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onefleshoneendonebraincell · 2 years

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y‘all, lyctorhood is genetic

Which is a huge mindfuck

But let’s start with my reasoning for this theory. Which is very simple: when John and Wake discuss her plan, John initially thinks her plan was to kill a lyctor‘s child to get a giant thanergy explosion. And he says that it was a good plan. So we know, that at the very least, John is convinced that a lyctor‘s child is different than a regular child, aka that lyctorhood is to some extent hereditary.

And that just brings us to so many questions: why would he assume that? I honestly intuitively thought that lyctorhood wasn’t genetic, that it was simply something done to the body but not to its DNA. Because (not 100% sure on that) literally everything you do with your body doesn’t change your DNA (not taking epigenetics into account but we aren’t manipulating our dna with that yet). So that’s the norm for people. Why would John know that it’s different for lyctors? Did one or more of the lyctors have children? Did he specifically establish their weird breeding pods to stop that from happening? (I honestly don’t think so, but it is weird that they use technology to have children. Do they have to? Did necromancy fuck up their ability to have children? (Actually I think the books mentioned that about Harrow‘s parents but I don’t have the quote))

Also, if a lyctor‘s powers are (even if just to a small extent) inheritable why make more lyctor’s why the eightfold word? Why not just have them have children? Especially since it could be literally outsourced to their pods? The obvious answer would be that the bond between parent and child is an incredibly strong one. Maybe John didn’t want to risk anybody rebelling against him because of their child. (Also, mildly related tangent: I might be wrong here, but it seems as if parent child relationships like we have them (and expect them!) don’t really exist in the locked tomb universe. Harrow certainly doesn’t have anything close to that. Gideon here is the exception, since she expected (and wished for) her mom to love her, to the point of fighting with Harrow over it. So there is an expectation of parental love. But if that’s the case where are everybody‘s parents? With most of the cast of the first book being children and young adults, I would expect parents to be mentioned. But they aren’t.)

But most importantly of all, this puts the whole idea that lyctors are powered by the souls they devoured, into question. Because it’s not like the soul or the link to it would be passed on to the child. So maybe the lyctoral process fundamentally changes the lyctor and then only the changes are passed on? Because I doubt lyctors can be made as easily as „just by having a kid“. Especially with all the thematic weight that is placed on the sacrifice and the horror of devouring another person to reach lyctorhood. One can only become a lyctor for the price of a soul and eternal regret. I cant imagine a child could just get the same powers without any sacrifice.

(Also Gideon’s inheritance from John is heavily likened to a lyctor’s child, but I don’t think that it checks out. John is definitely something else than a lyctor, whatever he is or did)

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jods-duplicitous-sluts · 9 months

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Alecto the Ninth News

Part Two

If you haven't read part one, click here. If you are looking for part three, click here.

Another bunch of screenshots and links after the cut

If you enjoy this post please reblog so more people can see it!

Source: The Portalist Interview

• wonder who all this could reference...let's see: Gideon, Harrow, Ianthe, John, Judith, Coronabeth, Pyrrah, Aiglamene, and Sarpedon are who I can think of that match this in the literal sense of not being dead[well...] at the end of Nona. But if we start including souls we've seen in the river and deaths we've only heard about or were in any way ambiguous....it gets more interesting. I'd imagine the BOE who were on the Ninth will continue to be involved like AIM and Pash. I'd assume Paul will be a major player despite not technically appearing in two books and maybe Juno Zeta and Kiki?

Source: The Library Journal

• this kind of ties into the above but also ties into the harrowing of hell/what's wrong with the river plot line. I'm still saying John did something to damn the river and feeds off the energy of all the ghosts of the past 10,000 years being unable to cross to the beyond. I'd also venture that it has something to do with needing to restore the soulnof Earth as the rightful power/God of their universe. But eh. Maybe that's too simple. Again, all just speculation on my part.

Source: In the Margin

• This whole interview is great but this part about tragic figures in the locked tomb stuck out to me. It definitely seems like the third temptation will be a subject for Alecto and yet again heading into the Catholic allegories. Obviously referencing to the third temptation of Christ.

For the third and final temptation in Matthew (presented as the second temptation of the three in Luke) the devil takes Jesus to a high place, which Matthew explicitly identifies as a very high mountain[or a tower], where all the kingdoms of the world can be seen. The spot pointed out by tradition as the summit from which Satan offered to Jesus dominion over all earthly kingdoms. The temptation to assume leadership over the kingdoms of man. The kingdoms Jesus would inherit through Satan are obtained through love of power and political oppression. Barrett characterizes this "the old but ever new temptation to do evil that good may come; to justify the illegitimacy of the means by the greatness of the end." [From Wikipedia]

Basically the temptation to overthrow God.

Source: In the Margin

• A return to Canaan House and its mysteries. Is this in regards to the devils and the tower, Abigail and her theory about the secret private chambers of the Emperor, Palamades being systematically lied to about the ages and psychometric signatures in Canaan House or Harrow and her secret door theory? Or something else entirely...but I'm glad that we may get another glimpse into Canaan House.

