It seems strange to me that the Dunyain are so obsessed with "the darkness that comes before" and yet they reject history. The seem like the one group that would go out of their way to uncover history to try to find blindspots. Maybe in the high up pragma councils they keep a record of who started the Dunyain and why and how they found Ishual. Without knowing those things, they have no chance of becoming their own instrument. Maybe that's what graduation from grunt to pragma is--you've proved that you are sufficiently independent of circumstance so you are allowed to know the circumstances of the Dunyain program inception.
As for Moenghus having a purpose to cross the steppe, I want to believe, but I can see how the circumstance could pile up: M sent out to gauge sranc threat, M returns to report, M exiled as polluted, as Dunyain M cannot do other than dominate whatever there is to dominate--the local sranc, M learns their language learns of humans, investigates Atrithau, learns of more things to dominate in the south, M pretends to be a captive, dominates Scylvendi on the way towards the most powerful nation in the 3 seas. As the first Dunyain out of Ishual (if he was) he just necessarily rose to the top. Have a hard time believing Kellhus will ever find his way past his dad's nets.
@ Madness - Awesome! Kellhus is trained like a honored matre in Ishual. I like it.
@ FB - i love the idea of Earwa as mega-topoi!
@ Wilshire - can confirm, the "war of northern aggression" narrative is still kicking around
