TGO, the Warrior's POV is highly variable in the particulars of what is going to happen but specific as to the generalities (like these people will die). In one POV - and I'll have to check later - I believe the Warrior sees himself stabbing Theli but then he just stands there while she's crushed...

I remain resolute that Ajokli's Narindar have an agency which exceeds the capacities of the faux-Narindar of other Gods.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Wilshire on May 16, 2016, 06:20:03 pm
And as I told Madness, my interpretation is that Unerring Grace is the same thing as the White Luck. Did anyone else think that, or am I on crack?

I don't know, it's really not clear at all.  It would seem that both are basically the same, but I think that there probably is some kind of difference, because the White-Luck shows the Narindar exactly what is, at all times.  Kel never sees anything like that...

Trick question, I think the way Kelmomas uses the terms have no distinction.

However, I think Yatwer's White-Luck, and Ajokli's Unerring Grace, differ, if only that they are similar phenomenon owned by different gods.

H, when you have a digital release you can go back and check for me but I feel like, especially in TGO, the Warrior's POV is highly variable in the particulars of what is going to happen but specific as to the generalities (like these people will die). In one POV - and I'll have to check later - I believe the Warrior sees himself stabbing Theli but then he just stands there while she's crushed...

I remain resolute that Ajokli's Narindar have an agency which exceeds the capacities of the faux-Narindar of other Gods.
Kelmomas dreams that he is stabbed in the eye by WLW through the grate, and its framed in a way that implies that it agrees with the WLW's visions that same night.

I haven't looked at WLW's perspectives and actual chain of events, curious if they differ.

And, I'd have to agree with Madness regarding Ajokli Narindar > All others.
One major point supporting this is that Ajokli is allegedly the only God that can see the No-God and the Consult machinations. The Ajokli chosen souls, his assassins, his Narindar, would have fewer blind spots than any other God.

As for how Kelmomas fits into that piece of the puzzle, I'm not really sure.
He really seems to have a connection with Ajokl - what with the whole whelming scene and it being brought up by the-voice-that-is-sammi. But there is nothing so direct as Sorweel's interactions with Yatwer-manifest.
Something caused Kelmomas to surprise the WLW. He fell within Yatwer's blindspot, if only for just that one moment. Why? There is a bit at the end of that scene where it says something to the effect of 'a boy not quite human'. Reminds me of the God's not seeing the Consult's weapons.

I said it somewhere before, but it bears repeating: The WLWs vision cannot are infallible if the god giving him those visions cannot see the world as it is. If the NG was standing in front of Kellhus when he swung his sword, he'd hit a big sarcophagus.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the conclusion of his visions are incorrect. The outcome can still occur by some other path... Or they could be totally false because the path is flawed.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 16, 2016, 07:16:31 pm
And, I'd have to agree with Madness regarding Ajokli Narindar > All others.
One major point supporting this is that Ajokli is allegedly the only God that can see the No-God and the Consult machinations. The Ajokli chosen souls, his assassins, his Narindar, would have fewer blind spots than any other God.

Where is that implied?  In TGO?

I said it somewhere before, but it bears repeating: The WLWs vision cannot are infallible if the god giving him those visions cannot see the world as it is. If the NG was standing in front of Kellhus when he swung his sword, he'd hit a big sarcophagus.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the conclusion of his visions are incorrect. The outcome can still occur by some other path... Or they could be totally false because the path is flawed.

That was a big question for me coming in.  Can Yatwer be wrong?  And the answer seems to be absolutely, yes.

The question now is, why?  I don't know if I am buying Ajolki's involvement just yet.  It answers a lot of questions about Kel, but still leave Kellhus' involvement and inability to be seen out there.  Is Kellhus an unwitting pawn of Ajoki too?  I think there is more to it though.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Wilshire on May 16, 2016, 09:22:36 pm
And, I'd have to agree with Madness regarding Ajokli Narindar > All others.
One major point supporting this is that Ajokli is allegedly the only God that can see the No-God and the Consult machinations. The Ajokli chosen souls, his assassins, his Narindar, would have fewer blind spots than any other God.

Where is that implied?  In TGO?

