In that final line of TTT, is this the first time we see Wizard capitalised as a title?

I’m pretty sure it was just “wizard” in general before. If so that’s some nice foreshadowing for TAE. From that moment he stopped being the Holy Tutor and become the Wizard.

The repetition of the dream with Moenghus’ face changed.

On the womb topic, I’m unsure if it’s a TDTCB inconsistency but the first person to have sex with Esmenet after Aurang freaks out becomes his seed is black as well.

If there is some sort of lingering effect, surely Kellhus would have noticed. Bearing in mind the aforementioned encounter with the Eothic Guardrsman was weeks, if not months, after the first encounter with Aurang if I recall correctly.

Finally found the section. I had originally thought it just sounded familiar, but in fact, the dream is exactly the same, word for word, from TDTCB, with the some changes: Moenghus Snr replaced by Moenghus Jnr, Cnaiur accorded his title

Chapter 13 of TDTCB and Chapter 7 of TUC if anyone wants to look up the scenes.

It's the nightmare he has the night following discovering Kellhus atop his father's barrow. In TUC it's immediately following the capture of Moenghus after the Scylvendi attack Sorweel, Serwa and Moenghus at the top of Eaglehorn.

Here's the text:

1) Moenghus's face rises from the depths of a pool, pale through the greenish cast of the water. Throughout the surrounding darkness, caverns intertwine, like the thin tunnels one finds beneath large stones pulled from the grass. Just beneath the surface, the pale Dunyain pauses as though tugged by some deep restraint, smiles, and raises his mouth. With horror, Cnaiur watches as an earthworm presses through the smiling lips and pierces the water. It feels the air like a blind finger. Watery and obscene, the bland pink of hidden places. And always, his own inarticulate hand drifts over the pool, and in a quiet moment of insanity, touches it.

2) The face rises from the depths of a pool, pale through the greenish cast of the water. Throughout the surrounding darkness, caverns intertwine, like the thin tunnels one finds beneath large stones pulled from the grass. Just beneath the surface, the turquoise-eyed youth pauses as though tugged by some deep restraint, smiles, and raises his mouth. With horror, the King-of-Tribes watches as an earthworm presses through the smiling lips and pierces the water. It feels the air like a blind finger. Watery and obscene, the bland pink of hidden places. And always, his own inarticulate hand drifts over the pool, and in a quiet moment of insanity, touches it.

I'll be keeping an eye out for other repeated sections Madness! This scene and Saubon in TAE are the only ones that come to mind so far.

I don’t buy that it’s not sorcery and just a dream state/remembering either.

Simply using sorcery wouldn’t immediately make everyone see the light. Yes, further in the series everyone can see Gnostic War Cants but the glowing eyes and mouth can be hidden. They are in fact hidden by their cowls by sorcerers later in the series.

The thunderous voice that comes from everywhere seems to be associated with certain Cants. I doesn’t seem to happen with the Cants of Compulsion and Calling or the Agonies when used on Seswatha.

There’s no doubt it’s risky, and a bit of an inconsistency. But I don’t think there’s anything to suggest using sorcery immediately points it out to everyone nearby.

I think the face removal thing was originally going to be expanded upon more, but in the case of the Javreh Shield-Captain Geshrunni, I’m happy enough with the explanation that they removed his face to both be more brutal because they enjoy it, and to render indentifying th body more difficult if it’s found. I’m assuming a replacement skin-spy took his place.

For me, the real problem here lies in the unwillingness to stain Inrau with the Mark.

Hmm I definitely like idea of a Cant of Calling, but what confuses me if how immediate he goes from the dreamlike state to physically being there.

I had thought the purpose of the Cant was to force Inrau to meet him.

Doesn’t a Cant of Calling depend on the sender knowing the exact location of the sleeping receiver, hence how Moenghus could send the dreams.

Man, this is a mindfuck.

It’s before that encounter.

I’ve seen it’s been discussed on the reddit reread.

I’m torn somewhere between only continued use of Compulsion leaves the Mark, or that Akka is lying to himself.

I’m 100% sure Inrau is Compelled to come to the initial meeting. Full section attached.

“In his dream, Inrau walked through canyons of burnt brick, through faces and figures illuminated by rags of torchlight. And he heard a voice from nowhere, crying through his bones, across every finger’s-breadth of his skin, speaking words like the shadows of fists striking just beyond the corner of his eyes. Words that battered whatever will remained to him. Words that walked with his limbs.

He glimpsed the sagging facade of a tavern, then a low, golden-dim enclosure of smoke, tables, and overhead beams. The entrance enveloped him. The rising ground tipped forward, directed him toward a malevolent blackness in the far corner of the room. It too enveloped him—another entrance. Everything rushed into the bearded man, his head slack against the chapped stucco, his face on a lazy, upward angle, but tight with some forbidden ecstasy—light spilling from his working mouth. Flakes of sun in his eyes.

Achamian . . .

Then the impossible mutter trailed into the rumble of patrons. The murky interior of the tavern became sturdy and mundane. The nightmarish angles squared. The play of light and shadow became crisp.

“What are you doing here?” Inrau sputtered, struggling to clear his thoughts.”

So I’m listening to the audiobook version of TDTCB and it’s brought up something I remember wondering over on my first read.

When Inrau first comes to meet Akka at the tavern, is he under the influence of a Cant of Compulsion? The whole sequence he’s in a dreamlike state, and describes “Words that battered whatever will remained to him. Words that walked with his limbs.”

And when he arrives “light spilling from his working mouth. Flakes of sun in his eyes.”

When Akka stops everything seems to come back into focus. All the evidence points at a Cant.

Now here’s my confusion.

1) He later rules out Compelling Inrau as it would leave him with the Mark, and would out him to the Thousand Temples.

2) Wouldn’t Sarcellus and the Shrial Knights noticed him Canting?