[Callan S.]

There have been hints of some sort of feminist smack in the face for mysogynistic readers (pretty much all levels of mysogyny - ie, all readers (some female as well)) at the end. I'm guessing Esme makes it - and I'm thinking godess for her (Akka's vision of her as a wildling may be a foreshadowing of this)

(and I'd like Serwa to live if only to have a strong female character that isn't a whore, obvious slave, or concubine)

Fixed your sentence for you! Heh, I know, cheeky of me!

Frankly sans any Kellhus, Serwa  would make for a frightening main protagonist/antagonist.

[sciborg2]

People who die: Eskeles, Saubon, Iyokus, Saccarees, Kelmomas, Theli, Fayanal, Psatma, the WLW, Aurang, Shae, Akka, Sarl

People who probably die: Sorweel, Kellhus, Kayutas, Lil' Moe, Aurax, Meppa, Zsoronga, Esmenet

People who live: Mimara, Serwa, Proyas

[Francis Buck]

Damn Sci, Aurang, Akka and Shae? That's interesting. What makes you say that?

Then again, you are a contrarian wanker. 

[sciborg2]

Damn Sci, Aurang, Akka and Shae? That's interesting. What makes you say that?

Then again, you are a contrarian wanker. 

I don't think TUC ends in a half-measured conclusion. Either the Ordeal defeats the Consult or they fail and the No-God walks.

I expect the Ordeal to at the least enter the Ark even [if] this requires Ciphrang summoned via the Daimos to take point. Either in the initial Daimotic attack or subsequent Gnostic barrage I expect that circle of amputees keeping Shae around to topple.

Aurang will likely take to the field, probably with an army of skin spies but recall that Kellhus can hammer thousands of Sranc all at once. I don't see Aurang surviving that onslaught.

Akka I just don't see making it out of this, though here I'm employing more meta-thinking. Given his age and his primary purpose of confronting/exposing Kellhus, what's left for him to do in the third book?

eta: I blew my wanker wad on coming up with Esmi's brothel-limbo. 

[Wilshire]

Akka is getting pretty old... maybe he joins up with the Consult and lives forever?

But yeah, it makes sense to me, considering that there is another series, that by the end there will be a rather complete conclusion. Like you said, either they defeat the Consult or the No-God walks, or both. It would be too corny to have a big time jump (several hundred years) and come back in right before the Consult is again close to resurrecting the No-God.

I'm going to guess that TUC ends with the No-God awakening, but I still think Akka lives regardless of age. There could be no time jump into the next series and we could follow Akka and whoever else is alive back through Earwa as the No-God ravages the world.

[Kellais]

Maybe Akka will become the No-God  ....  .... 

Him going over to the consult...hmm...is he that bitter? Maybe. But this would be an extreme turn. I totally can see Bakker doing something WTF-style like this...but i am not sure it will be with Akka.

I also think that we will see the No-God at the end of TUC. I could see Kellhus becoming the NG ... maybe to save himself from dying by Sorweel's hand? And before you ask...i have no evidence in the books for this scenario  Just something i think is possible.
On the other hand, a final stand-off between Akka and Kellhus would also be glorious...and hopefully the old man really kicks the AE's ass!

[Madness]

One of the many reasons I can't stop coming back to this forum is the constant and sometimes revelatory insights all you good people regularly share with one another.  I think I've revised my own story biases about a hundred times already, and expect to do so a hundred more before the end of it (and probably many times thereafter, as well).  Currently, I don't know what to believe anymore, which equals awesome in my book.  And frustrating.  Oh, and awesome.

Currently, I don't know what to believe anymore,

This is exactly why I'm here. I abandoned "knowing" anything and now just jump from idea to idea. TSA is as complex as you want to make it, and it might be that once its over there is little mystery to be had, but for now, I'll keep coming back for the crackpot theories of insane speculations.

+1. Humbling noosphere.

Damn Sci, Aurang, Akka and Shae? That's interesting. What makes you say that?

Then again, you are a contrarian wanker. 

You should check out Chapter Speculation for TUC.

Damn Sci, Aurang, Akka and Shae? That's interesting. What makes you say that?

Then again, you are a contrarian wanker. 

I don't think TUC ends in a half-measured conclusion. Either the Ordeal defeats the Consult or they fail and the No-God walks.

Ordeal fails. No-God walks.

Akka is getting pretty old... maybe he joins up with the Consult and lives forever?

That would be an interesting turn for me as I feel Achamian will always oppose the No-God...

On the other hand, a final stand-off between Akka and Kellhus would also be glorious...and hopefully the old man really kicks the AE's ass!

+1. I just don't think Achamian can take the Meta-Gnosis unless the Nonmen teach him something better.

[Wilshire]

Akka is getting pretty old... maybe he joins up with the Consult and lives forever?

That would be an interesting turn for me as I feel Achamian will always oppose the No-God...

Thats how the Nonmen felt after centuries of war. What is a mere 50 years of Mandate teaching and Seswatha's everlasting soul compared to that?
I was mostly just saying this in jest though. Otherwise, if there is any time skip at all, Akka will need some serious help getting around.

[Callan S.]

It'd be interesting if the consult weren't rape aliens, but while grotesque looking, they just herp derp around and aren't that different. Remember just having the wrong faith, even if you physically do all the stuff the special right faith involves, damns you/eternal tortures you. So too would freaky body redevelopment damn you, no doubt, given the pettyness of the system.

In such a case I'd see no problem with going over to the consult! Yeah, ugly fuckers, but ultimately on the side of right. Right? Maybe. Certainly being tortured for eternity not for physical actions but for simply not believing in X (even when you are completely ignorant of what X is/no one taught you), does not fall into my 'right' pidgeon hole.

[Wilshire]

I'm with you there... and maybe that is what originally damned them? The Gods didn't like how the Inchoroi were able to alter themselves. Ahh poor Prometheus.

[Madness]

Akka is getting pretty old... maybe he joins up with the Consult and lives forever?

That would be an interesting turn for me as I feel Achamian will always oppose the No-God...

Thats how the Nonmen felt after centuries of war. What is a mere 50 years of Mandate teaching and Seswatha's everlasting soul compared to that?
I was mostly just saying this in jest though. Otherwise, if there is any time skip at all, Akka will need some serious help getting around.

Yeah... but the Nonmen were also suffering memory degradation the entire time, unlike Achamian.

Also, Iyokus was 98 at the conclusion of the Holy War. He's 118 at the start of TAE . Achamian's in great shape: he's only 69 at the beginning of TAE, running the lengths of Earwa, and only now beginning a healthy habit of Qirri .

[Wilshire]

What... Iyokus was seriously that old? I guess he was addicted to chanv but I didn't realize he was that old. I guess that gives Akka another 30 years at least, assuming qirri isn't any more poison than chanv (i see qirri as cocaine and chanv as cocaine thats been cut with something. Its more pure.. but that doesn't make it more healthy. could go either way.)

[Madness]

Lol. +1.