The God's blindspots are mentioned throughout the series, I don't know where specifically

I said it somewhere before, but it bears repeating: The WLWs vision cannot are infallible if the god giving him those visions cannot see the world as it is. If the NG was standing in front of Kellhus when he swung his sword, he'd hit a big sarcophagus.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the conclusion of his visions are incorrect. The outcome can still occur by some other path... Or they could be totally false because the path is flawed.

That was a big question for me coming in.  Can Yatwer be wrong?  And the answer seems to be absolutely, yes.

The question now is, why?  I don't know if I am buying Ajolki's involvement just yet.  It answers a lot of questions about Kel, but still leave Kellhus' involvement and inability to be seen out there.  Is Kellhus an unwitting pawn of Ajoki too?  I think there is more to it though.
You can't correctly predict the future without all the variables, can you? Yatwer and the Gods are blind to the Consult's soulless creations, and the NG, which are major variables at play.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 16, 2016, 10:22:04 pm
And, I'd have to agree with Madness regarding Ajokli Narindar > All others.
One major point supporting this is that Ajokli is allegedly the only God that can see the No-God and the Consult machinations. The Ajokli chosen souls, his assassins, his Narindar, would have fewer blind spots than any other God.

Where is that implied?  In TGO?

The God's blindspots are mentioned throughout the series, I don't know where specifically

Yeah, I can recall numerous times where we're told what they can't see, but I don't remember being told take Ajolki would be an exception.

Or are we just extrapolating this from the fact that Kel seems to be outwitting Yatwer?  I'm confused...

I said it somewhere before, but it bears repeating: The WLWs vision cannot are infallible if the god giving him those visions cannot see the world as it is. If the NG was standing in front of Kellhus when he swung his sword, he'd hit a big sarcophagus.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the conclusion of his visions are incorrect. The outcome can still occur by some other path... Or they could be totally false because the path is flawed.

That was a big question for me coming in.  Can Yatwer be wrong?  And the answer seems to be absolutely, yes.

The question now is, why?  I don't know if I am buying Ajolki's involvement just yet.  It answers a lot of questions about Kel, but still leave Kellhus' involvement and inability to be seen out there.  Is Kellhus an unwitting pawn of Ajoki too?  I think there is more to it though.
You can't correctly predict the future without all the variables, can you? Yatwer and the Gods are blind to the Consult's soulless creations, and the NG, which are major variables at play.

As I speculated in my earlier thread, I think it goes deeper though.  I think the soulless things, the Consult (like Inrilatas tells us, you can be self-moving by heaping damnation onto yourself), Kel, Kellhus, Moe, Maith, are all things that the God's can't see because they are self-moving souls.  Or nearly so.  The Gods are the Darkness, so they can see where that extrapolates to, in the chain of cause and effect.  No soul, no Darkness.  Self-moving soul, the chain is broken.

Of course I have no way to support that.  Maybe I'm duped by Ajolki like everyone else,  :-[
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Wilshire on May 16, 2016, 10:33:25 pm
I can never remember where it's said, but somewhere it's mentioned that Ajokli is known as the trickster god because he was the only one that could see the Consult's stuff.

Specifically, the gods cannot see "intellects without a soul" or something akin to that. Direct quotes would be helpful... I should suck it up and get the Kindle editions.

It would stand to reason that if there are self-movings souls in the world, then the gods would be blind to them. The gods, like everything else, are blind to their blindness. They assume that what they see is everything there is to see (probably some connection to BBT). They would be as blind to something coming before them as the world born are to Kellhus' manipulations.

While I doubt there are any mortals that have self-moving souls, I think "the god" or the Zero-God (ZG or TZG, hurray for more acronyms) might be such a 'coming before' to the gods we know - Yatwer and the like.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 17, 2016, 07:37:08 pm
I can never remember where it's said, but somewhere it's mentioned that Ajokli is known as the trickster god because he was the only one that could see the Consult's stuff.

This is the begining of Chapter 11 of WLW:

Quote
"The Four-Horned Brother..." the long-haired man was saying. "Do you know why he is shunned by the others? Why my Cult and my Cult alone is condemned in the Tusk?"
"Ajokli is the Fool," he heard himself reply.
The long-haired man smiled. "He only seems such because he sees what the others do not see... What you do not see."
"I have no need of seeing."

