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White-Luck Warrior


Calibandar

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The one thing that strikes me as strange in your speculation iw why finding the way to Ishual would be more useful to Kellhus than it is to Achamian. Kellhus is the only one who already knows it's location ( assuming Maithanet doesn't know it from Moenghus).

My assumption is that Kellhus does not known the way to Ishual. She’s insane for a considerable amount of time when he leaves it, so he has no more than a general idea of where it is in relation to Atrithau. Given that Ishual may be hidden by sorcerous glamours as well (*), I suspect that nobody can find it without a map. Not even Kellhus.

(*) We do know that the Dûnyain themselves removed sorcerous markings on Ishual, but I speculate there are more.

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Did someone call me? Okay, here is a theory for you just to show that it can be done. Just note that I don't believe in it at all.

The Dûnyain of old decided that the division between men and women was a weakness in the human race that had to be removed. In their early days in Ishuäl they had the Consult-derived know-how to achieve that. In the present of the story the Dûnyain have forgotten most of that save for the use of neuropuncture and now improve themselves solely by selective breeding, which is slower but also less prone to subtle design errors their small community can ill afford.

The Dûnyain, while remaining visually male and female for reasons related to their secret ages-old mission and the need for the Worldborn to react positively, although only the Pragmas know that, are actually all hermaphrodites. This is why they have all standardized on the male pronoun (there have been no references to female Dûnyain) even though they look different from each other. They might as well have standardized on the female pronoun. (Kellhus knew what a woman's back looked like in a flashback. He cared about the visual difference because the Dûnyain have thus far been unable to make all of them perfectly bisexual.) While Kellhus was capable of becoming pregnant himself, he let Esmenet and his concubines do that, as 1) pregnancy can be a distraction, 2) the commoners wouldn't have reacted very well, and 3) this way Kellhus won't be the one to die giving birth. Moreover, Kellhus's decision may be influenced by earlier personal experiences of pregnancy. Esmenet hasn't noticed Kellhus's vagina or periods because she has never looked that closely and Kellhus is skilled enough to hide them without making Esmenet sense that he is hiding anything.

The early Dûnyain were inspired by the Sranc with their efficient biology. They made it so that the entire adult population is capable of going to war (and the younger children are intelligent enough to take care of the babies or go to war too as cannonfodder) and when the population needs a quick replenishment, the Dûnyain can breed at double the rate to Worldborn humans since everyone gets pregnant. In addition, since Dûnyain have strong bodies, they can go into battle while heavily pregnant with only moderate difficulty.

------------------------------

And here's something more serious:

I think there's no chance that what Akka finds in Sauglish is merely the location of Ishuäl. That's not nearly shocking enough. Akka already knows that Ishuäl exists and has a highly vague notion of it's probable approximate location. A map to Ishuäl would only confirm and clarify what he already knows.

Some general categories for the revelation:

1. Ancient writings about history, metaphysics, and the like that contain something explosive in them.

2. Something significant and unexpected has happened/is happening in Sauglish. Maybe the Sohonc Coffers are already looted, but there are plenty of other interesting things to discover.

3. Cleric's true identity and goals.

4. The relationship between Achamian and Seswatha.

5. A surprise meeting with Kellhus.

6. Mimara's true power.

Or it could be something else.

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And here's something more serious:

I think there's no chance that what Akka finds in Sauglish is merely the location of Ishuäl. That's not nearly shocking enough. Akka already knows that Ishuäl exists and has a highly vague notion of it's probable approximate location. A map to Ishuäl would only confirm and clarify what he already knows.

Some general categories for the revelation:

1. Ancient writings about history, metaphysics, and the like that contain something explosive in them.

2. Something significant and unexpected has happened/is happening in Sauglish. Maybe the Sohonc Coffers are already looted, but there are plenty of other interesting things to discover.

3. Cleric's true identity and goals.

4. The relationship between Achamian and Seswatha.

5. A surprise meeting with Kellhus.

6. Mimara's true power.

Or it could be something else.

I would love for it to be something about the true nature of the Tusk. I've never liked something about that artifact right from the get-go.

But there couldn't be too much left at Sauglish, though, right? Wasn't it destroyed by Wracu and all manner of nasties?

