Quote from: Wilshire on August 01, 2017, 11:17:11 am

Quote from: Triskele on August 01, 2017, 05:13:50 am

I'm not sure what the boat is, but I think it's quite possible that the overconfidence of the Consult was quite well-demonstrated by Nayu in TTT.  When he addresses Aurang-as-Bird he continues to tell it that it still doesn't get what it's now dealing with in the Dunyain.  He says something like "You assume nothing has changed.  I assure you, everything has changed."  It seems like the Consult eventually decided it was worth it to assault Ishual and thought that was the "getting it," but they still didn't, and the fools took Dunyain "captives." 

I'm firmly right here.
Its yet another example of how hubris leads to downfall. After all, whats to fear when you have them shackled, and when you've got magic? Nothing. Nothing that thousands of years of experience hasn't taught - that everything is within your control. Just as Triskele says "you assume nothing has changed" - and why would they? Nothing had changed in thousands of years.

^ This.

To this, I'd add that the Mutilated specifically call out Aurang and Aurax being from a warrior caste.  I suspect that Shae was the brains of the operation -- Aurang and Aurax were like Rocksteady and Bebop from TMNT.

Scott, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!  The Unholy Consult was one of the most emotionally impactful works of fiction I've ever encountered; there were several parts where I was so drained that I had to put the book down for the day (clearly no Dunyain blood here).

A couple of questions on the Erratics serving Golgotterath:

1. Does the IF help to "ground" Erratics?  While there are a couple of moments where Mek's attention drifts away during his confrontation with Kellhus, he seemed fairly with it compared to Nin'Ciljaris.

2. Is Nin'Sariccas, the Nonmen Emissary to the Great Ordeal, going to turn up at some point?  I was surprised that he didn't appear in TGO or TUC.

Quote from: Madness on July 27, 2017, 03:06:41 pm

I really enjoyed this scene as well as the aforementioned bit about him appearing before Proyas, Sorweel, and Serwa with blood around his groin.

I enjoyed his character and I suspect - perhaps among the minority - that Serwa and Kayutas survive.

I agree with half of that - it's plausible that Kayûtas survived if Serwa (or Saccarees) managed to teleport away with him in time. It would be nice to have him around for the next series, a chance to see more character development and how he would cope with being the last (part-)Dûnyain remaining (aside from the Boy). I'm not counting Serwa because I don't think she survived - even if she did manage to teleport away with Kayûtas, she was so severely wounded already that the effort would have killed her. I might end up being surprised, though!

I wouldn't count her out.  At the end of TGO, she wields sorcery despite while wearing a Nonmen version of the Agonic Collar.  Granted that doesn't seem to cause physical wounds.  But it still suggests she can more or less ignore extreme pain.

Yes, I was referring to Kelmomas- his journey seems improbable, given the timeline, and the fact that, despite being .5 Dunyain, that's a long climb. And agin, how'd he get through the hoard, the ordeal, and the intrinsic gate without being seen? And why does his presence allow the skin spy to move?
It seemed so abrupt that I can't help but think this is all part of the plan... TTT that is. (I.e. Kellhus knew Esmi would release Kel jr., he would be salted, etc...)

Kelmomas sets off with the Skin-Spy-in-Black the night before the Ordeal's morning assault.  So given the fact that the path is clear and he has a guide, it seems like he could make it to the Golden Room in time to completely ruin his Pops' day.   

Quote from: TheCulminatingApe on July 24, 2017, 08:11:20 pm

Quote from: Woden on July 23, 2017, 10:33:42 pm

Serwa could be dead, but I bet that she is going to be more "hunger" than "fodder".
Remember that Mimara saw her like a ciphrang.

Serwa was mortally wounded (according to Kayutas) by a laser weapon, then had one of her hands/ arms salted off, and was then buried by collapsing debris.  Even if she somehow teleported out, I don't see how she can have lived

Yes, I think she's dead but maybe we will see her again not in Earwa but at the Outside as some kind of cute Ciphrang.

I thought she was dead when the roof came down.  But the fact that Kayutas was carrying her body later makes me wonder. 

Perhaps this assassin is closer to a skin-spy, in a way.

On the subject of skin-spies, is it just me or do you all expect Zeum to be full of SS?  Almost wondering if the Emperor is one himself.  In which case the Ciphrang-assassin would actually be helping...

As it relates to Nau and the No-God, perhaps you're right, and I/we haven't divined other consequences from that revelation

I wonder if there's some kind of inverse-causality at play here...

For example, we've seen that you're going to become the NG someday, you're invisible to the Gods even though you haven't been put in the Sarcophagus yet.  And I've wondered whether there's some kind of invulnerability granted as well; it would not only explain some of Kelmomas far-fetched deeds as well as NC (i.e. killing a Wracu). 

It's a circular argument in a way, that being the NG someday makes you the right person to be the NG someday.  But maybe that argument is exactly the sort of engine the NG needs to become alive?

Quote from: Somnambulist on July 14, 2017, 09:10:30 pm

I think the No-God was 'alive' for 11 years the first time.

There is surely less resistance this time though, as the North no longer exists as an opponent for the No-God and is now just distance to be crossed.  OK, Atrithau and Sakarpus are still there, but I don't see them as significant as Sakarpus has the Chorae Hoard looted by the Ordeal, and the anarcane ground at Artithau can surely just be overrun by Sranc without any need for sorcery. 
The Three Seas can probably raise one or more significantly large armies, given its high population, but most of its military leadership has just been obliterated at Golgotterath, as has most if not all of the sorcerous schools.  Additionally the administrative centre of the Empire has been devastated by earthquake and flood.  Soldiers have to be trained, sorcerors have to be taught, they all have to be supplied.
Which leaves us with Zeum (we don't know what their military capabilities are)
and the Scylvendi

Agree with this big time.  Some thoughts on surviving military powers:

Atrithau. Like Zeum, "unarcane ground" is something that Bakker's on record saying is left for future books.  So chances are it'll play a part. 

However, Atrithau might be in worse shape than some think.  The glossary entry (at least, in the ARC) for Aethelarius (Atrithau King) notes that he was killed by Cnaiur and the Scylvendi in the Battle of the Eels.  And IIRC, the date made it seem like something that happened when the Scylvendi were on their way to Golgatterath.  So they are likely severely weakened.

Sakarpus.  They have a number of able-bodied warriors.  But without the Chorae Horde, I'm guessing they couldn't do a lot to slow down the NG and co.

Fanim.  Between those who abandoned Fanayal and other bedouin who kept to themselves, there are enough warriors to put up some sort of a fight.  Especially in adverse conditions like desert -- Sranc can starve just like humans.

Jekkhia and Cingulat.  Like Sakarpus and Zeum, these are two remote kingdoms that didn't bend the knee to Kellhus.  I don't imagine they're exactly teeming with military might.  But it's something.

Any way you slice it, the fate of Earwa rests in the hands of Zeum and the women of the Three Seas[/u].  What's interesting about this is that in an early version of Earwa, the Satyothi, like women, were objectively lesser in the eyes of the Gods!