That is the only reference I could find though.  It is rather cryptic, but it does go to your point.

Specifically, the gods cannot see "intellects without a soul" or something akin to that. Direct quotes would be helpful... I should suck it up and get the Kindle editions.

This I couldn't find though.

It would stand to reason that if there are self-movings souls in the world, then the gods would be blind to them. The gods, like everything else, are blind to their blindness. They assume that what they see is everything there is to see (probably some connection to BBT). They would be as blind to something coming before them as the world born are to Kellhus' manipulations.

While I doubt there are any mortals that have self-moving souls, I think "the god" or the Zero-God (ZG or TZG, hurray for more acronyms) might be such a 'coming before' to the gods we know - Yatwer and the like.

Indeed, but seemingly the Zero-God is an abstraction, not a real thing?  At least, so Koringhus seems to say.

But when he jumped, did he achieve the Absolute then?  Is Koringhus the Zero-God now?  That doesn't make much sense, then he would be inhabiting Mimara, if we follow what he said to it's logical conclusion...
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Wilshire on May 17, 2016, 08:23:45 pm
Well its an abstraction with purpose though. S
omewhere in between absolute agency, which is what men believe it is, and absolute nothing, which is what the dunyain assumed.

Those extremes are the easiest to conceive of. What would be something in-between?
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on May 17, 2016, 08:31:36 pm
Well its an abstraction with purpose though. S
omewhere in between absolute agency, which is what men believe it is, and absolute nothing, which is what the dunyain assumed.

Those extremes are the easiest to conceive of. What would be something in-between?

I don't think I am smart enough to figure that out.  I still think it's some kind of God-hood, but I can't quite follow it...

But here is another thought, if Koringhus' compassion and madness are representative, then is his leap and death foreshadowing what Kellhus is building toward?

I've kind of always had a feeling that the end game was him sacrificing himself to achieve God-hood.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Madness on May 19, 2016, 12:26:03 am
Quote
"The Four-Horned Brother..." the long-haired man was saying. "Do you know why he is shunned by the others? Why my Cult and my Cult alone is condemned in the Tusk?"
"Ajokli is the Fool," he heard himself reply.
The long-haired man smiled. "He only seems such because he sees what the others do not see... What you do not see."
"I have no need of seeing."

That is the only reference I could find though.  It is rather cryptic, but it does go to your point.

Indeed. What I was about to write.

Also, topic, tangentiers.

EDIT: Regarding Kelmomas and Ajokli. Everything that Kelmomas seems to learn or reminisce on about the true Narindar points towards Kelmomas specifically being one of the Grinning God's most obvious choice Avatar's in the World. Ajokli is the biker gang of the Gods, young boys its choice corruptible: small crimes earn complicity, big crimes earn damnation, and when the boys learn of their damnation, they pledge themselves to murder, the most absolute crime in the hopes of Ajokli's final favour.

Why? I don't know. But ultimately Ajokli represents an interesting crux regarding the interaction between the Gods and the World.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Blackstone on June 01, 2016, 07:50:21 pm
I can admit when I am wrong, and I would like to officially change my stance: on the reread, I was convinced that Kelmomas is indeed a narindar of Ajokli.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: profgrape on June 01, 2016, 08:08:45 pm
What changed your mind upon re-read?
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Blackstone on June 01, 2016, 08:24:49 pm
What changed your mind upon re-read?
Well, the first time I read it, and excuses excuses, I was going fast and taking in a lot. It seemed like all of the events surrounding Kellhus, Kelmomas, and the WLW could also be ascribed to Kellhus seeing the possibilities as he always does, and avoiding the danger (in this scenario, Kelmomas would be misinterpreting what he was seeing).

The second time, it does in fact seem like Kelmomas is able to break the WLW's streak of White Luck. Now then, would the WLW have been successful in killing Kellhus without Kelmomas's intervention? I still don't think so, but there was an intervention that I can only explain as Kelmomas having a power beyond what he should.

