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Excerpt from R. Scott Bakker's The White-Luck Warrior


pat5150

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We don't know the limits of the stillbirth phenomenon because if there were any limits they were beyond what the characters in Eärwa could find information on. I think it's quite likely the entire planet was affected. If it wasn't, perhaps the endgame of the Consult was to fortify the passes to Eänna to keep the descendants of the surviving humans out of Eärwa. I would think the Consult would try to think of something more final though.

My view that the No-God takes the souls of those who die within its influence is based on the strange happenings in Mengedda, which Achamian explains to Saubon by bringing up the line about the soul that encounters Him (the No-God) passing no further. At the moment the No-God's influence is only really noticeable to people in Mengedda since it's both a topos and the place where he died, making it the place with the shortest metaphysical distance to him. I think he can have influence outside of that area, but it's so weak he can only achieve subtle effects like having a twig discussion with Kellhus.

I do think the No-God is intelligent, evil, and aware of things. That's based on how it's referred to in the story and the strange stuff I take to be its machinations. I think Kelmomas's secret voice is the No-God.

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It sounds like we're getting towards the whole "If a leave falls in the forest but there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Well, Berkely would say that since God hears everything, yes, it does make a sound.

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Fairly sure that this is exactly the form of metaphysical interpretation I have been arguing for a long time. The interpolation of objective reality and subjective belief leads to magic.

In the case of Mog Pharau it's application is contradictory (aporetic) something else I have speculated on in the past. (Active 'disbelief' or perhaps nihilism is the subjective component.) After all, eleven chorae are embedded in the carapace.

eta: Moggy expicitly controls the weapon races as extensions of his will according to the glossary - someone upthread was querying this

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so, sranc and bashrag fit into Mog Pharau's expansion PCI slots? Clearly the inchies were thinking a few millenia ahead when they made those weapon races.
Eh. It's all sockets. The Tekne is clearly pretty rad since it uses the same interfaces throughout systems.

Though that implies very, very strongly that the No-God is not from the Outside exclusively and is a product at least partially of Tekne.

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Waiting for this book is the closest to feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve night I've experienced for quite a few years :)

I agree, but in this case, Santa has a nasty sense of humor and decided to move Christmas back a couple of weeks just to piss me off. :tantrum:

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Pat, you are the king, man.

Thanks. The Erikson one you have up is golden too. Kudos for sending me the Swords & Sorcery collection. Hopefully, I can win the Bakker one. That would be too, too mint. Though I would settle for the complete Erikson.

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Fairly sure that this is exactly the form of metaphysical interpretation I have been arguing for a long time.

What is? (Honest question. I'm not sure what you're referencing)

The interpolation of objective reality and subjective belief leads to magic.

Where do you see subjective belief in the watcher / watched business? Or are you referring to something else? And what makes you think subjective belief leads to magic? As opposed to talent (being one of the Few) and will (deciding to use that talent).

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Finn. Refering to Kal's analysis of the relationship between watcher and watched as extended to the no-god.

Subjective belief occurs within the watcher. (a. Proceeding from or taking place in a person's mind rather than the external world.) This is an individual interpretation of the watched. Ensouled beings are those that are 'free' to believe.

Only ensouled beings are capable of being the amongst the Few - and the Few are those who can who can impose their semantic (Of or relating to meaning, especially meaning in language) definitions upon the watched (objective reality). I wouldn't be opposed to other ensouled creatures being able to perform magic if an agency desires it - e.g. Psatma not being amongst the Few.

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The whole "Controlling the soulless weapon races" is what kinda makes me think there's something more going on here. I think the connection between the No-God and sentient but soulless races is important and not just there for the cool factor.

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The whole "Controlling the soulless weapon races" is what kinda makes me think there's something more going on here. I think the connection between the No-God and sentient but soulless races is important and not just there for the cool factor.

How about: The God (as the Outside) is a reflection of all the souls of the world.

The No God is a reflection of the soulless things.

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The whole "Controlling the soulless weapon races" is what kinda makes me think there's something more going on here. I think the connection between the No-God and sentient but soulless races is important and not just there for the cool factor.

good point, I never made that connection. part of me thinks that with another author the resurrection of the No-God would be a certainty, but with Bakker it really does feel like it could go either way.

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The whole "Controlling the soulless weapon races" is what kinda makes me think there's something more going on here. I think the connection between the No-God and sentient but soulless races is important and not just there for the cool factor.

I really think that this depends on the nature of the No-God... I mean, if it was summoned, then there could be an interesting connection, but it was built by the Tekne then it makes that they'd put "Control horny weapon races" in as a fundamental design feature.

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enormous incantation wheels carved from milk-white marble, turning through a frame of bronze set with constellations of faces carved of black diorite, instilled animata–or proxies as they called them–enslaved souls, whose only purpose was to complete the circuit between watcher and watched that was the foundation of all reality, sorcerous or not.

End of The Judging Eye

Hell rises in the guise of a great graven seal, like a shield stamped with packed skulls and living faces, winding in fractal rings about the long-dead Nonman King.

Note that also, just after this, the circuit between watcher and watched is presumably broken and the men cannot see, or they can't see out of their heart-eye. or something wierd. But I think the heart-eye thing does have something to do with the circuit of watcher and watched.

Also, it seems extremely likely that we are seeing a gate like a gate to the coffers. A gate that is inscribed with animata (would Mimara's judging eye see black carvings as living things?). And that what happens when Akka or Mimara open the gate to coffers will inform us to better understand what happened when Mimara closed the Gate to the ??? in Cil Aujus.

And I think the Breaking of the Gates does not refer so much to just a Mountain pass as referring to one or more of these sorts of gates. Perhaps our understanding of where the Eanna were kept is imperfect and not so much referring to the Land Behind the Mountains but an other place they were kept by the nonmen as cattle.

editThe Inchoroi came to seal the world against the heavens, and the nonmen seem to be the master of gates and sealing things away for safekeeping. Did the Inchoroi come to Earwa with the intent of learning from the nonmen? Had the nonmen already sealed the world against Heaven before the Inchoroi came?

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Bakker himself said that the Breaking of the Gates was the breaking of the fortified passes between Earwa and Eanna. However, I due agree with you in regards to "Gates" not always referring to those passes.

I remember a line from the letter that NJ wrote to CC when the Inchoroi crashed the Ark. It said that the "The Halaroi howl piteously at the Gates ". I believe that the Gates referred to there has to do with the same types of Gates that Mimara closed. We don't know exactly where Viri was located but where the Ark crashed at is pretty far from Great Kayarsus and I don't see why or how the men of Eanna would howl at the Gates for something that happened on the other side of the world. That leaves me to believe that "Gates" being referred to is something closer, maybe located inside or near the Viri mansion.

Also, wasn't there a part before the Skin Eaters entered the Black Halls were Cleric started screaming about the Gates being unguarded when the world is so black or something to that effect? Or am I misremembering?

ETA the exact line from the letter sent by Nin’janjin to Cû’jara-Cinmoi.

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