Source: Nerd Daily Aug. 2020 interview

• Now this interview is pre-Nona as its own book, but I can't think of any 2 characters that interact in Harrow that would have had a moment that fits this in Nona. Brutal sincerity? It feels like it has to involve Harrow, John, Ianthe or Gideon in some way.

Source: The Nerd Daily 2020

• Again on the theme of love which relates to Nona, but TazMuir has said in other interviews to expect that theme to continue onto Alecto.

Also don't expect everyone to get what's coming to them which doesn't shock me.

Source: LA Book Review

• Pre-Nona interview. But talking about Gideon and Harrow’s relationship dynamic changing as their standing changes. Obviously we're going to see some fallout/paradigm shifts with Gideon being the heir aparent of God and Harrow basically becoming a heretic of sorts.

Source: The Library Journal

• Broad strokes here about character growth and a painful but begrudging happiness that some characters will find. But there is a chance at happiness. So that's something a lot of haven't been counting on.

Source: Vox Bookclub Podcast transcript

• while this is a reference to Harrow the Ninth it does mention to look out for more biblical allusion in Alecto. Now, I'm pretty sure this is pre-Nona announcement and obviously we got all the John biblical references but from the other interviews we've been talking about we know there is so harrowing of hell and temptation of christ in our future. Maybe someone more upon Bible study can chime in with other Biblical passages or stories that may come into play that fit the same theme?

Source: The Coode Street Podcast

• Paraphrasing but On episode 598 of the Coode Street podcast, Tamsyn Muir said that Alecto the Ninth was completed but hadn't been edited yet and that she doubted it would be out by the end of 2023 as it was a "chonky boy" or a "chungus" (her words). That podcast was released in December, so I'm assuming recorded in November or earlier.

Seems to me like any listed dates right now are probably placeholders until Tor announces an official release date.

PHEW! That was a lot so far. To be honest there are some other podcast interviews I know I've listened to in the past but haven't had time to revisit for this project so I may be missing some things.

We have one more roundup of interview screenshots to go, but it will have to be its own post. And the theme of part 3 of ATN news is: CW: Ianthe Tridentarius. Yep. There are so many mentions referring to Ianthe in Alecto that they will be their own post. [Yikes]

Click here to see part 3 of this post

#the locked tomb #tlt #tlt meta #alecto the ninth speculation #alecto theories #alecto the ninth #self post

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catharsis-in-a-bottle · 3 years

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very brief character thoughts: harrow the ninth

maybe i’ll do an in-depth analysis later, but for now, take these scraggly sentences please and thank you okay here i go:

Harrowhark Nonagesimus - please go 2 therapy. my child i love you and i want you to not flinch away from affection. also i want your gender. also please don’t make soup. also kids don’t give yourself a homemade lobotomy without an expert

Ianthe Tridentarius - devious little raccoon. bitchy but in a good way but in a bad way. she is so pretty and will also claw your eyes out. also sided with john mf gaius in the end, like honey no, decision-making not on point

John Gaius - i’m sorry i still kinda love him even after everything he did. he’s just so nice and also bisexual and he hugs people and says ‘for fuck’s sake’ but also probably genocide, and lying a shit ton?? but he made a dad joke - sorry not my fault i get attached to mentor characters (yes it is but ok.) i just - very mixed feelings bc he is literally enacting colonialism and for what, john, for what, you polite-ass tea-drinking hug-giving lying cool-eyed bastard

Augustine - Very British Man. tall and old and very cool and i like him a lot a lot. really came up with the solution of going down on god just to cause a distraction for an assassination. mad respect sir. another mentor character i am attached to

Mercymorn - didn’t like her at first and now i would die for her. powerful and petty. gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, go down on god. also she can just touch people and see their whole anatomical layout and shit like,,, mad respect ma’am

Ortus/G1deon - i mean my first impression of him was as harrow’s attempted assassin so. he turned very chill in the end. he is a very good fighter, so mad respect. and pyrrha dve is excellent good sir, maybe just stop having affairs with people so i can actually comprehend the ending of this book

Ortus Nigenad - literally saves the day with poetry. big and sad. iconic, in a sad way. sad. melancholy. contains bursts of snark that truly add spice. also needs to go to therapy. really all the ninth house bitches do

Abigail + Magnus - such excellent mom and dad energy. abigail is iconic and so smart and very much college professor energy. magnus is so nice and is a people pleaser and we love to see it. they are a power couple and also have an amazing bond and i would thanergetically combust for them. they’re harrow’s parents now bye

Camilla + Palamedes - iconic as always. camilla is a stoic queen. sexpal is smart boi. they are the best duo. also kudos to palamedes for straight up attaching his soul to his skull. also kudos to camilla for being the most baddest assest person.

Wake Me Up Inside - did not like her but that was the point. gideon’s edgy mom. gideon’s mother whom gideon definitely inherited swearing like a sailor from (but john does that sometimes too so.) very cool. also dead and in cytherea’s body which was very intriguing.

