[Bolivar]

Chapter 3:

We begin with an earthquake that levels Ruöm.  Natural, or was this perhaps Moe's doing?

Later, Eleäzaras tells us:

the Mandate playing some arcane Gnostic game every single Spires agent in Sumna uncovered and executed—even though they seemed secure enough before the Scarlet Spires set foot in the Empire.

So, it is not just the Mandate's agents being picked off, but the Spires as well.

I was wondering if it was natural or not myself. Possibly to delay the early gatherers of the Holy War to ensure the stragglers make it together, knowing how slow the Spires move. Or if it was meant to frustrate them.

Interestingly, it seems the only agents to survive in the Thousand Temples were the Consult's, as the Skin Spies knew of the secret treaty with the Scarlet Spires. The Fanim knew as well but that was likely because of Moenghus. Inrau learned of it as well, with just enough time to inform Achamian before being executed.

Some things that stood out to me:

Saubon singlehandedly turning back the Coyauri. As impressive as it is unlikely, as Iyokus says, although it's corroborated by every eye witness.

None of the Fanim captives knew who the Cishaurim were at Mengedda. Possibly sent by Moenghus to help fulfill Kellhus' prophecy?

[H]

Chapter 4:

What would you have me do, Father?

Kellhus seems to endlessly implore his father's advice, which would certainly seem odd if it really was his plan the whole time to kill him.

“How could they believe such a thing?” she asked. “The sun moves in circles about the world. The stars move in circles about the Nail.”

Not of any real importance, but shouldn't Akka know that Earwa must revolve around the Sun and not the reverse?  It would seem that this would have already been figured out.   Unless, somehow, it's true that Earwa is somehow not heliocentric?

“I made no decision. You know that. I told Saubon only …”
...
He speaks in hidden cues, Cnaiür reminded himself. He wars against all of us!
“Only what I see,” Kellhus said.

For a moment there, Kellhus almost tells him that he said only what Saubon what he wanted to hear, but composes himself.

Also went through Chapter 5, which is probably best summarized as the point at which Kellhus' "prophecy" is made real, as Saubon says, “I believe what I need to.”

[H]

Chapter 6:

We learn about topoi and how the battleplain serves as one.

Also, about how the No-God seems to interact with souls:

“‘The soul that encounters Him,’” the Schoolman continued, “‘passes no further.’”

I have always taken this to mean that souls with the No-God around are captured and held, which is why it answers the problem of damnation.

Chapter 7:

It lowered its small human head and studied the patterns the innumerable dead had sketched across the plains, marvelling at the resemblances to certain sigils once prized by its species—back when they could actually be called such. Genera. Species. Race.

This is interesting, perhaps confirming what I had speculated in this thread that each Inchoroi could now be very different from each other, through the selective use of the grafts.

Golgotterath would approve.

So who else is left there?  A&A, Shae, but this quote seems to imply there are more Consult members there.

TELL ME
Secrets … Secrets! Not even the No-God could build walls against what was forgotten! Seswatha glimpsed the unholy Carapace shining in the whirlwind’s heart, a nimil sarcophagus sheathed in choric script, hanging …
WHAT AM—

We also learn that the topoi doesn't effect everyone equally.  Kellhus does not dream, nor do Proyas and Gothyelk.  Certainty provides a resistance?

Chapter 8:

“We are old, Anasûrimbor, very, very old. Age is power in this world.”

It still remains a mystery as to if the skin-spies speak of their own age, or the collective age of the Consult.

And so on to Part 2...

[Wilshire]

Almost made it through the first march. There is a lot of good stuff here, but I didn't write most of it down lol.

Saubon and his belief, noted above "I believe what I need to", stood out to me inparticular.

Also, on Cish, we get a nice view of their magic. It seems to me that they are somewhere between analogies and abstractions. The way their magics move remind me of the 'glittering geometries' of the gnosis somehow, but still partially confined within analogies.

I'd also like to note that the God (Solitary?) Inri, when they camp in the hills, is depicted with halos around his hands. Esmenet mentions it specifically. This shows at least some cultural pretext for those who see them on kellhus.

[H]

Almost made it through the first march. There is a lot of good stuff here, but I didn't write most of it down lol.

Saubon and his belief, noted above "I believe what I need to", stood out to me inparticular.

Also, on Cish, we get a nice view of their magic. It seems to me that they are somewhere between analogies and abstractions. The way their magics move remind me of the 'glittering geometries' of the gnosis somehow, but still partially confined within analogies.

I'd also like to note that the God (Solitary?) When they camp in the hills, is depicted with halos around his hands. Esmenet mentions it specifically. This shows at least some cultural pretext for those who see them on kellhus.

Welcome back to the Slog.

They picked their way through blocks of stone, then clambered over the heaped walls, where they found a mosaic floor depicting Inri Sejenus, his head buried in debris, his two haloed hands outstretched ...

It is indeed Inri that is depicted and this is mentioned later several more times.  The Jesus-Inri-Kellhus sort of connection seems very deliberate.

[nicodante]

I'm catching up I can't find the thread for the second March so posting here - look at this excerpt from the beginning of the March, just after Hinnereth - did Kellhus start planning the circumfixion that soon??




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[H]

I'm catching up I can't find the thread for the second March so posting here - look at this excerpt from the beginning of the March, just after Hinnereth - did Kellhus start planning the circumfixion that soon??

It seems so, yes.  At least, in part.

Second March thread here.

[nicodante]

This was before Akka was taken - I wonder if he planned on seducing esmenet at this point - or did he predict akka's abductikn also??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nicodante]

Ah, found discussion of this in the proper thread now lol - tapatalk wasn't showing me the second March thread at all for some reason


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Madness]

The tapatalk version was slightly out of date. Hopefully, the most recent update solves any problems you've been experiencing, nicodante .