All that being said, it is this alone that makes me believe it. All the things that came before just seem like the bizzaro imagination of an insane boy--thinking he had made a deal with the beetle sacrifice, believing he has the Unerring Grace, etc. And I still think the voice in his head is Samarmas.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: profgrape on June 01, 2016, 09:33:07 pm
What changed your mind upon re-read?
Well, the first time I read it, and excuses excuses, I was going fast and taking in a lot. It seemed like all of the events surrounding Kellhus, Kelmomas, and the WLW could also be ascribed to Kellhus seeing the possibilities as he always does, and avoiding the danger (in this scenario, Kelmomas would be misinterpreting what he was seeing).

The second time, it does in fact seem like Kelmomas is able to break the WLW's streak of White Luck. Now then, would the WLW have been successful in killing Kellhus without Kelmomas's intervention? I still don't think so, but there was an intervention that I can only explain as Kelmomas having a power beyond what he should.

All that being said, it is this alone that makes me believe it. All the things that came before just seem like the bizzaro imagination of an insane boy--thinking he had made a deal with the beetle sacrifice, believing he has the Unerring Grace, etc. And I still think the voice in his head is Samarmas.

Heh, I did the same thing (burned through it) on my first read.   

I agree that Kelmomas has some kind of special sauce that stops the otherwise unstoppable WLW.  And there are plenty of signs that point to Ajokli as being behind it. 

The thing that gets me, actually, are all the signs pointing to Ajokli.  It's almost too "on-the-nose" -- culminating with Kel's conversation with the librarian.  Like you write above, everything leading up his intervention points to self-delusion. 

Semi-tangent: if the Gods are blind to the No-God, are they also blind to the Consult?

Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: Blackstone on June 01, 2016, 10:14:10 pm
What changed your mind upon re-read?
Well, the first time I read it, and excuses excuses, I was going fast and taking in a lot. It seemed like all of the events surrounding Kellhus, Kelmomas, and the WLW could also be ascribed to Kellhus seeing the possibilities as he always does, and avoiding the danger (in this scenario, Kelmomas would be misinterpreting what he was seeing).

The second time, it does in fact seem like Kelmomas is able to break the WLW's streak of White Luck. Now then, would the WLW have been successful in killing Kellhus without Kelmomas's intervention? I still don't think so, but there was an intervention that I can only explain as Kelmomas having a power beyond what he should.

All that being said, it is this alone that makes me believe it. All the things that came before just seem like the bizzaro imagination of an insane boy--thinking he had made a deal with the beetle sacrifice, believing he has the Unerring Grace, etc. And I still think the voice in his head is Samarmas.

Heh, I did the same thing (burned through it) on my first read.   

I agree that Kelmomas has some kind of special sauce that stops the otherwise unstoppable WLW.  And there are plenty of signs that point to Ajokli as being behind it. 

The thing that gets me, actually, are all the signs pointing to Ajokli.  It's almost too "on-the-nose" -- culminating with Kel's conversation with the librarian.  Like you write above, everything leading up his intervention points to self-delusion. 

Semi-tangent: if the Gods are blind to the No-God, are they also blind to the Consult?
Yes, self-delusion was my assumption until I reread the end.

Blind to the Consult? That's an interesting question. On one hand I would say no, because what would make them so special that the gods were blind to them--if the gods were blind to them, couldn't they just slip by into oblivion after they died? On the other hand, if I recall the Lastborn's explanation correctly, the gods did not understand the first apocalypse or why men cried out in despair...so they must be blind to the Consult, or they'd at least have some understanding of the FA.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: profgrape on June 01, 2016, 10:26:15 pm
What changed your mind upon re-read?
Well, the first time I read it, and excuses excuses, I was going fast and taking in a lot. It seemed like all of the events surrounding Kellhus, Kelmomas, and the WLW could also be ascribed to Kellhus seeing the possibilities as he always does, and avoiding the danger (in this scenario, Kelmomas would be misinterpreting what he was seeing).

The second time, it does in fact seem like Kelmomas is able to break the WLW's streak of White Luck. Now then, would the WLW have been successful in killing Kellhus without Kelmomas's intervention? I still don't think so, but there was an intervention that I can only explain as Kelmomas having a power beyond what he should.