Gideon Nav - last but not least. the queen. the legend. the meme god. literally a child of god. like. come on. just the most iconic fucking person. hi not fucking dead, i’m dad. please. gideon is just the absolute best there is nothing else to it. there is a lot more to it actually, and she also needs therapy, but she has the humor coping mechanism to work with at least so like. also trapped in harrow’s body which is kinda weird but ok she’s rolling with it

- so yeah alecto the ninth needs to be in my grubby little hands soon so i can spew even more tumblr posts about it. farewell

#harrow the ninth spoilers #htn spoilers #harrowhark nonagesimus #harrow the ninth #htn #the locked tomb #tlt #gideon nav #g1deon #ortus nigenad #john gaius #augustine the first #mercymorn the first #commander wake #palamedes sextus #camilla heck #ianthe tridentarius #abigail pent #magnus quinn

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thunderon · 3 years

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Please summarise what we know in the last few chapters of gtn. I mean about lyctorhood and the end of the world (not all the deaths)

-🦁

i will do my best! i am writing this with a working title of “So You Just Finished Gideon the Ninth and Want to Know What the Fuck is Up with the Epilogue and Lyctorhood Before You Embark on Book Two”. this isn’t an analysis post but more of a comprehensive summary of everything we’ve learned about lyctorhood and the war specifically in the final chapters Gideon the Ninth. this will remain spoiler free for Harrow the Ninth, but will point out some points that readers should take particular note of.

im going to start with chapter 34. this chapter can also be known as: ianthe reaches new levels of being a terrible girlboss. in this chapter we see ianthe trientarius use naberius tern’s soul to ascend to lyctorhood and she duels the eighth. and we learn a lot.

forgive me if it’s unnecessary but just so everyone’s clear about lyctorhood here’s the 8-step megatheorem as explained by ianthe:

preserve the soul

analyze the soul

absorb the soul

fix the soul in place

incorporate the soul

consume the flesh

reconstruct the flesh and soul

get the power flowing

after hearing ianthe’s monologue about the 8 Simple Steps for Ultimate Power, column asht remarks:

“To walk with the dead forever … enormous power, recycled within you, from the ultimate sacrifice … to make yourself a tomb.”

which is a *coughs* accurate description. silas and column are (ironically) horrified and decide to fight ianthe, a fight that is very illuminating .

first ianthe squares off against column in a sword fight. gideon describes it as follows:

“It was only then that it hit home to Gideon what Ianthe had done. The bizarre sight of a necromancer holding a sword—a ghost fighting inside the meat suit of his adept—made it real that Naberius was dead, but that he was dead inside Ianthe. It was not that he had taught her how to fight: it was him fighting.”

so we learn that the necromancer will inherit the cavaliers swordsmanship. cool. ianthe is able to hold column at bay and silas realizes he must engage ianthe in a necromantic duel. we then see ianthe and silas face off. ianthe is wiping the floor with him when silas then attempts to siphon her, but it's shown she is unable to be drained. ianthe tells him “you can’t take it faster than I can make it”. so this confirms what we already suspected: the soul of the cavalier is being used to create an everlasting battery of power for the necromancer.

another thing we also now know from watching ianthe is that lyctorhood isn’t immediate. ianthe is ‘fighting’ naberius’ soul and her eye color switches back and forth from his and her own, indicating the soul incorporation is incomplete. ianthe appears at various points to be in pain or fighting with naberius, at one point even verbally saying "stop. listen, babs, listen". this later comes into play when ianthe duels cytherea.

speaking of, as described by gideon, "A fight between two Lyctors was a swordfight on a scale beyond mortal". even severely wounded, cytherea proves to be an excessively formidable opponent. at first ianthe seems to have the upperhand, but cytherea tells ianthe: “You aren’t completed, are you? I can feel him pushing … he’s not happy. Mine went willingly, and it hurt for centuries.” and then siphons from her, healing herself. ianthe gets rocked after that and loses her arm. i will not say anything more on this particular fight because it’ll get into spoiler territory. but everything i said here is important.

so to summarize, here’s what lyctorhood gives us:

cavalier is an everlasting battery for power

rapid healing/superhuman reflexes and strength/etc

cavs swordsmanship ability

immortality

now what do we learn in the epilogue? well harrow gets to meet God! harrow is not a happy camper and wants him to undo the process, but God says her and gideon's souls are intertwined and it would kill them both. harrow is not pleased. also, God tells harrow things are apparently not going so well for him right now. he’s informs her that he's been fighting a war since the resurrection and that he is losing. we don’t know who/what he’s fighting yet, but he says he has lost most of his lyctors and that is why he called for more. God tells harrow he has three teachers for her if she decides to join him, which harrow accepts.

now onto the matter of our characters: only harrow and ianthe ascended. harrow inquires about the survivors of canaan house and God tells her that camilla hect, coronabeth tridentarius, judith deuteros, gideon nav, and some of the remains of palamedes sextus remain unaccounted for. additionally, God promises to renew the Ninth (which is curious because harrow never told john about the ninth house population crisis) by doing something he hasn’t done in “10,000 years”.

i really can't say anything more than that without spoilers, but everything above should be all the major points we know heading into htn.

#asks #🦁#hopefully this was helpful #the locked tomb #gideon the ninth

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