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Did someone call me? Okay, here is a theory for you just to show that it can be done. Just note that I don't believe in it at all.

The Dûnyain of old decided that the division between men and women was a weakness in the human race that had to be removed. In their early days in Ishuäl they had the Consult-derived know-how to achieve that. In the present of the story the Dûnyain have forgotten most of that save for the use of neuropuncture and now improve themselves solely by selective breeding, which is slower but also less prone to subtle design errors their small community can ill afford.

The Dûnyain, while remaining visually male and female for reasons related to their secret ages-old mission and the need for the Worldborn to react positively, although only the Pragmas know that, are actually all hermaphrodites. This is why they have all standardized on the male pronoun (there have been no references to female Dûnyain) even though they look different from each other. They might as well have standardized on the female pronoun. (Kellhus knew what a woman's back looked like in a flashback. He cared about the visual difference because the Dûnyain have thus far been unable to make all of them perfectly bisexual.) While Kellhus was capable of becoming pregnant himself, he let Esmenet and his concubines do that, as 1) pregnancy can be a distraction, 2) the commoners wouldn't have reacted very well, and 3) this way Kellhus won't be the one to die giving birth. Moreover, Kellhus's decision may be influenced by earlier personal experiences of pregnancy. Esmenet hasn't noticed Kellhus's vagina or periods because she has never looked that closely and Kellhus is skilled enough to hide them without making Esmenet sense that he is hiding anything.

The early Dûnyain were inspired by the Sranc with their efficient biology. They made it so that the entire adult population is capable of going to war (and the younger children are intelligent enough to take care of the babies or go to war too as cannonfodder) and when the population needs a quick replenishment, the Dûnyain can breed at double the rate to Worldborn humans since everyone gets pregnant. In addition, since Dûnyain have strong bodies, they can go into battle while heavily pregnant with only moderate difficulty.

I like this. I support hermaphrodite Dunyain.

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The Library was, but the Coffers are presumably deep underground. People were probably worried about escaping the Sranc and forgot about it. After the No-God was defeated, I'm sure some tried to make it but didn't know the location or couldn't survive the Sranc. You just know that as soon as they discover whatever it is they find, there will be something huge attacking them.

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Well what is going to happen?

I think Bakker will move things along fast. In the last series, the Warrior Prophet ended with the circumfix climax that arguably transformed Kellhus. The book took us on a journey most of the way to the destination, but we weren't yet at the gates of Shimeh

I think things will move along faster in this book. I think Kellhus will leave a cadre of Mandate at Sauglish who are to await Akka and company in secret. I think Akka and Cleric will discover the coffers, and some fabulous secrets, and Kellhus will show up (having been informed of their arrival by the other sorcerers. Kell and Akka have an epic battle, and Kell leaves Akka hanging on the wall ala Seswatha left hanging on the wall by Mek, to die and we're left wondering if Akka indeed does die. It's possible Kell even has one of the mandate sorcerers do something with Seswatha's heart that causes Akka to literally become a split personality in waking rather than just in dreaming, with Ses and Akka struggling for control. We may see the third book have Akka essentially 'dead' but Seswatha-as-Akka carrying on in Akka's place.

(how good is kell's magic? Can he combine magic with dunyain knowledge of psychology and essentially rip Akka's soul out of his own brain/body? Ses might be more useful to Kell than akka. That would be one hell of a death for Akka.)

Kellhus, gets what he wants from the coffers, which is the untranslated original of the book that tells the nonman history and he gets examples of inchoroi script (such as that found all over the inside of golgotteranth) and since he's kell he can read them and translate them inside of ten seconds.

The secret they discover in the coffers is two fold, one they discover the location of the Dunyain, who kellhus knows have to be killed, They also discover that Ishual itself is of far greater significance and far older than any Nonman mansion and contains important secrets about the world's origins and the origins of nonman. Two, they discover that that the heron spear has been hidden in the coffers. They find out that Seswatha had left a mission for the mandate that they had to protect the heron spear. So when the location where the Heron Spear was, was sacked, a mandate spy, someone very like Akka, was in place to snatch it up before the Scylvendie got it. This mandate spy took it home to Atyersus, and then a mandate expedition was made in secret to Sauglish to hide it according to ses's instructions. Ses wanted the Heron spear in the same place as the location of Ishual, though he couldn't tell them that. If ses suspected that an anasurimbor from ishual would fulfill celmomas' prophecy, he'd suspect that they'd need the heron spear again, and they'd need to find out about ishual from the coffers in order to find the anasurimbor heir.