All that being said, it is this alone that makes me believe it. All the things that came before just seem like the bizzaro imagination of an insane boy--thinking he had made a deal with the beetle sacrifice, believing he has the Unerring Grace, etc. And I still think the voice in his head is Samarmas.

Heh, I did the same thing (burned through it) on my first read.   

I agree that Kelmomas has some kind of special sauce that stops the otherwise unstoppable WLW.  And there are plenty of signs that point to Ajokli as being behind it. 

The thing that gets me, actually, are all the signs pointing to Ajokli.  It's almost too "on-the-nose" -- culminating with Kel's conversation with the librarian.  Like you write above, everything leading up his intervention points to self-delusion. 

Semi-tangent: if the Gods are blind to the No-God, are they also blind to the Consult?
Yes, self-delusion was my assumption until I reread the end.

Blind to the Consult? That's an interesting question. On one hand I would say no, because what would make them so special that the gods were blind to them--if the gods were blind to them, couldn't they just slip by into oblivion after they died? On the other hand, if I recall the Lastborn's explanation correctly, the gods did not understand the first apocalypse or why men cried out in despair...so they must be blind to the Consult, or they'd at least have some understanding of the FA.
Warning: lots of "if's" coming...

*If* it's not Ajokli, and if the NG/Consult's actions are somehow outside the Gods' perception, it might end up that Kelmomas is being manipulated by the Consult.  He'd be a hell of a sleeper agent, that's for sure.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: H on June 01, 2016, 11:43:08 pm
Semi-tangent: if the Gods are blind to the No-God, are they also blind to the Consult?

I actually made a thread about this sort of thing, it has slipped to the second page of this subforum though.
Title: Re: Kelmomas
Post by: MSJ on June 04, 2016, 01:21:43 pm
OK, doing a reread in places and I am pretty confused about the interplay between Ajokli and Kelmomas, or the seeming interplay between the two.  The "ultimate," or seemingly, scene Kelmomas certainly seems to be convinced that he possess a White-Luck of his (Ajolki's) own.  That the Narindar is his co-conspirator.  That the aim he and the Voice have been working toward is the death of Kellhus.

None of that is true though.

Kelmomas' call to Esmenet and Kellhus save them.  It actually disentangles the Narindar.

There would seem to be two options.  Either Ajolki's intentions are at total odds to Yatwer's, or there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajolki.

There is the further complication of the Voice, insisting that Kelmomas has "ruined everything."  Kelmomas "Ruined everything" by allowing Theli to die, or causing her to die?  It is only after Esment holds he body weeping that the voice says that.  Well, it is also after Kelmomas has a vision of Inrilatas.  Does the voice mean that Kel ruined everything by involving Inrilatas?

Off-the-wall theory: Kel was a Narindar for Ajolki, but disentangled himself?  Kellhus was supposed to die, but not Esmenet.  The plan got jacked up and so the Voice scrapped it, saving Esmenet, but inadvertently saving Kellhus too?

I have a further thought, but I think that is best for another thread.

I'm sure you know, I am of the opinion that there is no real connection between Kelmomas and Ajokli. What I am not sure of is why Kelmoma's call save Kellhus, but I also read it differently than you. I did think that Kelmoma's call somehow took the WLW out of the circuit of his seeing, but I am of the opinion that cheating death was entirely on Kellhus, ie he would have avoided it regardless.

No, the beetle was clearly an offering to Ajokli, and Kellhus was an instrument of Ajokli. We learn of this, and how that final scene with Kellhus and Kelmommas plays out, through Kel's convo with the Tudor. Unerring Grace. This is explained that while Ajokli will gift power, that later on he will take what you hold dear, to your ruin. Kelmommas comes to see the Narinder as an ally, as he kills Thelli and Kelmommas sees that he's going to kill Kellhus. So, Kelmommas thinks to himself to help the Narinder, his presence alone and his relationship with Ajokli, is enough to break the circuit and end the White-Luck of the Narinder. Thus, taking what Kelmommas holds dear.