Kell takes the Heron Spear and begins to try to unlock the secrets of the technology.

The Great Ordeal gets as far as the Horns of Golgotteranth and arrives there relatively unmolested, primarily the story develops some conspiracy threads and makes it appear as though Kell is losing control of the GO, the book closes as they look down upon the golden ark for the first time, and they are terrified, because Kell abandoned them on the eve of their arrival (to teleport to Sauglish and fight Akka).

Additionally, en route to Sauglish Akka and Mim and Cleric discuss chorae, their place, Mimara's gift. Little is explained explicitly but much is hinted at, and it will subtly fit into what history we learn when they discover the coffers.

The White Luck Warrior succeeds in killing Esmenet and throwing the three seas into chaos, Kelmomas kills the WLW and ascends the throne, he orders the extermination of the Yatwerians and in the third book will institute a reign of terror to rival Nero.

Crackpot theory, Kosotor is revealed to also be one of Moe's kids.

ETA: Kell battles both Cleric and Akka, simultaneously, rather than just Akka and Kell wins. Cleric is revealed during the battle as Nin or Nin's son.

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I think the Coffers in Sauglish will be full of:

1. Interesting books, but pretty useless books, if there's some super-weapon in there, the Sohonc would have used it against the No-God, and the Mandate would remember it.

2. Money, lots of gold, they are coffers.

3. The location of Ishual, or more likely, the location, and some magical texts that tell you have to immunize yourself against the glamor that protects it.

The White-Luck Warrior is going to be that old guy, he's going to have awesome fighting skills, but they're all going to be magically-powered, instead of Kellhus' genetically-superior-superman powers. A well-aimed Chorae will kill the White Luck Warrior. Who cares about Esmenet, and her insane children anyway? I don't.

As for how far they'll get, Akka might reach Ishual, who knows. The Great Ordeal will reach Golgotterath, and they're gonna find the Consult has actually constructed a fairly advanced city within the crater. They've mastered genetic engineering way better than we currently do IRL, so therefore they've got all the machinery they need, they've been able to fix and learn from the machines on the ship. So the Great Ordeal is going to meet guns, lots of guns, and maybe some lasers too. It's going to be mowed down instantly. Kellhus has anticipated that the Consult has some advanced technology up their sleeves, but the full scope of industrialized warfare is beyond even his calculating abilities. The Great Ordeal is massacred, and the No-God walks.

The first 3 books were The Prince of Nothing books, this series is the Aspect-Emperor books. These are basically what Kellhus is. Not what he pretends to be. He's not a prophet, because he that's a lie. He's not a Prince of Atrithau, because that's a like. He is a Prince of Nothing, and then he is an Aspect-Emperor. The next trilogy, has to be some true description of Kellhus, that is also a spoiler. It's either "The God", "The No-God", or "Prophet", something like that.

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Two parts about that synopsis that bug me are the part that mentions Akka being surprised with something he can scarce survive let alone comprehend and the part about the WLW's mission being as old as the world's making. Akka already has a good idea what the Dunyain are (as far as we know them to be at least) so it probably won't be that. It has to be something else to do with the Dunyain and/or his own problems i.e. Seswatha and Mimara's strange abilities. I have no idea what the mission as old as the world's making is unless it's just some reference to murder/assassination being an inevitable part of the world. I hope it isn't that simple.

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I thought a thread with WLW speculations sounded fun, but then I read:

This is the synopsis:

..., and instantly looked away in horror. If you need to post the synopsis or excerpts from it, please use spoiler tags!

:tantrum:

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Well, to be fair, there's nothing in the synopsis that would spoil anyone in the least bit.

Plus, for heavens sake, even those who actually READ the books don't know WTF's going on.

I get a feeling, just a feeling, mind, that Kayutas will be assassinated in WLW.

/rank speculation

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